the spirit of laws-第124章

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The　reason　is　plain：　the　people　of　the　north　have；　and　will　for　ever　have；　a　spirit　of　liberty　and　independence；　which　the　people　of　the　south　have　not；　and　therefore　a　religion　which　has　no　visible　head　is　more　agreeable　to　the　independence　of　the　climate　than　that　which　has　one。

In　the　countries　themselves　where　the　Protestant　religion　became　established；　the　revolutions　were　made　pursuant　to　the　several　plans　of　political　government。　Luther　having　great　princes　on　his　side　would　never　have　been　able　to　make　them　relish　an　ecclesiastical　authority　that　had　no　exterior　pre…eminence；　while　Calvin；　having　to　do　with　people　who　lived　under　republican　governments；　or　with　obscure　citizens　in　monarchies；　might　very　well　avoid　establishing　dignities　and　preferments。

Each　of　these　two　religions　was　believed　to　be　perfect；　the　Calvinist　judging　his　most　conformable　to　what　Christ　had　said；　and　the　Lutheran　to　what　the　Apostles　had　practised。

6。　Another　of　M。　Bayle's　Paradoxes。　M。　Bayle；　after　having　abused　all　religions；　endeavours　to　sully　Christianity：　he　boldly　asserts　that　true　Christians　cannot　form　a　government　of　any　duration。　Why　not？　Citizens　of　this　profession　being　infinitely　enlightened　with　respect　to　the　various　duties　of　life；　and　having　the　warmest　zeal　to　fulfil　them；　must　be　perfectly　sensible　of　the　rights　of　natural　defence。　The　more　they　believe　themselves　indebted　to　religion；　the　more　they　would　think　due　to　their　country。　The　principles　of　Christianity；　deeply　engraved　on　the　heart；　would　be　infinitely　more　powerful　than　the　false　honour　of　monarchies；　than　the　humane　virtues　of　republics；　or　the　servile　fear　of　despotic　states。

It　is　astonishing　that　this　great　man　should　not　be　able　to　distinguish　between　the　orders　for　the　establishment　of　Christianity　and　Christianity　itself；　and　that　he　should　be　liable　to　be　charged　with　not　knowing　the　spirit　of　his　own　religion。　When　the　legislator；　instead　of　laws；　has　given　counsels；　this　is　because　he　knew　that　if　these　counsels　were　ordained　as　laws　they　would　be　contrary　to　the　spirit　of　the　laws　themselves。

7。　Of　the　Laws　of　Perfection　in　Religion。　Human　laws；　made　to　direct　the　will；　ought　to　give　precepts；　and　not　counsels；　religion；　made　to　influence　the　heart；　should　give　many　counsels；　and　few　precepts。

When；　for　instance；　it　gives　rules；　not　for　what　is　good；　but　for　what　is　better；　not　to　direct　to　what　is　right；　but　to　what　is　perfect；　it　is　expedient　that　these　should　be　counsels；　and　not　laws：　for　perfection　can　have　no　relation　to　the　universality　of　men　or　things。　Besides；　if　these　were　laws；　there　would　be　a　necessity　for　an　infinite　number　of　others；　to　make　people　observe　the　first。　Celibacy　was　advised　by　Christianity；　when　they　made　it　a　law　in　respect　to　a　certain　order　of　men；　it　became　necessary　to　make　new　ones　every　day；　in　order　to　oblige　those　men　to　observe　it。＇4＇　The　legislator　wearied　himself；　and　he　wearied　society；　to　make　men　execute　by　precept　what　those　who　love　perfection　would　have　executed　as　counsel。

8。　Of　the　Connection　between　the　moral　Laws　and　those　of　Religion。　In　a　country　so　unfortunate　as　to　have　a　religion　that　God　has　not　revealed；　it　is　necessary　for　it　to　be　agreeable　to　morality；　because　even　a　false　religion　is　the　best　security　we　can　have　of　the　probity　of　men。

The　principal　points　of　religion　of　the　inhabitants　of　Pegu＇5＇　are；　not　to　commit　murder；　not　to　steal；　to　avoid　uncleanliness；　not　to　give　the　least　uneasiness　to　their　neighbour；　but　to　do　him；　on　the　contrary；　all　the　good　in　their　power。　With　these　rules　they　think　they　should　be　saved　in　any　religion　whatsoever。　Hence　it　proceeds　that　those　people；　though　poor　and　proud；　behave　with　gentleness　and　compassion　to　the　unhappy。

9。　Of　the　Essenes。　The　Essenes＇6＇　made　a　vow　to　observe　justice　to　mankind；　to　do　no　ill　to　any　person；　upon　whatsoever　account；　to　keep　faith　with　all　the　world；　to　hate　injustice；　to　command　with　modesty；　always　to　side　with　truth；　and　to　fly　from　all　unlawful　gain。

10。　Of　the　Sect　of　Stoics。　The　several　sects　of　philosophy　among　the　ancients　were　a　species　of　religion。　Never　were　any　principles　more　worthy　of　human　nature；　and　more　proper　to　form　the　good　man；　than　those　of　the　Stoics；　and　if　I　could　for　a　moment　cease　to　think　that　I　am　a　Christian；　I　should　not　be　able　to　hinder　myself　from　ranking　the　destruction　of　the　sect　of　Zeno　among　the　misfortunes　that　have　befallen　the　human　race。

It　carried　to　excess　only　those　things　in　which　there　is　true　greatness　　the　contempt　of　pleasure　and　of　pain。

It　was　this　sect　alone　that　made　citizens；　this　alone　that　made　great　men；　this　alone　great　emperors。

Laying　aside　for　a　moment　revealed　truths；　let　us　search　through　all　nature；　and　we　shall　not　find　a　nobler　object　than　the　Antoninuses；　even　Julian　himself　　Julian　（a　commendation　thus　wrested　from　me　will　not　render　me　an　accomplice　of　his　apostasy）　　no；　there　has　not　been　a　prince　since　his　reign　more　worthy　to　govern　mankind。

While　the　Stoics　looked　upon　riches；　human　grandeur；　grief；　disquietudes；　and　pleasures　as　vanity；　they　were　entirely　employed　in　labouring　for　the　happiness　of　mankind；　and　in　exercising　the　duties　of　society。　It　seems　as　if　they　regarded　that　sacred　spirit；　which　they　believed　to　dwell　within　them；　as　a　kind　of　favourable　providence　watchful　over　the　human　race。

Born　for　society；　they　all　believed　that　it　was　their　destiny　to　labour　for　it；　with　so　much　the　less　fatigue；　their　rewards　were　all　within　themselves。　Happy　by　their　philosophy　alone；　it　seemed　as　if　only　the　happiness　of　others　could　increase　theirs。

11。　Of　Contemplation。　Men　being　made　to　preserve；　to　nourish；　to　clothe　themselves；　and　do　all　the　actions　of　society；　religion　ought　not　to　give　them　too　contemplative　a　life。＇7＇

The　Mahometans　become　speculative　by　habit；　they　pray　five　times　a　day；　and　each　time　they　are　obliged　to　cast　behind　them　everything　which　has　any　concern　with　this　world：　this　forms　them　for　speculation。　Add　to　this　that　indifference　for　all　things　which　is　inspired　by　the　doctrine　of　unalterable　fate。

If　other　causes　besides　these　concur　to　disengage　their　affections；　for　instance；　if　the　severity　of　the　government；　if　the　laws　concerning　the　property　of　land；　give　them　a　precarious　spirit　　all　is　lost。

The　religion　of　the　Gaurs　formerly　rendered　Persia　a　flourishing　kingdom；　it　corrected　the　bad　effects　of　despotic　power。　The　same　empire　is　now　destroyed　by　the　Mahometan　religion。

12。　Of　Penances。　Penances　ought　to　be　joined　with　the　idea　of　labour；　not　with　that　of　idleness；　with　the　idea　of　good；　not　with　that　of　supereminence；　with　the　idea　of　frugality；　not　with　that　of　avarice。

13。　Of　inexpiable　Crimes。　It　appears　from　a。　passage　of　the　books　of　the　pontiffs；　quoted　by　Cicero；＇8＇　that　they　had　among　the　Romans　inexpiable　crimes：＇9＇　and　it　is　on　this　that　Zozymus　founds　the　narration　so　proper　to　blacken　the　motives　of　Constantine's　conversion；　and　Julian；　that　bitter　raillery　on　this　conversion　in　his　C？sars。

The　Pagan　religion　indeed；　which　prohibited　only　some　of　the　grosser　crimes；　and　which　stopped　the　hand　but　meddled　not　with　the　heart；　might　have　crimes　that　were　inexpiable；　but　a　religion　which　bridles　all　the　passions；　which　is　not　more　jealous　of　actions　than　of　thoughts　and　desires；　which　holds　us　not　by　a　few　chains　but　by　an　infinite　number　of　threads；　which；　leaving　human　justice　aside；　establishes　another　kind　of　justice；　which　is　so　ordered　as　to　lead　us　continually　from　repentance　to　love；　and　from　love　to　repentance；　which　puts　between　the　judge　and　the　criminal　a　greater　mediator；　between　the　just　and　the　mediator　a　great　judge　　a　religion　like　this　ought　not　to　have　inexpiable　crimes。　But　while　it　gives　fear　and　hope　to　all；　it　makes　us　sufficiently　sensible　that　though　there　is　no　crime　in　its　own　nature　inexpiable；　yet　a　whole　criminal　life　may　be　so；　that　it　is　extremely　dangerous　to　affront　mercy　by　new　crimes　and　new　expiations；　that　an　uneasiness　on　account　of　ancient　debts；　from　which　we　are　never　entirely　free；　ought　to　make　us　afraid　of　contracting　new　ones；　of　filling　up　the　measure；　and　going　even　to　that　point　where　pater