an enquiry concerning human understanding-第31章

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the　facts　which　it　relates；　corroborated　by　no　concurring
testimony；　and　resembling　those　fabulous　accounts；　which
every　nation　gives　of　its　origin。　Upon　reading　this　book；　we
find　it　full　of　prodigies　and　miracles。　It　gives　an　account
of　a　state　of　the　world　and　of　human　nature　entirely
different　from　the　present：　Of　our　fall　from　that　state：　Of
the　age　of　man；　extended　to　near　a　thousand　years：　Of　the
destruction　of　the　world　by　a　deluge：　Of　the　arbitrary
choice　of　one　people；　as　the　favourites　of　heaven；　and　that
people　the　countrymen　of　the　author：　Of　their　deliverance
from　bondage　by　prodigies　the　most　astonishing　imaginable：　I
desire　any　one　to　lay　his　hand　upon　his　heart；　and　after　a
serious　consideration　declare；　whether　he　thinks　that　the
falsehood　of　such　a　book；　supported　by　such　a　testimony；
would　be　more　extraordinary　and　miraculous　than　all　the
miracles　it　relates；　which　is；　however；　necessary　to　make　it
be　received；　according　to　the　measures　of　probability　above
established。

　　　　　What　we　have　said　of　miracles　may　be　applied；　without
any　variation；　to　prophecies；　and　indeed；　all　prophecies　are
real　miracles；　and　as　such　only；　can　be　admitted　as　proofs
of　any　revelation。　if　it　did　not　exceed　the　capacity　of
human　nature　to　foretell　future　events；　it　would　be　absurd
to　employ　any　prophecy　as　an　argument　for　a　divine　mission
or　authority　from　heaven。　So　that；　upon　the　whole；　we　may
conclude；　that　the　　not　only　was　at
first　attended　with　miracles；　but　even　at　this　day　cannot　be
believed　by　any　reasonable　person　without　one。　Mere　reason
is　insufficient　to　convince　us　of　its　veracity：　And　whoever
is　moved　by　　to　assent　to　it；　is　conscious　of　a
continued　miracle　in　his　own　person；　which　subverts　all　the
principles　of　his　understanding；　and　gives　him　a
determination　to　believe　what　is　most　contrary　to　custom　and
experience。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　*　*　*
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECTION　XI。
　　　　　Of　a　Particular　Providence　and　of　a　Future　State。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　I　W/AS　lately　engaged　in　conversation　with　a　friend
who　loves　sceptical　paradoxes；　where；　though　he　advanced
many　principles；　of　which　I　can　by　no　means　approve；　yet　as
they　seem　to　be　curious；　and　to　bear　some　relation　to　the
chain　of　reasoning　carried　on　throughout　this　enquiry；　I
shall　here　copy　them　from　my　memory　as　accurately　as　I　can；
in　order　to　submit　them　to　the　judgement　of　the　reader。

　　　　　Our　conversation　began　with　my　admiring　the　singular
good　fortune　of　philosophy；　which；　as　it　requires　entire
liberty　above　all　other　privileges；　and　chiefly　flourishes
from　the　free　opposition　of　sentiments　and　argumentation；
received　its　first　birth　in　an　age　and　country　of　freedom
and　toleration；　and　was　never　cramped；　even　in　its　most
extravagant　principles；　by　any　creeds；　concessions；　or　penal
statutes。　For；　except　the　banishment　of　P/ROTAGORAS；　and
the　death　of　S/OCRATES；　which　last　event　proceeded　partly
from　other　motives；　there　are　scarcely　any　instances　to　be
met　with；　in　ancient　history；　of　this　bigoted　jealousy；　with
which　the　present　age　is　so　much　infested。　E/PICURUS　lived
at　A/THENS　to　an　advanced　age；　in　peace　and　tranquillity：
E/PICUREANS＇33＇　were　even　admitted　to　receive　the
sacerdotal　character；　and　to　officiate　at　the　altar；　in　the
most　sacred　rites　of　the　established　religion：　And　the
public　encouragement＇34＇　of　pensions　and　salaries　was
afforded　equally；　by　the　wisest　of　all　the　R/OMAN
emperors＇35＇；　to　the　professors　of　every　sect　of　philosophy。
How　requisite　such　kind　of　treatment　was　to　philosophy；　in
her　early　youth；　will　easily　be　conceived；　if　we　reflect；
that；　even　at　present；　when　she　may　be　supposed　more　hardy
and　robust；　she　bears　with　much　difficulty　the　inclemency　of
the　seasons；　and　those　harsh　winds　of　calumny　and
persecution；　which　blow　upon　her。

　　　　　You　admire；　says　my　friend；　as　the　singular　good
fortune　of　philosophy；　what　seems　to　result　from　the　natural
course　of　things；　and　to　be　unavoidable　in　every　age　and
nation。　This　pertinacious　bigotry；　of　which　you　complain；　as
so　fatal　to　philosophy；　is　really　her　offspring；　who；　after
allying　with　superstition；　separates　himself　entirely　from
the　interest　of　his　parent；　and　becomes　her　most　inveterate
enemy　and　persecutor。　Speculative　dogmas　of　religion；　the
present　occasions　of　such　furious　dispute；　could　not
possibly　be　conceived　or　admitted　in　the　early　ages　of　the
world；　when　mankind；　being　wholly　illiterate；　formed　an　idea
of　religion　more　suitable　to　their　weak　apprehension；　and
composed　their　sacred　tenets　of　such　tales　chiefly　as　were
the　objects　of　traditional　belief；　more　than　of　argument　or
disputation。　After　the　first　alarm；　therefore；　was　over；
which　arose　from　the　new　paradoxes　and　principles　of　the
philosophers；　these　teachers　seem　ever　after；　during　the
ages　of　antiquity；　to　have　lived　in　great　harmony　with　the
established　superstition；　and　to　have　made　a　fair　partition
of　mankind　between　them；　the　former　claiming　all　the　learned
and　wise；　the　latter　possessing　all　the　vulgar　and
illiterate。

　　　　　It　seems　then；　say　I；　that　you　leave　politics　entirely
out　of　the　question；　and　never　suppose；　that　a　wise
magistrate　can　justly　be　jealous　of　certain　tenets　of
philosophy；　such　as　those　of　E/PICURUS；　which；　denying　a
divine　existence；　and　consequently　a　providence　and　a　future
state；　seem　to　loosen；　in　a　great　measure　the　ties　of
morality；　and　may　be　supposed；　for　that　reason；　pernicious
to　the　peace　of　civil　society。

　　　　　I　know；　replied　he；　that　in　fact　these　persecutions
never；　in　any　age；　proceeded　from　calm　reason；　or　from
experience　of　the　pernicious　consequences　of　philosophy；　but
arose　entirely　from　passion　and　prejudice。　But　what　if　I
should　advance　farther；　and　assert；　that　if　E/PICURUS　had
been　accused　before　the　people；　by　any　of　the　
or　informers　of　those　days；　he　could　easily　have　defended
his　cause；　and　proved　his　principles　of　philosophy　to　be　as
salutary　as　those　of　his　adversaries；　who　endeavoured；　with
such　zeal；　to　expose　him　to　the　public　hatred　and　jealousy？

　　　　　I　wish；　said　I；　you　would　try　your　eloquence　upon　so
extraordinary　a　topic；　and　make　a　speech　for　E/PICURUS；
which　might　satisfy；　not　the　mob　of　A/THENS；　if　you　will
allow　that　ancient　and　polite　city　to　have　contained　any
mob；　but　the　more　philosophical　part　of　his　audience；　such
as　might　be　supposed　capable　of　comprehending　his　arguments。

　　　　　The　matter　would　not　be　difficult；　upon　such
conditions；　replied　he：　And　if　you　please；　I　shall　suppose
myself　E/PICURUS　for　a　moment；　and　make　you　stand　for　the
A/THENIAN　people；　and　shall　deliver　you　such　an　harangue　as
will　fill　all　the　urn　with　white　beans；　and　leave　not　a
black　one　to　gratify　the　malice　of　my　adversaries。

　　　　　Very　well：　Pray　proceed　upon　these　suppositions。

　　　　　I　come　hither；　O　ye　A/THENIANS；　to　justify　in　your
assembly　what　I　maintain　in　my　school；　and　I　find　myself
impeached　by　furious　antagonists；　instead　of　reasoning　with
calm　and　dispassionate　enquirers。　Your　deliberations；　which
of　right　should　be　directed　to　questions　of　public　good；　and
the　interest　of　the　commonwealth；　are　diverted　to　the
disquisitions　of　speculative　philosophy；　and　these
magnificent；　but　perhaps　fruitless　enquiries；　take　place　of
your　more　familiar　but　more　useful　occupations。　But　so　far
as　in　me　lies；　I　will　prevent　this　abuse。　We　shall　not　here
dispute　concerning　the　origin　and　government　of　worlds。　We
shall　only　enquire　how　far　such　questions　concern　the　public
interest。　And　if　I　can　persuade　you；　that　they　are　entirely
indifferent　to　the　peace　of　society　and　security　of
government；　I　hope　that　you　will　presently　send　us　back　to
our　schools；　there　to　examine；　at　leisure；　the　question　the
most　sublime；　but；　at　the　same　time；　the　most　speculative　of
all　philosophy。

　　　　　The　religious　philosophers；　not　satisfied　with　the
tradition　of　your　forefathers；　and　doctrine　of　your　priests
（in　which　I　willingly　acquiesce）；　indulge　a　rash　curiosity；
in　trying　how　far　they　can　establish　religion　upon　the