an enquiry concerning human understanding-第21章

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Be　assured；　that　those　renowned　lies；　which　have　spread　and
flourished　to　such　a　monstrous　height；　arose　from　like
beginnings；　but　being　sown　in　a　more　proper　soil；　shot　up　at
last　into　prodigies　almost　equal　to　those　which　they　relate。

　　　　　It　was　a　wise　policy　in　that　false　prophet；
A/LEXANDER；　who　though　now　forgotten；　was　once　so　famous；
to　lay　the　first　scene　of　his　impostures　in　P/APHLAGONIA；
where；　as　L/UCIAN　tells　us；　the　people　were　extremely
ignorant　and　stupid；　and　ready　to　swallow　even　the　grossest
delusion。　People　at　a　distance；　who　are　weak　enough　to　think
the　matter　at　all　worth　enquiry；　have　no　opportunity　of
receiving　better　information。　The　stories　come　magnified　to
them　by　a　hundred　circumstances。　Fools　are　industrious　in
propagating　the　imposture；　while　the　wise　and　learned　are
contented；　in　general；　to　deride　its　absurdity；　without
informing　themselves　of　the　particular　facts；　by　which　it
may　be　distinctly　refuted。　And　thus　the　impostor　above
mentioned　was　enabled　to　proceed；　from　his　ignorant
P/APHLAGONIANS；　to　the　enlisting　of　votaries；　even　among
the　G/RECIAN　philosophers；　and　men　of　the　most　eminent　rank
and　distinction　in　R/OME；　nay；　could　engage　the　attention
of　that　sage　emperor　M/ARCUS　A/URELIUS；　so　far　as　to　make
him　trust　the　success　of　a　military　expedition　to　his
delusive　prophecies。

　　　　　The　advantages　are　so　great；　of　starting　an　imposture
among　an　ignorant　people；　that；　even　though　the　delusion
should　be　too　gross　to　impose　on　the　generality　of　them
（）　it　has　a
much　better　chance　for　succeeding　in　remote　countries；　than
if　the　first　scene　had　been　laid　in　a　city　renowned　for　arts
and　knowledge。　The　most　ignorant　and　barbarous　of　these
barbarians　carry　the　report　abroad。　None　of　their　countrymen
have　a　large　correspondence；　or　sufficient　credit　and
authority　to　contradict　and　beat　down　the　delusion。　Men's
inclination　to　the　marvellous　has　full　opportunity　to
display　itself。　And　thus　a　story；　which　is　universally
exploded　in　the　place　where　it　was　first　started；　shall　pass
for　certain　at　a　thousand　miles　distance。　But　had
A/LEXANDER　fixed　his　residence　at　A/THENS；　the
philosophers　of　that　renowned　mart　of　learning　had
immediately　spread；　throughout　the　whole　R/OMAN　empire；
their　sense　of　the　matter；　which；　being　supported　by　so
great　authority；　and　displayed　by　all　the　force　of　reason
and　eloquence；　had　entirely　opened　the　eyes　of　mankind。　It
is　true；　L/UCIAN；　passing　by　chance　through　P/APHLAGONIA；
had　an　opportunity　of　performing　this　good　office。　But；
though　much　to　be　wished；　it　does　not　always　happen；　that
every　A/LEXANDER　meets　with　a　L/UCIAN；　ready　to　expose　and
detect　his　impostures。＇28＇

　　　　　I　may　add　as　a　　reason；　which　diminishes　the
authority　of　prodigies；　that　there　is　no　testimony　for　any；
even　those　which　have　not　been　expressly　detected；　that　is
not　opposed　by　an　infinite　number　of　witnesses；　so　that　not
only　the　miracle　destroys　the　credit　of　testimony；　but　the
testimony　destroys　itself。　To　make　this　the　better
understood；　let　us　consider；　that；　in　matters　of　religion；
whatever　is　different　is　contrary；　and　that　it　is　impossible
the　religions　of　ancient　R/OME；　of　T/URKEY；　of　S/IAM；　and
of　C/HINA　should；　all　of　them；　be　established　on　any　solid
foundation。　Every　miracle；　therefore；　pretended　to　have　been
wrought　in　any　of　these　religions　（and　all　of　them　abound　in
miracles）；　as　its　direct　scope　is　to　establish　the
particular　system　to　which　it　is　attributed；　so　has　it　the
same　force；　though　more　indirectly；　to　overthrow　every　other
system。　In　destroying　a　rival　system；　it　likewise　destroys
the　credit　of　those　miracles；　on　which　that　system　was
established；　so　that　all　the　prodigies　of　different
religions　are　to　be　regarded　as　contrary　facts；　and　the
evidences　of　these　prodigies；　whether　weak　or　strong；　as
opposite　to　each　other。　According　to　this　method　of
reasoning；　when　we　believe　any　miracle　of　M/AHOMET　or　his
successors；　we　have　for　our　warrant　the　testimony　of　a　few
barbarous　A/RABIANS：　And　on　the　other　hand；　we　are　to
regard　the　authority　of　T/ITUS　L/IVIUS；　P/LUTARCH；
T/ACITUS；　and；　in　short；　of　all　the　authors　and　witnesses；
G/RECIAN；　C/HINESE；　and　R/OMAN　C/ATHOLIC；　who　have
related　any　miracle　in　their　particular　religion；　I　say；　we
are　to　regard　their　testimony　in　the　same　light　as　if　they
had　mentioned　that　M/AHOMETAN　miracle；　and　had　in　express
terms　contradicted　it；　with　the　same　certainty　as　they　have
for　the　miracle　they　relate。　This　argument　may　appear　over
subtile　and　refined；　but　is　not　in　reality　different　from
the　reasoning　of　a　judge；　who　supposes；　that　the　credit　of
two　witnesses；　maintaining　a　crime　against　any　one；　is
destroyed　by　the　testimony　of　two　others；　who　affirm　him　to
have　been　two　hundred　leagues　distant；　at　the　same　instant
when　the　crime　is　said　to　have　been　committed。

　　　　　One　of　the　best　attested　miracles　in　all　profane
history；　is　that　which　T/ACITUS　reports　of　V/ESPASIAN；　who
cured　a　blind　man　in　Alexandria；　by　means　of　his　spittle；
and　a　lame　man　by　the　mere　touch　of　his　foot；　in　obedience
to　a　vision　of　the　god　S/ERAPIS；　who　had　enjoined　them　to
have　recourse　to　the　Emperor；　for　these　miraculous　cures。
The　story　may　be　seen　in　that　fine　historian＇29＇；　where
every　circumstance　seems　to　add　weight　to　the　testimony；　and
might　be　displayed　at　large　with　all　the　force　of　argument
and　eloquence；　if　any　one　were　now　concerned　to　enforce　the
evidence　of　that　exploded　and　idolatrous　superstition。　The
gravity；　solidity；　age；　and　probity　of　so　great　an　emperor；
who；　through　the　whole　course　of　his　life；　conversed　in　a
familiar　manner　with　his　friends　and　courtiers；　and　never
affected　those　extraordinary　airs　of　divinity　assumed　by
A/LEXANDER　and　D/EMETRIUS。　The　historian；　a　contemporary
writer；　noted　for　candour　and　veracity；　and　withal；　the
greatest　and　most　penetrating　genius；　perhaps；　of　all
antiquity；　and　so　free　from　any　tendency　to　credulity；　that
he　even　lies　under　the　contrary　imputation；　of　atheism　and
profaneness：　The　persons；　from　whose　authority　he　related
the　miracle；　of　established　character　for　judgement　and
veracity；　as　we　may　well　presume；　eye…　witnesses　of　the
fact；　and　confirming　their　testimony；　after　the　F/LAVIAN
family　was　despoiled　of　the　empire；　and　could　no　longer　give
any　reward；　as　the　price　of　a　lie。　。　To　which　if　we　add　the　public　nature　of　the　facts；
as　related；　it　will　appear；　that　no　evidence　can　well　be
supposed　stronger　for　so　gross　and　so　palpable　a　falsehood。

　　　　　There　is　also　a　memorable　story　related　by　Cardinal
/DE　R/ETZ；　which　may　well　deserve　our　consideration。　When
that　intriguing　politician　fled　into　S/PAIN；　to　avoid　the
persecution　of　his　enemies；　he　passed　through　S/ARAGOSSA；
the　capital　of　A/RRAGON；　where　he　was　shewn；　in　the
cathedral；　a　man；　who　had　served　seven　years　as　a
doorkeeper；　and　was　well　known　to　every　body　in　town；　that
had　ever　paid　his　devotions　at　that　church。　He　had　been
seen；　for　so　long　a　time；　wanting　a　leg；　but　recovered　that
limb　by　the　rubbing　of　holy　oil　upon　the　stump；　and　the
cardinal　assures　us　that　he　saw　him　with　two　legs。　This
miracle　was　vouched　by　all　the　canons　of　the　church；　and　the
whole　company　in　town　were　appealed　to　for　a　confirmation　of
the　fact；　whom　the　cardinal　found；　by　their　zealous
devotion；　to　be　thorough　believers　of　the　miracle。　Here　the
relater　was　also　contemporary　to　the　supposed　prodigy；　of　an
incredulous　and　libertine　character；　as　well　as　of　great
genius；　the　miracle　of　so　　a　nature　as　could
scarcely　admit　of　a　counterfeit；　and　the　witnesses　very
numerous；　and　all　of　them；　in　a　manner；　spectators　of　the
fact；　to　which　they　gave　their　testimony。　And　what　adds
mightily　to　the　force　of　the　evidence；　and　may　double　our
surprise　on　this　occasion；　is；　that　the　cardinal　himself；
who　relates　the　story；　seems　not　to　give　any　credit　to　it；
and　consequently　cannot　be　suspected　of　any　concurrence　in
the　holy　fraud。　He　considered　justly；　that　it　was　not
requisite；　in　order　to　reject　a　fact　of　this　nature；　to　be
able　accurately　to　disprove　the　testimony；　and　to　trace　its
falsehood；　through　all　the　circumstances　of　knavery　and
credulity　which　produced　it。　He　knew；　that；　as　this　was
commonly　altogether　impossible　at　any　small　distance　of　time
and　place；　so　was　it　extremely　difficult；　even　where　one　was
immediately　present；　by　reason　of　the　bigotry；　ignorance；
cunning；　and　roguery　of　a　great　part　of　mankind。　He
therefore　concluded；　like　a　just　reasoner；　that　such　an
evidence　carried　falsehood　upon　the　very　face　of　it；　and
that　a　miracle；　supported　by　any　human　testimony；　was　more
properly　a　subject　of　derision　than　of　argument。

　　　　　There　surely　never　was　a　greater　number　of　miracles
ascribed　to　one　person；　than　those；　which　were　lately　said
to　have　been　wrought　in　France　upon　the　tomb　of　Abbe
P/ARIS；　the　famous　J/ANSENIST；　with　whose　sanctity　the
people　were　so　long　deluded。　The　curing　of　the　sick；　giving
hearing　to　the　deaf；　and　sight　to　the　blind；　were　every
where　talked　of　as　the　usual　effects　of　that　holy　sepulchre。
But　what　is　more　extraordinary；　many　of　the　miracles　were
immediately　proved　upon　the　spot；　before　judges　of
unquestioned　integrity；　attested　by　witnesses　of　credit　and
distinction；　in　a　learned　age；　and　on　the　most　eminent
theatre　that　is　now　in　the　world。　Nor　is　this　all：　A
relation　of　them　was　published　and　dispersed　everywhere；　nor
were　the　；　though　a　learned　body　supported　by　the
civil　magistrate；　and　determined　enemies　to　those　opinions；
in　whose　favour　the　miracles　were　said　to　have　been　wrought；
ever　able　distinctly　to　refute　or　detect　them。＇30＇　Where
shall　we　find　such　a　number　of　circumstances；　agreeing　to
the　corroboration　of　one　fact？　And　what　have　we　to　oppose　to
such　a　cloud　of　witnesses；　but　the　absolute　impossibility　or
miraculous　nature　of　the　events；　which　they　relate？　And　this
surely；　in　the　eyes　of　all　reasonable　people；　will　alone　be
regarded　as　a　sufficient　refutation。

　　　　　Is　the　consequence　just；　because　some　human　testimony
has　the　utmost　force　and　authority　in　some　cases；　when　it
relates　the　battle　of　P/HILIPPI　or　P/HARSALIA　for
instance；　that　therefore　all　kinds　of　testimony　must；　in　all
cases；　have　equal　force　and　authority？　Suppose　that　the
C/AESAREAN　and　P/OMPEIAN　factions　had；　each　of　them；
claimed　the　victory　in　these　battles；　and　that　the
historians　of　each　party　had　uniformly　ascribed　the
advantage　to　their　own　side；　how　could　mankind；　at　this
distance；　have　been　able　to　determine　between　them？　The
contrariety　is　equally　strong　between　the　miracles　related
by　H/ERODOTUS　or　P/LUTARCH；　and　those　delivered　by
M/ARIANA；　B/EDE；　or　any　monkish　historian。

　　　　　The　wise　lend　a　very　academic　faith　to　every　report
which　favours　the　passion　of　the　reporter；　whether　it
magnifies　his　country；　his　family；　or　himself；　or　in　any
other　way　strikes　in　with　his　natural　inclinations　and
propensities。　But　what　greater　temptation　than　to　appear　a