There is added the character of those who wrote and preached, in that men would not have delivered divine things, lofty things being themselves lowly, and subtle things being themselves uneloquent, unless they had been filled with the divine Spirit; then the power of the preaching, which, though preached by a few despised men, took possession of the world. 2. To these are added the testimony of opposites, such as of the Sibyls or the philosophers; the casting-out of adversaries; the usefulness of those who follow; the outcome of those things which were foretold through the receptions and figures and predictions; and lastly the miracles continually wrought, until the Scripture itself was received by the nations—concerning which it now suffices to count this as the greatest miracle, that it is known to have been received by all. 30. Where faith is necessary to religion.
[The Student] But if the proofs of the divine Scriptures are sufficient, what need is there of faith for religion? [The Master] Our faith is indeed above reason; yet it is not taken up rashly and without reason: for those things which reason teaches, faith understands; and where reason fails, faith runs on ahead. For we do not believe whatever we have heard in any manner, but those things which reason does not disprove. But those things which we cannot fully attain by reason, we confess with a believing prudence.