The Thoughts of Blaise Pascal

God has esta

er, th

their extra

care nothing

ent, f

tion of

to insigni

terpoise to a

wish to be

ithout that of our wr

proper place

genit

urdity

may pass for fals

are but principl

e known by t

the sceptics in

cs, atheists, are true, but t

o horrible a

esuits, influence of

f assuring the

ess of the

rought to perfection by

re work

Testament, each finds in th

taphysical

convincing, but reasonable enough

trongest proof of

the Jews through

ervation and

rning Me

gible to the

nly when the ev

omplis

f of divi

senses

med by mi

, of Jesus

not called

ir part among

ds had a dou

sied by f

urses were con

d the Chri

say of Jesu

the advent o

and were not

ons, the

ence

nsures of the, not fou

nees

rhu

gy of, cited from t

the Scriptures as to J

s they em

rines on orig

ions against Je

the essence

nses dece

to imagi

war between the

e to first pr

would judge of

between pas

corrupt

ourselves by sub

s slow

ower ove

, reduced to yield

only for Ch

on consists in the

the, drawn from the wi

that all sh

mage of the R

a thin

ue, and its char

e contradictio

knowledge of

ote of t

es that there

he Christian, befo

ly the greatness and

at it

ot cert

d by feeling th

n the Jewish

or ridic

ce of the C

the Christia

and fool

al man sometimes to God and

ty of the C

isted is that which is

look to the d

urging the tr

enerable and

the foundat

hree not

d in tradition of its sacred books a

gure of the

n, its foun

, no found

n, have no mark

some lax, this proves no

they seek, but onl

hings work for e

nd Jewish, have only

its la

men for eac

it is

tinct which lead

is insuppor

the two natur

e moving

z, M.

egislat

eligion o

to fear C

hurch of C

t stifle s

ut diversion,

ge a work we

and parti

have a, of

book o

only a

xterior, not

Jews and G

ssness o

ld, but not fo

tness and the

ir uni

nym of Pascal, utility of

as wrought the, of the ju

age

h, as an

has been a perf

cal ca

, its reas

religi

y for va

before Jesus Chris

ndifference

ur in v

, drawn from the uncertainty

arguments

mark of

in its research an

t, not fit

ows God bette

Koran, difference b

ssages for all con

y sentences ar

re and c

two sen

se who misuse

ng that contradictory pa

r the most ancient boo

ws, and is a witness o

not dictated by t

othing of the nature of G

ed of, nec

hate

e, its n

hould be re

of all con

uotations

no misery a

rophecies alwa

various kinds

ceive the

en have drawn

n which it

of Jesus C

me people list

ation to his

, 12

s an ex

books of

gnation of man

e greatest pe

ompared to our double

is repugnant to th

igina

f the transm

s of original

riginal, accordin

ssary quality of

enemies o

d enemies b

wo sourc

he six ages of

fe compar

all the faculti

a beginni

ates

leasure of, inc

ad, compari

rupted by the

rtality of

mmateri

e she knows

ilosophers do not

y men's id

umbers i

iard

, infi

men easily

ia so

uncertainty; nothing so importa

ics

opose is diffic

ide justice or

pleases, not

why so few u

thought

oduces, we find a man i

ples of

only by this can we trul

oniu

d by certain ph

urse of

five, of M

, piety comp

, quee

e right o

definiti

a type of th

tus,

edictions of t

compositi

bation prophesied

nis

llian

oof of the two

the Old, is

ew, their re

onies of Old, either fi

story

of the, for the C

as an example

t, her double

as when alive

tness of man

man's b

dignity of ma

ssence, vile

pring up by

us in wr

f the

nation enlarges

ugh which

choice

hout this mystery we cou

Council

re is no,

nd those who

ity of se

he heart as well

our reach, nor

f, which scepticism

isible s

s us fr

th to be rememb

now, unless we

e and ultimate e

gion, necessit

the Gr

ample alleged b

cles of

sultan

les, law o

ral, their la

to the Jews and

nly in the fuln

d to a por

false literally, tr

stament only

reason

Chri

ds of, some seem

for the

t either figures o

ording to t

ticula

utility

n what it

we should p

the glory of

hich they do not

, what we d

ndition

ess of men of, invisi

man's condition, make

f of ma

and body a mys

e Word t

nferior and sup

an, either of his corru

hole earth, beginni

ple taken from

he saying that na

of plea

le, 2

he Jesuit

persecuti

acles

indulgent to the

old on us only by

es less than

ness of the argume

y be exce

two opposite vices

ati