The Existence of GodFénelon, François de Salignac de La Mothe-
Religion
The Existence of God
Fénelon, François de Salignac de La Mothe-
God; Ontology
Where is that wisdom? Where is that reason, at once both common and
superior to all limited and imperfect reasons of mankind? Where is
that oracle, which is never silent, and against which all the vain
prejudices of men cannot prevail? Where is that reason which we
have ever occasion to consult, and which prevents us to create in us
the desire of hearing its voice? Where is that lively light which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world? Where is that pure
and soft light, which not only lights those eyes that are open, but
which opens eyes that are shut; cures sore eyes; gives eyes to those
that have none to see it; in short, which raises the desire of being
lighted by it, and gains even their love, who were afraid to see it?
Every eye sees it; nor would it see anything, unless it saw it;
since it is by that light and its pure rays that the eye sees
everything. As the sensibler sun in the firmament lights all
bodies, so the sun of intelligence lights all minds. The substance
of a man's eye is not the light: on the contrary, the eye borrows,
every moment, the light from the rays of the sun. Just in the same
manner, my mind is not the primitive reason, or universal and
immutable truth; but only the organ through which that original
light passes, and which is lighted by it. There is a sun of spirits
that lights them far better than the visible sun lights bodies.
This sun of spirits gives us, at once, both its light, and the love
of it, in order to seek it. That sun of truth leaves no manner of
darkness, and shines at the same time in the two hemispheres. It
lights us as much by night as by day; nor does it spread its rays
outwardly; but inhabits in every one of us. A man can never deprive
another man of its beams. One sees it equally, in whatever corner
of the universe he may lurk. A man never needs say to another, step
aside, to let me see that sun; you rob me of its rays; you take away
my share of it. That sun never sets: nor suffers any cloud, but
such as are raised by our passions. It is a day without shadow. It
lights the savages even in the deepest and darkest caves; none but
sore eyes wink against its light; nor is there indeed any man so
distempered and so blind, but who still walks by the glimpse of some
duskish light he retains from that inward sun of consciences. That
universal light discovers and represents all objects to our minds;
nor can we judge of anything but by it; just as we cannot discern
anybody but by the rays of the sun.
SECT. LIX. It is by the Light of Primitive Truth a Man Judges
whether what one says to him be True or False.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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