Re: Above Black
Credibility
quite willing to dispense with God. But he had to make Him give a fillip to
set the world in motion; beyond this, he has no further need of God.
78. Descartes useless and uncertain.
79. Descartes.--We must say summarily: "This is made by figure and motion,"
for it is true. But to say what these are, and to compose the machine, is
ridiculous. For it is useless, uncertain, and painful. And were it true, we
do not think all Philosophy is worth one hour of pain.
80. How comes it that a cripple does not offend us, but that a fool does?
Because a cripple recognises that we walk straight, whereas a fool declares
that it is we who are silly; if it were not so, we should feel pity and not
anger.
Epictetus asks still more strongly: "Why are we not angry if we are told
that we have a headache, and why are we angry if we are told that we reason
badly, or choose wrongly"? The reason is that we are quite certain that we
have not a headache, or are not lame, but we are not so sure that we make a
true choice. So, having assurance only because we see with our whole sight,
it puts us into suspense and surprise when another with his whole sight sees
the opposite, and still more so when a thousand others deride our choice.
For we must prefer our own lights to those of so many others, and that is
bold and difficult. There is never this contradiction in the feelings
towards a cripple.
81. It is natural for the mind to believe and for the will to love; so that,
for want of true objects, they must attach themselves to false.
82. Imagination.--It is that deceitful part in man, that mistress of error
and falsity, the more deceptive that she is not always so; for she would be
an infallible rule of truth, if she were an infallible rule of falsehood.
But being most generally false, she gives no sign of her nature, impressing
the same character on the true and the false.
I do not speak of fools, I spe
Credibility
[115]"Each time that."
116Mark 2:10, 11. "But that ye may know that the son of man hath power on
earth to forgive sins... I say unto thee, Arise."
117Rom. 5:14. "The figure of him that was to come."
118Ps. 75. 5. "They have slept their sleep."
1191 Cor. 7:31 "The fashion of this world."
120Deut. 8:9. "Bread without scarceness."
121Luke 11:3. "Our daily bread."
122Ps. 71:9. "The enemies of the Lord shall lick the dust."
123Exod. 12:8. Cum lacticibus agrestibus. "With bitter herbs."
124Ps. 140:10. "Whilst that I withal escape."j
[125]Ps. 44:4 "O most mighty."
126Exod. 25:40. "Make them after their pattern, which was showed thee on the
mount."
127Mark 2:10, 11. "That ye may know... I say unto thee: Arise."
[128]John 4:23. "True worshippers."
[129]John 1:29. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
world."
130"The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can
know it?"
131Is. 44:24. "I am the Lord."
132"I will do unto this house."
133"For I spoke not unto your fathers."
134"According to the number."
135Rev. 13:8. "The Lambs slain from the foundation of the world."
136Ps. 109:1. " Sit then at my right hand."
137Ps. 147:13. Quoniam not quia. "For he hath strengthened the bars."
[138]Acts 17:11. "They received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
[139]"Read what has been announced. See what has been accomplished. Meditate
on