a vindication of the rights of woman-第52节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


gregious　folly　of　desiring　to　know　what　the　Supreme　Wisdom　has　concealed。　Probably　you　would　not　understand　me；　were　I　to　attempt　to　show　you　that　it　would　be　absolutely　inconsistent　with　the　grand　purpose　of　life；　that　of　rendering　human　creatures　wise　and　virtuous：　　and　that；　were　it　sanctioned　by　God；　it　would　disturb　the　order　established　in　creation；　and　if　it　be　not　sanctioned　by　God；　do　you　expect　to　hear　truth？　　Can　events　be　foretold；　events　which　have　not　yet　assumed　a　body　to　become　subject　to　mortal　inspection；　can　they　be　foreseen　by　a　vicious　worldling；　who　pampers　his　appetites　by　preying　on　the　foolish　ones？　Perhaps；　however；　you　devoutly　believe　in　the　devil；　and　imagine；　to　shift　the　question；　that　he　may　assist　his　votaries？　but　if　really　respecting　the　power　of　such　a　being；　an　enemy　to　goodness　and　to　God；　can　you　go　to　church　after　having　been　under　such　an　obligation　to　him。　　From　these　delusions　to　those　still　more　fashionable　deceptions；　practised　by　the　whole　tribe　of　magnetisers；　the　transition　is　very　natural。　　With　respect　to　them；　it　is　equally　proper　to　ask　women　a　few　questions。　Do　you　know　any　thing　of　the　construction　of　the　human　frame？　　If　not；　it　is　proper　that　you　should　be　told；　what　every　child　ought　to　know；　that　when　its　admirable　economy　has　been　disturbed　by　intemperance　or　indolence；　I　speak　not　of　violent　disorders；　but　of　chronical　diseases；　it　must　be　brought　into　a　healthy　state　again　by　slow　degrees；　and　if　the　functions　of　life　have　not　been　materially　injured；　regimen；　another　word　for　temperance；　air；　exercise；　and　a　few　medicines　prescribed　by　persons　who　have　studied　the　human　body；　are　the　only　human　means；　yet　discovered；　of　recovering　that　inestimable　blessing　health；　that　will　bear　investigation。　Do　you　then　believe；　that　these　magnetisers；　who；　by　hocus　pocus　tricks；　pretend；　to　work　a　miracle；　are　delegated　by　God；　or　assisted　by　the　solver　of　all　these　kind　of　difficultiesthe　devil。　Do　they；　when　they　put　to　flight；　as　it　is　said；　disorders　that　have　baffled　the　powers　of　medicine；　work　in　conformity　to　the　light　of　reason？　Or　do　they　effect　these　wonderful　cures　by　supernatural　aid？　By　a　communication；　an　adept　may　answer；　with　the　world　of　spirits。　A　noble　privilege；　it　must　be　allowed。　　Some　of　the　ancients　mention　familiar　demons；　who　guarded　them　from　danger；　by　kindly　intimating　（we　cannot　guess　in　what　manner；）　when　any　danger　was　nigh；　or　pointed　out　what　they　ought　to　undertake。　　Yet　the　men　who　laid　claim　to　this　privilege；　out　of　the　order　of　nature；　insisted；　that　it　was　the　reward　or　consequence　of　superior　temperance　and　piety。　　But　the　present　workers　of　wonders　are　not　raised　above　their　fellows　by　superior　temperance　or　sanctity。　　They　do　not　cure　for　the　love　of　God；　but　money。　　These　are　the　priests　of　quackery；　though　it　be　true　they　have　not　the　convenient　expedient　of　selling　masses　for　souls　in　purgatory；　nor　churches；　where　they　can　display　crutches；　and　models　of　limbs　made　sound　by　a　touch　or　a　word。　I　am　not　conversant　with　the　technical　terms；　nor　initiated　into　the　arcana；　therefore　I　may　speak　improperly；　but　it　is　clear；　that　men　who　will　not　conform　to　the　law　of　reason；　and　earn　a　subsistence　in　an　honest　way；　by　degrees；　are　very　fortunate　in　becoming　acquainted　with　such　obliging　spirits。　　We　cannot；　indeed；　give　them　credit　for　either　great　sagacity　or　goodness；　else　they　would　have　chosen　more　noble　instruments；　when　they　wished　to　show　themselves　the　benevolent　friends　of　man。　It　is；　however；　little　short　of　blasphemy　to　pretend　to　such　power。　》From　the　whole　tenor　of　the　dispensations　of　Providence；　it　appears　evident　to　sober　reason；　that　certain　vices　produce　certain　effects：　and　can　any　one　so　grossly　insult　the　wisdom　of　God；　as　to　suppose；　that　a　miracle　will　be　allowed　to　disturb　his　general　laws；　to　restore　to　health　the　intemperate　and　vicious；　merely　to　enable　them　to　pursue　the　same　course　with　impunity？　　Be　whole；　and　sin　no　more；　said　Jesus。　　And　are　greater　miracles　to　be　performed　by　those　who　do　not　follow　his　footsteps；　who　healed　the　body　to　reach　the　mind？　The　mentioning　of　the　name　of　Christ；　after　such　vile　impostors　may　displease　some　of　my　readersI　respect　their　warmth；　but　let　them　not　forget；　that　the　followers　of　these　delusions　bear　his　name；　and　profess　to　be　the　disciples　of　him；　who　said；　by　their　works　we　should　know　who　were　the　children　of　God　or　the　servants　of　sin。　　I　allow　that　it　is　easier　to　touch　the　body　of　a　saint；　or　to　be　magnetised；　than　to　restrain　our　appetites　or　govern　our　passions；　but　health　of　body　or　mind　can　only　be　recovered　by　these　means；　or　we　make　the　Supreme　Judge　partial　and　revengeful。　Is　he　a　man；　that　he　should　change；　or　punish　out　of　resentment？　Hethe　common　father；　wounds　but　to　heal；　says　reason；　and　our　irregularities　producing　certain　consequences；　we　are　forcibly　shown　the　nature　of　vice；　that　thus　learning　to　know　good　from　evil；　by　experience；　we　may　hate　one　and　love　the　other；　in　proportion　to　the　wisdom　which　we　attain。　　The　poison　contains　the　antidote；　and　we　either　reform　our　evil　habits；　and　cease　to　sin　against　our　own　bodies；　to　use　the　forcible　language　of　scripture；　or　a　premature　death；　the　punishment　of　sin；　snaps　the　thread　of　life。　Here　an　awful　stop　is　put　to　our　inquiries。　　But；　why　should　I　conceal　my　sentiments？　　Considering　the　attributes　of　God；　I　believe；　that　whatever　punishment　may　follow；　will　tend；　like　the　anguish　of　disease；　to　show　the　malignity　of　vice；　for　the　purpose　of　reformation。　　Positive　punishment　appears　so　contrary　to　the　nature　of　God；　discoverable　in　all　his　works；　and　in　our　own　reason；　that　I　could　sooner　believe　that　the　Deity　paid　no　attention　to　the　conduct　of　men；　than　that　he　punished　without　the　benevolent　design　of　reforming。　To　suppose　only；　that　an　all…wise　and　powerful　Being；　as　good　as　he　is　great；　should　create　a　being；　foreseeing；　that　after　fifty　or　sixty　years　of　feverish　existence；　it　would　be　plunged　into　never　ending　woeis　blasphemy。　　On　what　will　the　worm　feed　that　is　never　to　die？　　On　folly；　on　ignorance；　say　yeI　should　blush　indignantly　at　drawing　the　natural　conclusion；　could　I　insert　it；　and　wish　to　withdraw　myself　from　the　wing　of　my　God！　　On　such　a　supposition；　I　speak　with　reverence；　he　would　be　a　consuming　fire。　　We　should　wish；　though　vainly；　to　fly　from　his　presence　when　fear　absorbed　love；　and　darkness　involved　all　his　counsels。　I　know　that　many　devout　people　boast　of　submitting　to　the　Will　of　God　blindly；　as　to　an　arbitrary　sceptre　or　rod；　on　the　same　principle　as　the　Indians　worship　the　devil。　　In　other　words；　like　people　in　the　common　concerns　of　life；　they　do　homage　to　power；　and　cringe　under　the　foot　that　can　crush　them。　　Rational　religion；　on　the　contrary；　is　a　submission　to　the　will　of　a　being　so　perfectly　wise；　that　all　he　wills　must　be　directed　by　the　proper　motivemust　be　reasonable。　And；　if　thus　we　respect　God；　can　we　give　credit　to　the　mysterious　insinuations　which　insult　his　laws？　　Can　we　believe；　though　it　should　stare　us　in　the　face；　that　he　would　work　a　miracle　to　authorize　confusion　by　sanctioning　an　error？　　Yet　we　must　either　allow　these　impious　conclusions；　or　treat　with　contempt　every　promise　to　restore　health　to　a　diseased　body　by　supernatural　means；　or　to　foretell；　the　incidents　that　can　only　be　foreseen　by　God。　SECTION　13。2。　Another　instance　of　that　feminine　weakness　of　character；　often　produced　by　a　confined　education；　is　a　romantic　twist　of　the　mind；　which　has　been　very　properly　termed　SENTIMENTAL。　Women；　subjected　by　ignorance　to　their　sensations；　and　only　taught　to　look　for　happiness　in　love；　refine　on　sensual　feelings；　and　adopt　metaphysical　notions　respecting　that　passion；　which　lead　them　shamefully　to　neglect　the　duties　of　life；　and　frequently　in　the　midst　of　these　sublime　refinements　they　plunge　into　actual　vice。　These　are　the　women　who　are　amused　by　the　reveries　of　the　stupid　novelists；　who；　knowing　little　of　human　nature；　work　up　stale　tales；　and　describe　meretricious　scenes；　all　retailed　in　a　sentimental　jargon；　which　equally　tend　to　corrupt　the　taste；　and　draw　the　heart　aside　from　its　daily　duties。　　I　do　not　mention　the　understanding；　because　never　having　been　exercised；　its　slumbering　energies　rest　inactive；　like　the　lurking　particles　of　fire　which　are　supposed　universally　to　pervade　matter。　Females；　in　fact；　denied　all　political　privileges；　and　not　allowed；　as　married　women；　excepting　in　criminal　cases；　a　civil　existence；　have　their　attention　naturally　drawn　from　the　interest　of　the　whole　community　to　that　of　the　minute　parts；　though　the　private　duty　of　any　member　of　society　must　be　very　imperfectly　performed；　when　not　connected　with　the　general　good。　　The　mighty　business　of　female　life　is　to　please；　and；　restrained　from　entering　into　more　important　concerns　by　political　and　civil　oppression；　sentiments　become　events；　and　reflection　deepens　what　it　should；　and　would　have　effaced；　if　the　understanding　had　been　allowed　to　take　a　wider　range。　But；　confined　to　trifling　employments；　they　naturally　imbibe　opinions　which　the　only　kind　of　reading　calculated　to　interest　an　innocent　frivolous　mind；　inspires。　　Unable　to　grasp　any　thing　great；　is　it　surprising　that　they　fin