an enquiry concerning human understanding-第22章

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other　way　strikes　in　with　his　natural　inclinations　and
propensities。　But　what　greater　temptation　than　to　appear　a
missionary；　a　prophet；　an　ambassador　from　heaven？　Who　would
not　encounter　many　dangers　and　difficulties；　in　order　to
attain　so　sublime　a　character？　Or　if；　by　the　help　of　vanity
and　a　heated　imagination；　a　man　has　first　made　a　convert　of
himself；　and　entered　seriously　into　the　delusion；　who　ever
scruples　to　make　use　of　pious　frauds；　in　support　of　so　holy
and　meritorious　a　cause？

　　　　　The　smallest　spark　may　here　kindle　into　the　greatest
flame；　because　the　materials　are　always　prepared　for　it。　The
；＇31＇　the　gazing　populace；　receive
greedily；　without　examination；　whatever　sooths　superstition；
and　promotes　wonder。

　　　　　How　many　stories　of　this　nature　have；　in　all　ages；　been
detected　and　exploded　in　their　infancy？　How　many　more　have
been　celebrated　for　a　time；　and　have　afterwards　sunk　into
neglect　and　oblivion？　Where　such　reports；　therefore；　fly
about；　the　solution　of　the　phenomenon　is　obvious；　and　we
judge　in　conformity　to　regular　experience　and　observation；
when　we　account　for　it　by　the　known　and　natural　principles
of　credulity　and　delusion。　And　shall　we；　rather　than　have　a
recourse　to　so　natural　a　solution；　allow　of　a　miraculous
violation　of　the　most　established　laws　of　nature？

　　　　　I　need　not　mention　the　difficulty　of　detecting　a
falsehood　in　any　private　or　even　public　history；　at　the
place；　where　it　is　said　to　happen；　much　more　when　the　scene
is　removed　to　ever　so　small　a　distance。　Even　a　court　of
judicature；　with　all　the　authority；　accuracy；　and　judgement；
which　they　can　employ；　find　themselves　often　at　a　loss　to
distinguish　between　truth　and　falsehood　in　the　most　recent
actions。　But　the　matter　never　comes　to　any　issue；　if　trusted
to　the　common　method　of　altercations　and　debate　and　flying
rumours；　especially　when　men's　passions　have　taken　part　on
either　side。

　　　　　In　the　infancy　of　new　religions；　the　wise　and　learned
commonly　esteem　the　matter　too　inconsiderable　to　deserve
their　attention　or　regard。　And　when　afterwards　they　would
willingly　detect　the　cheat　in　order　to　undeceive　the　deluded
multitude；　the　season　is　now　past；　and　the　records　and
witnesses；　which　might　clear　up　the　matter；　have　perished
beyond　recovery。

　　　　　No　means　of　detection　remain；　but　those　which　must　be
drawn　from　the　very　testimony　itself　of　the　reporters：　And
these；　though　always　sufficient　with　the　judicious　and
knowing；　are　commonly　too　fine　to　fall　under　the
comprehension　of　the　vulgar。

　　　　　Upon　the　whole；　then；　it　appears；　that　no　testimony　for
any　kind　of　miracle　has　ever　amounted　to　a　probability；　much
less　to　a　proof；　and　that；　even　supposing　it　amounted　to　a
proof；　it　would　be　opposed　by　another　proof；　derived　from
the　very　nature　of　the　fact；　which　it　would　endeavour　to
establish。　It　is　experience　only；　which　gives　authority　to
human　testimony；　and　it　is　the　same　experience；　which
assures　us　of　the　laws　of　nature。　When；　therefore；　these　two
kinds　of　experience　are　contrary；　we　have　nothing　to　do　but
subtract　the　one　from　the　other；　and　embrace　an　opinion；
either　on　one　side　or　the　other；　with　that　assurance　which
arises　from　the　remainder。　But　according　to　the　principle
here　explained；　this　subtraction；　with　regard　to　all　popular
religions；　amounts　to　an　entire　annihilation；　and　therefore
we　may　establish　it　as　a　maxim；　that　no　human　testimony　can
have　such　force　as　to　prove　a　miracle；　and　make　it　a　just
foundation　for　any　such　system　of　religion。

　　　　　I　beg　the　limitations　here　made　may　be　remarked；　when　I
say；　that　a　miracle　can　never　be　proved；　so　as　to　be　the
foundation　of　a　system　of　religion。　For　I　own；　that
otherwise；　there　may　possibly　be　miracles；　or　violations　of
the　usual　course　of　nature；　of　such　a　kind　as　to　admit　of
proof　from　human　testimony；　though；　perhaps；　it　will　be
impossible　to　find　any　such　in　all　the　records　of　history。
Thus；　suppose；　all　authors；　in　all　languages；　agree；　that；
from　the　first　of　J/ANUARY；　1600；　there　was　a　total
darkness　over　the　whole　earth　for　eight　days：　Suppose　that
the　tradition　of　this　extraordinary　event　is　still　strong
and　lively　among　the　people：　That　all　travellers；　who　return
from　foreign　countries；　bring　us　accounts　of　the　same
tradition；　without　the　least　variation　or　contradiction：　It
is　evident；　that　our　present　philosophers；　instead　of
doubting　the　fact；　ought　to　receive　it　as　certain；　and　ought
to　search　for　the　causes　whence　it　might　be　derived。　The
decay；　corruption；　and　dissolution　of　nature；　is　an　event
rendered　probable　by　so　many　analogies；　that　any　phenomenon；
which　seems　to　have　a　tendency　towards　that　catastrophe；
comes　within　the　reach　of　human　testimony；　if　that　testimony
be　very　extensive　and　uniform。

　　　　　But　suppose；　that　all　the　historians　who　treat　of
E/NGLAND；　should　agree；　that；　on　the　first　of　J/ANUARY；
1600；　Queen　E/LIZABETH　died；　that　both　before　and　after　her
death　she　was　seen　by　her　physicians　and　the　whole　court；　as
is　usual　with　persons　of　her　rank；　that　her　successor　was
acknowledged　and　proclaimed　by　the　parliament；　and　that；
after　being　interred　a　month；　she　again　appeared；　resumed
the　throne；　and　governed　E/NGLAND　for　three　years：　I　must
confess　that　I　should　be　surprised　at　the　concurrence　of　so
many　odd　circumstances；　but　should　not　have　the　least
inclination　to　believe　so　miraculous　an　event。　I　should　not
doubt　of　her　pretended　death；　and　of　those　other　public
circumstances　that　followed　it：　I　should　only　assert　it　to
have　been　pretended；　and　that　it　neither　was；　nor　possibly
could　be　real。　You　would　in　vain　object　to　me　the
difficulty；　and　almost　impossibility　of　deceiving　the　world
in　an　affair　of　such　consequence；　the　wisdom　and　solid
judgment　of　that　renowned　queen；　with　the　little　or　no
advantage　which　she　could　reap　from　so　poor　an　artifice：　All
this　might　astonish　me；　but　I　would　still　reply；　that　the
knavery　and　folly　of　men　are　such　common　phenomena；　that　I
should　rather　believe　the　most　extraordinary　events　to　arise
from　their　concurrence；　than　admit　of　so　signal　a　violation
of　the　laws　of　nature。

　　　　　But　should　this　miracle　be　ascribed　to　any　new　system
of　religion；　men；　in　all　ages；　have　been　so　much　imposed　on
by　ridiculous　stories　of　that　kind；　that　this　very
circumstance　would　be　a　full　proof　of　a　cheat；　and
sufficient；　with　all　men　of　sense；　not　only　to　make　them
reject　the　fact；　but　even　reject　it　without　farther
examination。　Though　the　Being　to　whom　the　miracle　is
ascribed；　be；　in　this　case；　Almighty；　it　does　not；　upon　that
account；　become　a　whit　more　probable；　since　it　is　impossible
for　us　to　know　the　attributes　or　actions　of　such　a　Being；
otherwise　than　from　the　experience　which　we　have　of　his
productions；　in　the　usual　course　of　nature。　This　still
reduces　us　to　past　observation；　and　obliges　us　to　compare
the　instances　of　the　violation　of　truth　in　the　testimony　of
men；　with　those　of　the　violation　of　the　laws　of　nature　by
miracles；　in　order　to　judge　which　of　them　is　most　likely　and
probable。　As　the　violations　of　truth　are　more　common　in　the
testimony　concerning　religious　miracles；　than　in　that
concerning　any　other　matter　of　fact；　this　must　diminish　very
much　the　authority　of　the　former　testimony；　and　make　us　form
a　general　resolution；　never　to　lend　any　attention　to　it；
with　whatever　specious　pretence　it　may　be　covered。

　　　　　Lord　B/ACON　seems　to　have　embraced　the　same　principles
of　reasoning。　〃We　ought；〃　says　he；　〃to　make　a　collection　or
particular　history　of　all　monsters　and　prodigious　births　or
productions；　and　in　a　word　of　every　thing　new；　rare；　and
extraordinary　in　nature。　But　this　must　be　done　with　the　most
severe　scrutiny；　lest　we　depart　from　truth。　Above　all；　every
relation　must　be　considered　as　suspicious；　which　depends　in
any　degree　upon　religion；　as　the　prodigies　of　L/IVY：　And　no
less　so；　everything　that　is　to　be　found　in　the　writers　of
natural　magic　or　alchimy；　or　such　authors；　who　seem；　all　of
them；　to　have　an　unconquerable　appetite　for　falsehood　and
fable。〃＇32＇

　　　　　I　am　the　better　pleased　with　the　method　of　reasoning
here　delivered；　as　I　think　it　may　serve　to　confound　those
dangerous　friends　or　disguised　enemies　to　the　；　who　have　undertaken　to　defend　it　by　the
principles　of　human　reason。　Our　most　holy　religion　is
founded　on　；　not　on　reason；　and　it　is　a　sure　method
of　exposing　it　to　put　it　to　such　a　trial　as　it　is；　by　no
means；　fitted　to　endure。　To　make　this　more　evident；　let　us
examine　those　miracles；　related　in　scripture；　and　not　to
lose　ourselves　in　too　wide　a　field；　let　us　confine　ourselves
to　such　as　we　find　in　the　；　which　we　shall
examine；　according　to　the　principles　of　these　pretended
Christians；　not　as　the　word　or　testimony　of　God　himself；　but
as　the　production　of　a　mere　human　writer　and　historian。　Here
then　we　are　first　to　consider　a　book；　presented　to　us　by　a
barbarous　and　ignorant　people；　written　in　an　age　when　they
were　still　more　barbarous；　and　in　all　probability　long　after
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　latel