e feels
himself the representative of an idea, of which he must secure the
triumph. Now come such surmisings as these: "Here are men who think
themselves the depositaries of truth! These pretended believers--may
they not be hypocrites?" Place men so disposed in positions of power;
let them be the masters of society; what will follow? Beliefs are a
cause of disturbances: what seemed at first an innocent weakness, takes
then the character of a dangerous madness. For the politician, the
temptation to extirpate this madness is not far off. "What if we were to
get rid of this troublesome source of agitation! If we declared that the
conscience of individuals belongs to the sovereign, what repose we
should have in the State! If we proclaimed the true modern dogma,
namely, that there is no dogma; if silencing, in short, fanatics who are
behind their age, we decreed that every belief is a crime and every
manifestation of faith a revolt, what quiet in society!" The incline is
slippery, and what shall hold back the sceptic who is descending it?

Faith carries with it the remedy for fanaticism, but where shall be
found the remedy for the fanaticism of doubt? In the claims of God? God
is but a word, or a worthless hypothesis. In respect for the convictions
of others? All conviction is but weakness and folly. All this, be well
assured, gives much matter for reflection. When I hear some men who call
themselves liberal, tracing the ideal of the society which they desire,
the bare imagination of their triumph frightens me, for I can understand
that that society would enjoy the liberty of the Roman empire, and the
toleration of the Caesars.

Such are the consequences of scepticism for the leaders of a people.
What will those consequences be for the people themselves? The spirit of
indifference paralyzes the sources of generous sentiments, and ends in
the same results as the spirit of cowardice. And do you not know the
part which cowardice has played in history? If I may venture to call up
here the most mournful recollections of modern times, do you not know
that during the Reign of Terror, two or three hundred scoundrels
instituted public massacres in the Capital of France, in the midst of a
population shuddering with fright, but who let things go? Now the
characteristic of indifference is the letting things go. If fanaticism
has something to do with persecution, indifference has a great deal to
do with it. The crimes which minds paraly