[the Monks'] Minds Were Inaccessible To Reason

But The Severe Rules Of Discipline Which The Prudence Of The Bishops Had Instituted Were Relaxed By The Same Prudence In Favour Of An Imperial Proselyte, Whom It Was So Important To Allure, By Every Gentle Condescension, Into The Pale Of The Church; And Constantine Was Permitted, At Least By A Tacit Dispensation, To Enjoy Most Of The Privileges, Before He Had Contracted Any Of The Obligations, Of A Christian.

The Savage Nations Of The Globe Are The Common Enemies Of Civilized Society; And We May Inquire, With Anxious Curiosity, Whether Europe Is Still Threatened With A Repetition Of Those Calamities, Which Formerly Oppressed The Arms And Institutions Of Rome.

A State Of Skepticism And Suspense May Amuse A Few Inquisitive Minds. But The Practice Of Superstition Is So Congenial To The Multitude That, If They Are Forcibly Awakened, They Still Regret The Loss Of Their Pleasing Vision.

Although The Progress Of Civilisation Has Undoubtedly Contributed To Assuage The Fiercer Passions Of Human Nature, It Seems To Have Been Less Favourable To The Virtue Of Chastity, Whose Most Dangerous Enemy Is The Softness Of The Mind. The Refinements Of Life Corrupt While They Polish The Intercourse Of The Sexes. The Gross Appetite Of Love Becomes Most Dangerous When It Is Elevated, Or Rather, Indeed, Disguised By Sentimental Passion.

Does There Exist A Single Instance Of A Saint Asserting That He Himself Possessed The Gift Of Miracles?