EPISTLE.

...come from God. For since faith is a gift of God, the very same Being who grants the grace to believe other things can also grant the grace to believe that He Himself exists. However, this argument cannot be presented to unbelievers, because they would judge it to be circular reasoning original: "circulum" — the logical fallacy of proving a premise by a conclusion that relies on that same premise.

Indeed, I have noticed not only that you and all other theologians affirm that God's existence can be proven by natural reason, but also that it is inferred from Holy Scripture that knowledge of God is easier to obtain than our knowledge of many created things. In fact, this knowledge is so easy to achieve that those who lack it are considered blameworthy. This is clear from the Book of Wisdom, chapter 13, in these words: "They are not to be forgiven; for if they were able to know enough that they could observe the world, how did they not more easily find the Lord of it?" original: "Sap. 13" — Wisdom of Solomon 13:8-9. Descartes is citing the Vulgate Bible. Similarly, in the first chapter of Romans, it is said that such people are "inexcusable" original: "inexcusabiles". And in that same passage, through these...