an enquiry concerning human understanding-第32章

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（in　which　I　willingly　acquiesce）；　indulge　a　rash　curiosity；
in　trying　how　far　they　can　establish　religion　upon　the
principles　of　reason；　and　they　thereby　excite；　instead　of
satisfying；　the　doubts；　which　naturally　arise　from　a
diligent　and　scrutinous　enquiry。　They　paint；　in　the　most
magnificent　colours；　the　order；　beauty；　and　wise　arrangement
of　the　universe；　and　then　ask；　if　such　a　glorious　display　of
intelligence　could　proceed　from　the　fortuitous　concourse　of
atoms；　or　if　chance　could　produce　what　the　greatest　genius
can　never　sufficiently　admire。　I　shall　not　examine　the
justness　of　this　argument。　I　shall　allow　it　to　be　as　solid
as　my　antagonists　and　accusers　can　desire。　It　is　sufficient；
if　I　can　prove；　from　this　very　reasoning；　that　the　question
is　entirely　speculative；　and　that；　when；　in　my　philosophical
disquisitions；　I　deny　a　providence　and　a　future　state；　I
undermine　not　the　foundations　of　society；　but　advance
principles；　which　they　themselves；　upon　their　own　topics；　if
they　argue　consistently；　must　allow　to　be　solid　and
satisfactory。

　　　　　You　then；　who　are　my　accusers；　have　acknowledged；　that
the　chief　or　sole　argument　for　a　divine　existence　（which　I
never　questioned）　is　derived　from　the　order　of　nature；　where
there　appear　such　marks　of　intelligence　and　design；　that　you
think　it　extravagant　to　assign　for　its　cause；　either　chance；
or　the　blind　and　unguided　force　of　matter。　You　allow；　that
this　is　an　argument　drawn　from　effects　to　causes。　From　the
order　of　the　work；　you　infer；　that　there　must　have　been
project　and　forethought　in　the　workman。　If　you　cannot　make
out　this　point；　you　allow；　that　your　conclusion　fails；　and
you　pretend　not　to　establish　the　conclusion　in　a　greater
latitude　than　the　phenomena　of　nature　will　justify。　These
are　your　concessions。　I　desire　you　to　mark　the　consequences。

　　　　　When　we　infer　any　particular　cause　from　an　effect；　we
must　proportion　the　one　to　the　other；　and　can　never　be
allowed　to　ascribe　to　the　cause　any　qualities；　but　what　are
exactly　sufficient　to　produce　the　effect。　A　body　of　ten
ounces　raised　in　any　scale　may　serve　as　a　proof；　that　the
counterbalancing　weight　exceeds　ten　ounces；　but　can　never
afford　a　reason　that　it　exceeds　a　hundred。　If　the　cause；
assigned　for　any　effect；　be　not　sufficient　to　produce　it；　we
must　either　reject　that　cause；　or　add　to　it　such　qualities
as　will　give　it　a　just　proportion　to　the　effect。　But　if　we
ascribe　to　it　farther　qualities；　or　affirm　it　capable　of
producing　other　effects；　we　can　only　indulge　the　licence　of
conjecture；　and　arbitrarily　suppose　the　existence　of
qualities　and　energies；　without　reason　or　authority。

　　　　　The　same　rule　holds；　whether　the　cause　assigned　be
brute　unconscious　matter；　or　a　rational　intelligent　being。
If　the　cause　be　known　only　by　the　effect；　we　never　ought　to
ascribe　to　it　any　qualities；　beyond　what　are　precisely
requisite　to　produce　the　effect：　Nor　can　we；　by　any　rules　of
just　reasoning；　return　back　from　the　cause；　and　infer　other
effects　from　it；　beyond　those　by　which　alone　it　is　known　to
us。　No　one；　merely　from　the　sight　of　one　of　Z/EUXIS'S
pictures；　could　know；　that　he　was　also　a　statuary　or
architect；　and　was　an　artist　no　less　skilful　in　stone　and
marble　than　in　colours。　The　talents　and　taste；　displayed　in
the　particular　work　before　us；　these　we　may　safely　conclude
the　workman　to　be　possessed　of。　The　cause　must　be
proportioned　to　the　effect；　and　if　we　exactly　and　precisely
proportion　it；　we　shall　never　find　in　it　any　qualities；　that
point　farther；　or　afford　an　inference　concerning　any　other
design　or　performance。　Such　qualities　must　be　somewhat
beyond　what　is　merely　requisite　for　producing　the　effect；
which　we　examine。

　　　　　Allowing；　therefore；　the　gods　to　be　the　authors　of　the
existence　or　order　of　the　universe；　it　follows；　that　they
possess　that　precise　degree　of　power；　intelligence；　and
benevolence；　which　appears　in　their　workmanship；　but　nothing
farther　can　ever　be　proved；　except　we　call　in　the　assistance
of　exaggeration　and　flattery　to　supply　the　defects　of
argument　and　reasoning。　So　far　as　the　traces　of　any
attributes；　at　present；　appear；　so　far　may　we　conclude　these
attributes　to　exist。　The　supposition　of　farther　attributes
is　mere　hypothesis；　much　more　the　supposition；　that；　in
distant　regions　of　space　or　periods　of　time；　there　has　been；
or　will　be；　a　more　magnificent　display　of　these　attributes；
and　a　scheme　of　administration　more　suitable　to　such
imaginary　virtues。　We　can　never　be　allowed　to　mount　up　from
the　universe；　the　effect；　to　J/UPITER；　the　cause；　and　then
descend　downwards；　to　infer　any　new　effect　from　that　cause；
as　if　the　present　effects　alone　were　not　entirely　worthy　of
the　glorious　attributes；　which　we　ascribe　to　that　deity。　The
knowledge　of　the　cause　being　derived　solely　from　the　effect；
they　must　be　exactly　adjusted　to　each　other；　and　the　one　can
never　refer　to　any　thing　farther；　or　be　the　foundation　of
any　new　inference　and　conclusion。

　　　　　You　find　certain　phenomena　in　nature。　You　seek　a　cause
or　author。　You　imagine　that　you　have　found　him。　You
afterwards　become　so　enamoured　of　this　offspring　of　your
brain；　that　you　imagine　it　impossible；　but　he　must　produce
something　greater　and　more　perfect　than　the　present　scene　of
things；　which　is　so　full　of　ill　and　disorder。　You　forget；
that　this　superlative　intelligence　and　benevolence　are
entirely　imaginary；　or；　at　least；　without　any　foundation　in
reason；　and　that　you　have　no　ground　to　ascribe　to　him　any
qualities；　but　what　you　see　he　has　actually　exerted　and
displayed　in　his　productions。　Let　your　gods；　therefore；　O
philosophers；　be　suited　to　the　present　appearances　of
nature：　And　presume　not　to　alter　these　appearances　by
arbitrary　suppositions；　in　order　to　suit　them　to　the
attributes；　which　you　so　fondly　ascribe　to　your　deities。

　　　　　When　priests　and　poets；　supported　by　your　authority；　O
A/THENIANS；　talk　of　a　golden　or　silver　age；　which　preceded
the　present　state　of　vice　and　misery；　I　hear　them　with
attention　and　with　reverence。　But　when　philosophers；　who
pretend　to　neglect　authority；　and　to　cultivate　reason；　hold
the　same　discourse；　I　pay　them　not；　I　own；　the　same
obsequious　submission　and　pious　deference。　I　ask；　who
carried　them　into　the　celestial　regions；　who　admitted　them
into　the　councils　of　the　gods；　who　opened　to　them　the　book
of　fate；　that　they　thus　rashly　affirm；　that　their　deities
have　executed；　or　will　execute；　any　purpose　beyond　what　has
actually　appeared？　If　they　tell　me；　that　they　have　mounted
on　the　steps　or　by　the　gradual　ascent　of　reason；　and　by
drawing　inferences　from　effects　to　causes；　I　still　insist；
that　they　have　aided　the　ascent　of　reason　by　the　wings　of
imagination；　otherwise　they　could　not　thus　change　their
manner　of　inference；　and　argue　from　causes　to　effects；
presuming；　that　a　more　perfect　production　than　the　present
world　would　be　more　suitable　to　such　perfect　beings　as　the
gods；　and　forgetting　that　they　have　no　reason　to　ascribe　to
these　celestial　beings　any　perfection　or　any　attribute；　but
what　can　be　found　in　the　present　world。

　　　　　Hence　all　the　fruitless　industry　to　account　for　the　ill
appearances　of　nature；　and　save　the　honour　of　the　gods；
while　we　must　acknowledge　the　reality　of　that　evil　and
disorder；　with　which　the　world　so　much　abounds。　The
obstinate　and　intractable　qualities　of　matter；　we　are　told；
or　the　observance　of　general　laws；　or　some　such　reason；　is
the　sole　cause；　which　controlled　the　power　and　benevolence
of　J/UPITER；　and　obliged　him　to　create　mankind　and　every
sensible　creature　so　imperfect　and　so　unhappy。　These
attributes　then；　are；　it　seems；　beforehand；　taken　for
granted；　in　their　greatest　latitude。　And　upon　that
supposition；　I　own　that　such　conjectures　may；　perhaps；　be
admitted　as　plausible　solutions　of　the　ill　phenomena。　But
still　I　ask；　Why　take　these　attributes　for　granted；　or　why
ascribe　to　the　cause　any　qualities　but　what　actually　appear
in　the　effect？　Why　torture　your　brain　to　justify　the　course
of　nature　upon　suppositions；　which；　for　aught　you　know；　may
be　entirely　imaginary；　and　of　which　there　are　to　be　found　no
traces　in　the　course　of　nature？