Why men do not believe; or, the principal causes of infidelity

Why men do not believe; or, the principal causes of infidelity

Author: Laforet, N. J., (Nicolas Joseph), 1823-1872

Year: 1869

TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I. Chap. I. — The preaching of Jesus Christ — Some believe our Lord's words, others reject them — Whence arises this difference of attitude and conduct 17 Chap. II. — The manner in which the Christian Faith took possession of the world — An example of the conversion of learned men and philosophers — St. Justin 36 Chap. III. — Decisive triumph of Christianity in the Roman world — End of the persecutions — Constellation of great men in the bosom of the Church of the fourth century 44 Chap. IV.— St. Augustine— His unbelief and his return to the Faith 49 § I. — How Augustine loses the Faith — He rapidly descends all the steps of unbelief— He falls into materialism and scepticism 50 § II. — Augustine's return to the Faith — He passes through an intellectual and moral crisis before his conversion 59 Chap. V. — The Christian Faith of the Middle Ages — It is paramount in society and governs men of high intellect as well as the common people — Was this a blind Faith? 72 Chap. VI. — Protestantism and reason 87 § I. — Primitive Protestantism — Age of Leo X. — The real doctrines of Luther and his accomplices — Denial of reason and liberty — War declared against science