an enquiry concerning human understanding-第24节

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and　with　the　same　opposition　and　mutual　destruction　of
argument　as　in　every　other　kind　of　evidence。　We　frequently
hesitate　concerning　the　reports　of　others。　We　balance　the
opposite　circumstances；　which　cause　any　doubt　or
uncertainty；　and　when　we　discover　a　superiority　on　any　side；
we　incline　to　it；　but　still　with　a　diminution　of　assurance；
in　proportion　to　the　force　of　its　antagonist。

　　　　　This　contrariety　of　evidence；　in　the　present　case；　may
be　derived　from　several　different　causes；　from　the
opposition　of　contrary　testimony；　from　the　character　or
number　of　the　witnesses；　from　the　manner　of　their　delivering
their　testimony；　or　from　the　union　of　all　these
circumstances。　We　entertain　a　suspicion　concerning　any
matter　of　fact；　when　the　witnesses　contradict　each　other；
when　they　are　but　few；　or　of　a　doubtful　character；　when　they
have　an　interest　in　what　they　affirm；　when　they　deliver
their　testimony　with　hesitation；　or　on　the　contrary；　with
too　violent　asseverations。　There　are　many　other　particulars
of　the　same　kind；　which　may　diminish　or　destroy　the　force　of
any　argument；　derived　from　human　testimony。

　　　　　Suppose；　for　instance；　that　the　fact；　which　the
testimony　endeavours　to　establish；　partakes　of　the
extraordinary　and　the　marvellous；　in　that　case；　the
evidence；　resulting　from　the　testimony；　admits　of　a
diminution；　greater　or　less；　in　proportion　as　the　fact　is
more　or　less　unusual。　The　reason　why　we　place　any　credit　in
witnesses　and　historians；　is　not　derived　from　any
；　which　we　perceive　；　between　testimony
and　reality；　but　because　we　are　accustomed　to　find　a
conformity　between　them。　But　when　the　fact　attested　is　such
a　one　as　has　seldom　fallen　under　our　observation；　here　is　a
contest　of　two　opposite　experiences；　of　which　the　one
destroys　the　other；　as　far　as　its　force　goes；　and　the
superior　can　only　operate　on　the　mind　by　the　force；　which
remains。　The　very　same　principle　of　experience；　which　gives
us　a　certain　degree　of　assurance　in　the　testimony　of
witnesses；　gives　us　also；　in　this　case；　another　degree　of
assurance　against　the　fact；　which　they　endeavour　to
establish；　from　which　contradiction　there　necessarily　arises
a　counterpoize；　and　mutual　destruction　of　belief　and
authority。

　　　　　
C/ATO；　was　a　proverbial　saying　in　R/OME；　even　during　the
lifetime　of　that　philosophical　patriot。＇25＇　The
incredibility　of　a　fact；　it　was　allowed；　might　invalidate　so
great　an　authority。

　　　　　The　I/NDIAN　prince；　who　refused　to　believe　the　first
relations　concerning　the　effects　of　frost；　reasoned　justly；
and　it　naturally　required　very　strong　testimony　to　engage
his　assent　to　facts；　that　arose　from　a　state　of　nature；　with
which　he　was　unacquainted；　and　which　bore　so　little　analogy
to　those　events；　of　which　he　had　had　constant　and　uniform
experience。　Though　they　were　not　contrary　to　his　experience；
they　were　not　conformable　to　it。＇26＇

　　　　　But　in　order　to　encrease　the　probability　against　the
testimony　of　witnesses；　let　us　suppose；　that　the　fact；　which
they　affirm；　instead　of　being　only　marvellous；　is　really
miraculous；　and　suppose　also；　that　the　testimony　considered
apart　and　in　itself；　amounts　to　an　entire　proof；　in　that
case；　there　is　proof　against　proof；　of　which　the　strongest
must　prevail；　but　still　with　a　diminution　of　its　force；　in
proportion　to　that　of　its　antagonist。

　　　　　A　miracle　is　a　violation　of　the　laws　of　nature；　and　as
a　firm　and　unalterable　experience　has　established　these
laws；　the　proof　against　a　miracle；　from　the　very　nature　of
the　fact；　is　as　entire　as　any　argument　from　experience　can
possibly　be　imagined。　Why　is　it　more　than　probable；　that　all
men　must　die；　that　lead　cannot；　of　itself；　remain　suspended
in　the　air；　that　fire　consumes　wood；　and　is　extinguished　by
water；　unless　it　be；　that　these　events　are　found　agreeable
to　the　laws　of　nature；　and　there　is　required　a　violation　of
these　laws；　or　in　other　words；　a　miracle　to　prevent　them？
Nothing　is　esteemed　a　miracle；　if　it　ever　happen　in　the
common　course　of　nature。　It　is　no　miracle　that　a　man；
seemingly　in　good　health；　should　die　on　a　sudden：　Because
such　a　kind　of　death；　though　more　unusual　than　any　other；
has　yet　been　frequently　observed　to　happen。　But　it　is　a
miracle；　that　a　dead　man　should　come　to　life；　because　that
has　never　been　observed　in　any　age　or　country。　There　must；
therefore；　be　a　uniform　experience　against　every　miraculous
event；　otherwise　the　event　would　not　merit　that　appellation。
And　as　a　uniform　experience　amounts　to　a　proof；　there　is
here　a　direct　and　full　；　from　the　nature　of　the　fact；
against　the　existence　of　any　miracle；　nor　can　such　a　proof
be　destroyed；　or　the　miracle　rendered　credible；　but　by　an
opposite　proof；　which　is　superior。＇27＇

　　　　　The　plain　consequence　is　（and　it　is　a　general　maxim
worthy　of　our　attention）；　〃that　no　testimony　is　sufficient
to　establish　a　miracle；　unless　the　testimony　be　of　such　a
kind；　that　its　falsehood　would　be　more　miraculous；　than　the
fact；　which　it　endeavors　to　establish；　and　even　in　that　case
there　is　a　mutual　destruction　of　arguments；　and　the　superior
only　gives　us　an　assurance　suitable　to　that　degree　of　force；
which　remains；　after　deducting　the　inferior。〃　When　anyone
tells　me；　that　he　saw　a　dead　man　restored　to　life；　I
immediately　consider　with　myself；　whether　it　be　more
probable；　that　this　person　should　either　deceive　or　be
deceived；　or　that　the　fact；　which　he　relates；　should　really
have　happened。　I　weigh　the　one　miracle　against　the　other；
and　according　to　the　superiority；　which　I　discover；　I
pronounce　my　decision；　and　always　reject　the　greater
miracle。　If　the　falsehood　of　his　testimony　would　be　more
miraculous；　than　the　event　which　he　relates；　then；　and　not
till　then；　can　he　pretend　to　command　my　belief　or　opinion。

PART　II。

　　　　　I/N　the　foregoing　reasoning　we　have　supposed；　that　the
testimony；　upon　which　a　miracle　is　founded；　may　possibly
amount　to　an　entire　proof；　and　that　the　falsehood　of　that
testimony　would　be　a　real　prodigy：　But　it　is　easy　to　shew；
that　we　have　been　a　great　deal　too　liberal　in　our
concession；　and　that　there　never　was　a　miraculous　event
established　on　so　full　an　evidence。

　　　　　For　；　there　is　not　to　be　found；　in　all　history；
any　miracle　attested　by　a　sufficient　number　of　men；　of　such
unquestioned　good…sense；　education；　and　learning；　as　to
secure　us　against　all　delusion　in　themselves；　of　such
undoubted　integrity；　as　to　place　them　beyond　all　suspicion
of　any　design　to　deceive　others；　of　such　credit　and
reputation　in　the　eyes　of　mankind；　as　to　have　a　great　deal
to　lose　in　case　of　their　being　detected　in　any　falsehood；
and　at　the　same　time；　attesting　facts　performed　in　such　a
public　manner　and　in　so　celebrated　a　part　of　the　world；　as
to　render　the　detection　unavoidable：　All　which　circumstances
are　requisite　to　give　us　a　full　assurance　in　the　testimony
of　men。

　　　　　。　We　may　observe　in　human　nature　a　principle
which；　if　strictly　examined；　will　be　found　to　diminish
extremely　the　assurance；　which　we　might；　from　human
testimony；　have　in　any　kind　of　prodigy。　The　maxim；　by　which
we　commonly　conduct　ourselves　in　our　reasonings；　is；　that
the　objects；　of　which　we　have　no　experience；　resembles
those；　of　which　we　have；　that　what　we　have　found　to　be　most
usual　is　always　most　probable；　and　that　where　there　is　an
opposition　of　arguments；　we　ought　to　give　the　preference　to
such　as　are　founded　on　the　greatest　number　of　past
observations。　But　though；　in　proceeding　by　this　rule；　we
readily　reject　any　fact　which　is　unusual　and　incredible　in
an　ordinary　degree；　yet　in　advancing　farther；　the　mind
observes　not　always　the　same　rule；　but　when　any　thing　is
affirmed　utterly　absurd　and　miraculous；　it　rather　the　more
readily　admits　of　such　a　fact；　upon　account　of　that　very
circumstance；　which　ought　to　destroy　all　its　authority。　The
passion　of　　and　；　arising　from　miracles；
being　an　agreeable　emotion；　gives　a　sensible　tendency
towards　the　belief　of　those　events；　from　which　it　is
derived。　And　this　goes　so　far；　that　even　those　who　cannot
enjoy　this　pleasure　immediately；　nor　can　believe　those
miraculous　events；　of　which　they　are　informed；　yet　love　to
partake　of　the　satisfaction　at　second…hand　or　by　rebound；
and　place　a　pride　and　delight　in　exciting　the　admiration　of
others。

　　　　　With　what　greediness　are　the　miraculous　accounts　of
travellers　received；　their　descriptions　of　sea　and　land
monsters；　their　relations　of　wonderful　adventures；　strange
men；　and　uncouth　manners？　But　if　the　spirit　of　religion　join
itself　to　the　love　of　wonder；　there　is　an　end　of　common
sense；　and　human　testimony；　in　these　circumstances；　loses
all　pretensions　to　authority。　A　religionist　may　be　an
enthusiast；　and　imagine　he　sees　what　has　no　reality：　He　may
know　his　narrative　to　be　false；　and　yet　persevere　in　it；
with　the　best　intentions　in　the　world；　for　the　sake　of
promoting　so　holy　a　cause：　Or　even　where　this　delusion　has
not　place；　vanity；　excited　by　so　strong　a　temptation；
operates　on　him　more　powerfully　than　on　the　rest　of　mankind
in　any　other　circumstances；　and　self…inte