Blaise Pascal

INDEX.

Abel and Cain, 267
Abraham, 197
—— stones can become the children of, 137
—— promises made to, 169
—— foretold the coming of the Messiah, 213
—— above revelation, 261
Absolutions without signs of regret, 294, 295
Academicians, 110, 184
Action, we must look beyond the, at our past, 315
Actions, virtuous, all crimes have found place among, 61
Acuteness, loss of, 100
Adam, 126
—— witness of the Messiah, 169, 174
—— his glorious state, 193
—— tradition from, 201
—— the first and the second, 231
Admiration spoils everything, 58
Advent of Jesus Christ, 133
Advents, the two, characters of each of them, 132
Agamemnon, 173
Age, its influence on judgment, 27
Agitation, in seeking repose we are only seeking, 34
Agony of Jesus Christ, 231
—— —— lasts even to the end of the world, 231
Alexander, compared to CÆsar, 41
—— his chastity, 74
—— and his successors, foretold by Daniel, 144
—— working unconsciously for the Gospel, 147
—— Jaddus and, 227
Amos, translation of a passage in, 155
Ananias, 271
Animals, mind and instinct of, 313
Annat, Father, 289
Antichrist, his miracles foretold by Jesus Christ, 259
—— he will speak openly against God, 263
—— conclusions we may draw from his miracles, 267
Apocalyptics, the, 166
Apostles, their miracles, 119
—— foresaw heresies, 128
—— gave us the key to interpretation of the Old Testament, 159
—— hypotheses that they were deceived or deceivers, 223
—— and Exorcists, 267
Apple, the golden, 173
Archesilas, the sceptic, 63
Archimedes, his greatness, 228
Arians, their doctrine, 274
Aristotle, 78
Arius, the miracles of his time, 267
Artisan, an, who dreams, 109
Astrology, folly of, 75
Atheism, often produced by a false knowledge of the world's judgment, 7
—— mark of force of mind only to a certain degree, 111
Atheists, carelessness of, monstrous, 4
—— two kinds of, 4
—— their reasoning, 5
—— are despicable, 8
—— feelings they should inspire in true Christians, 8, 12
—— ought to say things perfectly clear, 111
—— their objections against the Resurrection, 223
—— to pity and revile, 253
Athens, 120
Atom, man is but an, 5
Augustin, Saint, quoted, 80, 160
—— what he says of miracles, 261
—— authority of his opinion, 296
Augustus compared to Julius CÆsar, 41
—— what he said on hearing of the Massacre of the Innocents, 221
Authors, their vanity misplaced, 315
—— how to understand the meaning of, 167
Babylon, carrying away into, 122
—— the rivers of, 243
Babylonians, the, 127
Barcoseba, 221
Barjesus, 264
Barreaux, Des, 113
Bauny, Father, quoted, 291
Beatitude, the eighth, 252
Beauty, to love on account of, is not love, 80
—— certain kind of, which suits our nature, 301
—— poetical, what is meant by this, 304
Belief, three means of, 251
—— labour to come to, 99
—— what should be the rule of, 308
Benedictines, the, 282
Bible, the most ancient book, 120
Birth an advantage, 71
Blame and praise, 58
Blood, circulation of the, taken as an example, 309
Bodily functions, 31
Body, relation of, to its members, 237
Bourseys, M., 280
Brave deeds, which are the most estimable, 58
Brisacier, Father, 282
Brutes, no admiration for each other, 58
Cabala, proofs of Jesus Christ by the, 157
CÆsar, Julius, 147
—— compared to Augustus and Alexander, 41
Calvin, 266
Calvinists, their errors, 298
Canonical books, proved by the heretical, 289
Carnal, those who are, 242
Carthusian compared to a soldier, 74
Casuists, the faithful cannot reasonably follow their maxims, 277
—— cannot assure an erring conscience, 293
—— with reference to the reason and the will, 293
—— allow free action to lust, 293
—— their doctrines, 295
Catholics and heretics, 267
Celsus, 116, 214
Champaign, taken as a comparison, 32
Chancellor, taken as an example, 55
Chances, doctrine of, 80, 98
Characters, Christian and human, 245
Charity and lust, 128
—— sole aim of the Scripture, 170
—— is not a figurative precept, 170
—— supernatural distance of mind from, 227
—— its superiority to minds and bodies, 228
—— truth without, is but the image of God, 250
Charron, estimate of his work, 17
Children frightened at the face they have daubed, 57
China, 299
—— thoughts on, 115
—— history of, 117
—— religion of, 119
Chinese, their histories, 173
Choice, that we must make a, between belief and unbelief, reasons for each alternative, 98
Christ, contradictory predictions concerning, 136
—— promised and awaited from the beginning of the world, 197
—— came in the fulness of time, 197
Christianity, in what it consists, 250
—— changes wrought at its coming, 134
—— elevates and abases man, 187
Christians astonish philosophers, 43
—— true, 71
—— are the free children of God, 122
—— should look on themselves as members of a body, 237
—— how the example of the martyrs touches a true, 238
—— two kinds of, 242
—— there are few true, 243
—— their hopes are mingled with enjoyment and fear, 246
—— happiness and virtues of true, 247
—— should unite themselves to Jesus Christ in order not to be hateful to God, 247
—— true, submit to folly, 247
—— why they believe without having read the Gospels, 248
—— who believe without proofs cannot persuade an infidel, though persuaded themselves, 249
Church, true justice found in the, 67
—— prefigured by the Synagogue, 176
—— dangers it has run, 198
—— the, when persecuted is like a vessel beaten about by a storm, 211
—— that is a good state of the, in which it is upheld by God alone, 241
—— her miracles against her enemies, 266
—— ancient and modern, influence of tradition, 274
—— comparison of what took place in ancient, and now, 275
—— defended by God against corruption, 277
—— unity and plurality of the, power of the Pope, 287
—— judges of men by outward actions, 294
—— power of the, in confession, compared to that of parliament, 294
—— teaches, but God inspires, 294
—— discipline of the, needs reform, 295
Cicero, false beauties we admire in, 302
—— quoted, 110
Circumcision only a sign, 175
Clearness, why religion does not possess it, 3
Cleobuline, a character in a romance, 32
Cleopatra, the nose of, 60
Communing, secret, of man with himself, 46
Compliments, dislike of, 315
Composition of a work, 302
Concupiscence, source of all our movements, 81
Condition, our desires paint for us a happy, 74
Condran, M. de, his opinions, 279
Condrieu, the grapes of, 32
Confession, auricular, defence of, 85
—— joy and confidence felt after, 252
Confessors of the great, 29
Conscience, evil done sometimes by, 279
Contradiction in man, 44, 60, 181
—— does not prove that a thing is false, 210
—— apparent, in Scripture, examples, 168
—— between different passages of Scripture, 220
Contrition is necessary in penitence, absolution not enough, 295
Conversion, in what it consists, 245
Copernicus, 101
Corneille, quoted, 245
Corruption of nature, one of the establishments of the Christian religion, 6
—— of man, proved by the wicked and the Jews, 191
—— those in, should know it, 255
Covenant, foretold by Daniel, 144
—— announced by Scripture, 168
Craft, when power attacks it, 69
Creatures, we should not attach ourselves to them, 39
—— the, of the Christians, who he is, 92
—— dangers which those run who seek, apart from Jesus Christ, 93
—— of Christians the only good, the only rest of the soul is in him, 93
—— we may well know, without knowing what he is, 97
—— that there is less risk in wagering that there is a, than that there is not, 98
—— man without, is in ignorance and misery, 104
—— of the philosophers, 111
—— man of himself cannot come to, 114
—— alone is master of the Jews, 122
—— foresaw heresies, 128
—— sometimes spoke by figures, 160
—— the power of, shown by his conduct to Jewish people, 161
—— idea of, that the true religion, should present, 179
—— the Christian religion commands that we should love and follow, 182
—— that in spite of our vileness it is not incredible that, should unite himself to us, 185
—— reveals himself to, and hides himself from man, 193
—— infinite, without parts, 205
—— if, is the end he is the beginning, 206
—— why, was hidden in his first advent, 207
—— that, willed to hide himself, and that the religion which says so is true, 208
—— chooses rather to sway the will than the intellect, 208
—— why, has permitted many religions to exist, 212
—— impossible and useless to know, without Jesus Christ, 226
—— speaks rightly of God, 227
—— we must love, only, 238
—— we should spend our life either in pleasing or in seeking, 240
—— exercises at once his mercy and his judgment to the world, 241
—— has come to bring war among men, 246
—— what is pleasing to, is usually displeasing to man, 246
—— forbids some things implicitly, and not explicitly, 247
—— can alone give faith to Christians, 249
—— knowledge and love of, 252
—— cannot lead men into error by miracles, 263
—— cannot favour a doctrine which destroys the Church, 269
—— foretold the disorders which the Church would undergo, 278
—— heals those who know him, 280
—— no sign ever given by Devil without a stronger sign on the part of, 286
—— the heart is conscious of, not the reason, 307
Good, almost unique, 59
—— philosophers do not know what is the true, 181
—— and evil, meaning of the words, 192
Good birth, its advantages, 68
Good breeding, 271
Good sense, argument against scepticism, 110
Gospel, prophecies cited in the, their use, 133
—— the kings of old worked unconsciously for the glory of the, 147
—— figures of the, their application, 160
—— all the, has reference to Jesus Christ, 226
Grace, its action on man, 108
—— 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, 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 vers 4;, 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
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