cannot believe. What, then, would you have
me do?"

True. But at least learn your inability to believe, since reason brings you
to this, and yet you cannot believe. Endeavour, then, to convince yourself,
not by increase of proofs of God, but by the abatement of your passions. You
would like to attain faith and do not know the way; you would like to cure
yourself of unbelief and ask the remedy for it. Learn of those who have been
bound like you, and who now stake all their possessions. These are people
who know the way which you would follow, and who are cured of an ill of
which you would be cured. Follow the way by which they began; by acting as
if they believed, taking the holy water, having masses said, etc. Even this
will naturally make you believe, and deaden your acuteness. "But this is
what I am afraid of." And why? What have you to lose?

But to show you that this leads you there, it is this which will lessen the
passions, which are your stumbling-blocks.

The end of this discourse.--Now, what harm will befall you in taking this
side? You will be faithful, humble, grateful, generous, a sincere friend,
truthful. Certainly you will not have those poisonous pleasures, glory and
luxury; but will you not have others? I will tell you that you will thereby
gain in this life, and that, at each step you take on