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Objection 1: It would seem that the object of faith is something
seen. For Our Lord said to Thomas (Jn. 20:29): "Because
thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou hast believed." Therefore vision
and faith regard the same object.
Objection 2: Further, the Apostle, while speaking of the
knowledge of faith, says (1 Cor. 13:12): "We see now
through a glass in a dark manner." Therefore what is believed is
seen.
Objection 3: Further, faith is a spiritual light. Now something
is seen under every light. Therefore faith is of things seen.
Objection 4: Further, "Every sense is a kind of sight," as
Augustine states (De Verb. Domini, Serm. xxxiii). But faith
is of things heard, according to Rm. 10:17: "Faith . . .
cometh by hearing." Therefore faith is of things seen.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Heb. 11:1) that "faith
is the evidence of things that appear not."
I answer that, Faith implies assent of the intellect to that which is
believed. Now the intellect assents to a thing in two ways. First,
through being moved to assent by its very object, which is known either
by itself (as in the case of first principles, which are held by the
habit of understanding), or through something else already known (as
in the case of conclusions which are held by the habit of science).
Secondly the intellect assents to something, not through being
sufficiently moved to this assent by its proper object, but through an
act of choice, whereby it turns voluntarily to one side rather than to
the other: and if this be accompanied by doubt or fear of the opposite
side, there will be opinion, while, if there be certainty and no fear
of the other side, there will be faith.
Now those things are said to be seen which, of themselves, move the
intellect or the senses to knowledge of them. Wherefore it is evident
that neither faith nor opinion can be of things seen either by the
senses or by the intellect.
Reply to Objection 1: Thomas "saw one thing, and believed
another" [St. Gregory: Hom. xxvi in Evang.]: he saw the
Man, and believing Him to be God, he made profession of his faith,
saying: "My Lord and my God."
Reply to Objection 2: Those things which come under faith can be
considered in two ways. First, in particular; and thus they cannot
be seen and believed at the same time, as shown above. Secondly, in
general, that is, under the common aspect of credibility; and in this
way they are seen by the believer. For he would not believe unless,
on the evidence of signs, or of something similar, he saw that they
ought to be believed.
Reply to Objection 3: The light of faith makes us see what we
believe. For just as, by the habits of the other virtues, man sees
what is becoming to him in respect of that habit, so, by the habit of
faith, the human mind is directed to assent to such things as are
becoming to a right faith, and not to assent to others.
Reply to Objection 4: Hearing is of words signifying what is of
faith, but not of the things themselves that are believed; hence it
does not follow that these things are seen.
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