sputes, and perhaps mistakes
in the world. For till it be resolved how far we are to be guided by
reason, and how far by faith, we shall in vain dispute, and endeavour to
convince one another in matters of religion.

2. Faith and Reason, what, as contradistingushed.

I find every sect, as far as reason will help them, make use of it
gladly: and where it fails them, they cry out, It is matter of faith,
and above reason. And I do not see how they can argue with any one,
or ever convince a gainsayer who makes use of the same plea, without
setting down strict boundaries between faith and reason; which ought to
be the first point established in all questions where faith has anything
to do.

REASON, therefore, here, as contradistinguished to FAITH, I take to be
the discovery of the certainty or probability of such propositions or
truths, which the mind arrives at by deduction made from such ideas,
which it has got by the use of its natural faculties; viz. by sensation
or reflection.

FAITH, on the other side, is the assent to any proposition, not thus
made out by the deductions of reason, but upon the credit of
the proposer, as coming from God, in some extraordinary way of
communication. This way of discovering truths to men, we call
REVELATION.

3. First, No new simple Idea can be conveyed by traditional Revelation.

FIRST, Then I say, that NO MAN INSPIRED BY GOD CAN BY ANY REVELATION
COMMUNICATE TO OTHERS ANY NEW SIMPLE IDEAS WHICH THEY HAD NOT BEFORE
FROM SENSATION OR REFLECTION. For, whatsoever impressions he himself may
have from the immediate hand of God, this revelation, if it be of new
simple ideas, cannot be conveyed to another, either by words or any
other signs. Because words, by their immediate operation on us, cause no
other ideas but of their natural sounds: and it is by the custom of
using them for signs, that they excite and revive in our minds latent
ideas; but yet only such ideas as were there before. For words, seen or
heard, recal to our thoughts those ideas only which to us they have been
wont to be signs of, but cannot introduce any perfectly new, and
formerly unknown simple ideas. The same holds in all other signs; which
cannot signify to us things of which we have before never had any idea
at all.

Thus whatever things were discovered to St. Paul, when he was rapt up
into the third heaven; whatever new ideas his mind there received, all
the description he can make to others of that place,