an enquiry concerning human understanding-第25节

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operates　on　him　more　powerfully　than　on　the　rest　of　mankind
in　any　other　circumstances；　and　self…interest　with　equal
force。　His　auditors　may　not　have；　and　commonly　have　not；
sufficient　judgement　to　canvass　his　evidence：　What　judgement
they　have；　they　renounce　by　principle；　in　these　sublime　and
mysterious　subjects：　Or　if　they　were　ever　so　willing　to
employ　it；　passion　and　a　heated　imagination　disturb　the
regularity　of　its　operations。　Their　credulity　increases　his
impudence：　And　his　impudence　overpowers　their　credulity。

　　　　　Eloquence；　when　at　its　highest　pitch；　leaves　little
room　for　reason　or　reflection；　but　addressing　itself
entirely　to　the　fancy　or　the　affections；　captivates　the
willing　hearers；　and　subdues　their　understanding。　Happily；
this　pitch　it　seldom　attains。　But　what　a　T/ULLY　or　a
D/EMOSTHENES　could　scarcely　effect　over　a　R/OMAN　or
A/THENIAN　audience；　every　；　every　itinerant　or
stationary　teacher　can　perform　over　the　generality　of
mankind；　and　in　a　higher　degree；　by　touching　such　gross　and
vulgar　passions。

　　　　　The　many　instances　of　forged　miracles；　and　prophecies；
and　supernatural　events；　which；　in　all　ages；　have　either
been　detected　by　contrary　evidence；　or　which　detect
themselves　by　their　absurdity；　prove　sufficiently　the　strong
propensity　of　mankind　to　the　extraordinary　and　the
marvellous；　and　ought　reasonably　to　beget　a　suspicion
against　all　relations　of　this　kind。　This　is　our　natural　way
of　thinking；　even　with　regard　to　the　most　common　and　most
credible　events。　For　instance：　There　is　no　kind　of　report
which　rises　so　easily；　and　spreads　so　quickly；　especially　in
country　places　and　provincial　towns；　as　those　concerning
marriages；　insomuch　that　two　young　persons　of　equal
condition　never　see　each　other　twice；　but　the　whole
neighbourhood　immediately　join　them　together。　The　pleasure
of　telling　a　piece　of　news　so　interesting；　of　propagating
it；　and　of　being　the　first　reporters　of　it；　spreads　the
intelligence。　And　this　is　so　well　known；　that　no　man　of
sense　gives　attention　to　these　reports；　till　he　find　them
confirmed　by　some　greater　evidence。　Do　not　the　same
passions；　and　others　still　stronger；　incline　the　generality
of　mankind　to　believe　and　report；　with　the　greatest
vehemence　and　assurance；　all　religious　miracles？

　　　　　。　It　forms　a　strong　presumption　against　all
supernatural　and　miraculous　relations；　that　they　are
observed　chiefly　to　abound　among　ignorant　and　barbarous
nations；　or　if　a　civilized　people　has　ever　given　admission
to　any　of　them；　that　people　will　be　found　to　have　received
them　from　ignorant　and　barbarous　ancestors；　who　transmitted
them　with　that　inviolable　sanction　and　authority；　which
always　attend　received　opinions。　When　we　peruse　the　first
histories　of　all　nations；　we　are　apt　to　imagine　ourselves
transported　into　some　new　world；　where　the　whole　frame　of
nature　is　disjointed；　and　every　element　performs　its
operations　in　a　different　manner；　from　what　it　does　at
present。　Battles；　revolutions；　pestilence；　famine　and　death；
are　never　the　effect　of　those　natural　causes；　which　we
experience。　Prodigies；　omens；　oracles；　judgements；　quite
obscure　the　few　natural　events；　that　are　intermingled　with
them。　But　as　the　former　grow　thinner　every　page；　in
proportion　as　we　advance　nearer　the　enlightened　ages；　we
soon　learn；　that　there　is　nothing　mysterious　or　supernatural
in　the　case；　but　that　all　proceeds　from　the　usual　propensity
of　mankind　towards　the　marvellous；　and　that；　though　this
inclination　may　at　intervals　receive　a　check　from　sense　and
learning；　it　can　never　be　thoroughly　extirpated　from　human
nature。

　　　　　；　a　judicious　reader　is　apt　to　say；　upon
the　perusal　of　these　wonderful　historians；　。　But　it　is
nothing　strange；　I　hope；　that　men　should　lie　in　all　ages。
You　must　surely　have　seen　instances　enough　of　that　frailty。
You　have　yourself　heard　many　such　marvellous　relations
started；　which；　being　treated　with　scorn　by　all　the　wise　and
judicious；　have　at　last　been　abandoned　even　by　the　vulgar。
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　Alex