beacon lights of history-iii-2-第61节

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ever　done　more　to　instruct　the　world；to　enable　men　to　rise　not　in

fortune　merely；　but　in　virtue　and　patriotism；　in　those　things　which

are　of　themselves　the　only　reward？　　We　should　consider　these

labors；　as　well　as　the　new　method　he　taught　to　arrive　at　knowledge；

in　our　estimate　of　the　sage　as　well　as　of　the　man。　　He　was　a　moral

philosopher；　like　Socrates。　　He　even　soared　into　the　realm　of

supposititious　truth；　like　Plato。　　He　observed　Nature；　like

Aristotle。　　He　took　away　the　syllogism　from　Thomas　Aquinas；not　to

throw　contempt　on　metaphysical　inquiry　or　dialectical　reasoning；

but　to　arrive　by　a　better　method　at　the　knowledge　of　first

principles；　which　once　established；　he　allowed　deductions　to　be

drawn　from　them；　leading　to　other　truths　as　certainly　as　induction

itself。　　Yea；　he　was　also　a　Moses　on　the　mount　of　Pisgah；　from

which　with　prophetic　eye　he　could　survey　the　promised　land　of

indefinite　wealth　and　boundless　material　prosperity；　which　he　was

not　permitted　to　enter；　but　which　he　had　bequeathed　to

civilization。　　This　may　have　been　his　greatest　gift　in　the　view　of

scientific　men；this　inductive　process　of　reasoning；　by　which

great　discoveries　have　been　made　after　he　was　dead。　　But　this　was

not　his　only　legacy；　for　other　things　which　he　taught　were　as

valuable；　not　merely　in　his　sight；　but　to　the　eye　of　enlightened

reason。　　There　are　other　truths　besides　those　of　physical　science；

there　is　greatness　in　deduction　as　well　as　in　induction。　　Geometry

whose　successive　and　progressive　revelations　are　so　inspiring；　and

which　have　come　down　to　us　from　a　remote　antiquity；　which　are　even

now　taught　in　our　modern　schools　as　Euclid　demonstrated　them；　since

they　cannot　be　improvedis　a　purely　deductive　science。　　The

scholastic　philosophy；　even　if　it　was　barren　and　unfruitful　in

leading　to　new　truths；　yet　confirmed　what　was　valuable　in　the　old

systems；　and　by　the　severity　of　its　logic　and　its　dialectical

subtleties　trained　the　European　mind　for　the　reception　of　the

message　of　Luther　and　Bacon；　and　this　was　based　on　deductions；

never　wrong　unless　the　premises　are　unsound。　　Theology　is　deductive

reasoning　from　truths　assumed　to　be　fundamental；　and　is　inductive

only　so　far　as　it　collates　Scripture　declarations；　and　interprets

their　meaning　by　the　aid　which　learning　brings。　　Is　not　this

science　worthy　of　some　regard？　　Will　it　not　live　when　all　the

speculations　of　evolutionists　are　forgotten；　and　occupy　the

thoughts　of　the　greatest　and　profoundest　minds　so　long　as　anything

shall　be　studied；　so　long　as　the　Bible　shall　be　the　guide　of　life？

Is　it　not　by　deduction　that　we　ascend　from　Nature　herself　to　the

God　of　Nature？　　What　is　more　certain　than　deduction　when　the

principles　from　which　it　reasons　are　indisputably　established？



Is　induction；　great　as　it　is；　especially　in　the　explorations　of

Nature　and　science；　always　certain？　　Are　not　most　of　the　sciences

which　are　based　upon　it　progressive？　　Have　we　yet　learned　the

ultimate　principles　of　political　economy；　or　of　geology；　or　of

government；　or　even　of　art？　　The　theory　of　induction；　though

supposed　by　Dr。　Whewell　to　lead　to　certain　results；　is　regarded　by

Professor　Jevons　as　leading　to　results　only　〃almost　certain。〃　　〃All

inductive　inference　is　merely　probable；〃　says　the　present　professor

of　logic；　Thomas　Fowler；　in　the　University　of　Oxford。



And　although　it　is　supposed　that　the　inductive　method　of　Bacon　has

led　to　the　noblest　discoveries　of　modern　times；　is　this　strictly

true？　　Galileo　made　his　discoveries　in　the　heavens　before　Bacon

died。　　Physical　improvements　must　need　follow　such　inventions　as

gunpowder　and　the　mariners'　compass；　and　printing　and　the　pictures

of　Italy；　and　the　discovery　of　mines　and　the　revived　arts　of　the

Romans　and　Greeks；　and　the　glorious　emancipation　which　the

Reformation　produced。　　Why　should　not　the　modern　races　follow　in

the　track　of　Carthage　and　Alexandria　and　Rome；　with　the　progress　of

wealth；　and　carry　out　inventions　as　those　cities　did；　and　all　other

civilized　peoples　since　Babel　towered　above　the　plains　of　Babylon？

Physical　developments　arise　from　the　developments　of　man；　whatever

method　may　be　recommended　by　philosophers。　　What　philosophical

teachings　led　to　the　machinery　of　the　mines　of　California；　or　to

that　of　the　mills　of　Lowell？　　Some　think　that　our　modern

improvements　would　have　come　whether　Bacon　had　lived　or　not。　　But　I

would　not　disparage　the　labors　of　Bacon　in　pointing　out　the　method

which　leads　to　scientific　discoveries。　　Granting　that　he　sought

merely　utility；　an　improvement　in　the　outward　condition　of　society；

which　is　the　view　that　Macaulay　takes；　I　would　not　underrate　his

legacy。　　And　even　supposing　that　the　blessings　of　material　life

〃the　acre　of　Middlesex〃are　as　much　to　be　desired　as　Macaulay；

with　the　complacency　of　an　eminently　practical　and　prosperous　man；

seems　to　argue；　I　would　not　sneer　at　them。　　Who　does　not　value

them？　　Who　will　not　value　them　so　long　as　our　mortal　bodies　are　to

be　cared　for？　　It　is　a　pleasant　thing　to　ride　in　〃cars　without

horses；〃　to　feel　in　winter　the　genial　warmth　of　grates　and

furnaces；　to　receive　messages　from　distant　friends　in　a　moment　of

time；　to　cross　the　ocean　without　discomfort；　with　the　〃almost

certainty〃　of　safety；　and　save　our　wives　and　daughters　from　the

ancient　drudgeries　of　the　loom　and　the　knitting…needle。　　Who　ever

tires　in　gazing　at　a　locomotive　as　it　whirls　along　with　the　power

of　destiny？　　Who　is　not　astonished　at　the　triumphs　of　the　engineer；

the　wonders　of　an　ocean…steamer；　the　marvellous　tunnels　under　lofty

mountains？　　We　feel　that　Titans　have　been　sent　to　ease　us　of　our

burdens。



But　great　and　beneficent　as　are　these　blessings；　they　are　not　the

only　certitudes；　nor　are　they　the　greatest。　　An　outward　life　of

ease　and　comfort　is　not　the　chief　end　of　man。　　The　interests　of　the

soul　are　more　important　than　any　comforts　of　the　body。　　The　higher

life　is　only　reached　by　lofty　contemplation　on　the　true；　the

beautiful；　and　the　good。　　Subjective　wisdom　is　worth　more　than

objective　knowledge。　　What　are　the　great　realities；machinery；　new

breeds　of　horses；　carpets；　diamonds；　mirrors；　gas？　or　are　they

affections；　friendships；　generous　impulses；　inspiring　thoughts？

Look　to　Socrates：　what　raised　that　barefooted；　ugly…looking；

impecunious；　persecuted；　cross…questioning；　self…constituted

teacher；　without　pay；　to　the　loftiest　pedestal　of　Athenian　fame？

What　was　the　spirit　of　the　truths　HE　taught？　　Was　it　objective　or

subjective　truth；　the　way　to　become　rich　and　comfortable；　or　the

search　for　the　indefinite；　the　infinite；　the　eternal；Utopia；　not

Middlesex；that　which　fed　the　wants　of　the　immaterial　soul；　and

enabled　it　to　rise　above　temptation　and　vulgar　rewards？　　What

raised　Plato　to　the　highest　pinnacle　of　intellectual　life？　　Was　it

definite　and　practical　knowledge　of　outward　phenomena；　or　was　it　〃a

longing　after　love；　in　the　contemplation　of　which　the　mortal　soul

sustains　itself；　and　becomes　participant　in　the　glories　of

immortality〃？　　What　were　realities　to　Anselm；　Bernard；　and

Bonaventura？　　What　gave　beauty　and　placidity　to　Descartes　and

Leibnitz　and　Kant？　　It　may　be　very　dignified　for　a　modern　savant　to

sit　serenely　on　his　tower　of　observation；　indifferent　to　all　the

lofty　speculations　of　the　great　men　of　bygone　ages；　yet　those

profound　questions　pertaining　to　the　＇Greek　text　omitted＇　and　the

＇Greek　text　omitted＇；　which　had　such　attractions　for　Augustine　and

Pascal　and　Calvin；　did　have　as　real　bearing　on　human　life　and　on

what　is　best　worth　knowing；　as　the　scales　of　a　leuciscus　cephalus

or　the　limbs　of　a　magnified　animalculus；　or　any　of　the　facts　of

which　physical　science　can　boast。　　The　wonders　of　science　are

great；　but　so　also　are　the　secrets　of　the　soul；　the　mysteries　of

the　spiritual　life；　the　truths　which　come　from　divine　revelation。

Whatever　most　dignifies　humanity；　and　makes　our　labors　sweet；　and

causes　us　to　forget　our　pains；　and　kindles　us　to　lofty

contemplations；　and　prompts　us　to　heroic　sacrifice；　is　the　most

real　and　the　most　useful。　　Even　the　leaves　of　a　barren　and

neglected　philosophy　may　be　in　some　important　respects　of　more

value　than　all　the　boasted　fruit　of　utilitarian　science。　　Is　that

which　is　most　useful　always　the　most　valuable；that；　I　mean；　which

gives　the　highest　pleasure？　　Do　we　not　plant　our　grounds　with　the

acacia；　the　oak；　the　cedar；　the　elm；　as　well　as　with　the　apple；　the

pear；　and　the　cherry？　　Are　not　flowers　and　shrubs　which　beautify

the　lawn　as　desirable　as　beans　and　turnips　and　cabbages？　　Is　not

the　rose　or　tulip　as　great　an　addition　to　even　a　poor　man's　cottage

as　his　bed　of　onions　or　patch　of　potatoes？　　What　is　the　scale　to

measure　even　mortal　happiness？　　What　is　the　marketable　value　of

friendship　or　of　love？　　What　makes　the　dinner　of　herbs　sometimes

more　refreshing　than　the　stalled　ox？　　What　is　the　material　profit

of　a　first　love？　　What　is　the　value　in　tangible　dollars　and