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it is pride to

be unwilling to submit to them.

250. The external must be joined to the internal to obtain anything from

God, that is to say, we must kneel, pray with the lips, etc., in order that

proud man, who would not submit himself to God, may be now subject to the

creature. To expect help from these externals is superstition; to refuse to

join them to the internal is pride.

251. Other religions, as the pagan, are more popular, for they consist in

externals. But they are not for educated people. A purely intellectual

religion would be more suited to the learned, but it would be of no use to

the common people. The Christian religion alone is adapted to all, being

composed of externals and internals. It raises the common people to the

internal, and humbles the proud to the external; it is not perfect without

the two, for the people must understand the spirit of the letter, and the

learned must submit their spirit to the letter.

252. For we must not misunderstand ourselves; we are as much automatic as

intellectual; and hence it comes that the instrument by

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etc.?

A cipher has two meanings. When we find out an important letter in which we

discover a clear meaning, and in which it is nevertheless said that the

meaning is veiled and obscure, that it is hidden, so that we might read the

letter without seeing it, and interpret it without understanding it, what

must we think but that here is a cipher with a double meaning, and the more

so if we find obvious contradictions in the literal meaning? The prophets

have clearly said that Israel would be always loved by God and that the law

would be eternal; and they have said that their meaning would not be

understood and that it was veiled.

How greatly, then, ought we to value those who interpret the cipher and

teach us to understand the hidden meaning, especially if the principles

which they educe are perfectly clear and natural! This is what Jesus Christ

did, and the Apostles. They broke the seal; He rent the veil, and revealed

the spirit. They have taught us through this that the enemies of man are h

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and a commemoration of a sacrifice, believes that neither of

these truths can be admitted without excluding the other for this reason.

They fasten to this point alone, that this Sacrament is typical; and in this

they are not heretics. They think that we exclude this truth; hence it comes

that they raise so many objections to us out of the passages of the Fathers

which assert it. Finally, they deny the presence; and in this they are

heretics.

3rd example: Indulgences.

The shortest way, therefore, to prevent heresies is to instruct in all

truths; and the surest way to refute them is to declare them all. For what

will the heretics say?

In order to know whether an opinion is a Father's...

863. All err the more dangerously, as they each follow a truth. Their fault

is not in following a falsehood, but in not following another truth.

864. Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that,

unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.

865. If there is ever a time in which we must make profession of two

opposite truths, it is when we are reproached for omitting one. Therefore

the Jesuits and Jansenists are wrong in concealing them, but the Jansenists

more so, for the Jesuits have better made profession of the two.

866. Two kinds of people make things e

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books in the world are those of Moses and Job, the one a

Jew and the other a Gentile. Both of them look upon Jesus Christ as their

common centre and object: Moses in relating the promises of God to Abraham,

Jacob, etc., and his prophecies; and Job, Quis mihi det ut, etc. Scio enim

quod redemptor meus vivit, etc.146

742. The Gospel only speaks of the virginity of the Virgin up to the time of

the birth of Jesus Christ. All with reference to Jesus Christ.

743. Proofs Of Jesus Christ.

Why was the book of Ruth preserved?

Why the story of Tamar?

744. "Pray that ye enter not into temptation." It is dangerous to be

tempted; and people are tempted because they do not pray.

Et tu conversus confirma fratres tuos. But before, conversus Jesus respexit

Petrum.147

Saint Peter asks permission to strike Malchus and strikes before hearing the

answer. Jesus Christ replies afterwards.

The word, Galilee, which the mob pronounced as if by chance, in accusing

Jesus Christ before Pilate, afforded Pilate a reason for sending Jesus

Christ to Herod. And thereby the mystery was accomplished, that He should be

judged by Jews and Gentiles. Chance was apparently the cause of the

accomplishment of the mystery.

745. Those who have a difficulty in believing seek a reason in the fact that

the Jews do not believe. "Were this so clear," say they, "why did the Jews

not believe"? And they almost wish that they had believed, so as not to be

kept back by the example of their refusal. But it is their very refusal that

is the foundation of our faith. We should be much less disposed to the

faith, if they were on our side. We should then have a more ample pretext.

The wonderful thing is to have made the Jews great lovers of the things

for

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and infatuated with it. If one considers one's work

immediately after having done it, one is entirely prepossessed in its

favour; by delaying too long, one can no longer enter into the spirit of it.

So with pictures seen from too far or too near; there is but one exact point

which is the true place wherefrom to look at them: the rest are too near,

too far, too high or too low. Perspective determines that point in the art

of painting. But who shall determine it in truth and morality?

382. When all is equally agitated, nothing appears to be agitated, as in a

ship. When all tend to debauchery, none appears to do so. He who stops draws

attention to the excess of others, like a fixed point.

383. The licentious tell men of orderly lives that they stray from nature's

path, while they themselves follow it; as people in a ship think those move

who are on the shore. On all sides the language is similar. We must have a

fixed point in order to judge. The harbour decides for those who are in a

ship; but where shall we find a harbour in morality?

384. Contradiction is a bad sign of truth; several things which are certain

are contradicted; several things which are false pass without contradiction.

Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor the want of contradiction a sign

of truth.

385. Scepticism.--Each thing here is partly true and partly false. Essential

truth is not so; it is altogether pure and altogether true. This mixture

dishonours and annihilates it. Nothing is purely true, and thus nothing is

true, meaning by that pure truth. You will say it is true that homicide is

wrong. Yes; for w

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his feet

part of iron and part of clay. Thus thou sawest till that a stone was cut

out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet, that were of iron

and of clay, and brake them to pieces.

"Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to

pieces together, and the wind carried them away; but this stone that smote

the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the

dream, and now I will give thee the interpretation thereof.

"Thou who art the greatest of kings, and to whom God hath given a power so

vast that thou art renowned among all peoples, art the head of gold which

thou hast seen. But after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee,

and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the

earth.

"But the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, and even as iron breaketh

in pieces and subdueth all things, so shall this empire break in pieces and

bruise all.

"And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of clay and part of iron,

the kingdom shall be divided; but ther

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with many of our young

people to be indecent in their carriage at meeting, which doubtless

would not have prevailed in such a degree, had it not been that my

grandfather, through his great age (though he retained his powers

surprisingly to the last), was not so able to observe them. There had

also long prevailed in the town a spirit of contention between two

parties, into which they had for many years been divided; by which they

maintained a jealousy one of the other, and were prepared to oppose one

another in all public affairs.

But in two or three years after Mr. Stoddard's death, there began to be

a sensible amendment to these evils. The young people showed more of a

disposition to hearken to counsel, and by degrees left off their

frolics; they grew observably more decent in their attendance on the

public worship, and there were more who manifested a religious concern

than there used to be.

At the latter end of the year 1733, there appeared a very unusual

flexibleness, and yielding to advice, in our young people. It had been

too long their manner to make the evening after the sabbath, [it must be

noted, that it has never been our manner, to observe the evening that

follows the sabbath, but that which precedes it, as part of the holy

time], and after our public lecture, to be especially the times of their

mirth, and company-keeping. But a sermon was now preached on the sabbath

before the lecture, to show the evil tendency of the practice, and to

persuade them to reform it; and it was urged on heads of families that

it should be a thing agreed upon among them, to govern their families,

and keep their children at home, at these times. It was also more

privately moved, that they should meet together the next day, in their

several neighborhoods, to know each other's minds; which was accordingly

done, and the notion complied with throughout the town

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them.

487. Every religion is false which, as to its faith, does not worship one

God as the origin of everything and which, as to its morality, does not love

one only God as the object of everything.

488.... But it is impossible that God should ever be the end, if He is not

the beginning. We lift our eyes on high, but lean upon the sand; and the

earth will dissolve, and we shall fall whilst looking at the heavens.

489. If there is one sole source of everything, there is one sole end of

everything; everything through Him, everything for Him. The true religion,

then, must teach us to worship Him only, and to love Him only. But as we

find ourselves unable to worship what we know not, and to love any other

object but ourselves, the religion which instructs us in these duties must

instruct us also of this inability, and teach us also the remedies for it.

It teaches us that by one man all was lost, and the bond broken between God

and us, and that by one man the bond is renewed.

We are born so averse to this love of God, and it is so necessary, that we

must be born guilty, or God would be unjust.

490. Men,

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things are so plain and easy, and

rational, that any body can see them. If they are asked, why they never

saw thus before, they say, it seems to them it was because they never

thought of it. But very often these difficulties are soon removed by

those of another nature; for when God withdraws, they find themselves as

it were blind again, they for the present lose their realizing sense of

those things that looked so plain to them, and, by all they can do, they

cannot recover it, till God renews the influence of His Spirit.

Persons after their conversion often speak of religious things as

seeming new to them; that preaching is a new thing; that it seems to

them they never heard preaching before; that the Bible is a new book:

they find there new chapters, new psalms, new histories, because they

see them in a new light. Here was a remarkable instance of an aged

woman, of about seventy years, who had spent most of her days under Mr.

Stoddard's powerful ministry. Reading in the New Testament concerning

Christ's sufferings for sinners, she seemed to be astonished at what she

read, as what was real and very wonderful, but quite new to her. At

first, before she had time to turn her thoughts, she wondered within

herself, that she had never heard of it before; but then immediately

recollected herself, and thought she had often heard of it, and read it,

but never till now saw it as real. She then cast in her mind how

wonderful this was, that the So

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and has strength to make

itself obeyed. Yet it is the opinion of the least able.

If men could have done it, they would have placed might in the hands of

justice. But as might does not allow itself to be managed as men want,

because it is a palpable quality, whereas justice is a spiritual quality of

which men dispose as they please, they have placed justice in the hands of

might. And thus that is called just which men are forced to obey.

Hence comes the right of the sword, for the sword gives a true right.

Otherwise we should see violence on one side and justice on the other (end

of the twelfth Provincial Letter). Hence comes the injustice of the Fronde,

which raises its alleged justice against power. It is not the same in the

Church, for there is a true justice and no violence.

879. Injustice.--Jurisdiction is not given for the sake of the judge, but

for that of the litigant. It is dangerous to tell this to the people. But

the people have too much faith in you; it will not harm them and may serve

you. It should, therefore, be made known. Pasce oves meas, not tuas.221 You

owe me pasturage.

880. Men like certainty. They like the Pope to be infa

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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: for the Lord shall

slay thee, and call His servants by another name, that he who blesseth

himself in the earth shall bless himself in God, etc., because the former

troubles are forgotten.

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things

shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

"But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for, behold, I

create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

"And I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in my people; and the voice of

weeping shall no more be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

"Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will

hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat

straw like the bullock; and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not

hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain."

Is. 56:3: "Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my

salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.

"Blessed is the man that doeth this, that keepeth the Sabbath, and keepeth

his hand from doing any e

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endures only for an instant and returns no more. All I know is

that I must soon die, but what I know least is this very death which I

cannot escape.

"As I know not whence I come, so I know not whither I go. I know only that,

in leaving this world, I fall for ever either into annihilation or into the

hands of an angry God, without knowing to which of these two states I shall

be for ever assigned. Such is my state, full of weakness and uncertainty.

And from all this I conclude that I ought to spend all the days of my life

without caring to inquire into what must happen to me. Perhaps I might find

some solution to my doubts, but I will not take the trouble, nor take a step

to seek it; and after treating with scorn those who are concerned with this

care, I will go without foresight and without fear to try the great event,

and let myself be led carelessly to death, uncertain of the eternity of my

future state."

Who would desire to have for a friend a man who talks in this fashion? Who

would choose him out from others to tell him of his affairs? Who would have

recourse to him in affliction? And indeed to what use in life could one put

him?

In truth, it is the glory of religion to have for enemies men so

unreasonable; and their opposition to it is so little dangerous that it

serves, on the contrary, to establish its truths. For the Christian faith

goes mainly to establish these two facts: the corruption of nature, and

redemptio

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875. Would the Pope be dishonoured by having his knowledge from God and

tradition; and is it not dishonouring him to separate him from this holy

union?

876. God does not perform miracles in the ordinary conduct of His Church. It

would be a strange miracle if infallibility existed in one man. But it

appears so natural for it to reside in a multitude, since the conduct of God

is hidden under nature, as in all His other works.

877. Kings dispose of their own power; but the Popes cannot dispose of

theirs.

878. Summum jus, summa injuria.220

The majority is the best way, because it is visible and has strength to make