of knowing and loving God,
but the power of the foolishness of the cross without wisdom and signs, and
not the signs without this power. Thus our religion is foolish in respect to
the effective cause and wise in respect to the wisdom which prepares it.

588. Our religion is wise and foolish. Wise, because it is the most learned
and the most founded on miracles, prophecies, etc. Foolish, because it is
not all this which makes us belong to it. This makes us, indeed, condemn
those who do not belong to it; but it does not cause belief in those who do
belong to it. It is the cross that makes them believe, ne evacuata sit
crux.103 And so Saint Paul, who came with wisdom and signs, says that he has
come neither with wisdom nor with signs; for he came to convert. But those
who come only to convince can say that they come with wisdom and with signs.

SECTION IX: PERPETUITY

589. On the fact that the Christian religion is not the only religion.--So
far is this from being a reason for believing that it is not the true one
that, on the contrary, it makes us see that it is so.

590. Men must be sincere in all religions; true heathens, true Jews, true
Christians.

591. J. C.
Heathens | Mahomet
\ . . . . . . . . . . . . . /
Ignorance of God
592. The falseness of other religions.--They have no witnesses. Jews have.
God defies other religions to produce such signs: Isaiah 43:9; 44:8.

593. History of China.--I believe only the histories, whose witnesses got
themselves killed.

Which is the more credible of the two, Moses or China?

It is not a question of seeing this summarily. I tell you there is in it
something to blind, and something to enlighten.

By this one word I destroy all your reasoning. "But China obscures," say
you; and I answer, "China