part20-第3章

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ere　long；　be　the　religion　of　the　majority　from　north　to　south；　I　have

no　doubt。




　

　　　　　　　　In　our　university　you　know　there　is　no　Professorship　of

Divinity。　　A　handle　has　been　made　of　this；　to　disseminate　an　idea

that　this　is　an　institution；　not　merely　of　no　religion；　but　against

all　religion。　　Occasion　was　taken　at　the　last　meeting　of　the

Visitors；　to　bring　forward　an　idea　that　might　silence　this　calumny；

which　weighed　on　the　minds　of　some　honest　friends　to　the　institution。

In　our　annual　report　to　the　legislature；　after　stating　the

constitutional　reasons　against　a　public　establishment　of　any

religious　instruction；　we　suggest　the　expediency　of　encouraging　the

different　religious　sects　to　establish；　each　for　itself；　a

professorship　of　their　own　tenets；　on　the　confines　of　the　university；

so　near　as　that　their　students　may　attend　the　lectures　there；　and

have　the　free　use　of　our　library；　and　every　other　accommodation　we

can　give　them；　preserving；　however；　their　independence　of　us　and　of

each　other。　　This　fills　the　chasm　objected　to　ours；　as　a　defect　in　an

institution　professing　to　give　instruction　in　_all_　useful　sciences。

I　think　the　invitation　will　be　accepted；　by　some　sects　from　candid

intentions；　and　by　others　from　jealousy　and　rivalship。　　And　by

bringing　the　sects　together；　and　mixing　them　with　the　mass　of　other

students；　we　shall　soften　their　asperities；　liberalize　and　neutralize

their　prejudices；　and　make　the　general　religion　a　religion　of　peace；

reason；　and　morality。




　　　　　　　　The　time　of　opening　our　university　is　still　as　uncertain　as

ever。　　All　the　pavilions；　boarding　houses；　and　dormitories　are　done。

Nothing　is　now　wanting　but　the　central　building　for　a　library　and

other　general　purposes。　　For　this　we　have　no　funds；　and　the　last

legislature　refused　all　aid。　　We　have　better　hopes　of　the　next。　　But

all　is　uncertain。　　I　have　heard　with　regret　of　disturbances　on　the

part　of　the　students　in　your　seminary。　　The　article　of　discipline　is

the　most　difficult　in　American　education。　　Premature　ideas　of

independence；　too　little　repressed　by　parents；　beget　a　spirit　of

insubordination；　which　is　the　great　obstacle　to　science　with　us；　and

a　principal　cause　of　its　decay　since　the　revolution。　　I　look　to　it

with　dismay　in　our　institution；　as　a　breaker　ahead；　which　I　am　far

from　being　confident　we　shall　be　able　to　weather。　　The　advance　of

age；　and　tardy　pace　of　the　public　patronage；　may　probably　spare　me

the　pain　of　witnessing　consequences。




　　　　　　　　I　salute　you　with　constant　friendship　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　CALVIN　AND　COSMOLOGY




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　April　11；　1823_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　The　wishes　expressed；　in　your　last　favor；　that　I

may　continue　in　life　and　health　until　I　become　a　Calvinist；　at　least

in　his　exclamation　of　‘_mon　Dieu！_　jusque　a　quand'！　would　make　me

immortal。　　I　can　never　join　Calvin　in　addressing　_his　god。_　He　was

indeed　an　Atheist；　which　I　can　never　be；　or　rather　his　religion　was

Daemonism。　　If　ever　man　worshipped　a　false　god；　he　did。　　The　being

described　in　his　5。　points　is　not　the　God　whom　you　and　I　acknolege

and　adore；　the　Creator　and　benevolent　governor　of　the　world；　but　a

daemon　of　malignant　spirit。　　It　would　be　more　pardonable　to　believe

in　no　god　at　all；　than　to　blaspheme　him　by　the　atrocious　attributes

of　Calvin。　　Indeed　I　think　that　every　Christian　sect　gives　a　great

handle　to　Atheism　by　their　general　dogma　that；　without　a　revelation；

there　would　not　be　sufficient　proof　of　the　being　of　a　god。　　Now　one

sixth　of　mankind　only　are　supposed　to　be　Christians：　the　other　five

sixths　then；　who　do　not　believe　in　the　Jewish　and　Christian

revelation；　are　without　a　knolege　of　the　existence　of　a　god！　　This

gives　compleatly　a　gain　de　cause　to　the　disciples　of　Ocellus；

Timaeus；　Spinosa；　Diderot　and　D'Holbach。　　The　argument　which　they

rest　on　as　triumphant　and　unanswerable　is　that；　in　every　hypothesis

of　Cosmogony　you　must　admit　an　eternal　pre…existence　of　something；

and　according　to　the　rule　of　sound　philosophy；　you　are　never　to

employ　two　principles　to　solve　a　difficulty　when　one　will　suffice。

They　say　then　that　it　is　more　simple　to　believe　at　once　in　the

eternal　pre…existence　of　the　world；　as　it　is　now　going　on；　and　may

for　ever　go　on　by　the　principle　of　reproduction　which　we　see　and

witness；　than　to　believe　in　the　eternal　pre…existence　of　an　ulterior

cause；　or　Creator　of　the　world；　a　being　whom　we　see　not；　and　know

not；　of　whose　form　substance　and　mode　or　place　of　existence；　or　of

action　no　sense　informs　us；　no　power　of　the　mind　enables　us　to

delineate　or　comprehend。　　On　the　contrary　I　hold　（without　appeal　to

revelation）　that　when　we　take　a　view　of　the　Universe；　in　it's　parts

general　or　particular；　it　is　impossible　for　the　human　mind　not　to

percieve　and　feel　a　conviction　of　design；　consummate　skill；　and

indefinite　power　in　every　atom　of　it's　composition。　　The　movements　of

the　heavenly　bodies；　so　exactly　held　in　their　course　by　the　balance

of　centrifugal　and　centripetal　forces；　the　structure　of　our　earth

itself；　with　it's　distribution　of　lands；　waters　and　atmosphere；

animal　and　vegetable　bodies；　examined　in　all　their　minutest

particles；　insects　mere　atoms　of　life；　yet　as　perfectly　organised　as

man　or　mammoth；　the　mineral　substances；　their　generation　and　uses；　it

is　impossible；　I　say；　for　the　human　mind　not　to　believe　that　there

is；　in　all　this；　design；　cause　and　effect；　up　to　an　ultimate　cause；　a

fabricator　of　all　things　from　matter　and　motion；　their　preserver　and

regulator　while　permitted　to　exist　in　their　present　forms；　and　their

regenerator　into　new　and　other　forms。　　We　see；　too；　evident　proofs　of

the　necessity　of　a　superintending　power　to　maintain　the　Universe　in

it's　course　and　order。　　Stars；　well　known；　have　disappeared；　new　ones

have　come　into　view；　comets；　in　their　incalculable　courses；　may　run

foul　of　suns　and　planets　and　require　renovation　under　other　laws；

certain　races　of　animals　are　become　extinct；　and；　were　there　no

restoring　power；　all　existences　might　extinguish　successively；　one　by

one；　until　all　should　be　reduced　to　a　shapeless　chaos。　　So

irresistible　are　these　evidences　of　an　intelligent　and　powerful　Agent

that；　of　the　infinite　numbers　of　men　who　have　existed　thro'　all　time；

they　have　believed；　in　the　proportion　of　a　million　at　least　to　Unit；

in　the　hypothesis　of　an　eternal　pre…existence　of　a　creator；　rather

than　in　that　of　a　self…existent　Universe。　　Surely　this　unanimous

sentiment　renders　this　more　probable　than　that　of　the　few　in　the

other　hypothesis。　　Some　early　Christians　indeed　have　believed　in　the

coeternal　pre…existance　of　both　the　Creator　and　the　world；　without

changing　their　relation　of　cause　and　effect。　　That　this　was　the

opinion　of　St。　Thomas；　we　are　informed　by　Cardinal　Toleto；　in　these

words　‘Deus　ab　aeterno　fuit　jam　omnipotens；　sicut　cum　produxit

mundum。　　Ab　aeterno　potuit　producere　mundum。　　Si　sol　ab　aeterno

esset；　lumen　ab　aeterno　esset；　et　si　pes；　similiter　vestigium。　　At

lumen　et　vestigium　effectus　sunt　efficientis　solis　et　pedis；　potuit

ergo　cum　causa　aeterna　effectus　coaeterna　esse。　　Cujus　sententiae　est

S。　Thomas　Theologorum　primus'　Cardinal　Toleta。




　　　　　　　　Of　the　nature　of　this　being　we　know　nothing。　　Jesus　tells　us

that　‘God　is　a　spirit。'　4。　John　24。　but　without　defining　what　a

spirit　is　｛pneyma　o　Theos｝。　　Down　to　the　3d。　century　we　know　that　it

was　still　deemed　material；　but　of　a　lighter　subtler　matter　than　our

gross　bodies。　　So　says　Origen。　　‘Deus　igitur；　cui　anima　similis　est；

juxta　Originem；　reapte　corporalis　est；　sed　graviorum　tantum　ratione

corporum　incorporeus。'　These　are　the　words　of　Huet　in　his　commentary

on　Origen。　　Origen　himself　says　‘appelatio　｛asomaton｝　apud　nostros

scriptores　est　inusitata　et　incognita。'　So　also　Tertullian　‘quis

autem　negabit　Deum　esse　corpus；　etsi　deus　spiritus？　　Spiritus　etiam

corporis　sui　generis；　in　sua　effigie。'　Tertullian。　　These　t