The Thoughts of Blaise Pascal

Part 28

Chapter 282,363 wordsPublic domain

---- special, of Jesus Christ, 217

Prophecy is not called miracle, 262

Prophets, their part among the Jews, 123

---- their words had a double sense, 132

---- prophesied by figures, 158

---- their discourses were contradictory, 158

---- foretold the Christians, 201

---- what they say of Jesus Christ, 209

---- declared the advent of Messiah, 213

---- foretold, and were not foretold, 215

Propositions, the five, 268

Provence, 57

Provincial Letters, censures of the, not founded on tradition, 284

Pyrenees, 61

Pyrrhus, 35

Rabbinism, chronology of, cited from the _Pugio Fidei_, 195

Rabbis, proofs given to the Scriptures as to Jesus Christ by the, 157

---- figures they employ, 170

---- their doctrines on original sin, 194

---- their objections against Jesus Christ, 219

Reason, is the essence of man, 43

---- the senses deceive the, 51

---- yields to imagination, 53

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

---- not a guide to first principles, 102

---- is weak, but would judge of all things, 103

---- civil war between passion and, 113

---- its corruption, 185

---- can truly know ourselves by submission of our, 210

---- acts slowly, 307

---- its power over us, 309

Reasoning, all our, reduced to yielding to feeling, 309

Redeemer, a, only for Christians, 242

---- Christian religion consists in the mystery of the, 204

Redemption, proofs of the, drawn from the wicked and the Jews, 193

---- not right that all should see, 255

Red Sea, an image of the Redemption, 161

Reed, a thinking, 46

Religion, the true, and its characteristics, 179

---- explains the contradictions in man, 179

---- must show knowledge of our nature, 182

---- the note of true, 182

---- false proves that there is a true, 260

---- need to learn the Christian, before assailing it, 3

---- makes us know deeply the greatness and the baseness of man, 43

---- what it is, 97

---- is not certain, 102

---- more enforced by feeling than by reason, 103

---- founded on the Jewish religion, 119

---- divine or ridiculous, 172

---- excellence of the Christian, 183

---- others but the Christian, false, 183

---- wise and foolish, 187

---- other than Christian, equal man sometimes to God and sometimes to the brutes, 188

---- perpetuity of the Christian, 197

---- which has always existed is that which is contrary to nature, 198

---- we should look to the details of, 312

---- two ways of urging the truth of our, 251

---- at once venerable and loveable, 254

---- miracle the foundation of, 258

---- the three notes of, 275

---- Jewish, to be differently regarded in tradition of its sacred books and in the tradition of the people, 115

---- is the figure of the Messiah, 176

---- Mahomedan, its foundation, 115

---- heathen, no foundation, 115

Religions, pagan, have no marks of truth, 119

Religions, that there are some lax, this proves nothing against religion, 277

Repose, men think they seek, but only seek agitation, 34

Reprobate, all things work for evil for the, 129

Republic, Christian and Jewish, have only had God for master, 122

---- ---- its laws, 241

Respect of men for each other, 55

---- what it is for, 72

Rest, secret instinct which leads men to seek, 35

---- complete, is insupportable, why, 40

Righteous man, the two natures in the, 273

Rivers are moving roads, 315

Roannez, M. de, 309

Roman legislators, 121

Romans, religion of the, 119

Rome began to fear Cromwell, 76

---- chief church of Christ, 136

---- must not stifle speech, 284

Royalty, without diversion, is unhappy, 33

Rule, to judge a work we need a, 305

---- special and particular, 308

---- man must have a, of faith, 309

Ruth, book of, 220

Sabbath, only a sign, 175

Sacrifices, exterior, not essential, 138

---- of the Jews and Gentiles, 140

---- uselessness of the, 75

Saints, foretold, but not foretellers, 215

---- their greatness and their empire, 227

---- their union, 279

Salomon de Tultie, pseudonym of Pascal, utility of his manner of writing, 312

Salvation, Jesus Christ has wrought the, of the just, while they slept, 232

Savages, 70

Scaramouch, as an example, 31

Sceptic, never has been a perfect finished, 106

Sceptical cabal, 111

Scepticism, its reasonings, 108

---- aids religion, 113

---- remedy for vanity, 206

---- is true, for men before Jesus Christ knew nothing, 226

Sceptics, indifference of the, 112

---- labour in vain, 103

---- principal arguments of the, drawn from the uncertainty of our natural principles, 105

---- lesser arguments of the, 106

Schism, a mark of error, 268

Science, infinite in its research and its premisses, 21

---- abstract, not fit for man, 82

Scripture, knows God better than we, 91

---- compared to the Koran, difference between the books, 116

---- has provided passages for all conditions of life, 128

---- why contrary sentences are found in, 128

---- obscure and clear, 129

---- has two senses, 157

---- against those who misuse passages of, 166

---- manner of understanding that contradictory passages of, must agree, 167

---- superiority of, over the most ancient books of other peoples, 173

---- preserved by the Jews, and is a witness of their sincerity, 173

---- full of matters not dictated by the Holy Spirit, 206

---- without the, we know nothing of the nature of God nor our own nature, 226

Self, hatred of, necessary, 238

---- is hateful, 84

Self-love, its nature, 84

---- how it should be regulated, 237

---- source of all confusion, 239

Seneca, quotations from, 110

Sensation, no misery apart from, 47

Sense of the prophecies always the same, 171

---- there are various kinds of good, 311

Senses deceive the reason, 51

Sensuality, men have drawn rules from, 69

---- manner in which it is used, 70

Sepulchre of Jesus Christ, 234

Sermon, how some people listen to the, 316

Servant, relation to his master, 293

Shem, 126, 169

Ship, as an example, 63

Sibyls, books of the, 174

Sickness, resignation of man in time of, 74

Silence is the greatest persecution, 283

Simplicity of things compared to our double and complex nature, 25

Sin, all is, that is repugnant to the will of God, 247

---- original, 192

---- mystery of the transmission of, 107

---- foolishness of original, to man, 192

---- tradition of original, according to the Jews, 194

Sincerity, a necessary quality of every religion, 182

Sinners, enemies of God, 165

Sins, called enemies by David, 171

---- the two sources of, 241

Six days and the six ages of the world, 174

Sleep, life compared to, 105

Sneezing absorbs all the faculties of the soul, 31

Society, a beginning of, 56

Socrates, 218

Solitude, the pleasure of, incomprehensible, 34

Sonnet, a bad, comparison of, 302

Sorbonne, corrupted by the Jesuits, 282

Soul, immortality of the, 4, 111

---- is immaterial, 111

---- how little she knows herself, 112

Sovereign good, philosophers do not agree as to the, 112

---- ordinary men's idea of, 112

Space, numbers imitate, 84

Spaniards, 66

Sphere, infinite, 19

Spirit, of men easily disturbed, 27

_Spongia solis_, 83

State of man, his weakness and uncertainty; nothing so important to man as his condition, 5, 6

Stoics, 49

---- what they propose is difficult and idle, 113

Stream may decide justice or injustice, 66

Strife alone pleases, not the victory, 39

Study of man, why so few undertake it, 82

Style, thoughts on, 301

---- effect a natural, produces, we find a man instead of an author, 303

---- examples of bad, 304

Submission of the reason, only by this can we truly know ourselves, 108, 250

Suetonius, 221

Suicide, advised by certain philosophers, 112

Sun, course of the, 84

Suns, the five, of Mexico, 118

Superstition, piety compared with, 251

Sweden, queen of, 75

Sword, the right of the, 67

Symmetry, definition of, 304

Synagogues, a type of the Church, 176

Tacitus, 221

Talmud, its predictions of the Messiah, 152

---- date of composition of, 196

Temple, its reprobation prophesied by Jeremiah, 149

Tennis, 37

Tertullian, 127

Testaments, proof of the two, at once, 157

---- proof that the Old, is figurative, 158

---- Old and New, their relations, 165

---- sacrifices and ceremonies of Old, either figures or absurdities, 174

Thamar, story of, 220

Theatre, dangers of the, for the Christian soul, 248

Theology, taken as an example of diversity, 32

Theresa, Saint, her double greatness, 246

---- what she was when alive and now, 275

Thought, greatness of man consists in, 46

---- makes man's being, 47

---- the whole dignity of man lies in, 48

---- great in essence, vile in defects, 48

Thoughts, spring up by chance, 29

---- escape us in writing, 29

Tide of the sea, 84

Time, our imagination enlarges the present, 56

Towns through which we pass, 59

Trades, choice of, 78

Transmission of sin, without this mystery we could not know ourselves, 107

Trent, Council of, 291

Truth, there is no, in man, 19

---- we hate, and those who tell it us, 85

---- necessity of seeking, 95

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

---- is not within our reach, nor to our taste, 107

---- we have an idea of, which scepticism cannot overcome, 109

---- has visible signs, 208

---- makes us free, 245

---- opposite truth to be remembered with a, 279

---- unable to know, unless we love truth, 280

---- the first rule and ultimate end of things, 281

Truths of religion, necessity of seeking, 3

Turk, the Grand, 53

Turks, their example alleged by the wicked, 211

---- miracles of the, 258

---- grand sultan of the, 80

Twelve tables, law of the, 121

Types in general, their lawfulness, 157

---- unintelligible to the Jews and bad Christians, 158

---- understood only in the fulness of time, 158

---- compared to a portrait, 159

---- the word of God false literally, true spiritually, 159

---- of Old Testament only figures, 162

---- the reason of, 162

---- of Christ, 165

---- different kinds of, some seem far-fetched, 165

---- reason for the use of, 170

---- of Old Testament either figures or absurdities, 174

---- made according to the truth, 176

---- particular, 176

---- the utility of, 216

Tyranny, in what it consists, 68

Unbelievers, we should pity them, 253

---- useful for the glory of religion, 203

---- revile that which they do not understand, 204

Uncertainty, what we do for an, 102

---- of condition of man, 23

Understanding, greatness of men of, invisible to the great, 227

Unhappiness natural to man's condition, makes him seek diversion, 33

---- proof of man's, 73

Union of mind and body a mystery to man, 28

---- of the Word to man, 299

Universe, how inferior and superior to man, 46

---- the whole, teaches man, either of his corruptness or redemption, 192

Usurpation of the whole earth, beginning and image of, 68

Vacuum, an example taken from our notion of, 54

---- absurdity of the saying that nature abhors a, 313

Vanity of pleasure, 5

Vatable, 269, 270

Venice, the Jesuits and, 283

Vespasian, persecution of, 127

---- miracles of, 271

Vices, why we are indulgent to the, of the great, 74

---- certain, have hold on us only by means of others, 77

Victory pleases less than strife, why, 39

Virgin birth, weakness of the argument against the, 223

Virtue may be excessive, 30

---- is the result of two opposite vices in counterpoise, 30

Vocations, 59

War, why men seek, 34

---- internecine, in man, between the reason and his passions, 55

---- civil, is the worst of evils, 63, 70

---- decided by an interested party, 66

Weakness of man, 28, 66

---- ---- cause of so many esteemed beauties, 72

---- unrest, and defects of man, 73

Weariness of Jesus, 232

---- inevitable in all conditions, 35

---- is man's most sensible evil and his greatest good, 39

---- arises from loss of occupation, 40

Well dressed, not altogether foolish to be, 70

Wicked, the, reasoning of, in the Book of Wisdom, 240

---- prove the corruption of human nature by their conduct, 191

---- who profess to follow reason, 211

Will, difference between the actions of the, and other actions, 129

---- is depraved in wishing for the love of others, 239

---- self, we must renounce it in order to be happy, 240

---- of God, we should judge of what is good or bad according to the, 244

---- one of the principal organs of belief, 307

Wine, too much and too little, 29

Wisdom, greatness of, invisible to the carnal, 227

---- God alone gives, 243

Words, meaning changes according to the, 129

World, vanity of the, 48

---- judges things rightly, 83

---- avoids thinking of what it does not choose to think about, 102

---- indicates the presence of a God who hides himself, 209

---- would not exist without Jesus Christ, 226

---- difference in living according to the, and to God, 248

---- is full of good maxims, we only need their right application, 314

Worshippers, unknown, 280

Worthlessness of man, 13

Xerxes, 144

Zeal of the Jewish people, 122

_CHISWICK PRESS:--C. WHITTINGHAM AND CO., TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE._

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. One superscript was converted to lowercase '23rd'.

Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and consultation of external sources.

Except for those changes noted below, misspelling by the author, and inconsistent or archaic usage, has been retained. For example, infinites, infinities; premiss; any thing, anything; every body, everybody.

p. v 'General Introduction 3' inserted in the ToC. p. 23 'flies us' replaced by 'flies from us'. p. 36 'face themselves' replaced by 'face they themselves'. p. 36 'superintendant' replaced by 'superintendent'. p. 39 'any thing thing else' replaced by 'any thing else'. p. 51 'outvieing' replaced by 'outvying'. p. 71 'people is' replaced by 'people are'. p. 112 'have gained' replaced by 'has gained'. p. 122 'people was' replaced by 'people were'. p. 127 'De Cultu fæmin.' replaced by De Cultu femin.' p. 172 'though his son' replaced by 'through his son'. p. 227 'artizan' replaced by 'artisan'. p. 246 'if be alike' replaced by 'if it be alike'. p. 319 Note for 'P. 12' moved after note for 'P. 11'. p. 322 'Ecclus.' replaced by 'Eccles.'. p. 333 Note for 'P. 238'; 'principalment' replaced by 'principalement'. p. 338 Note for 'P. 304'; accents added to répand, ténèbres and répandre. p. 338 Note for 'P. 309'; 'Discours sur la Méthode' replaced by 'Discours de la Méthode'.

INDEX: Two entries for 'Chances, doctrine of' combined into one. Entry for 'Heresies'; 'tha way' replaced by 'the way'. Entry for 'Laws'; 'isngle' replaced by 'single'. Entry for 'Man cannot bear'; 'depised' replaced by 'despised'. Entry for 'Thamar'; refers to 'Tamar' in the text.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Thoughts of Blaise Pascal, by Blaise Pascal