Pascal's Pensees Part 43

Our religion is so divine that another divine religion has only been the foundation of it.

601

_Order._--To see what is clear and indisputable in the whole state of the Jews.

602

The Jewish religion is wholly divine in its authority, its duration, its perpetuity, its morality, its doctrine, and its effects.

603

The only science contrary to common sense and human nature is that alone which has always existed among men.

604

The only religion contrary to nature, to common sense, and to our pleasure, is that alone which has always existed.

605

No religion but our own has taught that man is born in sin. No sect of philosophers has said this. Therefore none have declared the truth.

No sect or religion has always existed on earth, but the Christian religion.

606

Whoever judges of the Jewish religion by its coa.r.s.er forms will misunderstand it. It is to be seen in the Holy Bible, and in the tradition of the prophets, who have made it plain enough that they did not interpret the law according to the letter. So our religion is divine in the Gospel, in the Apostles, and in tradition; but it is absurd in those who tamper with it.

The Messiah, according to the carnal Jews, was to be a great temporal prince. Jesus Christ, according to carnal Christians,[218] has come to dispense us from the love of G.o.d, and to give us sacraments which shall do everything without our help. Such is not the Christian religion, nor the Jewish. True Jews and true Christians have always expected a Messiah who should make them love G.o.d, and by that love triumph over their enemies.

607

The carnal Jews hold a midway place between Christians and heathens. The heathens know not G.o.d, and love the world only. The Jews know the true G.o.d, and love the world only. The Christians know the true G.o.d, and love not the world. Jews and heathens love the same good. Jews and Christians know the same G.o.d.

The Jews were of two kinds; the first had only heathen affections, the other had Christian affections.

608

There are two kinds of men in each religion: among the heathen, worshippers of beasts, and the worshippers of the one only G.o.d of natural religion; among the Jews, the carnal, and the spiritual, who were the Christians of the old law; among Christians, the coa.r.s.er-minded, who are the Jews of the new law. The carnal Jews looked for a carnal Messiah; the coa.r.s.er Christians believe that the Messiah has dispensed them from the love of G.o.d; true Jews and true Christians worship a Messiah who makes them love G.o.d.

609

_To show that the true Jews and the true Christians have but the same religion._--The religion of the Jews seemed to consist essentially in the fatherhood of Abraham, in circ.u.mcision, in sacrifices, in ceremonies, in the Ark, in the temple, in Jerusalem, and, finally, in the law, and in the covenant with Moses.

I say that it consisted in none of those things, but only in the love of G.o.d, and that G.o.d disregarded all the other things.

That G.o.d did not accept the posterity of Abraham.

That the Jews were to be punished like strangers, if they transgressed.

_Deut._ viii, 19; "If thou do at all forget the Lord thy G.o.d, and walk after other G.o.ds, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish, as the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face."

That strangers, if they loved G.o.d, were to be received by Him as the Jews. _Isaiah_ lvi, 3: "Let not the stranger say, 'The Lord will not receive me.' The strangers who join themselves unto the Lord to serve Him and love Him, will I bring unto my holy mountain, and accept therein sacrifices, for mine house is a house of prayer."

That the true Jews considered their merit to be from G.o.d only, and not from Abraham. _Isaiah_ lxiii, 16; "Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not. Thou art our Father and our Redeemer."

Moses himself told them that G.o.d would not accept persons. _Deut._ x, 17: "G.o.d," said he, "regardeth neither persons nor sacrifices."

The Sabbath was only a sign, _Exod._ x.x.xi, 13; and in memory of the escape from Egypt, _Deut._ v, 19. Therefore it is no longer necessary, since Egypt must be forgotten.

Circ.u.mcision was only a sign, _Gen._ xvii, 11. And thence it came to pa.s.s that, being in the desert, they were not circ.u.mcised because they could not be confounded with other peoples; and after Jesus Christ came, it was no longer necessary.

That the circ.u.mcision of the heart is commanded. _Deut._ x, 16; _Jeremiah_ iv, 4: "Be ye circ.u.mcised in heart; take away the superfluities of your heart, and harden yourselves not. For your G.o.d is a mighty G.o.d, strong and terrible, who accepteth not persons."

That G.o.d said He would one day do it. _Deut._ x.x.x, 6; "G.o.d will circ.u.mcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, that thou mayest love Him with all thine heart."

That the uncirc.u.mcised in heart shall be judged. _Jeremiah_ ix, 26: For G.o.d will judge the uncirc.u.mcised peoples, and all the people of Israel, because he is "uncirc.u.mcised in heart."

That the external is of no avail apart from the internal. _Joel_ ii, 13: _Scindite corda vestra_, etc.; _Isaiah_ lviii, 3, 4, etc.

The love of G.o.d is enjoined in the whole of Deuteronomy. _Deut._ x.x.x, 19: "I call heaven and earth to record that I have set before you life and death, that you should choose life, and love G.o.d, and obey Him, for G.o.d is your life."

That the Jews, for lack of that love, should be rejected for their offences, and the heathen chosen in their stead. _Hosea_ i, 10; _Deut._ x.x.xii, 20. "I will hide myself from them in view of their latter sins, for they are a froward generation without faith. They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not G.o.d, and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people, and with an ignorant and foolish nation." _Isaiah_ lxv, 1.

That temporal goods are false, and that the true good is to be united to G.o.d. _Psalm_ cxliii, 15.

That their feasts are displeasing to G.o.d. _Amos_ v, 21.

That the sacrifices of the Jews displeased G.o.d. _Isaiah_ lxvi. 1-3; i, II; _Jer._ vi, 20; David, _Miserere._--Even on the part of the good, _Expectavi_. _Psalm_ xlix, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

That He has established them only for their hardness. _Micah_, admirably, vi; 1 _Kings_ xv, 22; _Hosea_ vi, 6.

That the sacrifices of the Gentiles will be accepted of G.o.d, and that G.o.d will take no pleasure in the sacrifices of the Jews. _Malachi_ i, II.

That G.o.d will make a new covenant with the Messiah, and the old will be annulled. _Jer._ x.x.xi, 31. _Mandata non bona. Ezek._

That the old things will be forgotten. _Isaiah_ xliii, 18, 19; lxv 17, 10.

That the Ark will no longer be remembered. _Jer._ iii, 15, 16.

That the temple should be rejected. _Jer._ vii, 12, 13, 14.