But miracles would be useless to heretics; for the Church, authorised by miracles which have already obtained belief, tells us that they have not the true faith. There is no doubt that they are not in it, since the first miracles of the Church exclude belief of theirs. Thus there is miracle against miracle, both the first and greatest being on the side of the Church.
These nuns,[334] astonished at what is said, that they are in the way of perdition; that their confessors are leading them to Geneva; that they suggest to them that Jesus Christ is not in the Eucharist, nor on the right hand of the Father; know that all this is false, and therefore offer themselves to God in this state. _Vide si via iniquitatis in me est._[335] What happens thereupon? This place, which is said to be the temple of the devil, God makes His own temple. It is said that the children must be taken away from it. God heals them there. It is said that it is the arsenal of hell. God makes of it the sanctuary of His grace. Lastly, they are threatened with all the fury and vengeance of heaven; and God overwhelms them with favours. A man would need to have lost his senses to conclude from this that they are therefore in the way of perdition.
(We have without doubt the same signs as Saint Athanasius.)
Opera quæ ego facio in nomine patris mei, hæc testimonium perhibent de me. Sed vos non creditis quia non estis ex ovibus meis. Oves meœ vocem meam audiunt._[337]
John vi, 30. _Quod ergo tu facis signum ut videamus et credamus tibi?--Non dicunt: Quam doctrinam prædicas?
Nemo potest facere signa quæ tu facis nisi Deus._[338]
2 Macc. xiv, 15. _Deus qui signis evidentibus suam portionem protegit.
Volumus signum videre de cœlo, tentantes eum._ Luke xi, 16.
_Generatio prava signum quærit; et non dabitur.[339]
Et ingemiscens ait: Quid generatio ista signum quærit?_ (Mark viii, 12.) They asked a sign with an evil intention.
_Et non poterat facere._[340] And yet he promises them the sign of Jonah, the great and wonderful miracle of his resurrection.
_Nisi videritis, non creditis._[341] He does not blame them for not believing unless there are miracles, but for not believing unless they are themselves spectators of them.