3^^ ' u ^,U^^<-<^ Ae.^^- v/ /yoL. ^^ p / /Tc^y^-^-r i IxiIEOLOniCAL SEillNia-Y.! I) Princeton, N. J. jj ^r ^^,7~^^' 'Division .777...'?-...:^ ^ Shilf, Section >^ ■* " i # '..J . •- % j3- THOUGHTS ON RELIGION, AND OTHER SUBJECTS. BY BLAISE PASCAL, A NEW TRANSLATION, AND A MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE, BY THE REV. EDWARD CRAIG, A. M. OXON, MEMBER OE THE WERNERIAN SOCIETY. TO WHICH ARE ADDED INTRODUCTORY AND OTHER NOTICES. First American edition. AMHERST, MASS. PUBLISHED BY J. S. AND C. ADAMS. 1829. Digitized by the Internet Arciiive in 2011 witii funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library http://www.archive.org/details/thoughtsonreligiOOpas CONTENTS. PAGE. Ijvtroductort Notices, . . . . . . 5 Memoir or Blaise Pascal, 13 Chap. I. On Self-Kuowledge, 63 II. The Vanity of Man, ...... 69 - III. The Weakness of Man, .... 73 IV . The Misery of Man, .... 86 V. The wonderful contrarieties which are found in Man with respect to truth, happiness, and many other subjects, .... .95 VI. On avowed indifference to Religion, . . 102^ VII. That the belief of a God is the true wisdom, . 110 Vm. Marks of the True Religion, ... 116 IX. Proofs of the True Religion, drawn from the contrarieties in Man, and from the doctrines of Original Sin, ..... 125 X. The due subordination and use of Reason, . 134 XI. The character of a Man who is wearied with seeking God by reason only, and who begins to read the Scriptures, " . . . . 136 XII. The Jews, 141 XIII. Of Figures, 151 XIV. Jesus Christ, 159 XV. Prophetical proofs of Jesus Christ, . . 163 XVI. Other proofs of Jesus Christ, . . ., . 170 XVII. The purpose of God to conceal himself from some, and to reveal himself to others, . 175 V. CONTENTS. PAGE. XVIII. That the Religion of real Christians, and real Jews, is one and the same, . . . 180 XIX. We cannot know God savingly, but by Jesus Christ, 182 XX. Thoughts on Miracles, . . . .186 XXI. Miscellaneous Thoughts on Religion, . 193 XXII. Thoughts on Death, extracted from a Letter of M. Pascal on the occasion of the death of his Father, 227 XXIII. A Prayer for the sanctified use of Affliction by Disease, 237 XXIV. A comparison of Ancient and Modern Chris- tians, 246 XXV. On the conversion of a Sinner, . . . 252 XXVt. Reasons for some opinions of the People, . 257 XXVII. Detached Moral Thoughts, ... 263 XXVIII. Thoughts on Philosophical and Literary subjects, 277 XXIX. On Epictetus and Montaigne, ... 286 XXX. On the condition of the Great, . . ._ 298 INTRODUCTORY NOTICES. The name of Pascal is associated with all that is splendid and illustrious in the highest order of genius. The brilliant movements of his mind in the days of his childhood and youth, have no parallel, except in the extraordinary precosity of such remarkable personages as Crichton and Chatterton. But his claim to our admiration does not rest upon his genius. It rests upon that sublime devotion, which consecrated to the Infinite Mind, all the capacities and glories of that genius. No Christian can peruse the " Thoughts" which follow, without being constantly reminded, that the great doctrines of universal depravity and redemption by the blood of Christ, circulated their vital influences thorough every vein of the writer"'s con- templations and emotions. His " Prayer for a sanctified use of affliction by disease," presents a soul arrayed in the vesture of a t:'aviour*'s righteousness. No chapter in the life of any uninspired man, can furnish a brighter and purer i]lustra.tion of the " beauty of holiness." The original manuscripts of Pascal's Thoiights, are still pre- served in the Royal Library of Paris. — In 1670, the M. M. de Port Royal published an edition, in which they attempted a classification and arrangement of the confused fragments,which Pascal had collected for a great work, in vindication. of Chris- tianity. More than a century afterwards, Condorcet, a com- panion of D'Alembert and Voltaire, published an edition, which, although superior in the arrangement, was exceedingly imperfect and disreputable. Not contented with suppressing a part of the. thoughts, and with corrupting the text, he pre- fixed a hypocritical eulogy on the illustrious author, — inserted an essay on Pascal's argument for a future state — commonly VI IJVTRODUCTIOJf. ascribed to Fontenelle — in which a Chinese philosopher is made to triumph over a Christian Missionary,— and also added notes, partly written by ^liraself, and partly extracted from the criticisms of Voltaire. This edition was anonymous. Its whole design was to neutralize, if not annihilate, the powerful influence of one of the ablest and most admired advocates of revealed religion. Two years after (1778,) Voltaire himself put forth another anonymous edition, accompanied with notes, and, as we should readily suppose, intended to accomplish the same object, as that of Condorcet. He had previously pub- lished strictures on the '' Thoughts," in the Lettres ^nglaises. This work gave so much offence, that a copy was burned at Paris by an order of the parliament, and the author himself narrowly escaped personal punishment. In 1779, M. Bossut confered a great favor upon the lovers of elegant literature and the friends of Christianity, by editing an edition of all the works of Pascal. The decline of Jesu- itical influence rendered it unnecessary to suppress some thoughts, which had previously been withheld, through fear of that terrible storm of wrath, which had laid in ruins the hal- lowed retreats at Port Royal. M. Bossut, was also under no temptation to follow in the track of the frigid scepticism of Condorcet, or the reckless, wanton infidelity of Voltaire. He printed every thing which he could find, carefully collating the whole with the original papers. Prefixed to the edition was a just and honorable tribute to the memory of the author. M. Renouard, published his first edition of Pascal's thoughts, in the year 1803. As an introduction to the work, he printed the interesting essay of M. Bossut. But, strange, as it may seem, he thought fit to append the scandalous notes of Con- dorcet and Voltaire ; although he is said to be a man, whose moral sentiments are by no means inclined to infidelity. Since 1803, M. Renouard, has published one edition at least, and we believe, several. In 1819, there appeared at Paris an edition, which the Rev. Mr. Craig, considered so much more complete, than any which had preceded, that he deemed it worthy of a translation. lA-^TRODUCTlON. After remarking upon the imperfection of the only English translations, which were in existence, he proceeds to say : " A fresh and a complete Translation of the whole of the published Thoughts became desirable, that Pascal might be really known in this country to the English reader, according to his real merits. As far as the moral and religious Thoughts extended, this has been now attempted. To translate Thoughts so inaccurately and imperfectly ex- pressed as many of these are, and to give a close and literal rendering that would, at the same time, convey the sense, which, in the original, is really in some instances enigmatical and questionable, was a task of serious difficulty. The Trans- lator does not profess to have accomplished this. If he has done something towards the ultimate attainment of such a faithful version of this valuable book, he will feel thankful. And in the mean time, he will readily avail himself of the critical remarks of those who may differ from him, as to his conception of the Author's idea in any place, with a view to reconsider the passage, in case the work should ever reach another edition. — He has certainly not satisfied himself. The first three chapters of the original work have been left out, as not being connected immediately Avith its general object. And the Translator does not hesitate to avow, that he has with- held a few passages, which occur occasionally, an the subject of the peculiar tenets of the Romish Church ; because he did not feel warranted, by the mere wish to record faithfully in a translation, all the sentiments of an Author, to circulate what he believes to be dangerous error, and which, from the strength and accuracy of other statements among which it was found, might lead some weak minds astray. Had the task of orig- inal publication devolved on him, he would have felt differ- ently : for it is right that every man should have a fair oppor- tunity of giving his opinions to the world. But in making a translation for the benefit of a subsequent age, it is perfectly equitable to select that which common consent has stamped with its approbation, and to leave out the few remains of pre- judice and unscriptural opinion, which might borrow, from the via ia^troductiojV. sanction of such a name, an influence that they ought not to have. Finally, the Translator does not hesitate to say, that the in- tervals of time, which the duties of an active pastoral charge allowed him to give to this work, and to the meditations which its pages suggested, have been among the happiest and most gratifying portions of his life ; and, that if this version, though imperfect, shall afford even a moderate share of such gratifi- cation to those readers who are shut out from the pages of the the original, or shall lead others to seek for that pleasure in the original text, he will have realized an ample reward/" It must have been noticed, that the successive editions of the Thoughts, contained more or less of new matter, in conse- quence of new investigations of the original manuscripts. These are said to be very illegible. Some thoughts have never yet appeared, because they were left so unfinished, that they are merely fragments of fragments. M. Bossut in the preface abovementioned, remarks, — " That it is not that these do not contain some most excellent considerations, and are not suited to furnish grand views to such as can well understand them. But as the editors deemed it inexpedient to elucidate and finish , them, they would be entirely useless, if printed as they were found. ^' The following is an example. " A tradesman who discourses of Tidies, an attorney who discourses of war, of royalty, ^c. But the rich discourse well of riches, the king discourses with indifference of a large gift, which he is about to bestow, and God discourses well of God.t" According to the same writer, it appears, "that Pascal had made some very particular remarks upon the style of the Scriptures, and principally upon the style of the New Testa- *Mr. C's Preface was dated, June 1st, 1825. t " Un artisan qui parle des richesses, un procureur qui parle de la guerre, de la royaute, etc. jNIais le riche parle bien dcs richesses, le roi parle froidement d'uu grand donqu'il vieul de faire, et Uieu parle bien de Dieu." IIVTK.ODUCTIO:!?. VS. nient. He there discovered beauties, which perhaps no one before him liad remarked. He admired, among other charac- teristics, the naivete, the simplicity, and so to "speak, the in- difference (la froideur) with which Jesus Christ appears to discourse of subjects the most elevated, exalted, sublime ; as for example, the kingdom of God, the glories of the saints in heaven, the torments of hell, — on which he does not expatiate, as has been the practice of the Fathers and others, who have written upon these topics. The true cause of this, says Pascal, is, that the things which are in fact infinitely great and sublime in our estimation, are not so with respect to Jesus Christ ; and it cannot be considered strange, that he spoke of them without astonishment and admiration. Since we may observe that a general speaks with the utmost simplicity and without emotion, of the siege of an important place, and the winning of a great battle, — and a king speaks with indifference of a sum of 5 or 10 millions, while a private citizen, a mechanic, cannot speak of it, except in terms of great exaggeration."" "Such," continues M. Bossut, " is the thought contained in the few words, which compose the fragment : and to a reason- able and candid mind, this consideration, added to others of a similar character, may certainly furnish some evidence of the divinity of Jesus Christ." This fragment alone would be sufficient to convince us, that Pascal possessed no ordinary powers of discrimination. The argument for our Savior's divinity, deduced from the manner, in which he was accustomed to discourse upon the most exalted and tremendous themes, cannot fail to exite emotions of moral grandeur. From the fragments jast quoted, it is readily perceived, that Pascal committed his thoughts to paper, merely as hints for future effort. It will be seen by the Memoir,that he was afflict- ed with a most distressing disease, during all the time, which he devoted to meditation on the different topics, which he pur- posed to discuss in his contemplated work. He wrote his thoughts without any method, and on loose pieces of paper, — wishing merely, as it would seem to assist his memory, when he X IJTTRODIXCTIOIf. should come to the regular execution of his plan. — Hence it is not strange, that, as Death called him away, while his work was in its incipient stages, he should have left many thoughts so imperfectly expressed, as to be very obscure, if not unin- telligible. The Translator, it will be noticed, has omitted the first Chapters of the original, because they pertain to subjects not intimately related to religion. The first Chapter, which ap- pears in the French editions, relates to " Authority in matters of science.'" After adverting to the reverence usually cher- ished in regard to the ancients, Pascal points out a distinction, which should always be made, when we investigate historical, and when we investigate philosophical truth. In matters of history, we must appeal to authors : in matters of science, although we may appeal to authors, we are not to be satisfied with their opinions. Science is progressive. Man is continually improving upon the labors of his predecessors. '' Hence it happens, by a special prerogative, that not only each individ- ual daily advances in knowledge, but all men together make a constant progress, as the universe increases in age, — so that what is true of the different periods in the life of an individual, is also true in reference to a succession of individuals. The whole series of men, therefore, during the course of ages, should be regarded as one man, constantly subsisting and learning. From this consideration, we perceive how little reason we have to respect the ancient philosophers : for as old age is the age, which is most distant from infancy, who does not see, that the old age of this universal man (de cet homme universel) should not be sought in the periods near his infancy, but in those which are most remote ?" The second chapter contains " Reflections on Geometry in general." The third chapter,entitledthe "Art of Persuasioa,"is little else than an application of the leading principles deduced in the second. Pascal's remarks on the meaning of terms, the rules of definition, principles of reasoning, &Lc. are such as we should have anticipated from a man, whose genius for abstract science, was probably never surpassed. They call to our INTRODUCTION. XI mind some of the most valuable discussions of the late Dugald Stewart. The reader of this work must he apprized, that the author has not in these pages presented a complete discussion of any- one subject. "We have a collection of thoughts on a great va- riety of topics, all of which have more or less reference to human nature and religion. The first twenty chapters contain suggestions and reasonings, which were doubtless designed to constitute a part of the magnificent work, of which he once extemporaneously sketched the outlines, in a conversation with some of his intimate friends. The remaining chapters are of a more miscellaneous character. The plan of Pascal's argument for a vindication of revealed religion, though not perhaps entirely new, has all the fresh- ness and vigor of genuine originality. From what he was able to accomplish during the intervals of extreme bodily suf- fering, for a few years previous to his decease, it is difiicult for us to form an exaggerated conception of the probable value of the work, which he might have executed, if Divine Providence had seen fit to grant him " the ten years of health," which he considered requisite to the completion of his plan. But in- stead of bewailing what we have not, it becomes us to be grateful to God for what we have. The Thoughts of Pascal, under all the disadvantages of their presentation, are a splen- did museum of intellectual and moral truth. It is quite probable, that some who read these pages, may find it difiicult to acquiesce in the portraiture, which the writer has given, of the natural features of human character. They may feel that he has painted the panorama of human life, with too many lines of deformity and too many shades of darkness. And perhaps they may venture to charge him with misanthro- py. — Pascal's language on the subject of human misery, is, as we honestly think, liable to some exceptions. And we have no doubt, that there is a sense, in which Pascal was a misan- thrope. He was so thoroughly versed in the science of human nature, that he well understood the deceitfulness and desper- ate wickedness of the human heart. He therefore most cor- XU INTRODirCTION. dially hated the "old man which is corrupt according to the de- ceitful lusts," — and most cordially loved the "new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." This is the essence and extent of PascaPs misanthropy. Read a Memoir of his life, and then ask, whether this avowed enemy of moral corruption, was not worthy to be a disciple of Him who preached the gospel to " the poor." It is not to be disguised, that we occasionally detect a tinc- ture of Popery in the religious sentiments of this eminent man. We see the influence of the Romish Church, in the rigor of his self-denial, and the severity of his mortifications. We also see it in his sentiments on miracles, and in some of his inter- pretations of the Scriptures. Still we do not perceive how it is possible for an intelligent and candid reader, to rise from the perusal of these " Thoughts," without the firmest persuasion, that Pascal is here neither a Jansenist nor a Catholic, but a Christian and a champion of Christianity. MEMOIR BLAISE PASCAL Although the facts of Pascal's Life cannot but be very extensively known, it seems scarcely correct to send forth a fresh translation of his Thoughts to the world, without a brief Memoir of that extraordinary genius. Blaise Pascal was born at Clermont in Auvergne, 19th June, 1623. His father, Stephen Pascal, was first president of the Court of Aids, and had, by his wife, Antoinette Begon, three other children, a son who died in infancy, and two daughters; Gilberte, married to M. Perier, and Jacqueline, who took the veil in the convent of Port Royal in the Fields, and died there of grief, arising from the persecutions under which that community suffered. Stephen Pascal was a superior and well educated man, and possessed an extensive knowledge of the Law, of Mathematics, and Natural Philosophy ; to which he added the advantages of a noble birth, and of manners peculiarly simple. Till the year 1626, he shared with an amiable wife, during the intervals of public occupation, the duties of educating his family ; but in that year she died, and he then devoted himself exclusively to this object. For this purpose he retired from office ; and having continued a few years in the country, in the year 1631, brought his family to Paris to complete their education. 1 14 MEMOIR. OF J5LAISE PASCAL. The attention of Stephen Pascal was, of course, chiefly oc- cupied with his son, who gave promise, at a very early age, of superior genius, and readily received the elementary principles of language, and of the sciences in general ; but one of the earliest features of those talents which were subsequently de- veloped, was the eagerness, and the nice, and accurate dis- cernment with which, on all subjects, he sought for truth, and which would not allow him to feel satisfied till he had found it. The circle of his father's acquaintance was of a superior order. He numbered among his friends, Mersenne, Roberval, Carcavi, Le Pailleur, &c. At their occasional meetings, for the discussion of scientific subjects, Blaise Pascal was some- times allowed to be present, at which times he listened with great attention to what passed, and thus gradually formed the hkbit of scientific research. To trace effects up to their causes, was one of his chief pleasures ; and it is stated, that at eleven years of age, having heard a plate give forth, on its being struck, a musical vibration, which ceased on its being touched again, he applied his mind to the subject which it presented to him, and at length produced a short treatise upon the nature of sounds. His father, however, fearful that this evidently strong predi- lection for scientific pursuits would delay his progress in the attainment of classical learning, agreed with his friends that they should refrain from speaking on such topics in his pres- ence ; and this opposition to his evidently ruling tendency was, on principle, carried so far, that on his making an application to his father to be permitted to learn Mathematics, the permis- sion was positively withheld, till he should have mastered the Greek and Latin languages. In the meantime, he obtained no other information on the subject, but that Geometry was a science which related to the extension of bodies — that it taught the mode of forming accurate figures, and pointed out the rela- tions which existed between them. But beyond this general information, he was forbidden to inquire ; and all books on the subject were positively forbidden to him. MEMOIR or BLAISE PASCAL. lo This vague definition, however, was Ihe ray of light which guided him onward in Mathematical study. It; became the subject of continued thought. In his play hours, he would, shut himself up in an empty room, and draw with chalk on the floor, triangles, parallelograms, and circles, without knov/ing their scientific names. He would compare these several fig- ures, and would examine the relations that their several lines bore to each other ; and in this way, he gradually arrived at the proof of the fact, that the sum of all the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles, which is the thirty second proposi- tion of the first book of Euclid. The young geometer had just attained this point, when his father surprized him, deeply occupied in the prohibited study. But he was himself no less astonished than his son, when, on examining into the nature of his occupation, lie ascertained the conclusion to which he had come ; and on' inquiring how he arrived at it, the child point- ed out several other principles which he had previously ascer- tained, and at length stated the first principles which he had gathered for himself in the way of axioms and definitions. To control, after this, such evident manifestations of superi- or mathematical genius, was quite out of the question. Every advantage was afibrded to him, of which he eagerly availed him- self. At twelve years of age, he read through the Elements of Euclid, without feeling the need of any explanation from teachers ; and at sixteen, he composed a treatise on Conic Sec- tions, which was considered, to possess very extraordinary merit. He attained rapidly to a very high degree of knowledge and of celebrity as a Mathematician ; and before the age of nineteen, he invented the famous Arithmetical Machine which bears his name, and by which, through the instrumentality of a me- chanical movement, somewhat similar to a watch, any numeri- cal calculation might be performed. The main difiiculty in Arithmetic lies in finding the mode of arriving at the desired result. This must ever be a purely mental operation ; but th,e object of this instrument was, that in all those numerical oper- ations where the course to be pursued was fixed and certain a mechanical process might relieve the mind from the monoton- ous and wearisome labour of the mere detail of calculation,— 16 MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL. PascaPs invention succeeded ; but it was found too cumbrous for general use. About this time, Stephen Pascal was appointed the Intendant of Rouen, to which place he removed his family. He re- mained there seven years ; and during that period, his son dili- gently pursued his studies, although it was quite evident that his severe application had already aflfected his health, and marked him with the symptoms of decline. Here his ardent mind, which had been turned during his retirement to the study of Physic, occupied itself with one of the most striking phenomena of the natural world, and did not rest till he had elicited a satisfactory explanation of it. This phenomenon was, that in a pump, in which the piston played at a distance of more than thirty two feet above the reservoir that supplied it, the water rose to the height of thirty two feet^ and no farther. On this question, Galileo had been consulted; and the explanation of this fact which was offered by him was, that the water rose to a certain height in the pipe, because nature abhorred a vacuum ; but that the force by which she resisted a vacuum was limited, and that beyond a height of thir- ty two feet, it ceased to act. This answer, however, was not even then satisfactory ; and within a short period of that time, Torrlcelli, the disciple of Galileo, ascertained, by a series of experiments, that the cause of this ascent of the water in foun- tains and pumps, was the pressure of the weight of the atmos- phere upon the surface of the reservoir. At this juncture, how- ever, Torricelli died ; but Pascal, to whom the result of his experiments had been communicated by Mr. Mersenne, through Mr. Petit, the Intendant of Fortifications at Rouen, having repeated the experiments of Torricelli, verified their results, and completely refuted the popular notion of the ab- horrence of a vacuum. And in the year 1647, in a small tract dedicated to his father, he published the account of these ex- periments. It does not however appear, that, at this time, he had arrived at a satisfactory solution of the phenomenon in question, — he had done little more than ascertained that it could not arise MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAt. 17 from the cause to -which it had been attributed, according to the popular doctrine of the day, and that the notion of nature's abhorrence of a vacuum, had no foundation in fact. Pascal therefore followed out his inquiries most perseveringly ; and in the year 1653, he wrote two pamphlets, one on the equilibrium of fluids, and another on the weight of the atmosphere ; in which, by a series of satisfactory experiments, he completely established that doctrine on the subject, which is now univer- sally received. The most important and original of these ex- periments were those which shewed that the rise of the water, or the mercury in the tube, varied in proportion to the height above the level sea, of the place where the experiment was tried. Many attempts have been made to rob Pascal of the merit of these discoveries, but they have altogether failed. It was however to be regretted, that the two latter tracts were not printed till 1663, the year following his death. At the time, however, when M. Pascal issued his first tract on this subject, his health had manifestly given way before the severity of his studies; and at the close of the year 1647, he had an attack of paralysis, which deprived him, in a great measure, of the use of his limbs. He returned to Paris, and resided there with his father, and sister, and, for some time, relaxed from study, and took several journies by way of recre- ation. But in the year 1651^ he lost his father ; and in 1633, his sister Jacqueline, in the fulfilment of a wish which she had long cherished, joined the sisterhood of Port Royal ; and being thus left alone at Paris, for his other sister and M. Perier then resided at Clermont, he returned without restraint to those habits of severe and excessive study which mu^t, in a short time, had they not been interrupted, have brought him to the grave. But his friends interfered, and their advice, seconded by the severity of his bodily afflictions, constrained him for a time to lay aside his studies, and to mingle more than he had done with general society. Here he gradually regained his spirits, acquired a fresh relish for the fascinations of life, and b£gan even to think of marriage. But an event which occurred about this time, and which we shall have occasioa afterward,s 1* IS MEMOIRS OF BLAISE PASCAL. to mention, dissipated all these thoughts, and gave an entirely new color to his whole life, and tended especially to induce him to consecrate his splendid talents to the noblest of ail employments, — the service of God. There is reason to suppose, that the paralytic attack that Pascal experienced in the the year 1647, first led him to the serious consideration of the subject of religion. He read, at that time, some few devotional books, and the effect which they produced upon his mind, was a clear conviction of the truth of the Christian religion, and of the propriety of its high requirements. He sav/ that it enjoined upon men the necessity of living for G od, and of making Him the supreme object of their attention and love ; and so strong was his conviction of this, that he determined about that time to renounce the studies to which, up to that period, he had so eagerly applied himself, and thenceforth, to devote the powers of his mind to that sub- ject of supreme interest, which Jesus Christ has declared to be the one thing needful. It is evident that the resolution then formed, did materially influence M. Pascal's whole character and habits, and that gradually he gave an increased attention to the subject of reli- gion. Still there is reason to suppose, that the state of his mind underwent some material variations in this respect, and that, lor several years, he was not altogether so entirely devoted to religious topics, nor so cordially separated from irreligious society, as he afterward considered to be necessary. His residence at Paris, and his entrance into its society, with a view to recreation, tended, for a time, to dissipate in a degree his religious impressions, and to awaken a desire to return to the ways of that world which he had professed to renounce, and to those pursuits and pleasures, the vanity and fruitless- ness of which he had already confessed. It does not follow necessarily, that a man convinced of the truth, and feeling, in some degree, the power of religion, does at once, from the time of that conviction, give himself unre- servedly and entirely to the duties and the pleasures of a religi- ous life. Experience shews that there is a wide difference MEMOIR OE BLAISE PASCAL. 19 between the most satisfactory conviction of the understanding in favor of such a course, and the effectual and habitual control of the strong passions of the heart so as to accomplish it ; and too frequently it is found, that even after an individual has really seen and loved the religion of the Bible, and made the path which it points out the object of his decided prefer- ence, — the temptation to recur to the thoughtless and irreligi- ous, but fascinating and seductive habits of the majority, again acquires fresh force ; and though he may not be led aside sufficiently to allow his religious inconsistency to be seen, and reproved by less devoted men, yet he declines so far, as to exhibit to himself in a stronger light his own weakness, and to induce him to seek, when convinced of the need of recovery, for greater assurance, and more palpable assistance in the grace of the gospel of Christ. This appears to have been the case with Pascal, during his residence in Paris. His sister, Jacqueline, witnessed with regret, on his occasional visits to her at Port Royal, the de- teriorating effect of the promiscuous society with which he associated ; and she remonstrated faithfully and earnestly with him on the necessity of greater decision, and the need of a more real and marked separation from those who lived only for this present world. The mind of Pascal, however, notwithstanding these minor aberrations, had taken a decidedly religious turn ; and the power of Scriptural truth gradually gained a permanent influ- ence over his heart, and gave a color to all his pursuits. His attention was drawn off from matters of merely sublunary importance, and fixed on the phenomena of the moral world, and the principles of that book which unveils to us the glories, and imparts the hope of an eternal existence ; and this change gradually exhibited itself with greater distinctness. The first public incident of his life which indicated this change, was of a controversial and scholastic nature. During his residence at Rouen, he attended a series of lectures on philosophy, in which the lecturer, took occasion to advance some positions which tended to call in question the decisions of g« MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL^ the church, and which led him to infer that the body of JesuS Christ was not formed of blood of the Virgin Mary. M. Pascal addressed himself boldly to the suppression of this heresy. He first remonstrated with the lecturer ; but finding this useless^ he denounced him to the Bishop of Rouen ; and being foiled there by an equivocal confession, he carried the matter before the Archbishop, by whom the philosopher was compelled publicly to renounce the dangerous notions which he had advanced ; and the whole of this process was conducted with, so much temper, that the defeated philosopher never retained the least acrimonious feeling against his youthful antagonist. That Pascal should apply his extraordinary powers to combat and to give importance to such subtleties, is to be attributed to the genius of the times. In those days the grand and simple truths of revelation were much lost sight of, and theological knowledge and religious zeal were shewn in those metaphys- ical speculations, and those ready powers of logical discussion^ which may gratify the pride of the understanding, but do not mend the heart. Pascal was not, however, to be kept down by the trammels of the schools, and the semi-barbarous theology of the day. He read and thought for himself. It was impossible for a mind like his to do otherwise ; and such was the practical influence of his religious studies on his character, that it was felt and acknowledged by all around him. Even his father, previously to his death, did not hesitate to learn at the feet of his son, and gradually reformed his own manner of life, and became more devoted to the subject of religion ; and abounding in his later days in Christian virtues, at length died a truly Christian death* The circumstance, however, which seemed in the providence of God most effectually to influence M. Pascal's mind in favor of religion — to dissipate all remaining attachment to this world, and to give the especial character to his remaining years, was an accident which happened to him in October, 1634. He was taking his usual drive in a coach and four, when, as they passed the bridge of Neuilly, the leaders became unmanageable a4 a point of the bridge where there was no parapet, and they. MEMOIR OF BLAISE RASCAL. 21 yveve precipitated iuto the Seine. Happily the traces broke suddenly by the weight of the horses, and the carriage remained safely at the very verge of the bridge. Pascal's valuable life was preserved ; but the shock which his frail and languishing frame sustained was very great. He fainted, and remained for a long time in a state of insensibility ; and the permanent nervous impression which this alarm produced was so strong, that frequently afterwards, in moments of peculiar weakness or durin o- a sleepless night, he fancied that there was a preci- pice close to the side of his bed, into which he feared that he should fall. It was after this event that Pascal's religious impressions regained that strength which they had in a degree lost. His natural amiability of temper, — his ready flow of wit, — the fascinations of the best circles of Parisian society, and the ^nsidious influence of well applied flattery, had, previously to this accident, succeeded in^cooling, in some measure, the ardor of his piety, and had given him somewhat more of the air of a man, whose hopes and whose treasures were to be found within the limits of this transitory and imperfect existence. But this providential deliverance from sudden death, led to a very decided and permanent change of character. He regard- ed it as a message from heaven, which called on him to re- nounce alj secular occupations, and to devote the remainder of his life exclusively to God. From that time, he bade adieu to the world. He entirely gave up his habits of general visit- ing, and retiring altogether from merely scientific society, re- tained only the connection which he had formed with a few religious friends of superior intellectual attainments and de- votional habits. In order to accomplish this the more efiectu- ally, he changed his residence, and lived for some time in the country. He was now about thirty years of age ; and it was at this time that he established that mode of life in which he persever- ed to the last. He gave up all search for earthly pleasure, and the use of all indulgences and superfluities. He dispens- ed as far as possible with the service of domestics. He made 22 Memoir of blAise pascal. his own bed, and carried his own dinner to his apartment. Some persons may be disposed to consider this as a needless and ascetic peculiarity. Nor is it attempted here to justify the stress which he laid upon these minor and comparatively unimportant matters ; but be that as it may, every one must admire the elevated piety with which these peculiar notions were associated, and the principle on which these acts of self-denial were performed. Prayer, and the study of thie Scriptures became the business of his life, in which he found inexpressible delight. He used to say, that the Holy Scrip- tures were not a science of the understanding, so much as of the heart ; and that they were a science, intelligible only to him whose heart was in a right moral state, while to all other's they were veiled in obscurity. To this sacred study, there- fore, Pascal gave himself, with the ardour of entire devotion ; and his success in this line of study, was as eminent as ithad been in matters of general science. His knowledge of thfe Scriptures, and his facility in quoting them, became very great. It was quite remarkable in that day. His increasing love for the truth of religion, led him also to exercise readily all the powers of his mind, both, by his pen, and by his very great conversational powers, in recommending religion to others, and in demolishing whatever appeared likely to oppose its progress, or to veil and to deform its truth. An opportunity of the very first importance shortly afterwards occurred, which called forth the exercise of his splendid talents and extensive knowledge in that way which he most especially desired. The sincere religion of M. Pascal, together with the connec- tion of his family with the religious recluses of the Monastery of Port Royal, had gathered round him as his friends, many of the illustrious scholars and Christians who were associated together in that retirement. About the time when Pascal's mind had been led to the formation of his religious principles, and to the more serious adoption of his religious habits, the Monastery of Port Royal had risen into importance and noto. riety, which were increased by the difficulties with which it Jiad to contend. Under the superintendence of Angelique Ar-^ MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL* 23 nkuld, sister of ]M. Arnauld, the celebrated doctor of the Sor- bonne, the society of female recluses there, had undergone a very extensive and thorough reform ; and many young persons of superior rank and exalted piety had gathered round this re- nowned leader, and risen under her instructions, and the pas- toral guidance of a few excellent men of similar sentiments, the male recluses of the same society, to still loftier attain- ments in the love of God, and in conformity to his revealed will. At the same time also, many men of the first talents and acquirements, disgusted with the world, with the fruitlessness of its service, and the falsehood of its promises, and sick of the heartless and dissipated state of society around them, came to dwell together in a retired mansion in the same neighborhood, and to seek in the solitude of the wilderness, that peace which the world cannot give. Among these were two brothers of the Mere Angelique, her nephews Le Maitre and De Sacy, Nicole, Lancelot, Hermant and others. Here they devoted themselves to the instruction of youth^ both in literature and science, and in religion, and their seminaries soon rose into importance. From this little society of recluses, issued forth many elementary works of learning and science, which became th e standard works of the day ; and such was their progress an4 the celebrity of the Port Royal schools, and the Port Royal grammars, and other treatises, that they seriously threatened the Jesuits with ejection from that high station which they had long almost exclusively held as the instructers and spirit- ual guides and governors of all the young people of condition throughout France. The true principle of the Romish apostacy from the simplici- ty of the Christian faith, has ever been a despotic dominion over the consciences of men. That fallen and false church has, in all the varying phases of its condition, ever held this point steadily in view ; and if a few words may delineate the essential feature of her enormous and unchristian pretensions, it is the substitution in the stead of true religion, of a system of terror and power, founded upon unwarranted and unscriptural 24 ■ MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL. assumptions, altogether contrary to the sphit of the gospel of Christ, which is the rational dominion of Divine influence over the heart, through the medium of the doctrinal truths of Scrip- ture. To veil, in some degree, this presumption, and to render it palatable to men in general, Rome has gathered round her, in the style of her buildings, the formularies of her worship, the splendor of her attire, and the fascinations of her choral music, every thing that is imposing and calculated to seduce the affections through the medium of the senses. But as knowledge spread among the nations, and the art of printing providentially rendered the suppression of knowledge more difficult, it became neces^sary to adopt a more efficient system of police to guard all the avenues of this widely extended dominion of priestcraft over ignorance. The court of Rome, therefore, eagerly availed itself of the plan of Loyola, and the order of the Jesuits was established for the defence of the Roman Catholic church ; and never was any system more admirably organized for such a purpose. Framed from infancy to intrigue, and hardened to all the evils of the morality of expediency, these emissaries of the Roman power formed a complete system of police spread over the w^hole extent of Papal Christendom ; and thoroughly in- formed, by means of auricular confession, of the secret history of courts, families, and individuals, and bound to each other in the most solemn manner by the covenant of their order, they were prepared to adopt and to vindicate any measures, however infamous, that might advance the cause of the church with which they w^ere identified. History furnishes an abund- ance of well authenticated facts of the darkest dye, to shew the boldness with which, at all risks, they rushed on to their object, and the errors with which they endeavoured to justify their crimes. There is in the unsanctified heart a fiendlike delight in powder. Union is power : and for the sake of feeling that they have that power, men are content to become even subordinate agents, according to their capacities, in a great scheme, that they may thereby realize, by combination, an influence extensive, irresistible, and terrific, which no one MEMOIR OF ELAISE PASCAL. 25 could have obtained alone. This is most probably the secret of the efficiency of that system of ecclesiastical espionage; and it certainly was carried to such an awful degree of success, that the thrones of Europe, and even the Papal tiara itself, trembled before it. It was not therefore to be wondered at, that this powerful body, whose reign over France, at that time, was almost vmcontrolled, should behold, with bitter malice, the growing influence and success of a few retired pietists, who now threatened to invade their chartered rights, and by the simple principles of Scriptural truth, to divide, if not to anni- liilate their power. But while the prejudices and hostilities of the Jesuits were thus roused against the Port Royalists, it would not have been a consistent Jesuitical ground of complaint against them, to say that they endangered their craft. It was needful to seek an objection against them in the things concerning their God. — And they soon found ample food to nourish and to embitter their venom, and to lay the basis of a plot for their ruin, in the sound doctrinal sentiments, and practical piety of these sepa- ratists from the corrupt manners of the time. And though probably the sentiments of these gentlemen might have been left unnoticed, but for their interference with the secular in- terests of the disciples of Loyola, yet when once these artful men had found real ground of hostility in the success of the Port Royalists in education, they were thankful indeed to find a still more plausible ground of assault against them, in the peculiarity of their religious sentiments. They rejoiced at the opportunity afforded to them of covering that envy, which orig- inated in the success of their opponents in a course of honour- able rivalry on the field of science, by the more specious pretext of zeal for the purity of the faith, and the integrity of the pon- tifical power. On this ostensible ground, therefore, a series of persecutions were commenced, which terminated only by the entire destruction of the brightest ornaments that ever graced the church of France. 2 26 MEMOIR. OF BLAISE PASCAL. In the yeaf 1640, the celebrated work of Jansenius,* Bishop of Ypres, entitled, Augustinus, was published. It was pub- lished about two years after the death of the author, and is a very clear and luminous exposition of the doctrine of Scripture on the subject of the fall and redemption of man. It exhibits very prominently the opinions of St Augustine, and as distinct- ly condemns the Pelagian errors. The recluses of Port Royal, who were diligent students of the Scriptures, and had derived their opinions from that source only, were led to adept views precisely similar to those of Augustine and Jansenius ; and the more deeply they searched the Scriptures by the mutual aid of superior intellect and sound erudition, the more abundantly were they confirmed in these opinions, and in rooted aversion to the whole system of false and ruinous theology then prevalent in the schools of the Jesuits. These opinions they did not hesitate to avow ; and the Jesuits beheld with dread, the progress of a doctrine so fitted for the enlightening and comforting of the human heart, and the conse- quent decline of their popularity and their dominion, before the simple, but powerful statements of Scriptural truth. It is a well established fact, that however plainly the Scrip- tures speak on these subjects, the careless multitude who have not religion at heart, and especially those ecclesiastics, whose chief object in the sacred profession has been its emoluments, will not receive the truths which those Scriptures teach ; and hence the prevailing opinion, even among the teachers of the Christian church, has always been hostile to the gospel declar- ations of human corruption, and Divine mercy. So that in those days of ignorance and irreligion, although the doctrine of St Au- gustine had been formally sanctioned as the doctrine of the church of Rome, the authorities of that church were fully prepared by the corrupt bias of the irreligious mind, to act in direct opposi- * His real name was Otto ; bul at Louvain he was called first Jansen, orthe son of John, and this in the Latinized form be- came Jansenius. MEMOIR OP BAISLE PASCAL. 27 tion to dogmas which the church itself had recognized. To those who have not looked closely into ecclesiastical history, this may seem extraordinary. But the fact is not uncommon. And the present state of religion, both in the English and Scot- tish Establishments, exhibits a case of a similar kind ; the larger portion of the clergy in both churches holding doctrines decidedly opposed to the dogmatical statements of their stand- ard documents, and in the strength of their majority, denounc- ing, as heretical, those members of the church whose opinions precisely and literally accord with their Articles and Confes- sions. The Jesuits, therefore, relying on the preferences and strong prejudices of the great body of the priesthood, boldly assailed the writings of Jansenius, and the opinions of the Port Royalists ; and a long and tedious controversy arose, in which M. x\rnauld and several other members of the society of Port Royal abun- dantly distinguished themselves ; but^which did not appear at all likely to draw to a close, except as it threatened the Port Royalists with ruin, when Pascal was induced to take up his pen in defence of his persecuted friends, and of those Scriptural truths to which he was sincerely attached. In the year 1656, M. Pascal published the first of his twenty celebrated letters, on the subject of the morality of the Jesuits, and which have been improperly called " The Provincial Letters." They were published first under the title, " Letters Written by Louis de Montalte to a Provincial, and to the Reverend Fathers of the Jesuits, on their moral and political principles ;" and from this they acquired the erroneous title by which they are universally known. Of the merit of these letters, nothing need be said here. They are known to every one. Even Voltaire had said of them, that " Moliere's best comedies are not so pungent in their wit as the earlier letters . and that Bossuet has nothing more sublime than the latter." They are now regarded as the first book which purified and fixed the French language. The effect of them was wonderful^ The whole edifice of the reputation of the society fell before the power of Pascal's genius. Their boldest casuists fled from 28 MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL. the two-edged sword of his manly and honest sarcasm. An universal clamor rose against them. They were on every side regarded as the corrupters of morals ; and after having, in one or two pamphlets, most unwisely and vainly endeavoured to justify the system of casuistry which Pascal had exposed, they were compelled for a time to shrink before the scourge with which he had chastised them, and to bear in silence the general indignation of the more virtuous portion of society, which he had effectually roused against their errors. t Enmity, however, such as theirs did not languish, because for a time, it was repressed. Though the multitude had now seen and abhorred the immoral principles of the Jesuits, they had not the means to overthrow their power. These were men who could resolutely and pertinaciously maintain their position after their character was gone. Their channels to in- fluence over men of power, were too effectually occupied for any one to shake their dominion over the court and the government ; and in the mysterious providence of God, a few years gave to this intriguing society a complete and bitter revenge. The his- tory of the persecution dispersion, and ruin of the saints of Port Royal, is perhaps one of the most interesting points in the annals of the Christian church. It does most povrerfully es- tablish the truth, that the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, and that the reward of the true servants of God is reserved for another. The contest of M. Pascal with the Jesuits continued for about three years, during which time, he was very much oc- cupied. To expose their errors, required a very diligent study of their voluminous and useless writings ; and though, in this respect, Pascal was much indebted to the labors of Arnauld and Nicole, yet much application on his own part was absolutely necessary. Pie says, ^' I have been asked if I had read all the books which I have quoted ? I answer. No. Ta do this, I must have spent a large portion of my life in reading t No serious attempt was made to answer the Provincial Let' ters for forty years. ^S MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL. 29 very bad books. But I have twice read the works of Esco- bar through ; the others, my friends read for me. But I have never made use of a single passage, without having read it in the book from which I quoted, and without having studied the ground on which it was brought forward, and examined the context both before and after, that I might not run the risk of citing that as an averment, which was brought forward as an objection." Application so close, could not but materially affect a con- stitution already seriously enfeebled by disease ; and the evils which were gathering, were doubtless aggravated by the se- vere mode of life to which he rigidly adhered. His food was of the plainest kind. His apartment cleared of every thing like luxury, or even comfort ; and in order to check the risings of vanity, or any other evil suggestion, he wore beneath his clothes a girdle of iron, with sharp points affixed to it, the in- convenience of which, must have been at all times great ; but whenever he found his mind wandering from the one great subject, or taking delight in the things around him, he struck this girdle with his elbow, and forced the sharp points of the iron more deeply into his side. This fact cannot be recorded with approbation. It is one of the strong evidences of the evil occasioned by the false doctrines of the Church of R ome, that even a genius so elevated and liberal as that of Pascal, could not altogether free itself from the errors of education. What a far more effectual principle of reform is the love of Christ ! All the bodily suffering which we can inflict upon ourselves will not be sufficient alone to inspire one holy, or restrain one unholy thought ; but a faithful, affectionate lifting up of the soul to the God of all grace, is blessed by Divine appointment as the means of victory over temptation ; and they who have sincerely tried this " more excellent way," have realized its success. They know what is the liberty wherewith Christ has made them free. But though Christians, in a day of clearer light and richer privilege can discern the error into which Pascal had been led, and can mourn over the bondage in which he was still retained, 2* 30 iJIEMOIlt Oi* BLAISE PASCAL. yet they who know the difficulty of a sincere and uncom- promising service of God, will look with reverence at these evidences of serious devotion to the cause of holiness, and ad- mire the resolute self-denial which dictated and endured such extraordinary sufferings. It is surely not becoming in the careless, sensual professor of the Christian faith, who in any degree makes his liberty a cloak for licentiousness, to look with contempt on these striking proofs, that Pascal hated vain thoughts, more than he loved his own flesh. It has been well said, that " a poor mistaken Papist, wounded by a girdle, or bleeding under a scourge, with a broken and a contrite heart, is nearer to the kingdom of God, than a proud, insolent, in- tolerant professor of religion, who, with a less exceptionable creed, is lamentably deficient in the graces of humility, self- denial, and charity." Happy will that man be, who, if he is working upon sound principles, and has renounced the notion of human merit before God, shall find, in his daily conduct, proofs equally strong with those which the life of Pascal fur- nishes, of a sincere desire to mortify the deeds of the body, and to silence the impure suggestions of carnal inclination. Worn down, however, by rigid self-denial, and painful de- votion to study, the frame of Pascal began to exhibit serious symptoms of decline. The constitutional disease, which had shewn itself in earlier years, gained ground ; and after five years of active exertion, his general health completely gave way, and he became, in several respects, a very great sufferer. Onepartof his afiliction was a severe, and almost unceasing pain in the teeth, so that he was unable to sleep, and was compelled to lie whole nights in thought, in order if possible, to divert his attention from the agony that he endured. At this time, however, an incident occurred which must not be omitted, because it tends to exhibit, in a striking point of view, the originality and superiority of his mind. During one of his wakeful and painful nights, some propositions respecting the curve, called the Cycloid,* recurred to his recollection. *It is the curve, described by a nail upon the felly of a wheel of a carriage in motion. MEMOIR OF ELAISE PASCAL. 31 He had, for a long time, given up all mathematical study; but the train of thought to which these recollections led, inter- ested him, and beguiled the pain under which he Was suffering. He allowed himself, therefore, to be led on by the beauty of the thoughts which occurred to him, and at length pressed his examination of the subject to such important results, that even now the discoveries which he made that night, are regarded among the greatest efforts of the human mind. Yet so com- pletely had his attention been turned away from such specula- tions, and occupied with those religious contemplations, which, as relating to God and eternity, he thought far more important, that he did not attempt to commit to paper these interesting and splendid discoveries, till speaking one day of them to the Duke de Roannez, it was suggested to him that they might be made useful in support of the cause of the true religion, at that time persecuted in the persons of the Jansenists ; and he then consented to the mode of publication which was subse- quently adopted. In June 1658, therefore, Pascal issued a paper, under the signature of Amos Dettonville, which is an anagram of the name of Louis de Montalte, the^ signature affixed to the Pro- vincial Letters, proposing certain questions for solution, res- pecting the properties of the Cycloid, and offering two rewards if the questions were solved, and the mode of solution were exhibited, by a given day, to certain judges chosen for the purpose. The proposal gave rise to much discussion, and cal- led forth much mathematical talent. Only two persons, how- ever, claimed the prize, the Jesuit Lallouere, and Dr. Wallis the Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford ; but at the ex- piry of the given time, they had not satisfied the judges that a proper solution of the questions had been offered, and then immediately Pascal printed his own treatise on the subject, which completely established his claim to the discovery of the right method of solution. How far this mathematical discovery could aid the cause of religion, is very questionable. Probably the Duke de Roan- nez wished it to be inferred, that the highest gifts of superior 3'2 MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL. intellect are bestoAved by a kind Providence upon the servants of God, as a mark of approbation, and a proof of the nobler gifts of grace ; but this is, to say the least of it, a very ques- tionable position, and one not borne out by fact ; for generally speaking, the children of this world, are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light. The event, however, has its use in a different way. It tends to confirm our confidence in the superior mind of Pascal, as one of those lights that God has graciously vouchsafed to his church, to mark out the path of truth, amidst the mazes of error. Audit exhibits, in a very interesting manner, the reality of Pascal's religion, that dis- coveries so calculated to gratify a mind like his, and to call out the ambitious desire of giving them to the world, should have appeared of little importance to him, compared with the gen- eral course of pious meditations, in Avhich his days and nights were spent, and only worthy to occupy him seriously when it could be made to appear to him, however erroneously, that the publication might subserve the interests of that religion which was, of all things, nearest to his heart. There is very little indeed of this practical elevation above the world. There are few who really feel it ; and whenever it is seen, it is wor- thy of reverence ; for few proofs of the realizing consciousness of another existence, and of a rational hope of happiness in it, are more satisfactory and impressive than the calm and com- posure with which some superior minds lose their grasp upon those things of the present scene that are naturally precious to tliem, and find their highest delight in the promises of holiness and glory, beyond this scene of death. As St. Pavil says, Yea doubtless^ and I count all things but dung^ that I may win Christy and be found in him^ not having viine own righteous. new, which is of the law^ but that which is through the faith of Christy the righteousness^ tohich is of God by faith ; that I may knoivhim^and the poicer of his resurrection^ and the fellowship ofhissufferings^beingmadtcomformable unto his death; if by any m,eans I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead. In Pascal, turning aside from the career of fame to which his acute and active miud almost involuntarily led him, and neg- MEMOIR OF BLAISE PASCAL. 33 lecting those imposing discoveries which spontaneously opened to the energies of his genius, even in the very agonies of dis- ease, to occupy himself with prayer and meditation on the Divine perfections, and with designs for the moral and religious improvement of his fellow creatures, an instance of true magnanimity presents, itself, which nothing but the reality of the great subject of his hopes can at all explain. Sceptics may profess to smile at what they call the superstitions of weaker minds, and they may find ample food for unholy mirth in the errors and imbecilities of many faithful Christians, but when they see the loftiest spirits of the age,men whose compre- hensive grasp of intellect makes all their boasted philosophy look mean and meagre, making light of all that the material world can ofier to their notice, and eagerly holding forth the torch of revelation, to catch, as their worthiest prospect, a view of the realities of the eternal world, they are compelled to admit that there is, at least, no small probability that the testimony of that book is true, and that it is not folly to carry inquiry far- ther. The most interesting and important of the productions of this great mind, remains to be noticed. It has been seen, that the original tendencies of PascaPs mind, aided by the habits of his early education, had peculiarly fitted him for patient and accurate investigation into any subject that came before him. He grappled with the difficulties of his subject, and never was satisfied till he had discovered the truth. Subse- quently, the decline of his health, and some other providential circumstances, followed up by the advice of his pious relatives, gave a decidedly religious bias to his mind, and with all his native ardor and acumen, and patience and perseverance in inquiry, he applied himself to the study of the Scriptures, the writings of the Fathers, and every book of importance on the subject, on which he could lay his hand. In this way, follow- ing up his reading, according to his usual method, with frequent and mature reflection on the points in question in all the varie- ty of their bearings, he gradually became completely master of the subject of the Christian religion, of the evidence for its 34 MEMOIR OP BLAISE PASCAL. truth, the suitability of the remedy to the state ol man, the poverty and Avant of solidity in all the Scriptural objections brought against it, and the true method of confuting each. The abstract which he has given of the opinions of Montaigne and Epictetus, shews how diligent had been his research into the opinions of other men, and how admirably fitted his mind was for unraveling their sophistries, and exposing their errors. Pascal, feeling no doubt master of his subject, and conscious in a degree, of the fitness of his powers for it ; at all events, tracing in his own mind a clear road to conviction of the truth of the Christian religion, determined to write a comprehen- sive work on the subject. Like most of his subjects of thought, he revolved it repeatedly in his mind, and sometimes spoke of it. On one occasion, he was requested to give in conversation, an outline of his plan, before a number of his friends. He consented ; and in an extempore discourse of from two to three hours, developed the plan of his work. He pointed out the subject on which he purposed to treat ; he gave a concise abridgement of the mode of reasoning, and a synoptical view of the order in which the different branches of the subject were to be treated : and his friends who were themselves as capable as most men of judging in such a case, declared, that they had never heard any thing more admirable or more pow- erfully convincing. It is recorded, that, from the hasty con- Tcrsational view which he then gave them of the work, they anticipated a splendid performance from that mind, the pow- ers of which they well knew, and whose assiduity they knew to be such, that he never contented himself with his first thoughts, but wrote and re-wrote, even eight or ten times, tracts, which any one but himself, would have thought excel- lent at first. For this work, Pascal had been preparing several years ; but the circumstances which occurred, in connection wuth the supposed cure of his niece, Mademoiselle Perier at Port Royal,* *=The facts of the case are very curious ; and there is no doubt that M. Pascal believed the truth of the miraculous 4 MEMOIR or BLAISE PASCAL. 35 and -which peculiarly directed his attention to the subject of miracles, accelerated his efforts to accomplish it. He gave himself entirely to the work ; and for a whole year, previously to the general breaking up of his health, he was occupied in collecting materials, and noting down his thoughts for the pur- pose. From that time, however, his life was an almost un- broken continuance of suffering, during which he was able to do little towards the furtherance of his object. Worn down with pain, and oppressed by extreme languor, he could not oc- cupy himself in lengthened meditation, and his utmost effort was, during the short intervals of relief from pain that were granted him, to write down his thoughts on the first morsel of paper that came to hand; and at times, v/hen he could not hold the pen, he dictated to his servant. In this way Pascal accumulated materials for his work. — The whole subject came repeatedly before him in the detail of its different parts ; and any thought which it might be needful to work into the general scheme was committed to paper as it arose, and with a degree of accuracy or inaccuracy, according to the state of his mind or body at the time, and the degree of attention that he was enabled to give. Hence some of i^hem were expressed in a manner peculiarly short, imperfect, and enigmatical; while others were evidently labored, and made out with care. But in the mysterious providence of God, this work was not to be completed. The health of the author rapidly declined ; and at his death, nothing was found of it but this mass of de- tached Thoughts, written on separate pieces of paper, which were evidently the raw material, out of which he had purposed to erect the fabric that he had planned. It may be thought by some surprising, that after several years of study, for the express purpose, nothing more connect- cure : but to go into a minute examination of th