"You are not in the state wherein you were created.
"These two states being presented to you, you cannot but recognise them.
"Follow your own movements, observe yourselves, and see if you do not trace the lively characters of these two natures.
"Could so many contradictions be found in a subject that was simple?"
I do not mean that you should submit your belief to me without reason, neither do I aim at your subjection by tyranny. I do not aim at giving you a reason for everything. And to reconcile these contradictions, I wish to make you see by convincing proofs, those divine tokens in me, which will assure you who I am and will verify my authority by wonders and proofs which you cannot reject; so that you may then have a reasonable belief in what I teach you, when you find no other ground for refusing it, but that you cannot know of yourselves whether it is true or not.
The true nature of man, his true good, true virtue and true religion are things of which the knowledge is inseparable.
After having understood the whole nature of man.—That a religion may be true, it must show knowledge of our nature. It must know its greatness and meanness, and the cause of both. What religion but the Christian has shown this knowledge?
The true religion teaches our duties; our weaknesses, pride and lust; and the remedies, humility and mortification.
The true religion must teach greatness and misery; must lead to the esteem and despising of self; to love and to hate.