Works of Pascal, published by Cousin

We have already informed our readers that Cousin recently restored the text of Pascal, distorted by the Jesuits; Now the direction of the mind of this great thinker, imbued with deep skepticism in relation to reason and deep confidence in religion, is revealed even more clearly and purer. Cousin, in some articles written about Pascal, tries, like a philosopher, to prove the one-sidedness of this Jansenist trend of Pascal and the entire famous Port-Royal. In their unconditional denial of any unconditional philosophy, he sees as much deviation from the truths of reason as from the truths of Catholicism; but it seems that even if it were true that Pascal in his thinking deviates from the true laws of reason, then, probably, it would not be Cousin’s truths that could bring him closer to real thinking. Cousin is one of those people who consider it possible to accept someone else’s system in part, to apply other opinions to it in part, and while constantly speaking about the unconditional necessity of the laws of reason, sometimes subordinate this necessity to other goals, passing off considerations of their own reason as conclusions of reason. This was not the strict, strong, sharp, iron logic of Pascal. There is no doubt that Port-Royal, in its teaching on grace, differs from the teaching of Roman Catholicism. But we think that these conscientious thinkers could only deviate into a one-sided understanding of the truth because the Western Church, in their time, deviated in the other direction; when we remember those dogmas of Roman scholasticism about grace and the merits of man, on which their teaching about purgatory, indulgences, etc., was based, then we will understand that for sincere Christian thinking it was impossible not to break out of this error to the other opposite extreme; if this extreme is exaggerated, then, of course, it comes from a just source. Let us note, in this case, that neither Jansenius nor Port-Royal could ever come from our Church, just as neither the Dominicans, the Mollinists, nor the fortunate opponents of both, the Jesuits, could come from it. By the way, to Port-Royal, let us cite here an excerpt from Hugo’s speech at the Academy on the occasion of the admission of Sainte-Beuve into it, who, as you know, wrote a famous book about Port-Royal, filled with many interesting stories, lively, eloquent pages, but which did not seem to grasp the full depth of Port-Royal teaching. - It was natural for you, M.G., in the direction of your talent, to draw your attention to two famous circles of great minds that give the 17th century its two characteristic features: the Rambouillet drawing room and Port Royal. One opens the 17th century, the other accompanies and concludes it. One introduces the color of imagination into our language, the other - the character of severity. Both, being at the two ends of human thought, shed different light on it. Their influences happily argued with each other, and even more happily combined: in some examples of our literature, which arose, so to speak, at an equal distance from both, in some immortal works that equally satisfy the mind in its need for imagination and the soul in its need for inner rigor, their dual rays merge into one light. Of these two phenomena, which signify a famous era and had a strong effect on the morals and literature of France, you devoted several lively and intelligent essays to the first, Rambouillet’s drawing room; but the second, Port-Royal, excited and attracted your full attention. You dedicated an excellent book to him, which, although not yet finished, is, without a doubt, your most significant work. You did well, M. G. This strict family of hermits is worthy of attention and deep study, solitary and significant passed through the 18th century, amid persecution and reverence, among admiration and hatred, respected by the great, persecuted by the strong, drawing from their very weakness, from their loneliness, some inexplicable power, and using the greatness of their mind to exalt their faith. Nicole, Lancelot, Lemaistre, Sacy, Thilemon, Arnolds, Pascal - venerable names, calm fame, among which three women shine with chaste beauty, achieving with their holiness the majesty that Roman women achieved with heroism. An excellent and learned school of thinkers that replaced Aristotle St. Augustine, who conquered the Duchess of Longueville with her conviction, formed President Harley, converted Turenne, and who at the same time was adorned by the mercy of François de Sales and the extreme severity of the Abbot of Saint-Cyran. However, the Port-Royal affair was not a literary affair; it captured literature by chance, so to speak, by the side. The real purpose of these sad and strict thinkers was purely religious. To strengthen the bonds of the church inside and outside with the greater morality of the priest and the greater faith of the people; transform Rome by submitting to it; to produce inside by the power of love what Luther wanted to produce outside by the power of anger; to create in France, between the suffering and ignorant people on the one hand, and between the relaxed and voluptuous nobility on the other, to create a middle class, healthy, strong, stoically firm, to create a high philistinism, educated Christians, to found an exemplary church in the middle of the church, an exemplary people among the people - such was the secret desire, the secret ambition, the secret deep dream of these people, famous then for their religious attempt and famous now for their literary next. And in order to achieve this goal, to found a society according to faith, among all the necessary truths, they considered the most necessary, the brightest, the most valid, the most inevitable for reason and the most essential for faith: the truth about the weakness of man as a result of original sin, the truth about the necessity of God as a redeemer - the truth of Christ. All their efforts were directed here, as if they foresaw that danger lay ahead here. They erected piles of books, asserted conclusions upon conclusions, proofs upon proofs, to strengthen one truth. An amazing instinct of premonition, characteristic only of deep minds! We must notice this phenomenon. They were in a hurry to build a great fortress, they built it hastily, as if anticipating a great attack. Looking at them now, you would think that these people of the seventeenth century foresaw the people of the eighteenth. It seems that, leaning over the abyss of the future, restless and attentive, understanding, by some painful vibration of the air, that an unknown legion was moving in the darkness, they had already heard in the distance the approach of a dark and discordant army of encyclopedists, they had already recognized, in the midst of the vague hum of its steps, a vague echo of the sad and fatal words of Jean-Jacques, they had already heard Voltaire’s piercing laughter. They were pursued; – they barely noticed it. The future danger of the faith occupied their thoughts more than the present suffering of their community. They asked for nothing, wanted nothing, achieved nothing; they contemplated and worked, they lived in the shadow of solitude, in the light of the mind. An amazing sight that excites the soul and amazes the mind! Meanwhile, how Louis XIY conquered Europe, how Versailles surprised Paris, how the court applauded Racine, how the city applauded Moliere; while the century was filled with the splendor of holidays and the thunder of victories; while all eyes were fixed with delight on the great King, and all minds on the great reign, they, hermits, contemplatives, destined for exile, for imprisonment, for an inglorious and unnoticed death, imprisoned in a monastery destined for destruction, in a monastery whose last traces were to be plowed up by a hostile plow - thinkers lost in the desert, near this Versailles, this Paris, of this great reign, the King, thinkers, farmers, cultivating their fields, studying texts, not knowing what was happening in France and in Europe, looking in the Holy Scriptures for continuous evidence of the divinity of Jesus, looking in the universe for endless glorification of the Creator - with thoughts directed towards God, with eyes fixed solely on Him, they reflected on the Holy books and great nature, with an open Bible, in the midst of their church, with a radiant sun, in the midst of their skies. Their appearance was not useless. You said this, M.G., in the wonderful book that they inspired you with. They left their traces in theology, philosophy, language, literature, and to this day Port-Royal remains an inner and secret lamp for some great minds. Their house was destroyed, their field was devastated, their graves were dug up and handed over to desecration, but their memory remains sacred, but their thoughts still stand, but from the deeds they sown, many bore fruit. Why did their victory go through such disasters? Why is there such celebration, despite such persecution? This is not only because they were sublime thinkers; this is also because, this is especially because they were sincere; because they believed, because they were convinced, because they walked towards their goal with a heart filled with a single will, inseparable, deep faith. Reflecting on their history, we involuntarily exclaim to everyone: Whoever you are, do you want to have great thoughts and do great deeds? believe! have conviction, have religious faith, patriotic faith, literary faith. Believe in humanity, in the power of genius, in the future, in yourself. Know where you're coming from so you know where you're going. Faith is healthy for the mind. It’s not enough to think, you have to believe. From faith and conviction come holy deeds in the moral sphere and great thoughts in the sphere of poetry. You might be interested in: