a theologico-political treatise [part ii]-第2部分

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nothing　happens　in　nature　which　does　not　follow　from　her　laws；　and　as　her



laws　embrace　everything　conceived　by　the　Divine　intellect；　and　lastly；　as



nature　preserves　a　fixed　and　immutable　order；　it　most　clearly　follows　that



miracles　are　only　intelligible　as　in　relation　to　human　opinions；　and　merely



mean　events　of　which　the　natural　cause　cannot　be　explained　by　a　reference　to



any　ordinary　occurrence；　either　by　us；　or　at　any　rate；　by　the　writer　and



narrator　of　the　miracle。







（22）　We　may；　in　fact；　say　that　a　miracle　is　an　event　of　which　the　causes



annot　be　explained　by　the　natural　reason　through　a　reference　to　ascertained



workings　of　nature；　but　since　miracles　were　wrought　according　to　the



understanding　of　the　masses；　who　are　wholly　ignorant　of　the　workings　of



nature；　it　is　certain　that　the　ancients　took　for　a　miracle　whatever　they



could　not　explain　by　the　method　adopted　by　the　unlearned　in　such　cases；



namely；　an　appeal　to　the　memory；　a　recalling　of　something　similar；　which　is



ordinarily　regarded　without　wonder；　for　most　people　think　they　sufficiently



understand　a　thing　when　they　have　ceased　to　wonder　at　it。　（23）　The　ancients；



then；　and　indeed　most　men　up　to　the　present　day；　had　no　other　criterion　for



a　miracle；　hence　we　cannot　doubt　that　many　things　are　narrated　in　Scripture



as　miracles　of　which　the　causes　could　easily　be　explained　by　reference　to



ascertained　workings　of　nature。　（24）　We　have　hinted　as　much　in　Chap。　II。；　in



speaking　of　the　sun　standing　still　in　the　time　of　Joshua；　and　to　say　on　the



subject　when　we　come　to　treat　of　the　interpretation　of　miracles　later　on　in



this　chapter。







（25）　It　is　now　time　to　pass　on　to　the　second　point；　and　show　that　we　cannot



gain　an　understanding　of　God's　essence；　existence；　or　providence　by　means　of



miracles；　but　that　these　truths　are　much　better　perceived　through　the　fixed



and　immutable　order　of　nature。　（26）　I　thus　proceed　with　the　demonstration。



（27）　As　God's　existence　is　not　self…evident　（6）　it　must　necessarily　be



inferred　from　ideas　so　firmly　and　incontrovertibly　true；　that　no　power　can



be　postulated　or　conceived　sufficient　to　impugn　them。　（28）　They　ought



certainly　so　to　appear　to　us　when　we　infer　from　them　God's　existence；　if　we



wish　to　place　our　conclusion　beyond　the　reach　of　doubt；　for　if　we　could



conceive　that　such　ideas　could　be　impugned　by　any　power　whatsoever；　we



should　doubt　of　their　truth；　we　should　doubt　of　our　conclusion；　namely；　of



God's　existence；　and　should　never　be　able　to　be　certain　of　anything。　（29）



Further；　we　know　that　nothing　either　agrees　with　or　is　contrary　to　nature；



unless　it　agrees　with　or　is　contrary　to　these　primary　ideas；　wherefore　if　we



would　conceive　that　anything　could　be　done　in　nature　by　any　power　whatsoever



which　would　be　contrary　to　the　laws　of　nature；　it　would　also　be　contrary　to



our　primary　ideas；　and　we　should　have　either　to　reject　it　as　absurd；　or　else



to　cast　doubt　（as　just　shown）　on　our　primary　ideas；　and　consequently　on　the



existence　of　God；　and　on　everything　howsoever　perceived。　（30）　Therefore



miracles；　in　the　sense　of　events　contrary　to　the　laws　of　nature；　so　far　from



demonstrating　to　us　the　existence　of　God；　would；　on　the　contrary；　lead　us　to



doubt　it；　where；　otherwise；　we　might　have　been　absolutely　certain　of　it；　as



knowing　that　nature　follows　a　fixed　and　immutable　order。







（31）　Let　us　take　miracle　as　meaning　that　which　cannot　be　explained　through



natural　causes。　（32）　This　may　be　interpreted　in　two　senses：　either　as　that



which　has　natural　causes；　but　cannot　be　examined　by　the　human　intellect；　or



as　that　which　has　no　cause　save　God　and　God's　will。　（33）　But　as　all　things



which　come　to　pass　through　natural　causes；　come　to　pass　also　solely



through　the　will　and　power　of　God；　it　comes　to　this；　that　a　miracle；　whether



it　has　natural　causes　or　not；　is　a　result　which　cannot　be　explained　by　its



cause；　that　is　a　phenomenon　which　surpasses　human　understanding；　but　from



such　a　phenomenon；　and　certainly　from　a　result　surpassing　our　understanding；



we　can　gain　no　knowledge。　（34）　For　whatsoever　we　understand　clearly　and



distinctly　should　be　plain　to　us　either　in　itself　or　by　means　of　something



else　clearly　and　distinctly　understood；　wherefore　from　a　miracle　or　a



phenomenon　which　we　cannot　understand；　we　can　gain　no　knowledge　of　God's



essence；　or　existence；　or　indeed　anything　about　God　or　nature；　whereas　when



we　know　that　all　things　are　ordained　and　ratified　by　God；　that　the



operations　of　nature　follow　from　the　essence　of　God；　and　that　the　laws　of



nature　are　eternal　decrees　and　volitions　of　God；　we　must　perforce　conclude



that　our　knowledge　of　God；　and　of　God's　will　increases　in　proportion　to　our



knowledge　and　clear　understanding　of　nature；　as　we　see　how　she　depends　on



her　primal　cause；　and　how　she　works　according　to　eternal　law。　（35）　Wherefore



so　far　as　our　understanding　goes；　those　phenomena　which　we　clearly　and



distinctly　understand　have　much　better　right　to　be　called　works　of　God；　and



to　be　referred　to　the　will　of　God　than　those　about　which　we　are　entirely



ignorant；　although　they　appeal　powerfully　to　the　imagination；　and　compel



men's　admiration。







（36）　It　is　only　phenomena　that　we　clearly　and　distinctly　understand；　which



heighten　our　knowledge　of　God；　and　most　clearly　indicate　His　will　and



decrees。　（37）　Plainly；　they　are　but　triflers　who；　when　they　cannot　explain　a



thing；　run　back　to　the　will　of　God；　this　is；　truly；　a　ridiculous　way　of



expressing　ignorance。　（38）　Again；　even　supposing　that　some　conclusion　could



be　drawn　from　miracles；　we　could　not　possibly　infer　from　them　the　existence



of　God：　for　a　miracle　being　an　event　under　limitations　is　the　expression　of



a　fixed　and　limited　power；　therefore　we　could　not　possibly　infer　from　an



effect　of　this　kind　the　existence　of　a　cause　whose　power　is　infinite；　but　at



the　utmost　only　of　a　cause　whose　power　is　greater　than　that　of　the　said



effect。　（39）　I　say　at　the　utmost；　for　a　phenomenon　may　be　the　result　of　many



concurrent　causes；　and　its　power　may　be　less　than　the　power　of　the　sum　of



such　causes；　but　far　greater　than　that　of　any　one　of　them　taken



individually。　（40）　On　the　other　hand；　the　laws　of　nature；　as　we　have



shown；　extend　over　infinity；　and　are　conceived　by　us　as；　after　a　fashion；



eternal；　and　nature　works　in　accordance　with　them　in　a　fixed　and　immutable



order；　therefore；　such　laws　indicate　to　us　in　a　certain　degree　the　infinity；



the　eternity；　and　the　immutability　of　God。







（40）　We　may　conclude；　then；　that　we　cannot　gain　knowledge　of　the　existence



and　providence　of　God　by　means　of　miracles；　but　that　we　can　far　better　infer



them　from　the　fixed　and　immutable　order　of　nature。　（41）　By　miracle；　I　here



mean　an　event　which　surpasses；　or　is　thought　to　surpass；　human



comprehension：　for　in　so　far　as　it　is　supposed　to　destroy　or　interrupt　the



order　of　nature　or　her　laws；　it　not　only　can　give　us　no　knowledge　of　God；



but；　contrariwise；　takes　away　that　which　we　naturally　have；　and　makes　us



doubt　of　God　and　everything　else。







（42）　Neither　do　I　recognize　any　difference　between　an　event　against　the　laws



of　nature　and　an　event　beyond　the　laws　of　nature　（that　is；　according　to



some；　an　event　which　does　not　contravene　nature；　though　she　is　inadequate　to



produce　or　effect　it）　…　for　a　miracle　is　wrought　in；　and　not　beyond　nature；



though　it　may　be　said　in　itself　to　be　above　nature；　and；　therefore；



must　necessarily　interrupt　the　order　of　nature；　which　otherwise　we　conceive



of　as　fixed　and　unchangeable；　according　to　God's　decrees。　（43）　If；



therefore；　anything　should　come　to　pass　in　nature　which　does　not　follow　from



her　laws；　it　would　also　be　in　contravention　to　the　order　which　God　has



established　in　nature　for　ever　through　universal　natural　laws：　it　would；



therefore；　be　in　contravention　to　God's　nature　and　laws；　and；　consequently；



belief　in　it　would　throw　doubt　upon　everything；　and　lead　to　Atheism。







（44）　I　think　I　have　now　sufficiently　established　my　second　point；　so　that　we



can　again　conclude　that　a　miracle；　whether　in　contravention　to；　or　beyond；



nature；　is　a　mere　absurdity；　and；　therefore；　that　what　is　meant　in　Scripture



by　a　miracle　can　only　be　a　work　of　nature；　which　surpasses；　or　is　believed



to　surpass；　human　comprehension。　（45）　Before　passing　on　to　my　third　point；　I



will　adduce　Scriptural　authority　for　my　assertion　that　God　cannot　be　known



from　miracles。　（46）　Scripture　nowhere　states　the　doctrine　openly；　but　it　can



readily　be　inferred　from　several　passages。　（47）　Firstly；　that　in　which　Moses



commands　（Deut。　xiii。）　that　a　false　prophet　should　be　put　to　death；　even



though　he　work　miracles：　〃If　there　arise　a　prophet　among　you；　and　giveth



thee　a　sign　or　wonder；　and　the　sign　or　wonder　come　to　pass；　saying；　Let　us



go　after　other　gods　。　。　。　thou　shalt　not　hearken　unto　the　voice　of　that



prophet；　for　the　Lord　your　God　proveth　you；　and　that　prophet　shall　be　put　to



death。〃　（48）　From　this　it　clearly　follows　that　miracles　could　be　wrought



even　by　false　prophets；　and　that；　unless　men　are　honestly　endowed　with　the



true　knowledge　and　love　of　God；　they　may　be　as　easily　led　by　miracles　to



follow　false　gods　as　to　follow　the　true　God；　for　these　words　are　added：　〃For



the　Lord　your　God　tempts　you；　that　He　may　know　whether　you　love　Him　with　all



your　heart　and　with　all　your　mind。〃







（49）　Further；　the　Israelites；　from　all　their　miracles；　were　unable　to　form　a



sound　conception　of　God；　as　their　experience　testified：　for　when　they　had