The Thoughts of Blaise Pascal

Part 27

Chapter 273,759 wordsPublic domain

---- the figure of glory, 161

---- law, and nature, 250

---- needed to make a man a saint, 296

---- opposed to nature, 296

Grandeur to be felt must be abandoned, 40

Great men and little have the same accidents, 75

---- are allied to the people, 74

Greatness, infinity of, most obvious to the senses, 21

---- and littleness of man, 43

---- of man consists in knowing he is miserable, 47

---- of man even in sensuality, 69

---- of the human soul consists in knowing how to keep the mean, 76

---- has no lustre for those who seek understanding, 227

Greece, 120

Greek legislators, 121

Greeks, 197, 222

Grotius, 140

Haggai, his prophecy, 156

Happiness of man, in what it consists, 49

---- all men seek, 95

---- there was once in man a true, 95

---- of man with God, 89

---- common aim of ordinary men and of saints, but their ideals are different, 244

Happy, why man cannot be, 74

Hatred of self necessary, 238

---- ---- the true and only virtue, 240

Heart and reason, comparison between actions of, 307

---- those who judge by the, do not understand the process of reasoning, 308

---- the, we know truth by, as well as by reason, 102

---- believes for its own reasons, 307

Heat, what it is, 313

Hebrews, the, their manner of counting, 144

Heel of a slipper, 58

Hell, fear of, 100

Heresies, the source of all, 273

---- the way to hinder, 274

---- various, 297

---- foreseen by God, 128

Heresy, exclusion of a truth a source of, 274

Heretics, the Jesuits hinder their conversion, 281

Herod, 147, 218, 221

Hesiod, the book of, 121

Hilary, Saint, 127, 278

History, all that is not contemporaneous is open to suspicion, 174

Holy Sacrament, Catholic and heretical doctrines on, 274

Holy Thorn, the miracle of the, 257

---- conclusion to be drawn from the miracle of the, 269

Homer, quoted, 120

Homer's writings, romances, 173

Huguenots, their errors concerning the Pope, 288

Hunting, sought for the diversion, 34

---- is a royal sport, 35

"I," the, consists in my thought, 76

---- where does it reside, 80

---- each, the enemy of all others, 84

Identity of number and matter, 299

Ignorance, natural, is the best wisdom of man, 83

---- of man, 104

Iliad, the, 173

Illusion, all men under an, 71

Imaginary life, the, 58

Imagination, deceptive powers of the, 51

---- faculty of, 51

---- described, 51

---- great complacency of the active, 52

---- enlarges little objects and belittles the great, 56

---- cords of, 56

Immortality of the soul, importance to be sure of this, 101

Impiety, ill-bred people only incapable of, 8

Impressions, old, man deceived by, 54

Inability of man to attain good, 95

Incapacity to prove truth, 109

Incarnation, the, shows man the greatness of his misery, 188

Incomprehensible, things which appear such, 205

Inconstancy of man, 26

---- its causes, 31

---- examples of, 79

Indifference, unfairness of men who live in, as to the truth, 9

Indifferent, the, in religion not to be despised, 8

Indulgences, 274

Inequality is necessary among men, but opens the door to tyranny, 68

Infallibility would be a strange miracle, 288

Infinite, nothing, 96

---- ignorant of the nature of the, and why, 96

Injustice of self-love, 239

---- that others should attach themselves to us, 240

---- letter on, 254

Innocents, Massacre of the, 221

Inquisition, the, and the Society, 284

Insensibility of man, 12

Instability, 101

Instinct and experience, 26

---- we have an, which raises us, 44

---- and reason, marks of two natures, 44

Intellect, the, believes naturally, 77

Intelligence, place of human, in the order of intelligible things, 22

Interest, our own, is a source of error, 54

Irenæus, Saint, 127

Isaac, 197

Isaiah, translation of a passage of, 147

---- translation of several prophecies of, 150

---- foretold the Messiah, 154

---- foretold that miracles would not be believed, 258

Italy, 120, 148

Jacob, 126

---- his death-bed prophecy, 140

---- foretold the coming of Jesus Christ, 197

Jaddus, 227

Jansenists, and the ancient saints, 275

---- heretics, and Jesuits, 296

Jansenius, 268

Jeremiah, his prophecy concerning the reprobation of the Temple and the sacrifices, 149

---- and Hananiah, 267

---- explanation of a word in, 270

Jesuits and Jansenists, 273

---- destroy the three notes of religion, 275

---- are like heretics, 275

---- corrupt the laws of the Church, 276

---- corrupt religion, 277

---- compared to false prophets, 278

---- their injustice and hypocrisy, 278

---- their hardness greater than that of the Jews, 279

---- vanity of the, 280

---- in corrupting their judges they make them unjust, 282

---- given up to the spirit of lying, 282

---- exaggerated notion they have of their importance, 285

---- it is good that their deeds should be unjust, 287

---- their lax opinions displeasing because they have exceeded all bounds, 290

---- duplicity of the, 292

---- have abandoned the old rules and follow reason, compared to the unbelieving Jews, 292

Jesus Christ, redemption by, one of the fundamentals of religion, 6

---- apart from, man has no communion with God, 91

---- the goal of all, and the centre to which all tends, 92

---- knowledge of, 93

---- difference between, and Mahomet, 116

---- no man can do what, did, 116

---- foretold by the Jewish people, 122

---- used the order of charity, not of the intellect, 128

---- foretold and announced by prophecies, 131

---- small in his beginnings, 136

---- betrayed, 140

---- foretold as to the time and the state of the world, 147

---- has given us the interpretation of the Old Testament cipher, 159

---- prefigured by Joseph, 164

---- in, all dissonances of Scripture are brought to harmony, 167

---- according to carnal Christians, 172

---- announced by Adam, 174

---- proofs of the divinity of, 213

---- came with all the circumstances foretold, 213

---- no man has had so great renown, none enjoyed it less, 214

---- all the glory of, for our sakes, to enable us to recognise him, 214

---- the office of, 314

---- foretold and foreteller, 215

---- why, did not come in a visible manner, why in figures, 216

---- has come to sanctify and to blind, 216

---- we can have nothing but veneration for, 216

---- special prophecies regarding, 217

---- is the more to be loved in not having done as the rabbis said, 219

---- not known by contemporary writers, 221

---- clearness and simplicity of the language of, 222

---- why, was weak in his agony, 222

---- centre of the two Testaments, 226

---- has made known to men their misery, and given the remedy, 226

---- greatness and lowliness of, 228

---- for all, 229

---- compared to Moses, 229

---- the redeemer of all, 230

---- would not have the testimony of devils, 230

---- why he would be put to death with the forms of justice, 230

---- leaves the wicked in their blindness, 230

---- alone in his agony, 231

---- only once complained, 231

---- considered in all persons and in ourselves, 234

---- how, gives himself in communion, 234

---- words of, to man, 235

---- has adopted our sins, and admitted us into covenant with him, 247

---- worked miracles as witnesses of the prophecies, 261

---- has verified by his miracles that he was the Messiah, 262

---- without the miracles not blameworthy not to believe in, 270

---- the two natures of, source of contradictions, 273

---- all faith consists in, and in Adam, 280

---- came to bring war, 281

---- a stone of stumbling, 283

---- never condemned without a hearing, 283

---- appeal to his tribunal from that of the Pope, 284

---- did not die for all, heresy of, 296

Jews, their situation in the midst of the world, 119

---- their expectation of a Redeemer, 120

---- the most ancient nation known to men, 120

---- sprung from one man only, 120

---- declared that all the world is in error, 121

---- were slaves of sin, 122

---- their dispersion, bore the prophecies into all regions of the world, 131

---- were a carnal people, 162

---- their religion the true, 162

---- the prophecies interpreted by the, according to their carnal instincts, 163

---- their refusal of Christ has given an additional mark of him, 164

---- their explanation of Scripture defective, 167

---- type of the chosen people, 169

---- loved the shadow and misunderstood the substance, 170

---- hold a midway place between Christians and pagans, 172

---- two kinds of, 172

---- antiquity of the, 173

---- sincerity of the, proved by the care with which they preserved the Bible, 173

---- formed to serve as witnesses of the Messiah, 174

---- prove Christianity by their present condition, 191

---- the religion of the true, is the same as that of Christians, 198

---- in slaying Messiah afforded a final proof of him, 218

---- their perpetuity and miserable state prove Jesus Christ, 219

---- their second destruction will never end, 220

---- bound to believe the miracles of Jesus Christ, 263

---- the hardness of the Jesuits surpasses that of the, 279

Job knew the misery of man, 45

---- the book of, regards Jesus Christ as centre and object, 213

John Baptist, Saint, 140, 230

---- and Jesus Christ, 201

Jonah, a sign of the resurrection, 266

Joseph, son of Jacob, ordered that he should not be buried in Egypt, 141

Josephus on the Jewish law, 120

Joshua, the first of God's people who had this name, 213

Judas, Jesus did not regard in, his enmity, 232

Judge, authority of the, 65

Judgment, instability of the, 27

---- confusion of the judgment of man, 32

---- and the intellect, 307

Justice, what is the essence of, 62

---- what is, 67

---- of God, 96

---- influenced by imagination and the passions, 53

---- and truth, man cannot attain them, 54

---- man is ignorant of, 61

---- changes with the climate, 61

---- human is not the true justice, 62

---- is what is established, 64

---- the false, of Pilate, 234

---- of God, which abases the pride of man, 241

Just man, takes for himself nothing of the world, 244

---- compared to Abraham, 244

---- acts by faith in the smallest things, 244

---- takes part only in unpleasant things, 244

King without diversion is full of miseries, 40

---- man a discrowned, 47

---- whence comes the respect paid a, 55

---- on what the power of a, is based, 55

---- and tyrant, 72

---- what is the happiness of a, 34

Kingships, duchies, and magistracies real and necessary, 76

Knowledge of God our only good, 96

---- intuitive, where it leads us, 19

---- we should have of ourselves, 101

Koran, foundation of the Mahomedan religion, 115

---- and St. Matthew, 116

Lacedæmon, 120

Lacedæmonians, 238

Lamech, 126, 197

Language, examples of too careful, 304

Latins, 197

Latitude, three degrees of, 61

Law, instance in which the, was justly violated, 297

---- of the Jews, served as model for the best laws of antiquity, 121

---- ---- severe and rigorous as to religious worship, 121

---- ---- is figurative, 167

---- Christian, foretold by the prophets, 135

---- and grace, 250

---- and nature, 250

Laws, natural, there is not a single universal, 61

---- why we follow ancient, 67

Lessius, 291

Letters, arrangement by, 253

Liancourt, the frog and the pike of, 313

Liars, some are, simply for lying's sake, 77

Life, the frailest thing in the world, 12

---- its short duration, 28

---- the last act of, 75

---- a perpetual illusion, 86

---- compared to a dream, 105

---- religious, both easy and difficult, 248

Lingende, Father, 267

Littleness of man, what we call nature in animals is, 47

Logicians, 65

Love, why it changes its object, 32

---- shows the frivolity of man, 60

---- representation of, at the theatre, 248

---- source of faith, 289

Lust, threefold division of, 243

---- the three kinds of, have made three sects, 113

Lusts, compared to three rivers, 243

Lute, to be skilled in playing the, 72

Machine, letter which shows the use of proofs by the, 254

---- of Descartes; defects of this hypothesis, 312

---- the calculating, compared to animals, 313

Macrobius, 221

Mad, men are of necessity, 78

Magistrate, taken as an example of influence of imagination, 52

---- the pomp with which they are surrounded, 53

Mahomet, the soldiers of, 65

---- thoughts on, 115

---- foundation of his religion, 115

---- difference between Jesus Christ and, 116

---- forbade reading, 116

---- renders testimony to himself, 116

---- his doctrine is ridiculous, 117

---- religion of, 119

Maimonides, Moses, 157

Malchus, 235

Man, his ignorance, 5

---- his destiny, 6

---- unfairness of, in living indifferent to Religion, 9

---- blindness of, 12

---- worthlessness of, 13

---- comparison between, and nature, 19

---- presumption of, in wishing to know nature, 21

---- thinks he is able to comprehend the infinitely little, 22

---- must not look for certainty or stability, 23

---- in order to know himself should know all that is in relation to him, 24

---- the two natures of, bodily and spiritual, excludes us from the knowledge of nature, 24

---- stamps with his complex being all simple things, 25

---- twofold manner of considering the nature of, 26

---- nature has placed, in the centre of things, 26

---- all is fatal to, even those things made to serve him, 31

---- whence comes his happiness, 33

---- is surrounded with all that may divert him, 37

---- cannot think of two things at once, 38

---- seeks diversion as a remedy for his evils, 39

---- knows not in what rank to place himself, 43

---- cannot bear to be despised, 42

---- vileness of, in that he submits himself to the brutes, 44

---- neither angel nor brute, 45

---- should know his greatness and his vileness, but not one without the other yet is contrary to God, 45

---- is only a reed, but a reed which thinks, 46

---- has fallen from a better nature, 47

---- whole dignity of, lies in thought, 48

---- what he should desire, 48

---- is ignorant of true justice, 61

---- is incapable of truth and of goodness, 66

---- is full of wants, and cares only for those who can satisfy them, 75

---- the honourable, 75

---- is not a necessary being, 76

---- automatic as well as intellectual, 77

---- only disguise, falsehood, and hypocrisy, 87

---- his defects and his incapacity, 106

---- that he has fallen from his former state, 108

---- is full of matters which take him out of self, 113

---- ordinary life of, like that of the saints, 161

---- can be happy only in loving God and in union with him, 179

---- moral diseases of, 181

---- isolation, blindness, and misery of, 183

---- double nature of, 185

---- should know his defects, and esteem that religion which promises precious remedies, 185

---- should conform his sentiments to religion, 186

---- his two states of grace and corruption proved from Scripture, 191

---- his dignity while innocent and now, 194

---- without Jesus Christ is in vice and misery, 226

---- before Jesus Christ knew nothing of himself, 226

---- is not worthy of God, but not incapable of being rendered worthy, 227

---- often mistakes his imagination for his heart, 308

---- cannot understand certain effects of nature,313

Martial, 81

Marton, 192

Martyrs, why the example of their deaths touches us, 238

Masorah, the, 123

Mathematics and the practical mind, 310

Matter cannot know itself, 24

Mediator, God cannot be known without a, 92

---- without a, there can be no communion between God and man, 245

Mediocrity, nothing good but, 76

Mem, discussion on the subject, 166

Members, relation of the, to the body, 237

---- the body formed of thinking, 237

---- must have the same will as the body, 239

Memory is necessary for every operation of the reason, 309

Men, naturally hate each other, 70

---- epigram upon one-eyed, 81

Mercy of God, its greatness, 208

---- calls to repentance, 241

---- why we implore, 241

Merit, man's judgment of, 192

---- an ambiguous word, 297

Messiah, that the, should mould a new people by his spirit, 122

---- effect and tokens of the coming of the, 135

---- that the, would convert the Gentiles and cast down all idols, 136

---- what the rabbis expected of him, 157

---- that, would deliver his people from their enemies, what this means, 170

---- the carnal Jews' understanding as to the, 172

---- actual state of the Jews proves Jesus Christ the true, 191

Mexico, the historians of, 118

Millenarians, their extravagances, 166

Mind and body, union of, a mystery to man, 25

Mind, infinite distance between body and, 227

Mine, thine, 68

Miracles, in general, 257

---- all belief rests on, 171

---- strengthen faith, 210

---- not needed to prove that we must love God, 241

---- the importance of, rules to recognise them, 257

---- are the test of doctrine, 257

---- unbelief in, foretold, 258

---- that the existence of false, proves that there are true, 259

---- Jesus Christ verified that he was the Messiah by his, 262

---- of Jesus Christ and the apostles prove that the prophecies are accomplished, 262

---- never wrought in favour of error, 263

---- when we are justified in excluding certain, 265

---- are the test in doubtful matters, 266

---- against miracle, 266

---- of Port Royal prove the innocency of that house, 279

---- not much to be feared among schismatics, 286

Misery of man without God, 15

---- man is only happy in not thinking of his, 38

---- diversion is our greatest, 38

Mites, taken as an example, 20

Miton, 12, 84

Molina, 276, 291

Monks, their position in the world foolish, 282

Monster, man is an incomprehensible, 46

Montaigne, his defects and qualities, 17

---- his opinion on custom, 64

---- for and against miracles, 258

Morality, in what it consists, 193

---- of the judgment and of the intellect, 307

Morals, science of, 82

---- Jesuits judge of their faith by their, 290

---- a special but universal science, 292

Moses commanded every one to read his books, 115

---- a man of genius, 125

---- the proof of the truth of, 125

---- foretold the calling of the Gentiles and the reprobation of the Jews, 140

---- his teaching, 140

---- his declarations against the Jews, 173

---- his mystical sense of the Creation, 174

---- compared with Jesus Christ, 229

---- his rules for judging miracles, 257

Motion, our nature exists by, 73

Natural principles are but principles of custom, 64

Nature offers nothing but matter for doubt and disquiet, 104

---- comparison between Scriptures and, 128

---- is an image of grace, 161

---- perfections and defects of, 192

---- canonical writers have never employed, to prove God, 205

---- law, and grace, 250

---- use of bad reasons for proving effects of, 309

---- the feelings and language of atheists contrary to, 6

---- man should consider, seriously and at leisure, 19

---- majesty and greatness of, 19

---- greatness in the infinitely little, 20

---- has her double infinity from author of, 21

---- immobility of, compared to us, 24

---- reasons why man cannot know, 25

---- of man a continual change, 63

---- is not always subject to her own rules, 83

---- imitates herself, 83

Nebuchadnezzar, dream of, 141

Nicodemus recognised Jesus Christ by his miracles, 262

---- the answer of, to the Pharisees, 270

Ninevites, repentance of, 241

Noah, witness of the Messiah, 169

Office of Jesus Christ, 214

Offices, why men seek them, 33, 34

Old Testament, a cipher, 117

Opinion, queen of the world, 54

Opinions of the people sound, 70

Organs, men compared to, 26

Order, against the objection that the Scripture has no, 128

---- of charity and the intellect, 128

Outward marks, men distinguished by them, 70

Pain, not shameful to man to yield to, 30

Painting, foolishness of, 314

Parrot, as an example, 31

Parties, we should hear both, 283

Passions, their influence on man, 31

---- the pleasure of, in seeing the shock of two contraries, 39

---- of the soul trouble the senses, 51

---- internecine war between reason and the, 55

---- the enemies of man, 169

---- how they become vices, 224

Pattern, good and bad, 302

Paul, Saint, used the order of charity, not of the intellect, 128

---- taught that all things had happened in figures, 169

---- explanation of Old Testament types by, 176

---- his opinions on marriage, 176

Paulus Emilius, an example, 47

Peace, the sovereign good, result of coalescence of justice and power, 67

---- should not be observed to the prejudice of truth, 279

---- in the Church, when pernicious and unjust, 281

Pelagians and Catholics will always exist, 296

Penances, exterior and interior, 134

---- exterior, dispose to interior, 134

People, most, follow custom because they think it just, 64

---- dangerous to say to, that laws are not just, 65

---- have very sound opinions, 70

Perpetuity of the worship of the Messiah, 213

---- of the Jewish law preserved by Jesus Christ, 213

Perseus, King of Macedon, 47

Persians, the, 61

Persons, three kinds of, in religion, 101

Pharaoh, magicians of, 267

Philosophers, they speak of material things in spiritual phrase and _vice versâ_, 25

---- do not know our nature when they blame the search after diversion, 34

---- falsity of those, who do not discuss the immortality of the soul, 111

---- against those, who believe in God without Jesus Christ, 111

---- their weakness, 179, 180

---- have consecrated vices, 189

Philosophy, human, incapable of explaining man, 106

Pictures, rules for perspective, 27

Piety, differs from superstition, 251

Plato, 254

Play, why sought after, 33

---- remarks on, 35

Pleasure, shameful to man to yield to, 30

Poet, the trade of a, 79

Poland, the king of, 75

_Portentum_, meaning of the word, 270

Pompey, 147

Pope, whence he has his light, 276

---- his power in the Church to be considered in two ways, 288

---- may easily be taken unawares by the Jesuits, 288

Porphyry, 116

Port Royal, children of, 58

---- bad policy to dissolve the community of, 284

Power, tyrant of the world, 55

---- creates opinion, 56

---- without justice is tyrannical, 66

---- why above justice, 67

---- result of, 69

Practical and mathematical mind, difference between, 310

Prayer, why God has established, 297

Preacher, the, 104

Preadamites, their extravagances, 166

Present, we care nothing for the, 73

President, first, 69

Presumption of man, 59

---- joined to insignificance, 67

Pride, a counterpoise to all miseries, 60

---- makes us wish to be esteemed, 60

---- knowledge of God without that of our wretchedness creates, 92

---- finds its proper place in wisdom, 242

Primogeniture, 63

---- absurdity of, 254

Principles, all, may pass for false impressions, 54

---- our natural, are but principles of custom, 64

---- first, are known by the heart, 102

---- arguments of the sceptics in truth of some, 105

---- all the, of sceptics, stoics, atheists, are true, but their conclusions are false, 111

Prison, why so horrible a punishment, 34

Probability of the Jesuits, influence of the doctrine of, 283

---- incapable of assuring the conscience, 290

---- corruptness of the doctrine, 290

Progress, all that is brought to perfection by, perishes also by it, 57

---- nature works by, 84

Promises of God in the Old Testament, each finds in them what he most desires, 162

Proofs, metaphysical, of God, 92

---- of our religion not absolutely convincing, but reasonable enough for those who wish to believe, 208

Prophecies, the strongest proof of Jesus Christ, 131

---- dispersed with the Jews throughout the world, 131

---- their preservation and agreement, 131

---- concerning Messiah, 132

---- unintelligible to the wicked, 133

---- understood only when the events occur, 133

---- accomplished, 140

---- a proof of divinity, 150

---- two senses of, 157

---- confirmed by miracles, 171