pride.

Lift the curtain. You try in vain; if you must either believe, or deny, or
doubt. Shall we then have no rule? We judge that animals do well what they
do. Is there no rule whereby to judge men?

To deny, to believe, and to doubt well, are to a man what the race is to a
horse.

Punishment of those who sin, error.

261. Those who do not love the truth take as a pretext that it is disputed,
and that a multitude deny it. And so their error arises only from this, that
they do not love either truth or charity. Thus they are without excuse.

262. Superstition and lust. Scruples, evil desires. Evil fear; fear, not
such as comes from a belief in God, but such as comes from a doubt whether
He exists or not. True fear comes from faith; false fear comes from doubt.
True fear is joined to hope, because it is born of faith, and because men
hope in the God in whom they believe. False fear is joined to despair,
because men fear the God in whom they have no belief. The former fear to
lose Him; the latter fear to find Him.

263. "A miracle," says one, "would strengthen my faith." He says so when he
does not see one. Reasons, seen from afar, appear to limit our view; but
when they are reached, we begin to see beyond. Nothing stops the nimbleness
of our mind. There is no rule, say we, which has not some exceptions, no
truth so general which has not some aspect in which it fails. It is