216 APPENDIX A. 



is to say that we have not been able to foresee it. 

 I do not myself believe that any other acceptation 

 can be given to this word. What to an ignorant 

 man is chance, cannot be chance to one better in- 

 structed." 



"If human reason is incapable of discovering 

 the mysteries of Divinity, why has not Divinity 

 made human reason more clear-sighted ?" 



"God cannot punish man for not believing 

 when he could so easily have enlightened and con 

 vinced him." 



"If God is absolutely good, why should 

 He punish the sinner for all eternity, since 

 He does not lead him to good, or give him an 

 example ?" 



"According to the doctrine of the church, God 

 resembles a sphinx proposing enigmas, and devour- 

 ing those who cannot guess them." 



" The church attributes to God all human pas- 

 sions anger, desire for vengeance, curiosity, tyr- 

 anny, partiality, idleness." 



" If Christianity were pruned of all which is 

 not Christ, this religion would be the simplest in 

 the world." 



""What motives have influenced the writers who 

 have rejected all religious systems ? Is it the con- 

 viction that the ideas which they oppose are all 



