Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	place_n	scripture_n	word_n	9,705	5	4.5641	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56539	Monsieur Pascall's thoughts, meditations, and prayers, touching matters moral and divine as they were found in his papers after his death : together with a discourse upon Monsieur Pascall's, Thoughts ... as also another discourse on the proofs of the truth of the books of Moses : and a treatise, wherein is made appear that there are demonstrations of a different nature but as certain as those of geometry, and that such may be given of the Christian religion / done into English by Jos. Walker.; Pensées. English	Pascal, Blaise, 1623-1662.; Walker, Joseph.; Perier, Madame (Gilberte), 1620-1685. Vie de M. Pascal. English.; Filleau de la Chaise, Jean, 1631-1688. Discours sur les Pensées de M. Pascal. English.	1688 (1688)	Wing P645; ESTC R23135	228,739	434

been hitherto said might occasion any Grief for the Death of Monsieur Pascall to his Friends who only knowing to what Degree he understood Prophecies how able he was to explain and shew their meaning and with what ease and facility he made them be understood at large are also best sensible of the publick loss of so great a Man. I very well know these scatter'd glimmering Lights which are to be seen in this Treatise of his Thoughts will give but an imperfect view of the Volume he would have made it may be but very few will believe me But those who know it are bound to give this Testimony to the Truth and to his Memory I can therefore boldly affirm that those who diligently hearkned to him in the occasion above mentioned were as it were Transported when they heard him speak of what he had gather'd from the Prophets and Prophecies He began by shewing the obscurity which seemed therein was so order'd on purpose that we have been warn'd of it and that 't is said in sundry places that they shall not be understood by the Wicked and that they shall be clear to those that are upright of Heart That the Scripture has two Senses that 't is made to enlighten some and to darken others That this is visible in it almost throughout and that 't is also express'd in it in plain Terms Also to speak truly It is the Foundation of this great Work of the Scripture and those who rightly comprehend it find no difficulty in any thing whatsoever On the contrary it is this very thing that causes it to shew the Superiour Spirit wherewith all those which have any part therein have been Inspired seeing that had they combin'd all together and that afterwards they had changed they could never have contriv'd any thing better that nothing but obscurity should appear to those that only sought therein to increase their own Ignorance and afford much Light to those who seek for and desire it Had God been pleased to have Created all Men in Glory and Happiness as he might have done then it had not been necessary but he was not pleas'd to do so It is our Duty to take whatever he is pleased to afford us and the rather because deserving nothing of him but his Anger it becomes not condemn'd Persons to complain of the Conditions of their Pardon But what renders us very guilty and admirably vindicates the Justice of God is That the Gross and Carnal Sense wherein the Jews remain'd is unintelligible in several places and has so little Coherence that one must already be blind to be blinded by it and that on the contrary every part of the true Sense has such a reference and inseparable relation to each other that one must also be blind not to see it But besides this obscurity such as 't is in some places can't hinder but with a Moderate Spirit and a little Sincerity one may receive as much Light as is needful Let us fansy this Man that Monsieur Pascall would lead as 't were by the hand and doubtless we shall perceive that his Clouds dissipated as he proceeded in the study of the Old Testament and well considering all he saw and judging of what at first seemed difficult by what he found afterwards more clear all this great Mystery presently unfolds it self and appears open and clear to him He perceives in the first place that when there is mention of the fall of Adam it is said to the Serpent that the Seed of the Woman shall bruise his Head and he therein finds the first Draughts and a Promise of a Redeemer expected by the Jews he after observes that this same thing which was so obscurely promis'd and scarce taken notice of goes on manifesting it self so far till at length it gets the Victory and becomes the Center whereto all does tend for soon after he finds this same promise more clearly and fully made to Abraham and reiterated again to Jacob with assurance that all Nations of the World shall be bless'd in their Posterity of whom this Redeemer should be born Moreover he finds the whole Jewish Nation fully perswaded of this Hope and expecting this great King from the Tribe of Judah who was to load them with Riches and make them Conquerors over all their Enemies David comes after and writes the admirable Work of his Psalms pointing at this Messias and incessantly hoped and waited for his appearing Then come the Prophets who unanimously declare That God is going to accomplish what he had promis'd That his People are shortly to be freed from their Sins and that those which lay in Darkness should see Light. It also appears clearly to him That Heaven and Earth was to assist to the production of this Extraordinary Person One of the Prophets cry'd Let the Dew descend from Heaven and let the Righteous fall as the Rain from the Clouds Let the Earth open and let her conceive and bring forth the Saviour Thereupon they admire the Names given this Man Eternal King Prince of Peace Father Everlasting God He observes also that the Conquest of Cyrus of Alexander of the Romans and all the other great things done in the World serv'd only to put the Universe in the State 't was said it should be in at his coming To conclude he sees the Jews scatter'd over the Face of the Earth carrying with them the Books which contain the Promises made to Mankind as 't were to put into their Hands so many assurances of the share they had therein What then could he infer from all this but that this promis'd Redeemer cannot be the Conqueror expected by the Jews to have been only for them That the Riches he was to bestow and the Enemies he was to destroy could not be Temporal Riches and Enemies and that only a meer winner of Battels being but an unfit Object for such great Preparations it could be no other but God only could perform it But when after an Expectation of Four thousend Years Heaven opned to send Jesus Christ upon Earth and that he came and said to Men It is for me all this has been done and 't is I that you expect That he was worthy of all this preparation and had it been less it had been too little for him He was born it 's true in Obscurity he liv'd in Poverty he di'd in Shame but if thereby he veil'd his Divinity which he sufficiently manifested otherwise and that the blindness of the Jews and of so many others must needs be very great not to discern him and to believe there was no other greatness in the sight of God besides that of Holiness Had there been no Prophecies for Jesus Christ and that he had wrought no Miracles yet there was something so Divine in his Doctrine and in his Life that one must needs be charm'd with it and as there is neither true Vertue nor Sincerity of Heart without the love of Christ so there is

of all Good Things and of all the Pleasures of the Senses free from those Passions that trouble us all our Life without Ambition Covetousness and in a continual expectation of Death Is it not so Christians should live and is it not a great Happiness to be found in the Condition one ought to be in and to have nothing else to do but to submit ones self humbly and quietly to the Will of God Therefore I desire nothing else of God but that he would enable me to do so And in this manner it was he bore all his sickness He very much desired to receive the Communion but his Physicians would not agree to it saying He could not take it fasting unless 't were in the night which he thought not fit to do without necessity and to receive it as a Viaticum there ought to be danger of Death which not appearing in him they could not advise him to it This refusal troubled him but he was forc'd to submit in the mean time his Cholick continu'd he was order'd to drink Waters which indeed gave him some ease but the 6th day of his drinking them which was the 14th of August he complain'd of a great Giddiness and Head-ach and though the Physicians did not think that strange and that they assur'd him 't was but the Vapors of the Waters he neglected not his Confession and earnestly desir'd that he might receive the Sacrament and that in Gods name they would find some expedient for the inconveniences they hitherto urged and he pressed it so much that one there present taxed him of being too hasty and that he should submit to the Judgment of his Friends that he was something better and almost free of his Cholick and that having only some Vapours of the Waters it was not needful the Sacrament should be brought him that 't was better to defer a while and receive the Communion at Church he reply'd they did not feel his Pain and they would be all deceiv'd my Head-ach has something extraordinary in it however seeing so many opposed his desire he was silent but said seeing they would not grant him that favour he desir'd to supply it by some good Work and seeing he could not communicate in the Head he desir'd to do it in the Members and to that end desir'd to have brought to him into the House some Poor sick body to whom the same Services might be rendered as were to himself that care should be taken and no difference made betwixt them that he might have the comfort to know that there 's a Poor body as well lookt to as he himself being troubled to see that he enjoy'd so many things for when he consider'd that at the same time he enjoy'd such abundance there were many poor Folks sicker than he that wanted necessaries it was such a trouble to him as he could not suffer therefore I desire you would speak to the Curate about this business to get some Poor Body as soon as may be I presently sent away to the Curate who return'd Answer that there was none yet in a Condition fit to be remov'd but that as soon as my Brother was a little recover'd he would give him some occasion of Exercising his Charity in taking the charge of some poor old Man to keep him as long as he liv'd for the Curate then made no question of his Recovery Finding that he could not have a Poor Body in his House with him he begg'd of me the favour that I would let him be carry'd to the incurables for he had a great desire to die amongst the Poor I told him the Phiysicians did not think convenient he should be remov'd in the Condition he was in whereat he was much troubled He made me promise h●m if he had any ease that I should oblige him herein In the mean while the great Pain of his Head increasing he bore it as he did all his other sickness without any complaining and once in the height of his Pain the 7th of August he desir'd he might have a Consultation of Physicians but presently he bethought himself and told me he fear'd there might be too much of inquisitiveness in so doing nevertheless I got it done and the Physicians order'd he should drink Whey telling him always they did not apprehend any danger and that 't was nothing but a Megrim with the Vapor of the Waters however notwithstanding what they said he never believ'd them and desired me that he might have some Church-Man to pass the Night with him and I found him so Ill that I privately gave order Candles and all things should be laid in readiness that he should receive the Sacrament next Morning This preparation was not in vain but were made use of sooner than we expected for about Midnight he had such a violent Convulsion Fit that when it was over we thought he was dead and with all our other Sorrows we had this that we fear'd he was departed without receiving the Sacrament having so many times and so earnestly desir'd it but God being pleas'd to satisfie so holy and just a Desire did as 't were miraculously suspend this Convulsion and recover'd him to his perfect Senses as well as in time of health so that Mr. Curate entring into his Chamber with the Sacrament cry'd out to him see hear what you have so much desir'd These words fully awakened him and as the Curate drew near to give him the Sacrament he rais'd himself and sate up to receive it with the greatest respect the Curate according to the usual manner asking him several Questions on the chief Mysteries of Faith he answered distinctly Yes Sir I believe so with all my heart after which he receiv'd the Holy Viaticum and extream Unction with so much humility and tenderness that he shed many Tears he answered to every thing thanked the Curate and when he blessed him with the holy Chalice he said Let God never forsake me which were his last words For having made some short Prayer his Convulsions return'd and never left him till he was depriv'd of his Senses and so continu'd till his Death which was 24. Hours after the 19th of August 1662. at One a Clock in the Morning Aged 39. Years Two Months Nobilissimi Scutarii Blasii Pascalis Tumulus D. O. M. Blasius Pascalis Scutarius Nobilis Hic jacet Pietas si non moritur aeternum vivet Vir Conjugii Nescius Religione Sanctus Virtute Clarus Doctrina Celebris Ingenio Acutus Sanguine Animo pariter Illustris Doctus non Doctor Aequitatis Amator Veritatis Defensor Virginum Ultor Christianae Moralis Corruptorum accerimus Hostis Hunc Rhetores amant Facundum Hunc Scriptores norunt Elegantem Hunc Mathematici stupent Profundum Hunc Philosophi quaerunt Sapientem Hunc Doctores laudant Theologum Hunc Pii venerantur Austerum Hunc Omnes mirantur omnibus ignotum Omnibus licit notum Quid plura viator quem perdidimus PASCALEM IS LUDOU erat

from him and that for that cause he multiply'd them and separated them from all other Nations not suffering them to make Alliance with them that he brought them out of the Land of Aegypt with those mighty Signs he wrought for them that he fed them with Manna in the Wilderness that he led them into a flourishing and plentiful Land that he gave them Kings and a Magnificent Temple therein to offer Sacrifices to be cleansed by shedding their Blood and that he might at last send them the Messias to make them Masters of all the World. 4. * The Jews were accustom'd to see great and wonderful Miracles and looking upon the great wonder of dividing the Red-Sea and the Promis'd Land but as an Epitome of the great things to be perform'd by the Messias they expected he would do far greater Wonders and that all Moses had done was only a Pattern 5. * Having therefore persisted in these Carnal Errors Jesus Christ came in the fulness of time but not in the outward Splendor as was expected and therefore they did not believe it was him After his Death St. Paul came teaching Men all these things were but Figures that the Kingdom of God was not in the Flesh but in the Spirit that the Babylonians were not Mens Enemies but their Passions that God dwelt not in Temples built with hands but in an humble and contrite Heart that the Circumcising the Body was nothing but that of the Heart 6. * God not being willing to discover these things to this unworthy People and being pleas'd nevertheless to foretel them that they might be believ'd plainly foretold the time and sometimes spake of them plainly but for the most part in Types to the end that those who liked things Mystical should be satisfi'd and those who liked things prefigur'd might see them therein Upon this account it was that when the Messias appear'd the People were divided those that were spiritual believed in him those that were Carnal rejected him and remain'd to be his Witnesses 7. * The Carnal Jews understood not the greatness nor the humiliation of the Messias foretold in their Prophesies They did not know him in his Greatness as when 't is said The Messias shall be Davids Lord although he be his Son that he was before Abraham and had seen him they did not think him so great as he was from all Eternity neither did they know him in his humiliation and in his Death The Messias say they abides Eternally and this Man says he shall dye they did not believe in him Mortal nor Eternal they only sought in him a Worldly greatness 8. * They so much loved the things figuring and so intirely expected them that when the Substance came in the time and manner foretold they were wholly ignorant of him 9. * Those that have pain to believe seeking a Cause wherefore the Jews believed not If it were so evident say some why did they not believe But 't is their refusal is the very ground of our Faith We should not be near so forward to believe had they believ'd we should then have had a far greater pretext not to believe and to doubt It is admirable to see the Jews to be such great lovers of Predictions and yet Enemies to the accomplishment thereof and that this aversion it self was foretold 10. * To give credit to the Messias it was requisite that there should be preceding Prophesies that they should be made by Persons unsuspected and of great dilligence and fidelity and of extraordinary Zeal known to all the World. To bring all this to pass God chose this Carnal People to whose keeping he commited the Prophesies which foretold the Messias as the Redeemer and dispenser of Carnal things which they so much doted upon so that they had an extraordinary Zeal for these Prophets and published to all the World the Books wherein the Messias was promis'd assuring all Nations that he was to come and in the very manner foretold in their Books which they expos'd freely to every Bodies sight But be●ng deceiv'd by the Messias his coming in a mean and poor Condition they became his greatest Enemies so that it is come to pass that the People that were the most unlikely of any in the World to favour us do appear for us and by the Zeal they have for their Law and Prophets do bear and keep with the greatest exactness imaginable our Evidences and their own Condemnation 11. * Those who rejected and crucified Jesus Christ and to whom he was a scandal are the very Persons that preserve the Books that Witness of him and that mention that he shall be an offence and scandal therefore in denying him they plainly shew it was him and he was equally prov'd to be the Messias not only by the righteous Jews that believed in him but also by the wicked Jews who rejected him both being foretold by the Prophets 12. * Therefore it is the Prophesies were hid those that were Spiritual which this People hated under the Temporal which they loved had the Spiritual Sense been discover'd then they would not have liked it and not being able to support it they would not have been so Zealous in preserving their Books and Ceremonies And if they had loved these Spiritual promises and that they had preserv'd them uncorrupt till the coming of the Messias th●● Testimony had not been so strong because of their favouring them therefore it was convenient the Spiritual Sense should be hid But on the other hand had the Spiritual Sense been so hid that it had not been discern'd it would not have serv'd to prove the Messias What then was done This Mystery was hid in a number of passages under Temporal things and yet was plainly shew'd in some besides the Time and State of the World were foretold as clea● as the Sun at Noon day and this Spiritual Sense is so plainly manifested in some places that not to know and discern it requires as much blindness as the Flesh imposes on the Spirit when 't is subject to it See here the way of Gods governing things This Spiritual Sense is vail'd with another Sense in a great many places and shew'd plainly in some but very seldom indeed yet in such a way that in those places where 't is hid it may be understood both ways whereas in the places where it is manifested it can be taken but in one sense and can only agree to the Spiritual So that this could not lead into Error and there could none but so Carnal a People as they were be therein mistaken For when good things were promis'd abundantly what hinder'd them from understanding true Spiritual Riches but only their Covetousness that understood it of Worldly Riches But those whose hope and trust was in God referr'd these things to God only for there are two things that divide the Will of Men Covetousness and Charity not but that Desire may subsist with Faith and Charity with the

much more exclude us from the knowledge of things there being nothing so inconceivable as to say That the matter is able to know it self It is this Composition of Body and Soul that has caus'd almost all the Philosophers to mix the Ideas of things and to attribute to Bodies that which appertains to the Soul and to the Soul those things which can only relate to the Body for they affirm confidently that Bodies tend downwards that they tend to their Center that they shun their destruction that they dread vacuity that they have Inclinations Sympathies and Antipathies that they are every thing that belongs only to Spirits and speaking of Spirits they consider them as in a place and treat them of moving from one place to another which are things that appertain only to Bodies c. Instead of receiving the Idea of things in us we colour with the Qualities of our mixt Being all the single things we behold Who would not believe in seeing us make all things of Body and Soul but that mixture should be easily enough understood by us Nevertheless 't is the thing we least of all understand Man is to himself the most prodigious Object of Nature for he can't conceive what thing the Body is and much less what his Soul is and least of all how the Body and Soul come to be united together this is the greatest of his Wonders and yet 't is his very Being Modus quo corporibus adhaeret Spiritus comprehendi ab hominibus non potest hoc tamen homo est 28. * When in things of Nature the knowledge whereof is not necessary to us there are some things the certainty whereof we do not know it may not be hurtful that there should be a common Error that may fix the Mind of Man as for Instance the Moon to which is attributed the change of Seasons the progress of Sicknesses c. for 't is one of the greatest weaknesses of Man to have a restless Curiosity to know things out of his reach and I don't know if it be not less hurtful to him to be in an Error in things of this Nature than to rest in this unnecessary Curiosity 29. * If Thunder should only fall in low places Poets and those that know only to discourse of things of this Nature would want Proofs 30. * This Dog is mine said those poor Children That 's my place in the Sun This is the beginning and Image of the Usurpation of all the Earth 31. * Wit has one sort of proceedings which is by Principles and Demonstrations the Heart has another One don't prove that one should be loved by relating in order the causes of Love that would be ridiculous Jesus Christ and Saint Paul chose rather to follow this way of the Heart which is that of Charity rather than that of Wit for their Principal aim was not to instruct but to cherish Saint Austin did the same this order consists chiefly in inlarging upon each Point that relates to the end to make it more visible 32. * One commonly fansies Plato and Aristotle to be always in their Robes and grave serious Persons whereas they were good Fellows that laugh'd and made merry with their Friends And when they wrote their Laws and Treatises of Policy it was in their Pastimes and Diverting themselves It was the least Serious and least Philosophical part of their Life the most Philosophical part was to live plain and quietly 33. * There be some that do wholly veil Nature there 's no King amongst them but an August Monarch No Paris but a Capital of the Kingdom sometimes Paris must be called Paris and other whiles it must be called the Metropolis of the Kingdom 34. * When in a Discourse one finds Words repeated and going to alter them one finds them so fit that it would spoil the Sense then they must be let alone this is the distinction and 't is only blind Envy that don't know this Repitition is proper in that place for there 's no general Rule 35. * Those which make Antitheses in forcing Words are like those which make false Windows for Symmetry their Rule is not to speak true but to make true Figures 36. * One Language in regard to another is a Cypher where Words are changed into Words and not Letters into Letters And so an unknown Language may be Decypher'd 37. * There is a Model of Fancy and Beauty which consists in a certain likeness betwixt our weak or strong Nature such as 't is and the thing that pleases us All that 's formed after this Model pleases us House Song Discourse Verse Prose Women Birds Rivers Trees Chambers Cloths All that is not after this Model dislikes those that have any apprehension 38. * As some say Poetical Beauty so one should also say Geometrical Beauty and Beauty Physical nevertheless 't is not said so the Reason is because one knows what the Object of Geometry is and what the Object of Physick but 't is not known wherein consists that sweetness which is the Object of Poetry One does not know what that natural Model is that must be imitated and for want of this knowledge they have invented some odd Terms Golden Age Wonder of our Age Fatal Rays Bright Star c. and this kind of stuff is called Poetical Beauty But who should fancy a Woman drest up after this Model would see a pretty kind of Lady cover'd all over with Looking-glasses and Tin●il Chains and instead of finding her to ones Mind one could not chuse but laugh at the sight because one knows better wherein a Womans dress consists than the garb of Poetry But it may be those that don't understand it may admire her in this Equipage and in many Villages she would be thought to be a Queen therefore some call Songs made after this Model the Country Queen 39. * When a natural Discourse sets forth a Passion or Effect one finds in themselves the Truth of what one hears which was in it before one knew it and one finds themselves inclin'd to love him that made us know it for ●e shews us not his good but our own and so this kindness makes us love him besides that this community of knowledge that we have with him necessarily inclines the Heart to love him 40. * There must be in Eloquence Sweetness and Reality and this pleasingness must be real 41. * When one finds a natural Stile one is surpris'd and ravish'd with it for one thought to see an Author and one finds a Man whereas those that are Judicious and that seeing a Book thinking to find a Man are surpris'd to find an Author plus poeticè quàm humanè locutus est Those do much honour Nature that tell her she can speak of all things and even of Theology 42. * The last thing one finds in composing a Book is to know what part to set foremost 43. * In Discourse one should not turn the Mind from

business If some did but begin others may advance the Work each may add something according to their Capacity and probably there might soon enough be found if not to shew the Truth of Religion in a way as Geometrical as is shewn that for Example a certain crooked Line may always tend to a certain right Line without ever touching it both the one and the other being even continu'd for ever at least to prove it with as much conviction and to leave the more satisfaction and light in the Mind That there is another kind of DEMONSTRATION and as certain as that of GEOMETRY THE greatest part of the assurances we have are grounded but on small Number of Proofs which being separated are not Infallible and yet nevertheless in some Circumstances being united together become so strong and clear that they more than suffice to condemn those of Extravagance that should offer to deny them and there would sooner Doubts arise in the Mind touching any Demonstration whatever than of them That the City of London for Instance was burnt some years past it is certain this is not truer in it self than that three Angles of a Triangle are equal to two Right Angles but it may be said it is truer in relation to Men in general Let every one hereupon Examin if he can so much as doubt and consider by what degrees he acquir'd this certainty which one finds to be more intimate and of another Nature than that which comes from Demonstration and every jot as full as if one had seen that conflagration with their own Eyes Nevertheless how many be there that not having heard twenty times of this Accident at the first time would it may be have lay'd even hand that such a thing hapen'd it may be two to one the second time then afterwards upon farther Thoughts they would lay a hundred to one of it at the Fourth a thousand to one and at last at the Tenth time they would even venture their Life of the Truth of it For this Multiplication is quite another thing than that of Figures in which the addition of one Figure does so mightily increase the whole As for Instance if to the Twenty four Letters one should add one more this would cause an exceeding Multiplication of Words that might thereby be compos'd the Reason is evident for to whatever part the Addition of one Number can set Multiplication the Infinity is always a great distance off whereas on the other hand from the Second or Third Proof as they are stated one may attain the Infinity that is to say the Certainty that the thing is So that as a Man would be counted a Fool if he should stagger ever so little of loosing his Life if with three Dice one should throw Three sixes twenty times following or to be an Emperour if one mist yet there is infinitely more extravagance to doubt that the City of London was burnt for it is easie justly to know the odds of this Wager or Game and in how many times one undertakes to throw three Sixes But it is not so with the Proofs that makes us believe this Fire It is not a thing can be assign'd and as infinite as numbers are there be not any can determine it We plainly perceive that is a thing of another Nature and that we are no less certain of it than we are of first Principles For to what degree soever one stretch the difficulty of a certain hazard as for Instance to make a blind Man at the first dash find out exactly a Speech of Cicero's by taking the Letters hap hazard one after another that compos'd it after having been mingled altogether It is true that though this be unreasonable to propose yet a Man well skill'd in the Knowledge of Numbers will justly determine that the thing is feasible there being no real impossibility but that it may be effected But as for Matters of Fact they are certain or they be not There is a City of Rome or there is not The City of London was burnt or it was not There is no doubt of this But some may say Grant that a Man had indeed set the Letters in order and that one will bet whether he has found Cicero's Speech here is a Matter of Fact and of the same kind as that of Rome nevertheless one may judge what may be lay'd It is true but you have not seen what he has found if you had the matter had been out of doubt you would know for certain if it were the Speech or not It is the same of Rome the things that prove there is a City of that Name shews it us as plain as if we had liv'd there all our Life there is no difficulty in the Case So also the certainty one has that Rome is is a Demonstration in its kind for there are several sorts of Demonstrations and one attains to know them by other ways than those of Geometry and also by plainer ways although one do not it may be so well perceive the progress of it All things that do not depend of hazard are of this kind and it is certain there be some things that the multiplying of all the Figures in the World can never attain to For Instance Take an Idiot set him in the first Presidents place and bid him make a Speech is it possible to assign how likely it would be that he would not Word for Word hit upon the last Speech the President made No certainly and the Reason is because the things of the Understanding and the Mind are not of the same Nature as those of the Body If one found out a Speech of Cicero's in ranging by hazard a Printers Letters it is plain this may be done this is nothing but assembling Bodies which is possible in the infinite But to find a Speech by thought is quite another thing for a Man never says a thing but because he will say it and he cannot say any thing but what the Light of his Mind discovers to him so that he only sees as he has more or less Light. And there are an Infinite Number of things where it is impossible this particular Light of each Mind can attain as there are many things to which the Light diffus'd into all Men being united together cannot reach It is evident that if this Man acted as a Machine it would not be impossible but hazard might direct him to that Speech and the difficulty of the wager may be assign'd But of what one thinks it is certain he could never hit of it and that the Light of his Mind according to which he must go can never lead him that way It may haply be said this Man may act as a Machine and only pronounce Words which signifying nothing in his Intention might express the Thoughts of the first President But it is what cannot be because it is impossible a Man can so far divest himself of Sense he must only desire to

retain the design of moving his Tongue and so he would not pronounce one Word if he stirr'd it to speak it would be only Words that he before had form'd in his Head and that being put together would signifie nothing because he would put them together though they signifi'd nothing and so would not make a Speech that had any Sense or if he would that their putting together should signifie any thing it could not be the Speech whereof he had no Notions see here a thing that consists only in Multiplications and yet whereto it is impossible chance should ever attain And what is Admirable is that this divers assembling of Letters that Composes a Speech of Cicero's extending to all Languages are incomparably in much greater Number than the Words of the French Tongue that the President spoke and that yet nevertheless it was not impossible but this Speech might be hit on and that it is evidently the same this Man found out But it is as has formerly been said that the Hand that ranges these Letters at hazard is it self in the Hands of Chance and that this Man that speaks is govern'd by a Will and a Mind that are not at all subject thereto hazard never making a Man act against his Will nor lifting him above his Understanding It may easily be shewn that the Wager that Rome is is of this Nature and that hazard has nothing to do with it For of all those that have said there is a City so call'd there is not one but have had a Mind to say so but knew what they did in saying so and that also had some End or other in saying it All which things have no dependance at all upon hazard And as it cannot be but amongst them there were great Numbers that knew this City was not if it had not been in Effect one must be out of their Senses to imagin that hazard should make them all have Reasons to chuse rather to stand in this Lye than to tell the Truth or that all should desire so to do without any Sense or Reason It is needless to urge this any farther it would but weaken its force to Dilate more upon it to those that do not comprehend it at first view But one may boldly affirm it is impossible but it should be felt as much as a first Principle and that if the Existence of the City of Rome be not demonstrable to those that have not been there it follows there are things not demonstrable which are more certain as may be said than Demonstrations themselves Christian Religion is undoubtedly of this kind and whosoever had Understanding Knowledge and Reading sufficient and would diligently apply himself thereunto would plainly and easily make it out For let one seriously think of so many great and wonderful things as have accur'd for these Six thousand years past in the view of all Men and whereof Foot-steps are to be seen throughout the whole World and the Antiquity of the History that contains what is known of greatest Antiquity in the same the Verity whereof has never been question'd by any Let us consider of the Reflections Nature may be induc'd to make upon the Events and Mysteries which are taught us by the Christian Religion the manner how things have past down to us of the Stile Uniformity and Education of those that have transmited the Holy Scriptures to us of the Profoundness of the Truths they above all other Writings have discover'd to us as well touching the Nature of the Divinity as that of the human Nature also concerning what relates to Vertues and Vices Let the infinite distance be consider'd which there is betwixt these Holy Persons Notions and their manner of Thinking Expressing and Acting from that of all other Men and you would think th●m to be quite another thing The original Perfection they so peculiarly enjoy'd shews that all that ever was spoke by Men that seem'd to savour good Sense is only a weak imitation of their Copy and also that the Spring of their Errors and Abjurations is only a gross depravation of their solid Works And the Means whereby all we believe is Establish'd has hitherto subsisted doth yet subsist and will in all likelihood subsist as long as the World indures To conclude let all that so many great Men have writ on this Subject be summ'd up and let what they omitted be added thereunto for that 's but just because the weakness of Man's Understanding not admitting him to see things but imperfectly the abundance of what he discovers does infallibly shew that which is yet wanting I say let them consider all this and seriously ponder it and it will be evident that such an Accumulation of Proofs may be shewn for the certainty of our Religion that there is no Demonstration could be more convincing and it would be as hard to doubt of it as of a Propo sition of Geometry if one had nothing else but the very light of Reason to direct us For although it may be in the strictness of Geometry one may not be able to shew that these Proofs severally are not indubitable nevertheless being put together they have such a force that they do more fully convince ones Reason than all that does that Geometricians call Demonstration and the Reason is because Proofs of Geometry do only for the most part impose a kind of silence without diffusing any Light in the Understanding nor shew the thing plainly whereas these do as one may say lay it open before ones Eyes and that because they are adapted to our Capacity and we comprehend them with more care and safety than we can Principles of Geometry whereto few Heads do reach insomuch as infallible as these Demonstrations seem to be Geometricians themselves are oftentimes puzzl'd and deceiv'd in them FINIS At Port Royal Des Champ. This Thorn is at Port Royal in Suburbs St. James 's at Paris See Monsieur Pascall 's Thoughts 1 Cor. 1. 25. Psal 118. 36. 1 Cor. 1. 25. 8. 16. 8. 14. Mat. 11. 6. 14. 10. Gen. 12. 3. Ibid. 22. 3. 8. Luk. 2. 32. Psal 127. 20. Joel 2. 28. Jer. 23. 7. Isa 15. 7. Jer. 31. 33. Ide 32 40. Isa 5. 2 3 4 c. Ide 65. 2. Deut. 28. 28 29. Ezek. 17. Ezek. 30. 3. 13. Mal. 1. 11. Mal. 3. 1. Isa 9. 6. Mich. 5. 2. Isa 6. 8 29. Isa 42. 55. Isa 53. Isa 28. 26. Isa 8. 14. Ibid. 15. Psal 117. Dan. 2. 35. Zach. 11. 12. Psal 68. 22. 21. 17 18 19. Oze 6. 3. Psal 110. Psal 2. 2. Isa 60. 10. Jer. 31. 36. Joh. 19. 15. Isa 8. 14. Deut. 19. 20. Isa 63. 16. Deut. 10. 17. Jer. 4. 4. Deut. 30. 6. Gen. 17. 11. Deut. 30. 19 20. Deut. 32. 20 21. Isa 65. Psas 72. Amos. 5. Isa 66. Jer. 6. 20. Mal. 1. 11. 1 King 15. Oze 6. 6. Jer 31. 31. Isa 43. Jer. 3. 16. Jer. 7. 12 13. Mal. 1. 10 11. Psal 109. Isa 56. Oze 3. Jer. 31. 16. Rom. 19. Isa 43. 15. Mat. 11. 27. Deut. 13. 2 3 and Mar. 9. 38. Joh. 15. 24. Joh. 3. 2. Isa 1. 18. Ibid. 5. 4. John. 10. 26. 2 Thes 2. 10 11. Apoc. 2. 17. Isa 45. 15. Isa 53 3. Prov. 8. Joel 2. Psal 81. Isa 40. Eccles 3. 18. Mat. 25. Jam. 5. 17. Rom. 2. John 4. 3. Ezekiel 1 Cor. 6. 17. Gen. 8. 21. Heb. 9. 14. Heb. 10. 5 7. Psal 39. 7 8 9. Luk. 24. 2. Heb. 5. 8. Ibid. Phil. 3. 20.