an enquiry concerning human understanding-第26节

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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
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