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has hidden Himself from their knowledge, that this is in fact the name which
He gives Himself in the Scriptures, Deus absconditus;25 and finally, if it
endeavours equally to establish these two things: that God has set up in the
Church visible signs to make Himself known to those who should seek Him
sincerely, and that He has nevertheless so disguised them that He will only
be perceived by those who seek Him with all their heart; what advantage can
they obtain, when, in the negligence with which they make profession of
being in search of the truth, they cry out that nothing reveals it to them;
and since that darkness in which they are, and with which they upbraid the
Church, establishes only one of the things which she affirms, without
touching the other, and, very far from destroying, proves her doctrine?
In order to attack it, they should have protested that they had made every
effort to seek Him everywhere, and even in that which the Church proposes
for their instruction, but without satisfaction. If they talked in
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matter, the course of the moon and planets, and to claim to have concluded
the proof with such an argument, is to give them ground for believing that
the proofs of our religion are very weak. And I see by reason and experience
that nothing is more calculated to arouse their contempt.
It is not after this manner that Scripture speaks, which has a better
knowledge of the things that are of God. It says, on the contrary, that God
is a hidden God, and that, since the corruption of nature, He has left men
in a darkness from which they can escape only through Jesus Christ, without
whom all communion with God is cut off. Nemo novit Patrem, nisi Filius, et
cui voluerit Filius revelare.30
This is what Scripture points out to us, when it says in so many places that
those who seek God find Him. It is not of that light, "like the noonday
sun," that this is said. We do not say that those who seek the noonday sun,
or water in the sea, shall find them; and hence the evidence of God must not
be of this nature. So it tells us elsewhere: Vere tu es Deus absconditus.31
243. It is an astounding fact that no canonical writer has ever made use of
nature to prove God. They all strive to make us believe in Him. David,
Solomon, etc., have never said, "There is no void, therefore there is a
God." They must have had more knowledge than the most learned people who
came after them, and who have all made use of this argument. This is worthy
of attention.
244. "Why! Do you not say yourself that the heavens and birds prove God?"
No. "And does your religion not say so"? No. For although it is true in a
sense for some souls to whom God gives this light, yet it is false with
respect to the majority of men.
245. There are three sources of belief: reason, custom, inspiration. The
Christian religion, which alone has reason, does not acknowledge as her true
children those who believe without inspiration. It