But to show you still more inconveniences, continued PHILO, in your Anthropomorphism, please to take a new survey of your principles. Like effects prove like causes. This is the experimental argument; and this, you say too, is the sole theological argument. Now, it is certain, that the liker the effects are which are seen, and the liker the causes which are inferred, the stronger is the argument. Every departure on either side diminishes the probability, and renders the experiment less conclusive1. You cannot doubt of the principle; neither ought you to reject its consequences.
All the new discoveries in astronomy, which prove the immense grandeur2 and magnificence of the works of Nature, are so many additional arguments for a Deity3, according to the true system of Theism; but, according to your hypothesis of experimental Theism, they become so many objections, by removing the effect still further from all resemblance to the effects of human art and contrivance. For, if LUCRETIUS[Lib. II. 1094], even following the old system of the world, could exclaim,
Quis regere immensi summam, quis habere profundi
Indu manu validas potis est moderanter habenas?
Quis pariter coelos omnes convertere? et omnes
Ignibus aetheriis terras suffire feraces?
Omnibus inque locis esse omni tempore praesto?
If TULLY [De. nat. Deor. Lib. I] esteemed4 this reasoning so natural, as to put it into the mouth of his EPICUREAN:
"Quibus enim oculis animi intueri potuit vester Plato fabricam illam tanti operis, qua construi a Deo atque aedificari mundum facit? quae molitio? quae ferramenta? qui vectes? quae machinae? qui ministri tanti muneris fuerunt? quemadmodum autem obedire et parere voluntati architecti aer, ignis, aqua, terra potuerunt?"
If this argument, I say, had any force in former ages, how much greater must it have at present, when the bounds of Nature are so infinitely5 enlarged, and such a magnificent scene is opened to us? It is still more unreasonable6 to form our idea of so unlimited7 a cause from our experience of the narrow productions of human design and invention.
The discoveries by microscopes, as they open a new universe in miniature, are still objections, according to you, arguments, according to me. The further we push our researches of this kind, we are still led to infer the universal cause of all to be vastly different from mankind, or from any object of human experience and observation.
And what say you to the discoveries in anatomy8, chemistry, botany? . . . These surely are no objections, replied CLEANTHES; they only discover new instances of art and contrivance. It is still the image of mind reflected on us from innumerable objects. Add, a mind like the human, said PHILO. I know of no other, replied CLEANTHES. And the liker the better, insisted PHILO. To be sure, said CLEANTHES.
Now, CLEANTHES, said PHILO, with an air of alacrity9 and triumph, mark the consequences. First, By this method of reasoning, you renounce10 all claim to infinity11 in any of the attributes of the Deity. For, as the cause ought only to be proportioned to the effect, and the effect, so far as it falls under our cognisance, is not infinite; what pretensions12 have we, upon your suppositions, to ascribe that attribute to the Divine Being? You will still insist, that, by removing him so much from all similarity to human creatures, we give in to the most arbitrary hypothesis, and at the same time weaken all proofs of his existence.
Secondly13, You have no reason, on your theory, for ascribing perfection to the Deity, even in his finite capacity, or for supposing him free from every error, mistake, or incoherence, in his undertakings14. There are many inexplicable15 difficulties in the works of Nature, which, if we allow a perfect author to be proved a priori, are easily solved, and become only seeming difficulties, from the narrow capacity of man, who cannot trace infinite relations. But according to your method of reasoning, these difficulties become all real; and perhaps will be insisted on, as new instances of likeness16 to human art and contrivance. At least, you must acknowledge, that it is impossible for us to tell, from our limited views, whether this system contains any great faults, or deserves any considerable praise, if compared to other possible, and even real systems. Could a peasant, if the Aeneid were read to him, pronounce that poem to be absolutely faultless, or even assign to it its proper rank among the productions of human wit, he, who had never seen any other production?
But were this world ever so perfect a production, it must still remain uncertain, whether all the excellences17 of the work can justly be ascribed to the workman. If we survey a ship, what an exalted18 idea must we form of the ingenuity19 of the carpenter who framed so complicated, useful, and beautiful a machine? And what surprise must we feel, when we find him a stupid mechanic, who imitated others, and copied an art, which, through a long succession of ages, after multiplied trials, mistakes, corrections, deliberations, and controversies20, had been gradually improving? Many worlds might have been botched and bungled21, throughout an eternity22, ere this system was struck out; much labour lost, many fruitless trials made; and a slow, but continued improvement carried on during infinite ages in the art of world-making. In such subjects, who can determine, where the truth; nay23, who can conjecture24 where the probability lies, amidst a great number of hypotheses which may be proposed, and a still greater which may be imagined?
And what shadow of an argument, continued PHILO, can you produce, from your hypothesis, to prove the unity25 of the Deity? A great number of men join in building a house or ship, in rearing a city, in framing a commonwealth26; why may not several deities27 combine in contriving28 and framing a world? This is only so much greater similarity to human affairs. By sharing the work among several, we may so much further limit the attributes of each, and get rid of that extensive power and knowledge, which must be supposed in one deity, and which, according to you, can only serve to weaken the proof of his existence. And if such foolish, such vicious creatures as man, can yet often unite in framing and executing one plan, how much more those deities or demons29, whom we may suppose several degrees more perfect!
To multiply causes without necessity, is indeed contrary to true philosophy: but this principle applies not to the present case. Were one deity antecedently proved by your theory, who were possessed30 of every attribute requisite31 to the production of the universe; it would be needless, I own, (though not absurd,) to suppose any other deity existent. But while it is still a question, Whether all these attributes are united in one subject, or dispersed32 among several independent beings, by what phenomena33 in nature can we pretend to decide the controversy34? Where we see a body raised in a scale, we are sure that there is in the opposite scale, however concealed35 from sight, some counterpoising weight equal to it; but it is still allowed to doubt, whether that weight be an aggregate36 of several distinct bodies, or one uniform united mass. And if the weight requisite very much exceeds any thing which we have ever seen conjoined in any single body, the former supposition becomes still more probable and natural. An intelligent being of such vast power and capacity as is necessary to produce the universe, or, to speak in the language of ancient philosophy, so prodigious37 an animal exceeds all analogy, and even comprehension.
But further, CLEANTHES: men are mortal, and renew their species by generation; and this is common to all living creatures. The two great sexes of male and female, says MILTON, animate38 the world. Why must this circumstance, so universal, so essential, be excluded from those numerous and limited deities? Behold39, then, the theogony of ancient times brought back upon us.
And why not become a perfect Anthropomorphite? Why not assert the deity or deities to be corporeal40, and to have eyes, a nose, mouth, ears, &c.? EPICURUS maintained, that no man had ever seen reason but in a human figure; therefore the gods must have a human figure. And this argument, which is deservedly so much ridiculed41 by CICERO, becomes, according to you, solid and philosophical42.
In a word, CLEANTHES, a man who follows your hypothesis is able perhaps to assert, or conjecture, that the universe, sometime, arose from something like design: but beyond that position he cannot ascertain43 one single circumstance; and is left afterwards to fix every point of his theology by the utmost license44 of fancy and hypothesis. This world, for aught he knows, is very faulty and imperfect, compared to a superior standard; and was only the first rude essay of some infant deity, who afterwards abandoned it, ashamed of his lame45 performance: it is the work only of some dependent, inferior deity; and is the object of derision to his superiors: it is the production of old age and dotage46 in some superannuated47 deity; and ever since his death, has run on at adventures, from the first impulse and active force which it received from him. You justly give signs of horror, DEMEA, at these strange suppositions; but these, and a thousand more of the same kind, are CLEANTHES's suppositions, not mine. From the moment the attributes of the Deity are supposed finite, all these have place. And I cannot, for my part, think that so wild and unsettled a system of theology is, in any respect, preferable to none at all.
These suppositions I absolutely disown, cried CLEANTHES: they strike me, however, with no horror, especially when proposed in that rambling48 way in which they drop from you. On the contrary, they give me pleasure, when I see, that, by the utmost indulgence of your imagination, you never get rid of the hypothesis of design in the universe, but are obliged at every turn to have recourse to it. To this concession49 I adhere steadily50; and this I regard as a sufficient foundation for religion.
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1
conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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6
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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7
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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8
anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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9
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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10
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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11
infinity
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| n.无限，无穷，大量 | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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13
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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14
undertakings
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| 企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务 | |
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15
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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16
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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17
excellences
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| n.卓越( excellence的名词复数 )；（只用于所修饰的名词后）杰出的；卓越的；出类拔萃的 | |
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18
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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19
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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20
controversies
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| 争论 | |
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21
bungled
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| v.搞糟，完不成( bungle的过去式和过去分词 )；笨手笨脚地做；失败；完不成 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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23
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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24
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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25
unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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26
commonwealth
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| n.共和国，联邦，共同体 | |
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27
deities
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| n.神，女神( deity的名词复数 )；神祗；神灵；神明 | |
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28
contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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29
demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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30
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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31
requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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32
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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33
phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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34
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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35
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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36
aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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37
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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38
animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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40
corporeal
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| adj.肉体的，身体的；物质的 | |
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41
ridiculed
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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43
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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44
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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45
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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46
dotage
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| n.年老体衰；年老昏聩 | |
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47
superannuated
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| adj.老朽的，退休的；v.因落后于时代而废除，勒令退学 | |
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48
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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49
concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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50
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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