Section 12: Proofs of Jesus ChristBlaise Pascal (1623-1662) - The Penses
“If I believe in God and life after death and you do not, and if there is no God, we both lose when we die. However, if there is a God, you still lose and I gain everything.”
I find it convincing that, since the memory of man has lasted, it was constantly announced to men that they were universally corrupt, but that a Redeemer should come; that it is not one man who said it, but innumerable men, and a whole nation expressly made for the purpose and prophesying for four thousand years. This is a nation which is more ancient than every other nation. Their books, scattered abroad, are four thousand years old.
The more I examine them, the more truths I find in them: an entire nation foretell Him before His advent, and an entire nation worship Him after His advent; what has preceded and what has followed; in short, people without idols and kings, this synagogue which was foretold, and these wretches who frequent it and who, being our enemies, are admirable witnesses of the truth of these prophecies, wherein their wretchedness and even their blindness are foretold.
I find this succession, this religion, wholly divine in its authority, in its duration, in its perpetuity, in its morality, in its conduct, in its doctrine, in its effects. The frightful darkness of the Jews was foretold. Eris palpans in meridie. [Deut. 28. 29. Et palpes in meridie. “And thou shalt grope at noonday.”] Dabitur liber scienti literas… et dicet: Non possum legere. [Is. 29. 11. Quem (librum) cum dederint scienti litteras et respondebit: Non possum. “Which men deliver to one that is learned… and he saith, I cannot.”] While the sceptre was still in the hands of the first foreign usurper, there is the report of the coming of Jesus Christ.
So I hold out my arms to my Redeemer, who, having been foretold for four thousand years, has come to suffer and to die for me on earth, at the time and under all the circumstances foretold. By His grace, I await death in peace, in the hope of being eternally united to Him. Yet I live with joy, whether in the prosperity which it pleases Him to bestow upon me, or in the adversity which He sends for my good, and which He has taught me to bear by His example.
738. The prophecies having given different signs which should all happen at the advent of the Messiah, it was necessary that all these signs should occur at the same time. So it was necessary that the fourth monarchy should have come, when the seventy weeks of Daniel were ended; and that the sceptre should have then departed from Judah. And all this happened without any difficulty. Then it was necessary that the Messiah should come; and Jesus Christ then came, who was called the Messiah. And all this again was without difficulty. This indeed shows the truth of the prophecies.
739. The prophets foretold, and were not foretold. The saints again were foretold, but did not foretell. Jesus Christ both foretold and was foretold.
740. Jesus Christ, whom the two Testaments regard, the Old as its hope, the New as its model, and both as their centre.
741. The two oldest books in the world are those of Moses and Job, the one a Jew and the other a Gentile. Both of them look upon Jesus Christ as their common centre and object: Moses in relating the promises of God to Abraham, Jacob, etc., and his prophecies; and Job, Quis mihi det ut, etc. Scio enim quod redemptor meus vivit, etc. [Job 19. 23-25. “for I know that my redeemer liveth.”]
742. The Gospel only speaks of the virginity of the Virgin up to the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. All with reference to Jesus Christ.
743. Proofs Of Jesus Christ.
Why was the book of Ruth preserved?
Why the story of Tamar?
744. “Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” It is dangerous to be tempted; and people are tempted because they do not pray.
Et tu conversus confirma fratres tuos. But before, conversus Jesus respexit Petrum. Luke 22. 32, 61. “And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brother.” “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.”]
Saint Peter asks permission to strike Malchus and strikes before hearing the answer. Jesus Christ replies afterwards.
The word, Galilee, which the mob pronounced as if by chance, in accusing Jesus Christ before Pilate, afforded Pilate a reason for sending Jesus Christ to Herod. And thereby the mystery was accomplished, that He should be judged by Jews and Gentiles. Chance was apparently the cause of the accomplishment of the mystery.
745. Those who have a difficulty in believing seek a reason in the fact that the Jews do not believe. “Were this so clear,” say they, “why did the Jews not believe”? And they almost wish that they had believed, so as not to be kept back by the example of their refusal. But it is their very refusal that is the foundation of our faith. We should be much less disposed to the faith, if they were on our side. We should then have a more ample pretext. The wonderful thing is to have made the Jews great lovers of the things foretold, and great enemies of their fulfilment.
746. The Jews were accustomed to great and striking miracles, and so, having had the great miracles of the Red Sea and of the land of Canaan as an epitome of the great deeds of their Messiah, they therefore looked for more striking miracles, of which those of Moses were only the patterns.
747. The carnal Jews and the heathen have their calamities, and Christians also. There is no Redeemer for the heathen, for they do not so much as hope for one. There is no Redeemer for the Jews; they hope for Him in vain. There is a Redeemer only for Christians. (See Perpetuity.)
748. In the time of the Messiah the people divided themselves. The spiritual embraced the Messiah, and the coarser-minded remained to serve as witnesses of Him.
749. “If this was clearly foretold to the Jews, how did they not believe it, or why were they not destroyed for resisting a fact so clear?”
I reply: in the first place, it was foretold both that they would not believe a thing so clear and that they would not be destroyed. And nothing is more to the glory of the Messiah; for it was not enough that there should be prophets; their prophets must be kept above suspicion. Now, etc.
750. If the Jews had all been converted by Jesus Christ, we should have none but questionable witnesses. And if they had been entirely destroyed, we should have no witnesses at all.
751. What do the prophets say of Jesus Christ? That He will be clearly God? No; but that He is a God truly hidden; that He will be slighted; that none will think that it is He; that He will be a stone of stumbling, upon which many will stumble, etc. Let people then reproach us no longer for want of clearness, since we make profession of it.
But, it is said, there are obscurities. And without that, no one would have stumbled over Jesus Christ, and this is one of the formal pronouncements of the prophets: Excaeca…[Is. 6. 10. “Shut their eyes.”]
752. Moses first teaches the Trinity, original sin, the Messiah.David: a great witness; a king, good, merciful, a beautiful soul, a sound mind, powerful. He prophesies, and his wonder comes to pass. This is infinite.
He had only to say that he was the Messiah, if he had been vain; for the prophecies are clearer about him than about Jesus Christ. And the same with Saint John.
753. Herod was believed to be the Messiah. He had taken away the sceptre from Judah but he was not of Judah. This gave rise to a considerable sect.
Curse of the Greeks upon those who count three periods of time.In what way should the Messiah come, seeing that through Him the sceptre was to be eternally in Judah and at His coming the sceptre was to be taken away from Judah?
In order to effect that seeing they should not see, and hearing they should not understand, nothing could be better done.
754. Homo existens te Deum facit. [“The man who exists makes you God.”]
Scriptum est, Dii estis, et non potest solvi Scriptura. [“It is written: ‘You are Gods’ (Ps. 80. 6), and the Scripture cannot be made naught of.”]Haec infirmitas non est ad vitam et est ad mortem. [“This weakness is not for life; it is for death.”]
Lazarus dormit, et deinde dixit: Lazarus mortuus est. [“John 11. 11 and 14. “‘Lazarus sleeps,’ and later it says:] ‘Lazarus is dead.'”
755. The apparent discrepancy of the Gospels.
756. What can we have but reverence for a man who foretells plainly things which come to pass, and who declares his intention both to blind and to enlighten, and who intersperses obscurities among the clear things which come to pass?
757. The time of the first advent was foretold; the time of the second is not so; because the first was to be obscure, and the second is to be brilliant and so manifest that even His enemies will recognise it. But, as He was first to come only in obscurity and to be known only of those who searched the Scriptures.
758. God, in order to cause the Messiah to be known by the good and not to be known by the wicked, made Him to be foretold in this manner. If the manner of the Messiah had been clearly foretold, there would have been no obscurity, even for the wicked. If the time had been obscurely foretold, there would have been obscurity, even for the good. For their goodness of heart would not have made them understand, for instance, that the closed mem signifies six hundred years. But that time has been clearly foretold, and the manner in types.
By this means, the wicked, taking the promised blessings for material blessings, have fallen into error, in spite of the clear prediction of the time; and the good have not fallen in error. For the understanding of the promised blessings depends on the heart, which calls good that which it loves; but the understanding of the promised time does not depend on the heart. And thus the clear prediction of the time, and the obscure prediction of the blessings, deceive the wicked alone.
759. Either the Jews or the Christians must be wicked.
760. The Jews reject Him, but not all. The saints receive Him, and not the carnal-minded. And so far is this from being against His glory, that it is the last touch which crowns it. For their argument, the only one found in all their writings, in the Talmud and in the Rabbinical writings, amounts only to this, that Jesus Christ has not subdued the nations with sword in hand, gladium tuum, potentissime. [Ps. 44. 4. Gladio tuo- “Thy sword, O most mighty.”] (Is this all they have to say? Jesus Christ has been slain, say they. He has failed. He has not subdued the heathen with His might. He has not bestowed upon us their spoil. He does not give riches. Is this all they have to say? It is in this respect that He is lovable to me. I would not desire Him whom they fancy.) It is evident that it is only His life which has prevented them from accepting Him; and through this rejection they are irreproachable witnesses, and, what is more, they thereby accomplish the prophecies.
By means of the fact that this people have not accepted Him, this miracle here has happened. The prophecies were the only lasting miracles which could be wrought, but they were liable to be denied.
761. The Jews, in slaying Him in order not to receive Him as the Messiah, have given Him the final proof of being the Messiah.
And in continuing not to recognise Him, they made themselves irreproachable witnesses. Both in slaying Him and in continuing to deny Him, they have fulfilled the prophecies (Is. 60; Ps. 71).
762. What could the Jews, His enemies, do? If they receive Him, they give proof of Him by their reception; for then the guardians of the expectation of the Messiah receive Him. If they reject Him, they give proof of Him by their rejection.
763. The Jews, in testing if He were God, have shown that He was man.
764. The Church has had as much difficulty in showing that Jesus Christ was man, against those who denied it, as in showing that He was God; and the probabilities were equally great.
765. Source of contradictions.- A God humiliated, even to the death on the cross; a Messiah triumphing over death by his own death. Two natures in Jesus Christ, two advents, two states of man’s nature.
766. Types. — Saviour, father, sacrificer, offering, food, king, wise, law-giver, afflicted, poor, having to create a people whom He must lead and nourish and bring into His land…
Jesus Christ. Offices. — He alone had to create a great people, elect, holy, and chosen; to lead, nourish, and bring it into the place of rest and holiness; to make it holy to God; to make it the temple of God; to reconcile it to, and, save it from, the wrath of God; to free it from the slavery of sin, which visibly reigns in man; to give laws to this people, and engrave these laws on their heart; to offer Himself to God for them, and sacrifice Himself for them; to be a victim without blemish, and Himself the sacrificer, having to offer Himself, His body, and His blood, and yet to offer bread and wine to God…
Ingrediens mundum. [Heb. 10. 5. “When he cometh into the world.”]
“Stone upon stone.”
What preceded and what followed. All the Jews exist still and are wanderers.
767. Of all that is on earth, He partakes only of the sorrows, not of the joys. He loves His neighbours, but His love does not confine itself within these bounds, and overflows to His own enemies, and then to those of God.
768. Jesus Christ typified by Joseph, the beloved of his father, sent by his father to see his brethren, etc., innocent, sold by his brethren for twenty pieces of silver, and thereby becoming their lord, their saviour, the saviour of strangers and the saviour of the world; which had not been but for their plot to destroy him, their sale and their rejection of him.
In prison, Joseph innocent between two criminals; Jesus Christ on the cross between two thieves. Joseph foretells freedom to the one, and death to the other, from the same omens. Jesus Christ saves the elect, and condemns the outcast for the same sins. Joseph foretells only; Jesus Christ acts. Joseph asks him who will be saved to remember him, when he comes into his glory; and he whom Jesus Christ saves asks that He will remember him, when He comes into His kingdom.
769. The conversion of the heathen was only reserved for the grace of the Messiah. The Jews have been so long in opposition to them without success; all that Solomon and the prophets said has been useless. Sages, like Plato and Socrates, have not been able to persuade them.
770. After many persons had gone before, Jesus Christ at last came to say: “Here am I, and this is the time. That which the prophets have said was to come in the fullness of time, I tell you my apostles will do. The Jews shall be cast out. Jerusalem shall be soon destroyed. And the heathen shall enter into the knowledge of God. My apostles shall do this after you have slain the heir of the vineyard.”Then the apostles said to the Jews: “You shall be accursed,” (Celsus laughed at it); and to the heathen, “You shall enter into the knowledge of God.” And this then came to pass.
771. Jesus Christ came to blind those who saw clearly, and to give sight to the blind; to heal the sick, and leave the healthy to die; to call to repentance, and to justify sinners, and to leave the righteous in their sins; to fill the needy, and leave the rich empty.
772. Holiness.– Effundam spiritum meum. [Joel. 2. 28. “I will pour out my spirit.”] All nations were in unbelief and lust. The whole world now became fervent with love. Princes abandoned their pomp; maidens suffered martyrdom. Whence came this influence? The Messiah was come. These were the effect and sign of His coming.
773. Destruction of the Jews and heathen by Jesus Christ: Omnes gentes venient et adorabunt eum. [Ps. 21. 28. “All peoples shall come and worship him.”] Parum est ut, [Is. 49. 6. “It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant,” etc.] etc. Postula ame. [Ps. 2. 8. “Ask of me.”] Adorabunt eum omnes reges. [Ps. 71. 11. “All kings shall fall down before him.”] Testes iniqui. [Ps. 34. 11. “Witnesses rise up.”] Dabit maxillam percutienti. [Lam. 3. 30. “He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him.”] Dederunt fel in escam. [Ps. 68. 22. Dederunt in escam meam fel. “They gave me also gall for my meat.”]
774. Jesus Christ for all, Moses for a nation.
The Jews blessed in Abraham: “I will bless those that bless thee.”
But: “All nations blessed in his seed.” Parum est ut, [Is. 49. 6. “It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant,” etc.] etc.
Lumen ad revelationem gentium.[Luke 2. 32. “A light to lighten the Gentiles.”]
Non fecit taliter omni nationi, said David, in speaking of the Law. But, in speaking of Jesus Christ, we must say: Fecit taliter omni nationi. [Ps. 167. 20. “He hath not dealt so with any nation.”] Parum est ut, etc., Isaiah. So it belongs to Jesus Christ to be universal. Even the Church offers sacrifice only for the faithful. Jesus Christ offered that of the cross for all .
775. There is heresy in always explaining omnes by all, and heresy is not explaining it sometimes by all. Bibite ex hoc omnes; [Matt. 26. 27. “Drink ye all of it.”]The Huguenots are heretics in explaining it by all. In quo omnes peccaverunt, [Rom. 5. 12. “for that all have sinned.”] the Huguenots are heretics in excepting the children of true believers. We must, then, follow the Fathers and tradition in order to know when to do so, since there is heresy to be feared on both sides.
776. Ne timeas pusillus grex. [Luke 12. 32. “Fear not little flock.”] Timore et tremore. [Phil. 2. 12. “With fear and trembling.”] — [Luke 12. 32. “Fear not little flock.”] Quid ergo? Ne timeas modo timeas. [Fear n ot, provided you fear; but if you fear not, then fear.]
Qui me recipit, non me recipit, sed eum qui me misit.[Mark 9. 37. “Whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.”]
Nemo scit, neque Filius.[Mark 13. 32. “No one knows, neither the Son, but the Father.”]
Nubes lucida obumbravit. [“Clouds shadowed over the light.”]
Saint John was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and Jesus Christ to plant division. There is not contradiction.
777. The effects in communi and in particulari. The semi-Pelagians err in saying of in communi what is true only in particulari; and the Calvinists in saying in particulari what is true in communi. (Such is my opinion.)
778. Omnis Judaea regio, et Jerosolmymi universi, et baptizabantur. [Mark 1. 5. “All the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him.”] Because of all the conditions of men who came there.
From these stones there can come children unto Abraham.
779. If men knew themselves, God would heal and pardon them. Ne convertantur et sanem eos, et dimittantur eis peccata. [Mark 4. 12. “Lest they should be converted , and their sins should be forgiven them.”]
780. Jesus Christ never condemned without hearing. To Judas: Amice, ad guid venisti? [Matt. 26. 50. “Friend, wherefore art thou come?”] To him that had not on the wedding garment, the same.
781. The types of the completeness of the Redemption, as that the sun gives light to all, indicate only completeness; but the types of exclusions, as of the Jews elected to the exclusion of the Gentiles, indicate exclusion.
“Jesus Christ the Redeemer of all.” Yes, for He has offered, like a man who has ransomed all those who were willing to come to Him. If any die on the way, it is their misfortune; but, so far as He was concerned, He offered them redemption. That holds good in this example, where he who ransoms and he who prevents death are two persons, but not of Jesus Christ, who does both these things. No, for Jesus Christ, in the quality of Redeemer, is not perhaps Master of all; and thus, in so far as it is in Him, He is the Redeemer of all.
When it is said that Jesus Christ did not die for all, you take undue advantage of a fault in men who at once apply this exception to themselves; and is to favour despair, instead of turning them from it to favour hope. For men thus accustom themselves in inward virtues by outward customs.
782. The victory over death. “What is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Whosoever will save his soul, shall lose it.”
“I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil.”
“Lambs took not away the sins of the world, but I am the lamb which taketh away the sins.”
“Moses hath not led you out of captivity, and made you truly free.”
783…. Then Jesus Christ comes to tell men that they have no other enemies but themselves; that it is their passions which keep them apart from God; that He comes to destroy these, and give them His grace, so as to make of them all one Holy Church; that He comes to bring back into this Church the heathen and Jews; that He comes to destroy the idols of the former and the superstition of the latter. To this all men are opposed, not only from the natural opposition of lust; but, above all, the kings of the earth, as had been foretold, join together to destroy this religion at its birth. (Proph.: Quare fremuerunt gentes… reges terrae… adversus Christum.) [Ps. 2. 1, 2. “Why do the heathen rage… and the rulers of the earth… against the Lord.”]
All that is great on earth is united together; the learned, the wise, the kings. The first write; the second condemn; the last kill. And notwithstanding all these oppositions, these men, simple and weak, resist all these powers, subdue even these kings, these learned men and these sages, and remove idolatry from all the earth. And all this is done by the power which had foretold it.
784. Jesus Christ would not have the testimony of devils, nor of those who were not called, but of God and John the Baptist.
785. I consider Jesus Christ in all persons and in ourselves: Jesus Christ as a Father in His Father, Jesus Christ as a Brother in His Brethren, Jesus Christ as poor in the poor, Jesus Christ as rich in the rich, Jesus Christ as Doctor and Priest in priests, Jesus Christ as Sovereign in princes, etc. For by His glory He is all that is great, being God; and by His mortal life He is all that is poor and abject. Therefore He has taken this unhappy condition, so that He could be in all persons and the model of all conditions.
786. Jesus Christ is an obscurity (according to what the world calls obscurity), such that historians, writing only of important matters of states, have hardly noticed Him.
787. On the fact that neither Josephus, nor Tacitus, nor other historians have spoken of Jesus Christ.- So far is this from telling against Christianity that, on the contrary, it tells for it. For it is certain that Jesus Christ has existed; that His religion has made a great talk; and that these persons were not ignorant of it. Thus it is plain that they purposely concealed it, or that, if they did speak of it, their account has been suppressed or changed.
788. “I have reserved me seven thousand.” I love the worshippers unknown to the world and to the very prophets.
789. As Jesus Christ remained unknown among men, so His truth remains among common opinions without external difference. Thus the Eucharist among ordinary bread.
790. Jesus would not be slain without the forms of justice; for it is far more ignominious to die by justice than by an unjust sedition.
791. The false justice of Pilate only serves to make Jesus Christ suffer; for he causes Him to be scourged by his false justice, and afterwards puts Him to death. It would have been better to have put Him to death at once. Thus it is with the falsely just. They do good and evil works to please the world, and to show that they are not altogether of Jesus Christ; for they are ashamed of Him. And at last, under great temptation and on great occasions, they kill Him.
792. What man ever had more renown? The whole Jewish people foretell Him before His coming. The Gentile people worship Him after His coming. The two peoples, Gentile and Jewish, regard Him as their centre.
And yet what man enjoys this renown less? Of thirty-three years, He lives thirty without appearing. For three years He passes as an impostor; the priests and the chief people reject Him; His friends and His nearest relatives despise Him. Finally, He dies, betrayed by one of His own disciples, denied by another, and abandoned by all.
What part, then, has He in this renown? Never had man so much renown; never had man more ignominy. All that renown has served only for us, to render us capable of recognising Him; and He had none of it for Himself.
793. The infinite distance between body and mind is a symbol of the infinitely more infinite distance between mind and charity; for charity is supernatural.
All the glory of greatness has no lustre for people who are in search of understanding.
The greatness of clever men is invisible to kings, to the rich, to chiefs, and to all the worldly great.
The greatness of wisdom, which is nothing if not of God, is invisible to the carnal-minded and to the clever. These are three orders differing in kind.
Great geniuses have their power, their glory, their greatness, their victory, their lustre, and have no need of worldly greatness, with which they are not in keeping. They are seen, not by the eye, but by the mind; this is sufficient.
The saints have their power, their glory, their victory, their lustre, and need no worldly or intellectual greatness, with which they have no affinity; for these neither add anything to them, nor take away anything from them. They are seen of God and the angels, and not of the body, nor of the curious mind. God is enough for them.
Archimedes, apart from his rank, would have the same veneration. He fought no battles for the eyes to feast upon; but he has given his discoveries to all men. Oh! how brilliant he was to the mind!
Jesus Christ, without riches and without any external exhibition of knowledge, is in His own order of holiness. He did not invent; He did not reign. But He was humble, patient, holy, holy to God, terrible to devils, without any sin. Oh! in what great pomp and in what wonderful splendour He is come to the eyes of the heart, which perceive wisdom!
It would have been useless for Archimedes to have acted the prince in his books on geometry, although he was a prince.
It would have been useless for our Lord Jesus Christ to come like a king, in order to shine forth in His kingdom of holiness. But He came there appropriately in the glory of His own order.
It is most absurd to take offence at the lowliness of Jesus Christ, as if His lowliness were in the same order as the greatness which He came to manifest. If we consider this greatness in His life, in His passion, in His obscurity, in His death, in the choice of His disciples, in their desertion, in His secret resurrection, and the rest, we shall see it to be so immense that we shall have no reason for being offended at a lowliness which is not of that order. But there are some who can only admire worldly greatness, as though there were no intellectual greatness; and others who only admire intellectual greatness, as though there were not infinitely higher things in wisdom.
All bodies, the firmament, the stars, the earth and its kingdoms, are not equal to the lowest mind; for mind knows all these and itself; and these bodies nothing.
All bodies together, and all minds together, and all their products, are not equal to the least feeling of charity. This is of an order infinitely more exalted.
From all bodies together, we cannot obtain one little thought; this is impossible and of another order. From all bodies and minds, we cannot produce a feeling of true charity; this is impossible and of another and supernatural order.
794. Why did Jesus Christ not come in a visible manner, instead of obtaining testimony of Himself from preceding prophecies? Why did He cause Himself to be foretold in types?
795. If Jesus Christ had only come to sanctify, all Scripture and all things would tend to that end; and it would be quite easy to convince unbelievers. If Jesus Christ had only come to blind, all His conduct would be confused; and we would have no means of convincing unbelievers. But as He came in sanctificationem et in scandalum, [Is. 8. 14. “For a sanctuary and for a rock of offence.”] as Isaiah says, we cannot convince unbelievers, and they cannot convince us. But by this very fact we convince them; since we say that in His whole conduct there is no convincing proof on one side or the other.
796. Jesus Christ does not say that He is not of Nazareth, in order to leave the wicked in their blindness; nor that He is not Joseph’s son.
797. Proofs of Jesus Christ.- Jesus Christ said great things so simply that it seems as though He had not thought them great; and yet so clearly that we easily see what He thought of them. This clearness, joined to this simplicity, is wonderful.
798. The style of the gospel is admirable in so many ways, and among the rest in hurling no invectives against the persecutors and enemies of Jesus Christ. For there is no such invective in any of the historians against Judas, Pilate, or any of the Jews.
If this moderation of the writers of the Gospels had been assumed, as well as many other traits of so beautiful a character, and they had only assumed it to attract notice, even if they had not dared to draw attention to it themselves, they would not have failed to secure friends who would have made such remarks to their advantage. But as they acted thus without pretence and from wholly disinterested motives, they did not point it out to any one; and I believe that many such facts have not been noticed till now, which is evidence of the natural disinterestedness with which the thing has been done.
799. An artisan who speaks of wealth, a lawyer who speaks of war, of royalty, etc.; but the rich man rightly speaks of wealth, a king speaks indifferently of a great gift he has just made, and God rightly speaks of God.
800. Who has taught the evangelists the qualities of a perfectly heroic soul, that they paint it so perfectly in Jesus Christ? Why do they make Him weak in His agony? Do they not know how to paint a resolute death? Yes, for the same Saint Luke paints the death of Saint Stephen as braver than that of Jesus Christ.
They make Him, therefore, capable of fear, before the necessity of dying has come, and then altogether brave.
But when they make Him so troubled, it is when He afflicts Himself; and when men afflict Him, He is altogether strong.
801. Proof of Jesus Christ.- The supposition that the apostles were impostors is very absurd. Let us think it out. Let us imagine those twelve men, assembled after the death of Jesus Christ, plotting to say that He was risen. By this they attack all the powers. The heart of man is strangely inclined to fickleness, to change, to promises, to gain. However little any of them might have been led astray by all these attractions, nay more, by the fear of prisons, tortures, and death, they were lost. Let us follow up this thought.
802. The apostles were either deceived or deceivers. Either supposition has difficulties; for it is not possible to mistake a man raised from the dead…
While Jesus Christ was with them, He could sustain them. But, after that, if He did not appear to them, who inspired them to act?
"Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) aliandika: ""Ikiwa mimi ninaamini katika Mungu na maisha baada ya kifo na wewe huamini, na kama hakuna Mungu, sisi wote wawili kupoteza wakati sisi kufa.""" "Hata hivyo, kama kuna Mungu, bado unapoteza na mimi ninapata kila kitu."" - ""Ninaona ni jambo la kusadikisha kwamba tangu kumbukumbu la mwanadamu limedumu, ilitangazwa kwa watu mara kwa mara kwamba walikuwa wameharibika ulimwenguni, lakini kwamba Mkombozi angekuja; kwamba sio mtu mmoja aliyesema hivyo, lakini watu wasiohesabika, na taifa lote lililoundwa kwa kusudi hilo na kutabiri kwa miaka elfu nne." Hii ni taifa ambalo ni la kale zaidi kuliko taifa lingine lolote. Vitabu vyao, vilivyotawanyika kotekote, vina umri wa miaka elfu nne. Kadiri ninavyochunguza, ndivyo ninavyopata ukweli zaidi: taifa zima linamtangulia kabla ya kuja kwake, na taifa zima linamwabudu baada ya kuja kwake; kile kilichotangulia na kile kilichokuja; kwa ufupi, watu wasio na sanamu na wafalme; sinagogi hili lililotangazwa, na watu hawa waovu ambao wanashirikiana nalo, na ambao, wakiwa maadui wetu, ni mashahidi wa kushangaza wa ukweli wa unabii huu, ambao ni uovu wao na hata upofu wao. "Ninaona kwamba mfuatano huu, dini hii, ni ya kimungu kabisa katika mamlaka yake, katika muda wake, katika kudumu kwake, katika maadili yake, katika mwenendo wake, katika mafundisho yake, katika athari zake.""" Giza lenye kuogopesha la Wayahudi lilitabiriwa. Eris palpans katika meridie. [Kumbukumbu la Torati. 28. (a) Kwa nini? 29. - (Methali 28:9, 10) Kwa nini? Et palpes katika meridie. <unk>Na wewe shalt grope saa sita mchana.<unk>] Dabitur liber scienti literas... et dicet: Non possum legere. [Is. 29. - (Methali 28:9, 10) Kwa nini? 11. (a) Kwa nini? Quem (librum) cum dederint scienti litteras et respondebit: Non possum. "Watu wanampa mtu aliyefundishwa... na yeye asema, siwezi. "" Wakati fimbo ya enzi ilikuwa bado mikononi mwa mporaji wa kwanza wa kigeni, kuna ripoti ya kuja kwa Yesu Kristo. " "Kwa hiyo, mimi ninainulia mikono yangu kwa Mkombozi wangu, ambaye, baada ya kutabiriwa kwa miaka elfu nne, amekuja kuteseka na kufa kwa ajili yangu duniani, wakati na chini ya hali zote zilizotabiriwa. """ Kwa neema yake, ninangojea kifo kwa amani, kwa matumaini ya kuungana naye milele. Hata hivyo, mimi huishi kwa furaha, iwe ni katika ufanisi ambao Yeye anapenda kunipa, au katika shida ambayo Yeye hutuma kwa ajili ya faida yangu, na ambayo Yeye amenifundisha kuvumilia kwa mfano wake. 738. - (Mstari wa 78) Kwa kuwa unabii ulitoa ishara tofauti ambazo zote zingetokea wakati wa kuja kwa Masihi, ilikuwa lazima ishara hizi zote zifanyike kwa wakati mmoja. "Kwa hiyo ilikuwa lazima ufalme wa nne uje wakati majuma sabini ya Danieli yalipotimia, na wakati huo fimbo ya enzi ikaondoka kutoka kwa Yuda.""" Na yote hayo yalitukia bila ugumu wowote. "Kisha ilikuwa lazima Masihi aje, na Yesu Kristo akaja, ambaye aliitwa ""Masihi.""" Na yote haya tena yalikuwa bila ugumu. Kwa kweli, hilo linaonyesha kwamba unabii huo ni wa kweli. 739. - (Mstari wa 79) Manabii walitabiri, na hawakutabiri. Watakatifu pia walitabiriwa, lakini hawakutabiri. Yesu Kristo alitabiri na alitabiriwa. 740. - Ukurasa wa 7. Yesu Kristo, ambaye Agano la Kale linamwona kama tumaini lake, Agano Jipya kama mfano wake, na zote mbili kama kitovu chao. 741 - Uwezo wa kuamua Kitabu cha kwanza cha Biblia ni kitabu cha Musa na kitabu cha Ayubu, ambacho ni cha Kiyahudi na cha Kiyunani. "Wote wawili wanamwona Yesu Kristo kama ""kiini chao cha kawaida na kitu chao cha kawaida"" (Musa katika kuelezea ahadi za Mungu kwa Ibrahimu, Yakobo, na kadhalika, na unabii wake) na Ayubu, ""Kis mihi det ut"" (Yobu, Kish mihi det ut) na kadhalika." Scio enim quod redemptor meus vivit, nk. [Ayubu 19:1-4] 23-25 ya mwaka. "Kwa maana najua ya kuwa Mkombozi wangu anaishi."" - Isaya 74:2." Injili inataja tu ubikira wa Bikira hadi wakati wa kuzaliwa kwa Yesu Kristo. Yote hayo yanarejelea Yesu Kristo. 743 - Uwezekano wa kufanikiwa Uthibitisho wa Yesu Kristo. Kwa nini kitabu cha Ruthu kilihifadhiwa? Kwa nini hadithi ya Tamari? 744 - Mfano wa Usalama <unk>Sali ili usije ukaingia katika majaribu.<unk> Ni hatari kujaribiwa; na watu wanajaribiwa kwa sababu hawaombi. Et tu conversus confirma fratres tuos. Lakini kabla ya hapo, Yesu alishirikiana na Petroni. Luka 22:22. 32 na 61. "Na wewe, ukiwa umegeuka, umtie nguvu ndugu yako."" 15 Bwana akageuka, akamtazama Petro; Petro akamwomba ruhusa ampige Malko, naye akampiga kabla ya kusikia jibu." Yesu Kristo anajibu baadaye. "Jina ""Galilaya"" ambalo umati wa watu ulilitaja kama lilitokea kwa bahati mbaya, wakati wa kumshtaki Yesu Kristo mbele ya Pilato, lilimpa Pilato sababu ya kumtuma Yesu Kristo kwa Herode." Na kwa njia hiyo siri hiyo ilitimia, kwamba yeye atahukumiwa na Wayahudi na Mataifa. Yaonekana bahati mbaya ndiyo iliyosababisha utimizo wa fumbo hilo. 745. - (Mstari wa 74) Wale wanaopinga imani yao wanatafuta sababu katika ukweli kwamba Wayahudi hawaamini. "Je, hili lilikuwa wazi sana?" wakasema, "Kwa nini Wayahudi hawakuamini?" Na wanakaribia kutamani kwamba wangeli amini, ili wasiwe na mfano wa kukataa kwao. Lakini ni kukataa kwao ndio msingi wa imani yetu. Tungekuwa na mwelekeo mdogo sana wa imani, ikiwa wangekuwa upande wetu. Basi tunapaswa kuwa na kisingizio kikubwa zaidi. Jambo la ajabu ni kuwafanya Wayahudi wapenzi wakubwa wa mambo yaliyotabiriwa, na maadui wakubwa wa kutimia kwao. 746 - Mfano wa Usalama Wayahudi walikuwa wamezoea miujiza mikubwa na ya kushangaza, na kwa hiyo, wakiwa na miujiza mikubwa ya Bahari Nyekundu na ya nchi ya Kanaani kama mfano wa matendo makubwa ya Masihi wao, kwa hiyo walitazamia miujiza mikubwa zaidi, ambayo ile ya Musa ilikuwa ni mifano tu. 747 - Mfano wa Usalama Wayahudi wa kimwili na wapagani wana misiba yao, na Wakristo pia. Hakuna Mkombozi kwa ajili ya watu wa mataifa, kwa sababu hawana hata matumaini ya mmoja. Hakuna Mkombozi kwa Wayahudi; wanamngojea bure. Kuna Mkombozi kwa Wakristo tu. (Tazama Uhakika.) 748 - Ndio. Wakati wa Kristo, watu waligawanyika. Watu wenye akili za kiroho walimkubali Masihi, na wale wenye akili mbaya zaidi walibaki ili kutumikia wakiwa mashahidi wake. 749. - Ukurasa wa 7. "Ikiwa hayo yalitabiriwa wazi kwa Wayahudi, basi kwa nini hawakuyaamini, au kwa nini hawakuangamizwa kwa sababu ya kupinga ukweli ulio wazi?""Ninajibu: Kwanza, ilitabiriwa kwamba hawangeamini jambo lililo wazi na kwamba hawangeangamizwa." Na hakuna kitu zaidi kwa utukufu wa Masihi; kwa maana haitoshi kuwa na manabii; manabii wao lazima wahifadhiwe juu ya shaka. Sasa, na kadhalika. 750. - Ni nini? Kama Wayahudi wote wangekuwa wamegeuzwa imani na Yesu Kristo, hatungekuwa na mashahidi wa kutiliwa shaka. Kama wangekuwa wameangamizwa kabisa, hatungekuwa na mashahidi. 751 - Uwezo wa kuamua Manabii wanasema nini juu ya Yesu Kristo? Ni wazi kwamba yeye ni Mungu. "Hapana, lakini kwamba yeye ni Mungu aliyefichwa kweli kweli; kwamba yeye atapuuzwa; kwamba hakuna mtu atakayefikiri kwamba yeye ni yeye; kwamba atakuwa jiwe la kukwaza, ambalo wengi watajikwaa juu yake, na kadhalika.""" Basi watu wasituchukue tena kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa uwazi, kwa kuwa tunafanya uthibitisho wa hilo. Lakini, inasemekana, kuna mambo yasiyoeleweka. "Na bila hiyo, hakuna mtu ambaye angetumbukia juu ya Yesu Kristo, na hii ni moja ya taarifa rasmi za manabii: ""Eksod.""" 6. Uwe na uhakika Kumi. "Kufunga macho yao." - Zaburi 75:2, 3." Musa anafundisha kwanza Utatu, dhambi ya asili, Masihi, Daudi: shahidi mkuu; mfalme, mwema, mwenye huruma, nafsi nzuri, akili timamu, mwenye nguvu. Anatoa unabii na ajabu yake hutimia. Hii ni isiyo na mwisho. "Alikuwa na kusema tu kwamba alikuwa Masihi, kama alikuwa na ubatili; kwa maana unabii ni wazi zaidi juu yake kuliko juu ya Yesu Kristo. """ Na vivyo hivyo na Mtakatifu Yohana. 753 - Uwezo wa kuamua Herode aliaminiwa kuwa Mesiya. Alikuwa amemnyang'anya Yuda fimbo ya enzi, lakini hakuwa wa Yuda. Hilo lilitokeza madhehebu mengi. "Malaika wa Wagiriki juu ya wale wanaohesabu vipindi vitatu vya wakati."" 21 ""Masihi atakuja kwa njia gani, kwa kuwa kwa njia yake fimbo ya enzi ingekuwa katika Yuda milele, na wakati wa kuja kwake fimbo ya enzi ingechukuliwa kutoka kwa Yuda?" Ili kwamba, kwa kuona, wasione, na kwa kusikia, wasiyeelewe, hakuna jambo lingine lingine lingaliweza kufanywa. 754 - Uwezo wa kuamua Homo exists te Deum facit. [Mtu ambaye yupo hufanya wewe kuwa Mungu.] Scriptum est, Dii estis, et non potest solvi Scriptura. [<unk>Imeandikwa: <unk>Ninyi ni Miungu<unk> (Zab. Nane na nusu. 6), na Maandiko hayawezi kufutwa. <unk>] Haec infirmitas non est ad vitam et est ad mortem. [Udhaifu huu si wa maisha; ni wa kifo.] Lazarus dormit, et deinde dixit: Lazarus mortuus est. [Yohana 11. 11 na 14. <unk>Lazaro amelala,<unk> na baadaye inasema:] <unk>Lazaro amekufa. ' 755. Kuna tofauti kubwa sana kati ya Injili na Maandiko. 756 - Mfano wa Usalama """Tunawezaje kumheshimu mtu ambaye hutabiri wazi mambo yatakayotokea, na ambaye anadai nia yake ya kuficha na kuangazia, na ambaye huingiza mambo ya giza kati ya mambo ya wazi yatakayotokea?""" 757 - Mfano wa Usalama Wakati wa kuja kwake mara ya kwanza ulitabiriwa; wakati wa kuja kwake mara ya pili haukuwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya kwanza ilikuwa ni kuwa giza, na ya pili ni kuwa na mwangaza na wazi sana kwamba hata maadui wake watatambua. Lakini kama vile alivyokuja kwanza, ni kwa njia ya giza tu, na haijulikani ila kwa wale waliochunguza Maandiko. 758 - Ndio, ni kweli. Mungu, ili amjulishe Masihi kwa wema na asijulikane na waovu, alitangaza kwa njia hii. Kama njia ya Masihi ingekuwa imetabiriwa waziwazi, hakungekuwa na giza, hata kwa waovu. Kama wakati huo ungekuwa umetabiriwa kwa njia isiyoeleweka, kungekuwa na ukosefu wa ufahamu, hata kwa ajili ya mema. Kwa maana wema wao wa moyo haungewasababisha kuelewa, kwa mfano, kwamba mem imefungwa ina maana ya miaka mia sita. Lakini wakati huo umetabiriwa waziwazi, na njia hiyo kwa mifano. Kwa njia hii, waovu, wakichukua baraka zilizoahidiwa kwa baraka za kimwili, wameanguka katika kosa, licha ya utabiri wa wazi wa wakati; na wema haujashuka katika kosa. Maana, ufahamu wa ahadi hutegemea moyo, ambao huiona kuwa njema ile inayopenda; lakini ufahamu wa wakati wa ahadi haukutegemea moyo. Kwa hiyo, utabiri wa wazi wa wakati na utabiri wa giza wa baraka huwadanganya waovu peke yao. 759 - Uwezo wa kuamua Ni lazima Wayahudi au Wakristo wawe waovu. 760. - Ukurasa wa 6. Wayahudi wanamkataa, lakini si wote. Watakatifu wanampokea, na si wenye akili za kimwili. Na mbali sana na kuwa kinyume cha utukufu wake, ni kugusa mwisho ambao huitawala. "Kwa sababu hoja yao, moja tu inayopatikana katika maandishi yao yote, katika Talmud na katika maandishi ya Rabbinical, inagharimu tu hii, kwamba Yesu Kristo hajawashinda mataifa kwa upanga mkononi, ""Gladium tuum"" - ""Mungu wa nguvu.""" [Zab. 44. - (Mstari wa 14) 4. Uwe na uhakika Gladio tuo- <unk> Upanga wako, Ee mwenye nguvu zaidi. <unk>] (Je, hii ni yote wanayo kusema? Yesu Kristo ameuawa, wanasema. Amefaulu. Hajawashinda mataifa kwa nguvu zake. Yeye hakutupa nyara zao. Yeye haitoi utajiri. Je, hayo ndiyo yote wanayo ya kusema? Ni katika jambo hili kwamba Yeye ni mwenye kupendwa kwangu. Mimi sitamtamani Yeye ambaye wao wanamtamani. Ni wazi kwamba ni maisha yake tu ambayo yamewazuia kumkubali; na kwa kukataa huko wao ni mashahidi wasio na lawama, na zaidi ya hayo, kwa hivyo wanatimiza unabii. Kwa sababu watu hawa hawakukubali Yesu, miujiza hii imetokea. Unabii ulikuwa muujiza pekee wa kudumu ambao ungeweza kufanywa, lakini ulikuwa na uwezekano wa kukataliwa. 761 - Mfano wa Usalama Wayahudi, kwa kumuua ili wasimkubali kama Masihi, wamempa uthibitisho wa mwisho wa kuwa Masihi. Na kwa kuendelea kutokumtambua, walijifanya wenyewe kuwa mashahidi wasio na lawama. Kwa kumuua na kuendelea kumkana, wametimiza unabii (Is. 60; Zab. 71). 762. - Ukurasa wa 6. Wayahudi, maadui wake, wangeweza kufanya nini? "Wakati wanampokea, wanatoa uthibitisho wa kumpokea, kwa sababu wakati huo walinzi wa matarajio ya Masihi wanampokea.""" Na wakimkataa, basi wanatoa ushahidi juu yake kwa kukataa kwao. 763. - Ukurasa wa 7. Wayahudi, katika kujaribu kama alikuwa Mungu, wameonyesha kwamba alikuwa mwanadamu. 764. - Ukurasa wa 6. Kanisa limekuwa na ugumu mkubwa sana katika kuonyesha kwamba Yesu Kristo alikuwa mwanadamu, dhidi ya wale waliokataa, kama ilivyo katika kuonyesha kwamba alikuwa Mungu; na uwezekano ulikuwa mkubwa sawa. 765. - (Mstari wa 76) Chanzo cha mapingamizi.- Mungu aliyedharauliwa, hata hadi kifo juu ya msalaba; Masihi akishinda kifo kwa kifo chake mwenyewe. Asili mbili katika Yesu Kristo, advent mbili, hali mbili za asili ya mtu. 76 - Ndio. Aina za watu. Mkombozi, baba, mtoa sadaka, sadaka, chakula, mfalme, mwenye hekima, mtoa sheria, mwenye dhiki, maskini, kuwa na kuunda watu ambao lazima Aongoze na kulisha na kuleta katika nchi yake... Yesu Kristo. Ofisi za kazi. "Yeye peke yake ndiye aliyepaswa kuumba watu wengi, wateule, watakatifu, na waliochaguliwa; kuongoza, kulisha, na kuwaleta katika mahali pa kupumzika na utakatifu; kuwafanya watakatifu kwa Mungu; kuwafanya kuwa hekalu la Mungu; kuwaleta katika amani na kuokoa kutoka kwa ghadhabu ya Mungu; kuwaweka huru kutoka utumwa wa dhambi, ambayo inaonekana inatawala katika mwanadamu; kuwapa watu hawa sheria, na kuchonga sheria hizi moyoni mwao; kujitolea kwa Mungu kwa ajili yao, na kujitoa dhabihu kwa ajili yao; kuwa mhasiriwa asiye na kasoro, na yeye mwenyewe kuwa mtoa.""" [Kiebrania. Kumi. 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. <unk>Wakati yeye huja katika ulimwengu.<unk>] <unk>Jiwe juu ya jiwe.<unk> Nini kilichotangulia na nini kilichofuata. Wayahudi wote bado wapo na ni wasafiri. 767, na Katika yote yaliyo duniani, Yeye hushiriki huzuni tu, si furaha. Yeye hupenda jirani zake, lakini upendo wake haujizuie ndani ya mipaka hii, na hufurika kwa maadui zake mwenyewe, na kisha kwa wale wa Mungu. 768. - Ukurasa wa 6. "Yesu Kristo, mfano wa Yosefu, mpendwa wa baba yake, aliyetumwa na baba yake kuwaona ndugu zake, na kadhalika, asiye na hatia, aliuzwa na ndugu zake kwa vipande ishirini vya fedha, na hivyo akawa bwana wao, mwokozi wao, mwokozi wa wageni, na mwokozi wa ulimwengu, ambayo haikuwa lakini kwa njama yao ya kumwangamiza, kuuzwa kwao, na kukataa kwao.""" Katika gereza, Yosefu asiye na hatia kati ya wahalifu wawili; Yesu Kristo msalabani kati ya wezi wawili. Yosefu anatabiri uhuru kwa mmoja, na kifo kwa mwingine, kutokana na ishara zilezile. Yesu Kristo anawaokoa wateule, na kuwahukumu waliotengwa kwa sababu ya dhambi zilezile. Yosefu anatabiri tu; Yesu Kristo anatenda. Yosefu anamwomba yule atakayewekwa akilini amkumbuke atakapokuja katika utukufu wake, na yule ambaye Yesu Kristo anamwokoa anamwomba amkumbuke atakapokuja katika ufalme wake. 769. - Ukurasa wa 6. Uongofu wa wapagani ulikuwa umewekwa kando tu kwa ajili ya neema ya Masihi. Kwa muda mrefu Wayahudi wamekuwa wakipinga kwa ubatili; yote ambayo Sulemani na manabii walisema yamekuwa bure. Wenye hekima kama vile Plato na Socrates, hawajaweza kuwashawishi. 770. - Ukurasa wa 7. Baada ya watu wengi kwenda kabla yake, Yesu Kristo hatimaye alikuja kusema: <unk>Haya mimi, na huu ni wakati. "Hiyo ni kwa sababu ya yale manabii waliosema yatatokea wakati utakapokamilika, na mimi nawaambia, mitume wangu watafanya hivyo.""" Wayahudi watatupwa nje. Yerusalemu itaharibiwa hivi karibuni. Na mataifa wataingia katika maarifa ya Mungu. "Watumishi wangu watafanya hivyo baada ya kumwua mrithi wa shamba la mizabibu.""+ 11 Kisha mitume wakawaambia Wayahudi: ""Mtakalaaniwa!""+ (Kelsa akacheka) Na kwa mataifa: ""Mtaingia katika ujuzi wa Mungu.""+ Na mambo yakawa hivyo." 771 - Mfano wa Usalama Yesu Kristo alikuja kuwapofusha wale waliotazama waziwazi, na kuwapa macho vipofu; kuwaponya wagonjwa, na kuwaacha wenye afya wafe; kuwaita watu watubu, na kuwafanya wenye dhambi kuwa waadilifu, na kuwaacha wenye haki katika dhambi zao; kuwajaza maskini, na kuwaacha matajiri wakiwa hawana chochote. 772 - Mfano wa Usalama Utakatifu. <unk> Effundam spiritum meum. [Joeli. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata 28. (a) Kwa nini? "Nitamwaga Roho wangu."] Mataifa yote yalikuwa katika kutoamini na tamaa. Ulimwengu wote sasa ukawa wenye shauku kwa upendo. Wakuu waliacha fahari yao; wasichana walipata kifo cha kifo. Uvutano huo ulitoka wapi? Masihi alikuwa amekuja. Hizi zilikuwa matokeo na ishara ya kuja kwake. 773 - Uwezekano wa kupewa Uharibifu wa Wayahudi na wapagani na Yesu Kristo: Omnes gentes venient et adorabunt eum. [Zab. 21. - (Methali 19:21, 22) Ni nini kilichotokea? 28. (a) Kwa nini? <unk>Watu wote watakuja na kumwabudu.<unk>] Parum est ut, [Is. 49 - Ni nini? 6. Uwe na uhakika <unk>Ni jambo rahisi kwamba wewe unapaswa kuwa mtumishi wangu, <unk> nk.] na kadhalika. Postula ame. [Zab. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata 8. Uwe na mtazamo gani? <unk> Uliza mimi. <unk>] Adorabunt eum omnes reges. [Zab. 71. - 11. (a) Kwa nini? <unk>Wafalme wote wataanguka mbele yake.<unk>] Majaribio iniqui. [Zab. 34. - (Methali 28:3) 11. (a) Kwa nini? <unk> Mashahidi wanainuka. <unk>] Dabit maxillam percutienti. [Lam. 3. Uwe na mtazamo wa kweli Thelathini. <unk> Yeye anatoa shavu lake kwa yule ambaye anapiga yeye.<unk>] Dederunt fel katika escam. [Zab. 68 - Ndio. 22. - (Methali 22:22) Ni nini? Dederunt katika escam meam fel. "Walinipa pia chachu kwa ajili ya nyama yangu."" - Isaya 77:4, 5." Yesu Kristo kwa wote, Musa kwa taifa. "Wayahudi walimbariki Abrahamu kwa kusema, ""Nitawabariki wale watakaokubariki."" - Isaya 34:9, 10; Isaya 43:9, 10; Isaya 43:9, 10." 49 - Ni nini? 6. Uwe na uhakika <unk>Ni jambo rahisi kwamba wewe unapaswa kuwa mtumishi wangu, <unk> nk.] na kadhalika. Lumen ad revelationem gentium. (Lumen ad revelationem gentium) [Luka 2. 32. (a) Kwa nini? "Nuru ya kuwaangazia mataifa."] Non fecit taliter omni nationi, akasema Daudi, alipozungumza juu ya Sheria. Lakini, tunapozungumza juu ya Yesu Kristo, ni lazima tuseme: Fecit taliter omni nationi. [Zab. 167. - (Mstari wa 167) 20. (a) Kwa nini? <unk>Hakufanya hivyo kwa taifa lolote.<unk>] Parum est ut, nk., Isaya. Kwa hiyo ni jukumu la Yesu Kristo kuwa wa ulimwengu wote mzima. Hata Kanisa hutoa dhabihu kwa ajili ya waaminifu tu. Yesu Kristo alitoa msalaba kwa ajili ya wote. 775. - (Mstari wa 77) Kuna heresy katika daima kueleza omnes na wote, na heresy ni si kueleza ni wakati mwingine na wote. Bibite ex hoc omnes; [Math. 26 - Ni nini? 27. (a) Kwa nini? "Ninyweni ninyi nyote."] Wahuguenoti ni wazushi katika kueleza hilo kwa wote. In quo omnes peccaverunt, [Rum. 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. 12. (a) Kwa nini? "Kwa kuwa wote wametenda dhambi. ""Huguenots ni heretics katika isipokuwa watoto wa waumini wa kweli. Kwa hiyo, ni lazima tufuate mapokeo ya Baba ili kujua wakati wa kufanya hivyo, kwa kuwa kuna uzushi unaopaswa kuogopwa pande zote mbili. 776 - Mfano wa Usalama Ni aina ya mnyama anayeitwa Neas pusillus grex. [Luka 12.] 32. (a) Kwa nini? <unk>Usiogope kundi dogo.<unk>] Timore et tremore. [Phil. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata 12. (a) Kwa nini? """Kwa hofu na kutetemeka"" (Luka 12:22)" 32. (a) Kwa nini? <unk>Msiogope kundi dogo.<unk>] Quid ergo? Neas muda modo timeas. [Usiogope, ikiwa unaogopa; lakini ikiwa huogopi, basi uogope.] Qui me recipit, non me recipit, sed eum qui me misit. [Marko 9.] 37. - (Mstari wa 7) "Yeye anayenipokea mimi, hamkubali mimi, bali yeye aliyenituma."" - Nemo Scythe, neque Filius. [Marko 13.] 32. (a) Kwa nini? <unk>Hakuna ajuaye, wala Mwana, lakini Baba.<unk>] Nubes lucida obumbravit. """Bingu zilikuwa juu ya nuru"" - Yohana alikuwa na kugeuza mioyo ya baba kwa watoto, na Yesu Kristo alikuwa na kupanda mgawanyiko." Hakuna kinyume cha maoni. 777 - Mfano wa Usalama Athari katika communi na katika particulari. "Wapelagi wanakosea kwa kusema ""katika jamii"" kile kilicho kweli katika mambo ya pekee, na Wakalvini kwa kusema ""katika mambo ya pekee"" kile kilicho kweli katika jamii." (Hilo ndilo maoni yangu.) 778 - Mfano wa Usalama Omnis Judaea regio, et Jerosolmymi universi, et baptizabantur. Omnis Judaea regio, et Jerosolmymi universi, et baptizabantur. Omnis Judaea regio, et Jerosolmymi universi, et baptizabantur. Omnis Judaea regio, et Jerosolmymi universi. Omnis Judaea regio, et Jerosolmymi universi. [Marko 1. 5. Uwe na mtazamo mzuri. "Nchi yote ya Yuda na wale wa Yerusalemu, na wote walibatizwa na yeye."" - Mathayo 24:21, 22; Mathayo 24:21, 22; Mathayo 24:21, 22." Kutoka kwa mawe haya kunaweza kuja watoto kwa Abrahamu. 779 - Uwezekano wa kupewa Kama watu wangejijua wenyewe, Mungu angewaponya na kuwasamehe. Ne convertantur et sanem eos, et dimittantur eis peccata. Ne convertantur et sanem eos, et dimittantur eis peccata. Ne convertantur et sanem eos, et dimittantur eis peccata. [Marko 4.] 12. (a) Kwa nini? "Isiwe kwamba watageuzwa imani, na dhambi zao zikasamehewe.""" Yesu Kristo hakuhukumu kamwe bila kusikiliza. Kwa Yuda: Amice, ad guid venisti? [Mat. 26 - Ni nini? Hamsini. <unk> Rafiki, umekuja kwa kusudi gani? <unk>] Kwa yule ambaye hakuwa amevaa mavazi ya harusi, sawa. 781 - Uwezo wa kuongoza "Mfano wa ukamilifu wa ukombozi, kama vile jua linatoa nuru kwa wote, unaonyesha ukamilifu tu; lakini mfano wa kutengwa, kama vile Wayahudi waliochaguliwa kwa kutengwa kwa Mataifa, unaonyesha kutengwa.""" "Yesu Kristo, Mkombozi wa wote, ndiyo, kwa sababu ametoa, kama mtu ambaye amewakomboa wote waliokuwa tayari kuja kwake.""" Ikiwa yeyote atakufa njiani, ni bahati mbaya yao; lakini, kwa kadiri alivyokuwa na wasiwasi, Aliwapa ukombozi. "Hili ni kweli katika mfano huu, ambapo yeye anayekomboa na yeye anayezuia kifo ni watu wawili, lakini si wa Yesu Kristo, ambaye hufanya mambo haya yote mawili.""" La, kwa maana Yesu Kristo, katika sifa ya Mkombozi, labda si Bwana wa wote; na hivyo, kwa kadiri ilivyo ndani yake, yeye ni Mkombozi wa wote. "Wakati unasema kwamba Yesu Kristo hakufa kwa ajili ya wote, wewe kuchukua faida isiyofaa ya kosa katika watu ambao mara moja kutumia tofauti hii kwa wenyewe, na ni kwa ajili ya kukata tamaa, badala ya kugeuka kutoka kwake kwa ajili ya matumaini. """ Kwa maana watu kwa njia hiyo hujizoeza katika wema wa ndani kwa desturi za nje. 782 - Mfano wa Usalama Ushindi juu ya kifo. <unk>Ni faida gani kwa mtu ikiwa atapata ulimwengu wote na kupoteza nafsi yake mwenyewe? "Yule anayetaka kuokoa nafsi yake, ataipoteza."" 17 Mimi sikujia kuharibu sheria, bali kuitimiza."" 18 Kondoo-dume hawakuondoa dhambi za ulimwengu, lakini mimi ndimi Mwana-Kondoo anayevua dhambi." Kisha Yesu Kristo anakuja kuwaambia watu kwamba hawana maadui wengine ila wao wenyewe; kwamba ni tamaa zao ambazo zinawaweka mbali na Mungu; kwamba Yeye anakuja kuwaharibu hawa, na kuwapa neema Yake, ili kuwafanya wote kuwa Kanisa moja Takatifu; kwamba Yeye anakuja kuwaleta nyuma katika Kanisa hili wapagani na Wayahudi; kwamba Yeye anakuja kuharibu sanamu za wa kwanza na ushirikina wa wa pili. Watu wote wanapinga hili, si kwa sababu ya upinzani wa asili wa tamaa tu, bali, juu ya yote, wafalme wa dunia, kama ilivyotabiriwa, wanaungana pamoja kuharibu dini hii wakati wa kuzaliwa kwake. (Prof. : Quare fremuerunt gentes... reges terrae... adversus Christum.) [Zab. 2. Uwezekano wa kupata Moja, mbili. "Kwa nini mataifa na watawala wa dunia wanamkasirikia BWANA?"" 15Watu wote mashuhuri duniani wameungana pamoja, wenye elimu, wenye hekima, na wafalme." Wa kwanza huandika; wa pili huhukumu; wa mwisho huua. Na licha ya upinzani huu wote, watu hawa, wachache na wachache, wanawapinga wale wenye nguvu, wanawaangamiza hata wafalme, watu wenye elimu na wenye hekima, na kuondoa ibada ya sanamu duniani kote. Na haya yote yametendeka kwa nguvu iliyokuwa imetabiri. 784 - Mfano wa Usalama Yesu hakutaka ushuhuda wa mashetani, wala wa wale ambao hawakuitwa, bali wa Mungu na Yohana Mbatizaji. 785 - Ndio, ni kweli. "Tunaona Yesu Kristo katika watu wote na katika sisi wenyewe: Yesu Kristo kama Baba katika Baba yake, Yesu Kristo kama Ndugu katika Ndugu zake, Yesu Kristo kama maskini katika maskini, Yesu Kristo kama tajiri katika tajiri, Yesu Kristo kama Daktari na Kuhani katika makuhani, Yesu Kristo kama Mfalme katika wakuu, na kadhalika.""" Kwa maana kwa utukufu wake yeye ni yote ambayo ni kubwa, kuwa Mungu; na kwa maisha yake ya kibinadamu yeye ni yote ambayo ni maskini na abject. Kwa hiyo, amechukua hali hii ya huzuni ili aweze kuwa katika watu wote na mfano wa hali zote. 786 - Ndio, ni kweli. "Yesu Kristo ni ""asiyeonekana"" (kwa kile ambacho ulimwengu huita ""asiyeonekana""), kwa hivyo wanahistoria, wakiandika tu juu ya mambo muhimu ya serikali, hawajamwona." 787 - Mfano wa Usalama "Kwa sababu Josephus, Tacitus, na wengine wote wa kihistoria hawajawahi kusema juu ya Yesu Kristo, ""Hii ni mbali sana na kusema dhidi ya Ukristo, kwamba, kinyume chake, inasema kwa ajili yake.""" Kwa maana ni hakika kwamba Yesu Kristo amekuwepo; kwamba dini yake imefanya mazungumzo makubwa; na kwamba watu hawa hawakuwa wasiojua juu yake. Kwa hiyo ni wazi kwamba walilificha kwa makusudi, au kwamba, kama walilizungumza, akaunti yao imefichwa au kubadilishwa. 788 - Ndio maana """Nimejiwekea saba elfu, nawapenda waabudu wasiojulikana na ulimwengu na manabii wenyewe." 789 - Ndio maana Kama vile Yesu Kristo alivyosalia asiyejulikana miongoni mwa watu, ndivyo ukweli wake unavyosalia miongoni mwa maoni ya kawaida bila tofauti ya nje. Hivyo ndivyo Ekaristi ilivyo kati ya mikate ya kawaida. 790. - (Mithali 6:9, 10) Kwa nini? Yesu hangeuawa bila njia za haki; kwa maana ni aibu zaidi kufa kwa haki kuliko kwa uasi usio wa haki. 791 - Uwezekano wa kufanikiwa Haki ya uongo ya Pilato inatumika tu kumfanya Yesu Kristo ateseke; kwa sababu yeye humfanya apigwe na haki yake ya uongo, na baadaye humwua. Ingekuwa afadhali kumuuwa mara moja. Ndivyo ilivyo na wale walio na haki bandia. Wanafanya mema na mabaya ili kufurahisha ulimwengu, na kuonyesha kwamba wao si wote wa Yesu Kristo, kwa sababu wana aibu yake. Mwishowe, chini ya majaribu makubwa na katika pindi kubwa, wanamuua. 792 - Uwezo wa kuamua Ni mtu gani aliyekuwa na sifa kubwa zaidi? Wayahudi wote walimtangulia kabla ya kuja kwake. Watu wa Mataifa wanamwabudu baada ya kuja kwake. Watu hao wawili, Wayahudi na Wasio Wayahudi, wanamwona kuwa kitovu chao. Na bado ni mtu gani anafurahia umaarufu huu chini? Katika miaka thelathini na mitatu, anaishi thelathini bila kuonekana. Kwa miaka mitatu amekuwa kama mlaghai; makuhani na wakuu wa watu wamemkataa; marafiki na jamaa zake wa karibu wanamdharau. Mwishowe, anakufa, akisalitiwa na mmoja wa wanafunzi wake mwenyewe, akikanushwa na mwingine, na kuachwa na wote. Basi, ana sehemu gani katika sifa hiyo? Hakuna mwanadamu aliyewahi kuwa na sifa nyingi hivyo; hakuna mwanadamu aliyewahi kuwa na aibu nyingi hivyo. Sifa hiyo yote imetutumikia sisi tu, ili tuweze kumtambua Yeye, na Yeye hakuwa nayo yote kwa ajili yake mwenyewe. 793 - Uwezekano wa kupewa """Ukingo usio na mwisho kati ya mwili na akili ni ishara ya umbali usio na mwisho zaidi kati ya akili na upendo, kwa sababu upendo ni wa kichawi.""" Utukufu wote wa ukuu hauna mng'ao kwa watu wanaotafuta uelewaji. Utukufu wa watu wenye akili hauonekani kwa wafalme, kwa matajiri, kwa wakuu, na kwa watu wote wakuu wa ulimwengu. Utukufu wa hekima, ambayo si kitu isipokuwa ni ya Mungu, hauonekani kwa wenye akili za mwili na wenye akili. Hizi ni amri tatu tofauti kwa aina. Wenye akili kubwa wana nguvu zao, utukufu wao, ukuu wao, ushindi wao, na utukufu wao, na hawana haja ya ukuu wa dunia, ambao hawafanani nao. Wao huonekana, si kwa jicho, bali kwa akili; hilo linatosha. Watakatifu wana nguvu zao, utukufu wao, ushindi wao, na utukufu wao, na hawahitaji ukuu wa kidunia au wa kiakili, ambao hawana uhusiano nao; kwa kuwa hawa hawaongezi chochote kwao, wala hawaondoi chochote kwao. Wao huonekana na Mungu na malaika, na si kwa mwili, wala kwa akili ya udadisi. Mungu ni wa kutosha kwao. Archimedes, mbali na cheo chake, angekuwa na heshima ileile. Yeye hakupigana vita kwa ajili ya macho ya kula juu ya; lakini ametoa uvumbuzi wake kwa watu wote. Oh! (Kushangaa) jinsi alikuwa na akili nzuri sana! Yesu Kristo, bila utajiri na bila maonyesho ya nje ya maarifa, ni katika utaratibu wake mwenyewe wa utakatifu. Yeye hakubuni; Yeye hakutawala. Alikuwa mnyenyekevu, mstahimilivu, mtakatifu, mtakatifu kwa Mungu, mwenye kutisha kwa mashetani, bila dhambi yoyote. Oh! (Kushangaa) Kwa fahari kubwa na kwa fahari ya ajabu amekuja kwa macho ya moyo, ambayo huona hekima! Archimedes alikuwa na uwezo wa kuelezea mambo ya kijiografia kwa njia ya mfano katika vitabu vyake vya jiometri, lakini hakuweza kueleza mambo ya kijiografia. "Hakuna maana kwa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo kuja kama mfalme ili ang'aa katika ufalme wake mtakatifu.""" Lakini alikuja huko kwa kufaa katika utukufu wa utaratibu wake mwenyewe. Ni jambo lisilo la akili kabisa kukasirika kwa unyenyekevu wa Yesu Kristo, kana kwamba unyenyekevu wake ulikuwa katika utaratibu uleule na ukuu ambao alikuja kuufunua. "Ikiwa tutafikiria ukuu huu katika maisha yake, katika mateso yake, katika giza lake, katika kifo chake, katika uchaguzi wa wanafunzi wake, katika kutoroka kwao, katika ufufuo wake wa siri, na mengineyo, tutaona kuwa ni kubwa sana hivi kwamba hatutakuwa na sababu ya kukasirika kwa ""dogo"" ambayo si ya utaratibu huo." Lakini kuna wengine ambao wanaweza tu kuvutiwa na ukuu wa ulimwengu, kana kwamba hakuna ukuu wa akili; na wengine ambao huvutiwa tu na ukuu wa akili, kana kwamba hakuna mambo ya juu zaidi katika hekima. Miili yote, anga, nyota, dunia na falme zake, si sawa na akili ya chini zaidi, kwa sababu akili inajua haya yote na yenyewe, na miili hii haina chochote. Miili yote pamoja, na akili zote pamoja, na bidhaa zao zote, si sawa na hisia ndogo ya upendo. Hii ni ya utaratibu usio na kikomo zaidi. Kutoka kwa miili yote pamoja, hatuwezi kupata wazo moja dogo; hii haiwezekani na ya utaratibu mwingine. Kutoka kwa miili na akili zote, hatuwezi kuzalisha hisia ya upendo wa kweli; hii haiwezekani na ya utaratibu mwingine na wa juu ya asili. 794 - Ndio maana Kwa nini Yesu Kristo hakukuja kwa njia inayoonekana, badala ya kupata ushuhuda wake mwenyewe kutoka kwa unabii wa awali? Kwa nini alisababisha yeye mwenyewe kutabiriwa katika mifano? 795. - (Mstari wa 79) Kama Yesu Kristo angekuja kutakasa tu, Maandiko yote na vitu vyote vingeelekea mwisho huo; na ingekuwa rahisi sana kuwasadikisha wasioamini. Kama Yesu Kristo angekuja kuwapo kwa vipofu tu, mwenendo wake wote ungekuwa na mvurugo, na hatungekuwa na njia ya kuwasadikisha wasioamini. Lakini kama yeye alikuja katika sanctificationem et katika scandalum, [Is. 8. Uwe na mtazamo gani? 14. (a) Kwa nini? "Kwa kuwa ni mahali patakatifu na mwamba wa kukasirisha,"" Isaya anasema, ""Hatuwezi kuwasadikisha wasioamini, nao hawawezi kutusadikisha.""" Lakini kwa ukweli huu tu tunawaamini, kwa kuwa tunasema kwamba katika mwenendo wake wote hakuna uthibitisho wa kusadikisha upande mmoja au mwingine. 796 - Uwezo wa kuamua Yesu Kristo hakusema kwamba yeye si wa Nazareti, ili kuwaacha waovu katika upofu wao; wala kwamba yeye si mwana wa Yosefu. 797 - Mfano wa Usalama """Yesu Kristo alisema mambo makubwa kwa urahisi sana hivi kwamba inaonekana kana kwamba hakuyaona kuwa makubwa, na bado ni wazi sana hivi kwamba tunaweza kuona kwa urahisi kile alichokuwa akifikiri juu yao.""" Uwazi huu, pamoja na unyenyekevu huu, ni wa ajabu. 798 - Ndio maana Mtindo wa Injili ni wa kupendeza katika njia nyingi, na miongoni mwa wengine katika kutupwa hakuna invectives dhidi ya watesaji na maadui wa Yesu Kristo. Kwa maana hakuna mwandishi wa historia yeyote anayemshambulia Yuda, Pilato, au Myahudi yeyote. Kama utimilifu huu wa waandishi wa Injili ungekuwa umedhaniwa, kama vile sifa nyingine nyingi za tabia nzuri sana, na kama wangekuwa wameudhani ili kuvutia, hata kama hawangeweza kuvutia, hawangeweza kushindwa kupata marafiki ambao wangefanya maoni kama hayo kwa faida yao. Lakini kwa kuwa walifanya hivyo bila kujifanya na kwa nia ya kujidharau kabisa, hawakumweleza mtu yeyote; na naamini kwamba mambo mengi kama hayo hayajagunduliwa hadi sasa, ambayo ni ushahidi wa kujidharau kwa asili ambayo jambo hilo limefanywa. 799. - (Mstari wa 79) Mtaalamu wa sanaa anayezungumza juu ya utajiri, mwanasheria anayezungumza juu ya vita, juu ya ufalme, na kadhalika. Lakini tajiri husema kwa haki juu ya utajiri, mfalme husema bila kujali juu ya zawadi kubwa aliyofanya, na Mungu husema kwa haki juu ya Mungu. 88) Ni nani aliyewahubiri wainjilisti sifa za nafsi ya shujaa kamili, ambayo wanaichora kwa ukamilifu katika Yesu Kristo? Kwa nini wanamfanya awe dhaifu katika maumivu yake? Je, hawajui jinsi ya kuchora kifo chenye azimio? "Lakini Luka anaeleza kwamba kifo cha Stefano kilikuwa ""kiburi zaidi kuliko cha Yesu.""" Kwa hiyo, wanamfanya awe na uwezo wa kuogopa, kabla ya uhitaji wa kufa kuja, na kisha kuwa hodari kabisa. Lakini wanapowafanya wamdhulumu, ni wakati anapojisumbua mwenyewe; na watu wanapomsumbua, yeye ni mwenye nguvu kabisa. 801 - Mfano wa Utafiti """Ushahidi wa Yesu Kristo"" - Dhana ya kwamba mitume walikuwa wadanganyifu ni ya kipumbavu sana." Acheni tufikirie jambo hilo. "Hebu tuwafikirie wale wanaume kumi na wawili, waliokusanyika baada ya kifo cha Yesu Kristo, wakipanga kusema kwamba alikuwa amefufuka.""" Kwa njia hiyo wao hushambulia nguvu zote. Moyo wa mwanadamu ni ajabu nia ya fickle, kubadilisha, ahadi, kupata. Hata kama ni kidogo tu kwamba yeyote kati yao angeweza kupotea kwa sababu ya vivutio hivi vyote, au hata zaidi, kwa sababu ya hofu ya magereza, mateso, na kifo, walikuwa wamepotea. Hebu tufuate wazo hilo. 802 - Mfano wa Usalama Mitume walipigwa na udanganyifu au waliwadanganya. "Hata hivyo, kuna ubaya wa kusema kwamba Yesu Kristo alikuwa ""mwenye nguvu"" na kwamba ""alikuwa pamoja nao.""" Lakini, baada ya hapo, ikiwa hakuonekana kwao, ni nani aliyewachochea kutenda?