which you have given nothing.
"Ah! This discourse transports me, charms me," etc.
If this discourse pleases you and seems impressive, know that it is made by
a man who has knelt, both before and after it, in prayer to that Being,
infinite and without parts, before whom he lays all he has, for you also to
lay before Him all you have for your own good and for His glory, that so
strength may be given to lowliness.
234. If we must not act save on a certainty, we ought not to act on
religion, for it is not certain. But how many things we do on an
uncertainty, sea voyages, battles! I say then we must do nothing at all, for
nothing is certain, and that there is more certainty in religion than there
is as to whether we may see to-morrow; for it is not certain that we may see
to-morrow, and it is certainly possible that we may not, see it. We cannot
say as much about religion. It is not certain that it is; but who will
venture to say that it is certainly possible that it is not? Now when we
work for to-morrow, and so on an uncertainty, we act reasonably; for we
ought to work for an uncertainty according to the doctrine of chance which
was demonstrated above.
Saint Augustine has seen that we work for an uncertainty, on sea, in battle,
etc. But he has not seen the doctrine of chance which proves that we should
do so. Montaigne has seen that we are shocked at a fool, and that habit is
all-powerful; but he has not seen the reason of this effect.
All these persons have seen the effects, but they have not seen the causes.
They are, in comparison with those who have discovered the causes, as those
who have only eyes are in comparison with those who have intellect. For the
effects are perceptible by sense, an
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