St. Aphrahat: “Let us draw near then, my beloved, to faith, since its powers are so many. For faith raised up to the heavens (Enoch), and conquered the Deluge. It caused the barren to bring forth. It delivered from the sword. It raised up from the pit. It enriched the poor. It released the captives. It delivered the persecuted. It brought down the fire. It divided the sea. It cleft the rock, and gave to the thirsty water to drink. It satisfied the hungry. It raised the dead, and brought them up from Sheol. It stilled the billows. It healed the sick. It conquered hosts. It overthrew walls. It stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the flame of fire. It humiliated the proud, and brought the humble to honour. All these mighty works were wrought by faith.” — Select Demonstrations 1.18.
“So also let the man, who becomes a house, yes, a dwelling-place, for Christ, take heed to what is needed for the service of Christ, who lodges in him, and with what things he may please Him. For first he builds his building on the Stone, which is Christ. On Him, on the Stone, is faith based, and on faith is reared up all the structure. For the habitation of the house is required pure fasting, and it is made firm by faith. There is also needed for it pure prayer, and through faith is it accepted. Necessary for it too is love, and with faith is it compounded. Furthermore alms are needed, and through faith are they given. He demands also humility, and by faith is it adorned. He chooses too virginity, and by faith is it loved. He joins with himself holiness, and in faith is it planted. He cares also for wisdom, and through faith is it acquired. He desires also hospitality, and by faith does it abound. Requisite for Him also is simplicity, and with faith is it commingled. He demands patience also, and by faith is it perfected. He has respect also to long-suffering, and through faith is it acquired … All these things does the faith demand that is based on the rock of the true Stone, that is Christ. These works are required for Christ the King, who dwells in men that are built up in these works.” — Select Demonstrations 1.4.
St. Augustine: “What is faith but to believe what you do not see?… The reward of faith is to see what you believe in. We can believe only when we want to. Do not seek to understand that you may believe, but to believe that you may understand.” — Sermon 43.4, 7–9.
“Christ dwells in you by faith. Where faith is present, Christ is present; where faith is awake, Christ is awake; where faith sleeps, Christ sleeps … Arise and stir yourself. Say, Lord, we are perishing!” — Sermon 31.8.
St. Clement of Alexandria: “Repentance, then, is an effect of faith. For unless a man believes that to which he was addicted to be sin, he will not abandon it; and if he does not believe punishment to be impending over the transgressor, and salvation to be the portion of him who lives according to the commandments, he will not reform.” — The Stromata, or Miscellanies 2.6.
St. Cyril of Alexandria: “Understand from this, my beloved, that faith sets us also in Christ’s presence, and so brings us unto God, as for us to be even counted worthy of His words. — A Commentary upon the Gospel According to St. Luke: Part II, Sermon 126.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem: “Faith is an eye that enlightens every conscience, and imparts understanding; for the Prophet says, And if you do not believe, you shall not understand (Isa. 7:9 LXX).” — Catechetical Lectures 5.4.
“Faith stopped the mouths of lions, as in Daniel’s case: for the Scripture says concerning him, that Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God (Dan. 6:23). Is there anything more fearful than the devil? Yet even against him we have no other shield than faith (1 Pet. 1:9), an impalpable shield against an unseen foe. For he sends forth various arrows, and shoots down in the dark night (Ps. 11:2) those that watch not; but, since the enemy is unseen, we have faith as our strong armour, according to the saying of the Apostle, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Eph. 6:16). A fiery dart of desire of base indulgence is often shot forth from the devil: but faith, suggesting a picture of the judgment, cools down the mind, and quenches the dart.” — Catechetical Lectures 5.4.
“though [Abraham] did many things well, yet he was never called the friend of God, except when he believed … In like manner, therefore, as he was justified, you also shall be justified. In his body he was already dead in regard to offspring…” — Catechetical Lectures 5.5.
“For so great is the strength of faith, as even to buoy men up in walking on the sea. Peter was a man like ourselves, made up of flesh and blood, and living on the same food. But when Jesus said, Come (Matt. 14:29), he believed, and walked upon the waters, and found his faith safer upon the waters than any ground; and his heavy body was upheld by the buoyancy of his faith. But though he had safe footing over the water as long as he believed, yet when he doubted, at once he began to sink: for as his faith gradually relaxed, his body also was drawn down with it. And when He saw his distress, Jesus who remedies the distresses of our souls, said, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matt. 14:31). And being nerved again by Him who grasped his right hand, he had no sooner recovered his faith, than, led by the hand of the Master, he resumed walking upon the waters.” — Catechetical Lectures 5.7.
Faith Unto Ages 