THE KEY OF THE MYSTERIES
which balances faith, and it constitutes the whole merit of
faith.
Nature herself induces us to believe; but the formule of
faith are social expressions of the tendencies of faith at a given
epoch. It is that which proves the Church to be infallible,
evidentially and in fact.
God is necessarily the most unknown of all beings because
He is only defined by negative experience ; He is all that we
are not, He is the infinite opposed to the finite by hypothesis.
Faith, and consequently hope and love, are so free that
man, far from being able to impose them on others, does not
even impose them on himself.
“These,” says religion, “are graces.” Now, is it con-
ceivable that grace should be subject to demand or exaction;
that is to say, could any one wish to force men to a thing
which comes freely and without price from heaven? One
must not do more than desire it for them.
To reason concerning faith is to think irrationally, since
the object of faith is outside the universe of reason. If one
asks me :—‘‘Is there a God?” I reply, “I believe it.” “But
are you sure of it?”—“If I were sure of it, I should not
believe it, I should know it.”
The formulation of faith is to agree upon the terms of the
common hypothesis.
Faith begins where science ends. To enlarge the scope
of science is apparently to diminish that of faith; but in
reality, it is to enlarge it in equal proportion, for it is to
amplify its base.
One can only define the unknown by its supposed and
supposable relations with the known.
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