to examine them?
218. Dungeon.--I approve of not examining the opinion of Copernicus; but
this...! It concerns all our life to know whether the soul be mortal or
immortal.
219. It is certain that the mortality or immortality of the soul must make
an entire difference to morality. And yet philosophers have constructed
their ethics independently of this: they discuss to pass an hour.
Plato, to incline to Christianity.
220. The fallacy of philosophers who have not discussed the immortality of
the soul. The fallacy of their dilemma in Montaigne.
221. Atheists ought to say what is perfectly evident; now it is not
perfectly evident that the soul is material.
222. Atheists.--What reason have they for saying that we cannot rise from
the dead? What is more difficult, to be born or to rise again; that what
has
never been should be, or that what has been should be again? Is it more
difficult to come into existence than to return to it? Habit makes the one
appear easy to us; want of habit makes the other impossible. A popular way
of thinking!
Why cannot a virgin bear a child? Does a hen not lay eggs without a cock?
What distinguishes these outwardly from others? And who has told us that
the
hen may not form the germ as well as the cock?
223. What have they to say against the resurrection, and against the
child-bearing of the Virgin? Which is the more difficult, to produce a man
or an animal, or to reproduce it? And if they had never seen any species
of
animals, could they have conjectured whether they were produced without
connection with each other?
224. How I hate these follies of not believing in the Eucharist, etc.! If
the Gospel be true, if Jesus Christ be God, what difficulty is there?
225. Atheism shows strength of mi
|
