But I would ask him if God demands anything else from him than the knowledge
and love of Him, and why, since his nature is capable of love and knowledge,
he believes that God cannot make Himself known and loved by him. Doubtless
he knows at least that he exists, and that he loves something. Therefore, if
he sees anything in the darkness wherein he is, and if he finds some object
of his love among the things on earth, why, if God impart to him some ray of
His essence, will he not be capable of knowing and of loving Him in the
manner in which it shall please Him to communicate Himself to us? There
must, then, be certainly an intolerable presumption in arguments of this
sort, although they seem founded on an apparent humility, which is neither
sincere nor reasonable, if it does not make us admit that, not knowing of
ourselves what we are, we can only learn it from God.
"I do not mean that you should submit your belief to me without reason, and
I do not aspire to overcome you by tyranny. In fact, I do not claim to give
you a reason for everything. And to reconcile these contradictions, I intend
to make you see clearly, by convincing proofs, those divine signs in me,
which may convince you of what I am, and may gain authority for me by
wonders and proofs which you cannot reject; so that you may then believe
without... the things which I teach you, since you will find no other ground
for rejecting them, except that you cannot know of yourselves if they are
true or not.
"God has willed to redeem men and to open salvation to those who seek it.
But men render themselves so unworthy of it that it is right that God should
refuse to some, because of their o
910. Can it be anything but compliance with the world which makes you find
things probable? Will you make us believe that it is truth and that, if
duelling were not the fashion, you would find it probable that they might
fight, considering the matter in itself.?
911. Must we kill to prevent there being any wicked? This is to make both
parties wicked instead of one. Vince in bono malum.227 (Saint Augustine.)
912. Universal.--Ethics and language are special, but universal sciences.
913. Probability.--Each one can employ it; no one can take it away.
914. They allow lust to act, and check scruples; whereas they should do the
contrary.
915. Montalte.--Lax opinions please men so much, that it is strange that
theirs displease. It is because they have exceeded all bounds. Again, there
are many people who see the truth, and who cannot attain to it; but there
are few who do not know that the purity of religion is opposed to our
corruptions. It is absurd to say that an eternal recompense is offered to
the morality of Escobar.
916. Probability.--They have some true principles; but they misuse them.
Now,
"I have spread out my hands all the day unto an unbelieving people, which
walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; a people that
provoketh me to anger continually by the sins they commit in my face; that
sacrificeth to idols, etc.
"These shall be scattered like smoke in the day of my wrath, etc.
"Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers, will I assemble
together, and will recompense you for all according to your works.
"Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one
saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it and the promise of fruit: for
my servants' sake I will not destroy all Israel.
"Thus I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob and out of Judah, an inheritor
of my mountains, and mine elect and my servants shall inherit it, and my
fertile and abundant plains; but I will destroy all others, because you have
forgotten your God to serve strange gods. I called, and ye did not answer; I
spake, and ye did not hear; and ye did choose the thing which I forbade.
"Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall
be hungry; my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed; my servants
shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry and howl for vexation of
spirit.
"And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen