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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76773 ***
+
+
+
+
+
+                                 OF THE
+                               IMPORTANCE
+                                   OF
+                          RELIGIOUS OPINIONS.
+
+                       TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH
+
+                                   OF
+
+                              MR.  NECKER.
+
+
+                                LONDON:
+
+        PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, N^o 72, ST. PAUL’S CHURCH-YARD.
+
+                            M.DCC.LXXXVIII.
+
+
+
+
+                             ADVERTISEMENT.
+
+
+_In rendering this Work into English some Liberties have been taken by
+the Translator, which seemed necessary to preserve the Spirit of the
+Original._
+
+
+
+
+                               CONTENTS.
+
+
+                                CHAP. I.
+ _On the Connection of Religious Principles with public Order_    Page 1
+
+
+                                CHAP. II.
+ _The same Subject continued. A Parallel and of Laws and
+   Opinions_                                                          48
+
+
+                               CHAP. III.
+ _An Objection drawn from our natural Dispositions to Goodness_       98
+
+
+                                CHAP. IV.
+ _An Objection drawn from the good Conduct of many irreligious
+   Men_                                                              104
+
+
+                                CHAP. V.
+ _The Influence of Religious Principles on our Happiness_            118
+
+
+                                CHAP. VI.
+ _The same Subject continued. The Influence of Virtue on
+   Happiness_                                                        149
+
+
+                               CHAP. VII.
+ _On Religious Opinions, in their Relation with Sovereigns_          169
+
+
+                               CHAP. VIII.
+ _An Objection drawn from the Wars and from the Commotions which
+   Religion has given Rise to_                                       189
+
+
+                                CHAP. IX.
+ _Another Objection examined. The Sabbath_                           196
+
+
+                                CHAP. X.
+ _An Observation on a particular Circumstance of public Worship_     206
+
+
+                                CHAP. XI.
+ _That the single Idea of a God is a sufficient Support of
+   Morality_                                                         210
+
+
+                               CHAP. XII.
+ _That there is a God_                                               278
+
+
+                               CHAP. XIII.
+ _The same Subject continued_                                        296
+
+
+                               CHAP. XIV.
+ _The same Subject continued_                                        316
+
+
+                                CHAP. XV.
+ _On the Respect that is due from true Philosophy to Religion_       382
+
+
+                               CHAP. XVI.
+ _The same Subject continued. Reflections on Intolerance_            399
+
+
+                               CHAP. XVII.
+ _Reflections on the Morality of the Christian Religion_             417
+
+
+                              CHAP. XVIII.
+ _Conclusion_                                                        446
+
+
+
+
+                             INTRODUCTION.
+
+
+My thoughts having been detached from the study and disquisition of
+those truths which have the political good of the state for their
+object; and being no longer obliged to fix any attention on those
+particular arrangements of the public interest, which are necessarily
+connected with the operations of government; I found myself abandoned,
+as it were, by all the important concerns of life. Restless and
+wandering in this kind of void, my soul, still active, felt the want of
+employment. I sometimes formed the design of tracing my ideas of men and
+characters; I imagined that long experience in the midst of those active
+scenes which discover the passions, had taught me to know them well; but
+elevating my views, my heart was filled with a different ambition, and a
+desire to reconcile the sublimest thoughts with those meditations from
+which I was constrained to withdraw myself. Guided by this sentiment, I
+remarked, with satisfaction, that there existed a natural connection
+between the different truths which contribute to the happiness of
+mankind. Our prejudices and our passions frequently attempt to disunite
+them; but to the eye of an attentive observer, they have all one common
+origin. From a similar affinity, the general views of administration,
+the spirit of laws, morality, and religious opinions, are closely
+connected; and it is by carefully preserving an alliance so beautiful,
+that we raise a rampart round those works, which are destined for the
+prosperity of states and the tranquillity of nations.
+
+One could not have taken an active part in the administration of public
+affairs; or made it the object of stedfast attention; one could not have
+compared the several relations of this great whole, with the natural
+dispositions of minds and characters; nor indeed observed men in a
+perpetual state of rivalry and competition, without perceiving, how much
+the wisest governments need support from the influence of that invisible
+spring which acts in secret on the consciences of individuals. Thus
+whilst I am endeavouring to form some reflections on the importance of
+religious opinions, I am not so far removed from my former habit of
+thinking as may, at the first glance, be imagined; and as in writing on
+the management of finances, I omitted no argument to prove that there is
+an intimate connexion between the efficacy of governments, and the
+wisdom with which they are conducted; between the virtue of princes, and
+the confidence of their subjects, I think I am still proceeding in the
+same train of sentiment and reflection, when struck with that spirit of
+indifference which is so general, I endeavour to refer the duties of men
+to those principles which afford them the most natural support.
+
+After having studied the interests of a great nation, and run over the
+circle of our political societies, we approach nearer perhaps to those
+sublime ideas which bind the general structure of mankind to that
+infinite and Almighty Being, who is the first grand cause of all, and
+universal mover of the universe. In the rapid course of an active
+administration, indeed one cannot indulge similar reflections; but they
+are forming and preparing themselves in the midst of the tumult of
+business, and the tranquillity of retirement enables us to strengthen
+and extend them.
+
+The calm which succeeds hurry and confusion, seems the reason most
+favourable to meditation; and if any remembrance, or retrospective views
+of what is past should inspire you with a kind of melancholy, you will
+be involuntarily led back to contemplations which border on those ideas
+with which you have been long conversant. It is thus the mariner, after
+having renounced the dangers of the sea, sometimes seats himself on the
+beach, and there, a more tranquil observer, considers attentively the
+boundless ocean, the regular succession of the waves, the impression of
+the winds, the flux and reflux of the tide, and that magnificent
+firmament, where, during the night, among lights innumerable, he
+distinguishes the lucid point, which serves as a guide to the
+navigators.
+
+It is in vain, in those high stations under government, to interest
+yourself about the happiness of mankind in general; it is in vain, that,
+penetrated with a just respect for the important duties of office, a
+public character shall dare to take in hand the cause of the people, and
+incessantly apply himself to the defence of the weak, in opposition to
+the attacks of the powerful; he soon perceives how bounded are his
+abilities, and how limited are those, even of sovereignty itself. Pity
+for the distresses of the individual is checked by the law of civil
+rights; benevolence by justice; and liberty by its own abuses: you
+perpetually behold merit struggling with patronage, honour with fortune,
+and patriotism with the interest of the individual. There is no such
+thing as real disinterestedness in the passions, only by fits and
+starts; unless great circumstances, or vigorous virtue in an
+administration, forcibly renewed the idea of public good, a general
+langour would take place in every mind, and society itself would appear
+one confused mass of opposite interests, which the supreme authority
+keeps within bounds for the maintenance of peace, without any inquietude
+about real harmony, or any revolution favourable to the manners or
+happiness of the public.
+
+From the midst of these clashings and contradictions, continually
+recurring, a minister, possessed of a reflecting mind, is incessantly
+called back to the idea of imperfection; he will, undoubtedly, be sorry,
+when he sees the great disproportion which exists between his duty and
+his powers; and he will sometimes grieve and be discouraged, at
+perceiving the obstacles he must surmount, and the difficulties he must
+overcome: he raises, with labour and care, banks on the strand, the
+waters swell, their course becomes more rapid, and the first precautions
+rendered insufficient, oblige him to have recourse to new works, which,
+thrown down in their turn, hurry on a continued succession of fruitless
+toil and useless attempts. What then would be the consequence, if once
+the salutary chain of religious sentiments were broken? What would be
+the event, if the action of that powerful spring were ever entirely
+destroyed? You would soon see every part of the social structure tremble
+from its foundation, and the hand of government unable to sustain the
+vast and tottering edifice.
+
+The sovereign, and the laws which are the interpreters of his wisdom,
+should have two grand objects, the maintenance of public order, and the
+increase of private happiness. But to accomplish both, the aid of
+religion is absolutely necessary. The sovereign cannot influence the
+happiness of individuals, but by a general solicitude; because the
+sentiments which spring from the different characters of men, or merely
+from the circumstances of their respective situations, are independent
+of him. Neither can he ensure the preservation of public order, but by
+rules and institutions, which are only applicable to actions, and to
+those actions positively proved. It is necessary also that the laws
+should extend their influence to society in a uniform manner; they
+should always have a tendency to diminish the number of distinctions,
+shades, and modifications, that are to be found in the actions of men;
+in short, to prevent those abuses inseparably attendant on arbitrary
+decisions.
+
+Such are the bounds of sovereign authority, and such the necessary
+developement of its means and powers. Religion, to attain the same ends,
+employs other motives essentially different: first, it is not in a vague
+and general manner, that she influences the happiness of mankind; it is
+by addressing all men individually; by penetrating the heart of every
+human being, and pouring into it consolation and hope; by presenting to
+the imagination every thing that can insensibly lead it captive; by
+taking possession of men’s sentiments; by occupying their thoughts; and
+by availing herself of this dominion over them, to sustain their
+courage, and to afford them comfort under their afflictions and
+disappointments. In this manner religion concurs to maintain good order,
+by means absolutely distinct from those of government; for she not only
+governs our actions, but even our sentiments: it is with the errors and
+inclinations of each man in particular, that she seeks to combat.
+Religion, in demonstrating the presence of the Deity, on all occasions,
+however secret, exercises an habitual authority over the consciences of
+men; she seems to assist them under the perturbations of fear, and yet
+attends them in their flight; she equally notices their intentions,
+projects, and repentance; and in the method which she takes, seems as
+undulating and flexible in all her motions, as the empire of the law
+appears immoveable and constrained.
+
+I should not, at present, extend these reflections any further; but, if
+religion, in some measure, completes the imperfect work of legislation;
+if it ought to supply the insufficiency of those means which government
+is under the necessity of adopting, the subject I propose to treat of
+seems not foreign to those objects of meditation, which the study of
+administration ought to comprehend.
+
+I well know, that it is impossible to explain the importance of
+religion, without, at the same time, fixing the attention on the grand
+truths on which it depends; and you must also frequently touch on many
+subjects that are closely connected with the deepest metaphysics. We
+are, at least, obliged to seek for a defence against those arguments
+which sap the foundation of the most necessary opinions; by which the
+most impassioned sentiments have been discouraged; by which some would
+reduce man to a vegetable, make the universe the result of chance, and
+morality a state trick.
+
+As soon as I discovered how far my subject was likely to lead me, I felt
+myself intimidated; but I could not allow this to be a sufficient reason
+for relinquishing my undertaking; and since the greater part of the
+philosophers of the present age are united in opposition to those
+opinions, which the light of nature seems to have rendered sacred, it is
+become indispensably necessary, to admit to the combat all that offer;
+nay, even to select a champion from the main body of the army, when all
+the strong ones are already gone over to the camp of the enemy.
+
+There is nothing which seems to engross the attention of mankind more
+than metaphysical enquiries, for it is by thinking alone they can be
+fathomed; the light gained by acquired knowledge is, in some measure,
+lost in those obscure depths which it is necessary to sound, and that
+immense space which it is necessary to traverse. Thus, it were better,
+perhaps, that each should enter by chance into these labyrinths, where
+the paths, already traced, lead to no one determined point. I have,
+besides, often observed, that, even for those researches, where the
+helps of science are most useful, we ought to set a certain value on the
+particular excursion of each genius, which seeks out for itself a way,
+and which, indebted to nature alone for its peculiar formation,
+preserves in its progress a character of its own; it is then, and then
+only, that we are not invested with the distinguishing marks of
+slavishness of thinking; but when, by devoting ourselves to reflection,
+we coincide with the opinions of others, this conformity has nothing of
+servility in it, and the marks of imitation are not even recognized.
+
+In vain would man resist the impression of truth; in vain would he
+defend himself by a ridiculous indifference for ancient opinions; there
+never could be an idea more worthy to occupy our meditations, there
+never could be an idea, on which we might be more fully permitted to
+expatiate, according to our knowledge and penetration, than that sublime
+one of a Supreme Being, and the relation we bear to him: an idea, which
+though far removed from us by its immensity, every moment strikes the
+soul with admiration, and inspires the heart with hope.
+
+It appears to me, that there are interests which may be considered as
+patriotic by intelligent and feeling beings; and while the inhabitants
+of the same country, and the subjects of the same prince, employ
+themselves diligently in one common plan of defence, the citizens of the
+world ought to be incessantly anxious to give every new and possible
+support to those exalted opinions on which the true greatness of their
+existence is founded, which preserves the imagination from that
+frightful spectacle of an existence without origin, of action without
+liberty, and futurity without hope. Thus after having, as I think,
+proved myself a citizen of France, by my administration, as well as my
+writings, I wish to unite myself to a fraternity still more
+extended—that of the whole human race: it is thus, without dispersing
+our sentiments, we may be able nevertheless to communicate ourselves a
+great way off, and enlarge in some measure the limits of our circle:
+glory be to our thinking faculties for it! To that spiritual portion of
+ourselves which can take in the past, dart into futurity, and intimately
+associate itself with the destiny of men of all countries, and of all
+ages. Without doubt, a veil is thrown over the greater part of those
+truths, to which our curiosity would willingly attain; but those which a
+beneficent God has permitted us to see, are amply sufficient for our
+guide and instruction; and we cannot, for a continuance divert our
+attention without a species of slothful negligence, and a total
+indifference to the superior interests of man. How little is every thing
+indeed, when put in competition with those meditations, which give to
+our existence a new extent, and which, in detaching us from the dust of
+the earth, seem to unite our souls to an infinity of space, and our
+duration of a day to the eternity of time! Above all, it is for you to
+determine, who have sensibility—who feel the want of a Supreme Being,
+and who seek to find in him that support so necessary to your weakness,
+that defender and that assurance, without which painful inquietude will
+be perpetually tormenting you, and troubling those soft, tender
+affections which constitute your happiness.
+
+However, I must say, there never perhaps was a period, when it was more
+essentially necessary to recal to the minds of men, the importance of
+religious sentiments; at present they are but prejudices, if we may
+credit the spirit of licentiousness and levity; the laws dictated by
+fashion; and more particularly essential since we have had philosophical
+instructions, which excite the various deviations of vanity, and rally
+the wanderings of the imagination.
+
+There is not any form of religion, undoubtedly, to which ideas more or
+less mystical have not been annexed; and of which the evidence has not
+been in proportion to the dictatorial language, and authoritative tone,
+which has been made use of in teaching and defending it; as such, one
+might at any given period have been tempted to dispute about particular
+parts of worship, which different nations have adopted; but it is
+principally in the present age, that a certain class of men has sprung
+up, distinguished for their wit and talents; and who, intoxicated by the
+facility with which they have gained a victory, have extended their
+ambition, and had the daring courage to attack the reserved body of that
+army of which the front ranks had already given way.
+
+This struggle between persons, one of whom would imperiously rule by
+faith alone, whilst the other thinks he has a right to reject with
+disdain every thing that has not been demonstrated, will always be a
+fruitless combat; and only serve to nourish blind aversion and unjust
+contempt. Some seek to wound their adversaries, others to humble them;
+in the mean time the good of mankind, and the true benefit of society,
+are absolutely lost sight of; yes, the real love of useful truths, the
+impartial search after them, and the desire of pointing them out, these
+sentiments, so amiable and so truly laudable, seem to be entirely
+unknown. I see, permit me to say it, I see at the two extremities of the
+arena, the savage inquisitor, and the inconsiderate philosopher; but
+neither the faggots lighted by the one, nor the derisions of the other,
+will ever diffuse any salutary instruction; and in the eyes of a
+rational man, the intolerance of monks adds no more to the dominion of
+true religious sentiments, than the jests of a few licentious wits have
+effected a triumph in favour of philosophy.
+
+It is between these opposite opinions, and in the midst of wanderings
+equally dangerous, that we must attempt to mark out our way; but as all
+the opinions of men are subject to change; at present, when their minds
+are more averse to the maxims of intolerance, it is religion itself that
+principally needs support; and such is the daily diminution of it, that
+means supplying the deficiency seem to be already publicly preparing.
+For some time past we have heard of nothing but the necessity of
+composing a moral catechism, in which religious principles should not be
+introduced, as resources that are now out of date, and when it is time
+they were discarded. Without doubt these principles might be more
+effectually attacked, could they ever be represented as totally useless
+for the maintenance of public order; and if the cold lessons of a
+political philosophy could be substituted for those sublime ideas,
+which, by the spiritual tie of religion, binds the heart and mind to the
+purest morality. Let us now examine if we should gain any thing by the
+exchange; let us see, if the means they propose to employ can be put in
+competition with those which ought to be made use of; and, if they are
+more solid, and more efficacious; let us see, if this new doctrine,
+which is recommended, will produce in the soul the same degree of
+consolation; if it is calculated for those hearts which are possessed of
+sensibility; and, above all, let us attentively consider, if it can be
+suitable to the measure of intelligence, and the social situation of the
+greater part of mankind. In short, in considering the various questions,
+which in any manner, relate to the important subject we have undertaken
+to treat, let us not be afraid to resist, as well as we can, the foolish
+ambition of those, who, availing themselves of the superiority of their
+understanding, wish to deprive man of his dignity, to place him on a
+level with the dust under his feet, and make his foresight a
+punishment:—melancholy and deplorable destiny! from which, however, we
+are permitted to seek to defend ourselves; cruel and disastrous opinion!
+which tears up by the roots every thing which surrounds it, which
+relaxes the most necessary bands, and, in an instant, destroys the most
+delightful charm of life.
+
+O thou God unknown!——but whose beneficent idea has ever filled my soul,
+if thou ever throwest a look on those efforts which man makes to
+approach thee, sustain my resolution, enlighten my understanding, raise
+my thoughts, and reject not the desire I have to unite still more, if
+possible, the order and happiness of society, with the intimate and
+perfect conception of thy divinity, and the lively idea of thy sublime
+existence.
+
+
+
+
+                                 OF THE
+
+                               IMPORTANCE
+
+                                   OF
+
+                          RELIGIOUS OPINIONS.
+
+
+
+
+                                CHAP. I.
+     _On the Connection of Religious Principles with public Order._
+
+
+We know not distinctly the origin of most political societies; but as
+soon as history exhibits men united in a national body, we perceive, at
+the same time, the establishment of public worship, and the application
+of religious sentiments, to the maintenance of good order and
+subordination. Religious sentiments, by the sanction of an oath, bind
+the people to the magistrates, and the magistrates to their engagements;
+they inspire a reverential respect for the obligations contracted
+between sovereigns; and these sentiments, still more authoritative than
+discipline, attach the soldier to his commander; in short, religious
+opinions, by their influence on the manners of individuals, have
+produced an infinite number of illustrious actions and instances of
+heroical disinterestedness, of which history has transmitted us the
+remembrance. But as we have seen a philosophy spring up among nations
+the most enlightened, anxiously employed in depriving religion of all
+that merited respect, dissertations on times far removed from us, and
+the various systems that they would endeavour violently to associate
+with religion, would become an endless source of controversy. It is
+then, by reasoning alone, by that exercise of the mind, which belongs
+equally to all countries and all ages, that we can support the cause
+which we have taken in hand to defend. There is, perhaps, something weak
+and servile in our wishing to draw assistance from ancient opinions;
+reason ought not, like vanity, to adorn herself with old parchments, and
+the display of a genealogical tree; more dignified in her proceeding,
+and proud of her immortal nature, she ought to derive every thing from
+herself; she should disregard past times, and be, if I may use the
+phrase, the contemporary of all ages.
+
+It was reserved, particularly for some writers of our age, to attack
+even the utility of religion; and to seek to substitute, instead of its
+active influence, the inanimate instruction of a political philosophy.
+Religion, say they, is a scaffold fallen into ruins, and it is high time
+to give to morality a more solid support. But what support will that be?
+we must, in order to discover, and form a just idea of it; distinctly
+consider the different motives of action on which depend the relations
+that subsist between men; and it will be necessary to estimate,
+afterwards, the kind and degree of assistance which we may reasonably
+expect from a like support.
+
+It appears to me, that in renouncing the efficacious aid of religion, we
+may easily form an idea of the means that they will endeavour to make
+use of to attach men to the observance of the rules of morality, and to
+restrain the dangerous excesses of their passions. They would,
+undoubtedly, place a proper value on the connection which subsists
+between private and general interest; they would avail themselves of the
+authority of laws, and the fear of punishment; and they would confide
+still more in the ascendency of public opinion, and the ambition, that
+every one ought to have, of gaining the esteem and confidence of his
+fellow-creatures.
+
+Let us examine separately these different motives; and first,
+attentively considering the union of private with public interest, let
+us see if this union is real, and if we can deduce from such a principle
+any moral instruction truly efficacious.
+
+Society is very far from being a perfect work; we ought not to consider
+as an harmonious composition the different relations of which we are
+witnesses, and particularly the habitual contrast of power and weakness,
+of slavery and authority, riches and poverty, of luxury and misery; so
+much inequality; such a motly piece could not form an edifice
+respectable for the justness of its proportions.
+
+Civil and political order is not then excellent by its nature, and we
+cannot perceive its agreement, till we have deeply studied, and formed
+to ourselves those reflections which legislators had to make, and the
+difficulties that they had to surmount. It is then only, with the
+assistance of the most attentive meditation, that we discover how those
+particular relations, which are established by social laws, form,
+nevertheless, that system of equilibrium, which is most proper to bind
+together an immense diversity of interests; but a great obstacle to the
+influence of political morality is, the necessity of giving, for the
+basis of the love of order, an abstract and complicated idea. What
+effect on vulgar minds would the scientific harmony of the whole have,
+opposed daily to the sentiment of injustice and inequality, which arises
+from the aspect of every part of the social constitution, when we
+acquire the knowledge of it, in a manner solitary and circumscribed; and
+how limited is the number of those, who can continually draw together
+all the scattered links of this vast chain!
+
+It could not be avoided, in the best regulated societies, that some
+should enjoy, without labour or difficulty, all the conveniencies of
+life; and that others, and far the greater number, should be obliged to
+earn, by the sweat of their brow, a subsistence the most scanty, and a
+recompense the most confined. It is not to be prevented, that some will
+find, when oppressed by sickness, all the assistance which officious
+tenderness and skill can afford; whilst others are reduced to partake,
+in public hospitals, the bare relief that humanity has provided for the
+indigent. We cannot prevent some from being in a situation to lavish on
+their families all the advantages of a complete education; whilst
+others, impatient to free themselves from a charge so heavy, are
+constrained to watch eagerly for the first appearance of natural
+strength, to make their children apply to some profitable labour. In
+short, we cannot avoid perpetually contrasting the splendour of
+magnificence with the tatters which misery displays. Such are the
+effects, inseparable from the laws, respecting property. These are
+truths, the principles of which I have had occasion to discuss in the
+work which I composed on administration and political œconomy; but I
+ought to repeat them here, since they are found closely connected with
+other general views. The eminent power of property is one of the social
+institutions, the influence of which has the greatest extent; this
+consideration was applicable to the commerce of grain; it ought to be
+present to the mind, in disquisitions on the duties of administration;
+and it is still more important, when the question is to be examined,
+what kind of moral instruction may be proper for mankind?
+
+In effect, if it appertains to the essence of the laws of right,
+constantly to introduce and maintain an immense disparity in the
+distribution of property; were it an essential part of these laws, to
+reduce the most numerous class of citizens, to that which is simply the
+most necessary; the inevitable result of such a constitution would be,
+to nourish, amongst men, a sentiment of habitual envy and jealousy.
+Vainly would you demonstrate, that these laws are the only ones capable
+of exciting labour, animating industry, preventing disorder, and
+opposing obstacles to arbitrary acts of authority; all these
+considerations sufficient, we grant, to fix the opinion and the will of
+the legislator, would not strike in the same manner the man thrown on
+the earth, without property, without resources, and without hopes; and
+he will never render free homage to the beauty of the whole, when there
+is nothing for him but deformity, abjectness, and contempt.
+
+Men, in most of their political reasonings, are deceived by resemblances
+and analogies: the interest of society is certainly composed of the
+interests of all its members; but it does not follow from this
+explication, that there is an immediate and constant correspondence
+between the general and private interest; such an approximation, could
+only be applicable to an imaginary social state; and which we might
+represent as divided into many parts, of which the rich would be the
+head, and the poor the feet and hands: but political society is not one
+and the same body, except under certain relations, whilst, relatively to
+other interests, it partakes in as many ramifications of them as there
+are individuals.
+
+Those considerations, to which we annex an idea of general interest,
+would be very often susceptible of numberless observations; but the
+principles, we are accustomed to receive and transmit, in their most
+common acceptation; and we discover not the mixt ideas which compose
+them, but at the moment when we analyze the principles, in order to draw
+consequences from them, in like manner as we perceive not the variety of
+colours in a ray of light, till the moment we divide them by means of a
+prism.
+
+The formation of social laws, with reason, ought to appear one of our
+most admirable conceptions; but this system is not so united in all its
+parts, that a striking disorder would always be the necessary effect of
+some irregular movement: thus the man, who violates the laws, does not
+quickly discover the relation of his actions with the interest of
+society; but at the instant enjoys, or thinks to joy, the fruit of his
+usurpations.
+
+Should a theatre be on fire, it is certainly the interest of the
+assembly that every one go out with order; but if the people, most
+distant from the entrance, believed they should be able to escape sooner
+from the danger, by forcing their way through the crowd which surrounds
+them, they would assuredly determine on this violence, unless a coercive
+power prevented them; yet the common utility of restricting ourselves to
+order in such circumstances, would appear an idea more simple, and more
+distinct, than is the universal importance of maintaining civil order in
+society.
+
+The only natural defence of this order, is government; its function
+obliges it ever to consider the whole; but the need which it has of
+power to carry its decrees into execution, proves evidently, that it is
+the adversary of many, even when acting in the name of all.
+
+We are then under a great illusion, if we hope to be able to found
+morality on the connection of private interest with that of the public;
+and if we imagine, that the empire of social laws can be separated from
+the support of religion. The authority of these laws has nothing
+decisive for those who have not assisted to establish them; and were we
+to give to the hereditary distinctions of property an origin the most
+remote, it is no less true, on this account that the poor succeeding
+inhabitants of the earth, struck with the unequal division of its rich
+domains, and not perceiving the limits and lines of separation traced by
+nature, would have some right to say; these compacts, these partitions,
+this diversity of lots, which procures to some abundance and repose; to
+others, poverty and labour; all this legislation, in short, is only
+advantageous to a small number of privileged men; and we will not
+subscribe to it, unless compelled by the fear of personal danger. What
+are then, they would add, these ideas of right and wrong, with which we
+are entertained? What are these dissertations on the necessity of
+adopting some order in society, and of observing rules? Our mind bends
+not to those principles, which, general in theory, become particular in
+practice. We find some satisfaction and compensation, when the idea of
+virtue, of submission, and of sacrifice, are united to religious
+sentiments; when we believe we shall render an account of our actions to
+a Supreme Being, whose laws and will we adore, and from whom we have
+received every thing, and whose approbation presents itself to our eyes,
+as a motive of emulation, and an object of recompense: but if the
+contracted bounds of life limit the narrow circle in which all our
+interest ought to confine itself, where all our speculations and our
+hopes terminate, what respect owe we then to those whom nature has
+formed our equals? To those men sprung from lifeless clay, to return to
+it again with us, and to be lost for ever in the same dust? They have
+only invented these laws of justice, to be more tranquil usurpers. Let
+them descend from their exalted rank, that they may be put on our level,
+or, at least, present us with a partition less unequal, and we shall
+then be able to conceive, that the observance of the laws of right is of
+importance to us; till then, we shall have just motives for being the
+enemies of civil order, which we find so disadvantageous; and we do not
+comprehend how, in the midst of so many gratifications which excite our
+envy, it is, in the name of our own interest, that we ought to renounce
+them.
+
+Such is the secret language which men, overwhelmed with the distress of
+their situation, would not fail to use; or those who, merely in a state
+of habitual inferiority, found themselves continually hurt by the
+splendid sight of luxury and magnificence.
+
+It would not be an easy task to combat these sentiments, by endeavouring
+to paint forcibly the vanity of pleasure in general, and the illusion of
+most of those objects which captivate our ambition, and the apathy which
+follows in their train. These reflections, without doubt, have their
+weight and efficacy; but if we attentively consider the subject, every
+thing that deserves the name of consolation in this world, cannot be
+addressed with any advantage; but to minds prepared for mild sentiments,
+by an idea of religion and of piety, more or less distinct; we cannot,
+in the same manner, relieve the barren and ferocious despondency of an
+unhappy and envious man, who has thrown far behind him all hope.
+Concentred in the bare interests of a life, which is for him eternity,
+and the universe itself; it is the passion of the moment which enslaves
+him, and nothing can disengage him from it; he has not the means to
+catch any vague idea, nor of being content; and as even reason has need,
+every instant, of the aid of the imagination, he cannot be encouraged,
+either by the discourse of his friends, or his own reflections.
+
+Besides, if we can maintain, in general, that the allotments of
+happiness and misery are more equal than we imagine; if we can
+reasonably advance, that labour is preferable to idleness; if we can
+say, with truth, that embarrassments and inquietudes often accompany
+wealth, and that contentment of mind appears to be the portion of the
+middle state of life; we ought to acknowledge, at the same time, that
+these axioms are only perfectly just in the eyes of the moralist, who
+considers man in a comprehensive point of view, and who makes his
+calculation upon a whole life: but, in the recurrence of our daily
+desires and hopes, it is impossible to excite to labour by the
+expectation of fortune, and detract, at the same time, this fortune, in
+decrying the pleasures and conveniences that it procures. These subtle
+ideas, without excepting those which may be defended, can never be
+applicable to real circumstances; and if we sometimes use with success
+such kind of reflections to alleviate unavailing sorrow and regret, it
+is when we have only shadows to cope with.
+
+In short, when we have reduced to precept, all the well known
+reflections, on the apparent, but delusive advantages of rank and
+fortune, we cannot prevent uncultivated minds from being continually
+struck with the extreme inequality of the different contracts which the
+rich make with the poor; it might be said, in those moments, that one
+portion of mankind was formed only for the convenience of another; the
+poor man sacrifices his time and his strength to multiply round the rich
+gratifications of every kind; and he, when he gives in exchange the most
+scanty subsistence, does not deprive himself of any thing; since the
+extent of his physical wants is bounded by the laws of nature: equality
+then is only re-established by the lassitude and apathy which the
+enjoyment even of pleasure produces. But these disgusts compose the back
+ground in the picture of life; the people perceive them not; and as they
+have only been acquainted with want, they cannot form any idea of the
+langour attendant on satiety.
+
+Will any one imprudently say, that if the distinctions of property are
+an obstacle to the establishment of a political system of morality, we
+ought, therefore, to labour to destroy them? But if in past ages, when
+the different degrees of talents and knowledge were not so unequal, men
+were not able to preserve a community of possessions, can you imagine,
+that these primitive relations could be re-established at a time when
+the superiority of rank and power is enforced by the immoveable strength
+of disciplined armies?
+
+Besides, when even in the composition of an ideal world, we should have
+introduced the most exact division of the various possessions esteemed
+by men, it would still be necessary, to preserve a system of real
+equality, that every one should execute faithfully the duties imposed on
+him by universal morality; since this is incumbent on every individual,
+for the sacrifice that all the members of society have made; which
+society ought to recompense every citizen in particular, for the
+restriction to which he submits himself.
+
+It is essential to observe still further, that it is not only personal
+interest, when clearly understood, which ought to be annexed to the idea
+of public order; it is the same interest when led astray by the
+passions, then a mere guide is no longer sufficient; a yoke must be
+imposed; a check always acting, which must be used absolutely. Nothing
+can be more chimerical than to pretend to restrain a man, hurried on by
+an impetuous imagination, by endeavouring to recal to his remembrance
+some principles and instructions, which, in the terms of an academic
+thesis[1], ought to be the _result of analysis, of methodizing, of the
+art of dividing, of developing, and circumscribing ideas_.
+
+It would be, at present, a hardy enterprize, to attempt to conduct men
+by reason alone, since the first thing that reason discovers is its own
+weakness; but when we want to rest on maxims which admit of controversy;
+when we wish to oppose to the strong motive of personal interest, a
+moral consideration which cannot act but with the concurrence of
+profound reflection; we recollect the doctrine of the first œconomists,
+who, in establishing the extravagant principles respecting an exclusive
+right of exporting or monopolizing grain, put off the care of preventing
+popular commotions till they should happen.
+
+It appears to me, that false reasoning, on the union of private with
+public interest, arises from applying to the present state of society,
+the principles which have served as the base for their formation; this
+very natural confusion is one grand source of error. Let us try to
+render clear a proposition, which, at first, appears difficult to
+comprehend; and in this light we will suppose, for a moment the future
+generation assembled in idea, in an imaginary world, and ignorant before
+they inhabit the earth, who those individuals are that shall be born of
+parents loaded with the gifts of fortune, and those who are beset with
+misery from their cradle. They are instructed in the principles of civil
+rights, and the convenience of the laws of order, has been represented
+to them, and a sketch is drawn of the disorder, which would be the
+inevitable consequence of a continual variation in the division of
+property; then all those who are to compose the new generation, equally
+uncertain of the lot that the chance of birth reserves for them,
+subscribe unanimously to those events which await them; and at the very
+moment in which the relations of society exist only in speculation, it
+might be truly said, that the personal interest is lost in the public;
+but this identity ceases, when each, arrived on the earth, has taken
+possession of his lot; it is then no longer possible, that the various
+personal interests should concur to the maintenance of these prodigious
+gradations of rank and fortune, which are derived from the chance of
+birth; and those to whom cares and wants have fallen, will not be
+resigned to the inferiority of their condition, but by a grand religious
+principle alone, which can make them perceive an eternal justice, and
+place them in imagination before time, and before the laws.
+
+There is nothing so easy, as the establishment of conventions, and
+making rules to be observed, till the moment of the drawing of a
+lottery; every one then, at the same point of view, finds all good, all
+just, and well contrived, and peace reigns by common agreement; but as
+soon as the blanks and prizes are known, the mind changes, the temper
+grows sour; and without the check of authority, it would become
+unmanageable, envious, quarrelsome, and sometimes unjust and violent.
+
+We see, however, the consequence to be drawn from the preceding
+reflections; that political societies in contemplation, and in reality,
+present to our observation two different periods; and as these periods
+are not separated by any apparent limits, they are almost always
+confounded in the mind of the political moralist. He who believes in the
+union of private interest with that of the public, and who celebrates
+this harmony, has only considered society in its general and primitive
+plan; he who thinks, on the contrary, that the whole is wrong and
+discordant, because there is a great difference of power and fortune,
+has considered it only under its actual vicissitudes. Both these
+mistakes have received a sanction from celebrated writers. The man
+hurried away by a lively imagination, and strongly impressed by present
+objects, has been struck by the inequality of conditions; and the
+philosopher, who, transported by his abstractions beyond the circle of
+human society, has only perceived those relations and principles which
+led men to form the first institution of civil laws. Thus, every where
+we see, that most disputes relate to mere difference of positions, and
+to the various points of view in which the same subject is considered;
+there are so many stations in the moral world, that, according to that
+which we choose, the picture changes entirely.
+
+Hitherto we have endeavoured to understand the effect which we might
+expect from a system of morality, by applying this kind of instruction
+only to private interest, when most clearly ascertained. It remains now
+to show, that every species of education, which demands time and
+reflection, cannot belong, in any manner, to the class of men most
+numerous; and to be sensible of this truth, it is sufficient to turn our
+attention on the social state of those who are destitute of property,
+and talents which might supply its place; obliged to have recourse to
+hard labour, where nothing is required but to employ their bodily
+strength, their concurrence, and the power of riches reduce the wages of
+this numerous class to what is absolutely necessary; they cannot without
+difficulty support their children, and they may well be impatient of
+qualifying them for useful occupations to relieve themselves; and this
+prevents their being sent to public schools, except during their
+infancy: thus, ignorance and poverty are in the midst of our societies,
+and the hereditary lot of the greater part of the citizens; there is
+only to be found an alleviation of this general law, in those countries
+where the constitution of the government encourages the high price of
+labour, and gives the poor some means of resisting the despotism of
+fortune. However, if such is the inevitable effect of our civil and
+political legislation, how shall we be able to bind men without
+distinction, to the maintenance of public order, by any instruction, I
+do not say complicated, but to which the exercise of long reasoning
+forms only a necessary introduction? It would not be sufficient to endow
+institutions; it would be still more necessary to pay the scholars for
+their time; since, for the lower class, time is, even very early in
+life, their only means of subsistence.
+
+Nevertheless, morality is not, like other human sciences, a knowledge,
+that we may be at liberty to acquire at our leisure; the quickest
+instruction is still too slow, since man has a natural power of doing
+evil before his mind is in a state to apply to reflection, and connect
+the most simple ideas.
+
+It is not then a political catechism which would be proper for the
+instruction of the people; it is not a course of precepts founded on the
+union of public and private interest, which can suit with the measure of
+their understanding; when a doctrine of that kind would appear as just
+as it seems to me liable to be disputed, they will never be able to
+render the principles of it distinct enough, to apply them to the
+purposes of instructing those whose education continues for so short a
+time. Morality, founded on religion, by its active influence, is
+precisely adapted to the particular situation of the greater number of
+men; and this agreement is so perfect, that it seems one of the
+remarkable features of universal harmony. Religion alone has power to
+persuade with celerity, because it excites passion, whilst it informs
+the understanding, because it alone has the means of rendering obvious
+what it recommends; because it speaks in the name of God, and it is easy
+to inspire respect for him, whose power is every where evident to the
+eyes of the simple and skilful, to the eyes of children, and men
+advanced to maturity.
+
+In order to attack this truth, let it not be said, that the idea of a
+God is of all others the most incomprehensible; and if it is possible to
+derive useful instruction from so metaphysical a principle, we ought to
+expect more good from precepts which depend on the common relations of
+life. Such an objection is a mere subtilty; the distinct knowledge of
+the essence of a God, the creator of the world, is, undoubtedly above
+the comprehension of men of every age, and all faculties; but it is not
+the same with the vague idea of a heavenly power, who punishes and who
+rewards; parental authority, and the helplessness of infancy, prepare us
+early for ideas of obedience and command; and the world is such a
+stupendous wonder, a theatre of such continual prodigies, that it is
+easy to annex, at an early period, hope and fear to the idea of a
+Supreme Being. Thus, the infinity of a God, creator and director of the
+universe, is so far from having power to divert our respect and
+adoration, that even the clouds with which he invelopes himself, lend a
+new force to religious sentiments. A man often remains uninterested
+amidst: the discoveries of his reason; but it is always easy to move
+him, whenever we address ourselves to his imagination; for this faculty
+of our mind excites us continually to action, by presenting to our eyes
+a great space, and by keeping us always at a certain distance from the
+object we have in view. Man is so disposed to wonder at a power, of
+which he is ignorant of the springs; this sentiment is so natural to
+him, that what we ought to guard against the most in his education, is
+the inconsiderate insinuation of various terrors, of which he is
+susceptible. Thus, not only the true idea of the existence of an
+All-powerful God, but mere credulous faith in superstitious opinions,
+will always have more power over the common class of men, than abstract
+precepts, or general considerations. I know not even, if it might not be
+said, with truth, that the future of this short life, when we
+contemplate it, is further from us than the distant perspective offered
+to the mind by religion; because our imagination is less restrained, and
+the minutest description of reason can never equal in power, the lively
+and impulsive ardour of the affections of our souls.
+
+I resume the series of my reflections, and set down here an important
+observation: which is, that the more the increase of taxes keeps the
+people in despondency and misery, the more indispensable is it to give
+them a religious education; for it is in the irritation of wretchedness,
+that we all have need of a powerful restraint and of daily consolations.
+The successive abuse of strength and authority, in overturning all the
+relations which originally existed between men, have raised, in the
+midst of them, an edifice so artificial, and in which there reigns so
+much disproportion, that the idea of a God is become more necessary than
+ever, to serve as a leveller of this confused assemblage of disparities;
+and if we can ever imagine, that a people should exist, subject only to
+the laws of a political morality, we should represent, without doubt, a
+rising nation, which would be restrained by the vigour of patriotism in
+its prime; a nation which would occupy a country where riches had not
+had time to accumulate; where the distance of the habitations from each
+other contributed to the maintenance of domestic manners; where
+agriculture, that simple and peaceful occupation, would be the favourite
+employment; where the work of the hands would obtain a recompense
+proportioned to the scarcity of the workmen, and the extensive
+usefulness of the labour; we should represent, in short, a nation where
+the laws and the form of government would favour, during a long time,
+equality of rank and property. But in our ancient kingdoms in Europe,
+where the growth of riches continually augments the difference of
+fortunes and the distance of conditions;—in our old political bodies,
+where we are crowded together, and where misery and magnificence are
+ever mingled, it must be a morality, fortified by religion, that shall
+restrain these numerous spectators of so many possessions and objects of
+envy, and who, placed so near every thing which they call happiness, can
+yet never aspire to it.
+
+It may be asked, perhaps, in consequence of these reflections, whether
+religion, which strengthens every tie, and fortifies every obligation,
+is not favourable to tyranny? Such a conclusion would be unreasonable;
+but religion, which affords comfort under every affliction, would
+necessarily sooth also the ills which arise from despotism; however, it
+is neither the origin, nor the support of it: religion, well understood,
+would not lend its support but to order and justice; and the
+instructions of political morality proposes to itself the same end.
+Thus, in both plans of education, the rights of the sovereign, as well
+as those of the citizens, constitute simply one of the elementary parts
+of the general system of our duties.
+
+I shall only observe, that the insufficiency of political morality would
+appear still more obvious, in a country where the nation, subject to the
+authority of an absolute prince, would have no share in the government;
+for personal interest no longer having an habitual communication with
+the general interest, there would be just ground to fear, that in
+wishing to hold out the union of these two interests as the essential
+motive of virtue, the greater number would retain only this idea, that
+personality was admitted for the first principle; and consequently every
+one ought to reserve to himself the right of judging of the times and
+circumstances when self-love and patriotism are to be separated, or
+united. And how many errors would not this produce? Public good, like
+all abstract ideas, has not a precise definition; it is for the greater
+part of mankind a sea without bounds, and it requires not much address
+or shrewdness to confound all our analogies. We may know how we would
+form, according to our taste, the alliance of all the moral ideas, in
+considering with what facility men know how to reconcile with one
+quality the habitual infirmities of their character; he who wounds
+without discretion, prides himself in his frankness and courage; he who
+is cowardly and timid in his sentiments and in his words, boasts of his
+caution and circumspection; and by a new refinement of which I have seen
+singular examples, he who asks of the sovereign pecuniary favours,
+endeavours to persuade him that he is impelled to this solicitation,
+only by a noble love of honourable distinction; every one is ingenious
+in fixing the point of union which connects his passions with some
+virtue: would they then be less expert at finding some conformity
+between their own interest and that of the public?
+
+I cannot, I avow, without disgust, and even horror, conceive the absurd
+notion of a political society, destitute of that governing motive
+afforded by religion, and restrained only by a pretended connexion of
+their private interest with the general. What circumscribed judges! What
+a multiplicity of opinions, sentiments, and wills! All would be in
+confusion, if we left to men the liberty of drawing their own
+conclusions: they must absolutely have a simple idea to regulate their
+conduct, especially when the application of this principle may be
+infinitely diversified. God in delivering his laws on Mount Sinai, had
+need but to say, _Thou shalt not steal_; and with the awful idea of that
+God, whom every thing recals to our minds, whom every thing impresses on
+the human heart, this short commandment preserves, at all times, a
+sufficient authority; but when political philosophy says, _Thou shalt
+not steal_, it would be necessary to add to this precept a train of
+reasoning, on the laws of right, on the inequality of conditions, and on
+the various social relations; in order to persuade us that it
+comprehends every motive, that it answers all objections, and resists
+all attacks. It is necessary, further, that by the lessons of this
+philosophy the most uncultivated minds should be qualified to follow the
+different ramifications which unite, disunite, and reunite afresh the
+personal to the public interest: what an enterprize! It is, perhaps,
+like wishing to employ a course of anatomy, in order to direct a child
+in the choice of such aliments as are proper for it, instead of
+beginning to conduct it by the counsels and the authority of its mother.
+
+The same remarks are applicable to all the virtues, of which the
+observance is essential to public order: what method would plain
+reasoning take to persuade a single man, that he ought not to deprive a
+husband of the affections of his wife? Where would you assign him a
+distinct recompense for the sacrifice of his passion? What windings
+should we not be obliged to run over, to demonstrate to an ambitious
+man, that he ought not, in secret, to calumniate his rival; to the
+solitary miser, armed with indifference, that he ought not to remove
+himself from every occasion of doing good; to a disposition ardent and
+revengeful, that he ought not to obey those urgent impulses which hurry
+him away; to a man in want, that he ought not to have recourse to
+falsehood to procure attention, or to deceive in any other manner? And
+how many other positions would offer the same difficulties, and still
+greater? Abstract ideas, the best arranged, can never conquer us but by
+long arguments, since the peculiar nature of these ideas is to disengage
+our reasoning from the feelings, and consequently from striking and
+sudden impressions; besides, political morality, like every thing which
+the mind only produces, would be always for us merely an opinion; an
+opinion from which we should have a right to appeal, at any time, to the
+tribunal of our reason. The lessons of men are nothing but
+representations of their judgment; and the sentiments of some draw not
+the will of others. There is not any principle of morality, which, under
+forms absolutely human, would not be susceptible of exceptions, or of
+some modification; and there is nothing so compounded as the idea of the
+connexion of virtue with happiness: in short, while our understanding
+has a difficulty in comprehending and clearly distinguishing that union,
+the objects of our passions are every where apparent, and all our senses
+are preengaged by them. The miser beholds gold and silver; the ambitious
+man, those honours which are conferred on others; the debauchee, the
+objects of his luxury; virtue has nothing left but reasoning; and is
+then in want of being sustained by religious sentiments, and by the
+enlivening hopes which accompany them.
+
+Thus, in a government where you would wish to substitute political
+morality for a religious education, it would become, perhaps,
+indispensable to guard men from receiving any ideas calculated to exalt
+their minds; it would be necessary to divert them from the different
+competitions which excite self-love and ambition; they must withdraw
+themselves from the habitual society of women; and it would be still
+more incumbent on them to abolish the use of money, that attracting and
+confused image of all kinds of gratifications: in short, in taking from
+men their religious hopes, and depriving them thus of the encouragements
+to virtue which the imagination gives birth to, every exertion must be
+tried to prevent this unruly imagination from seconding vice, and all
+the passions contrary to public order: it was because Telemachus was
+accompanied by a Divinity, that he could, without danger, visit the
+sumptuous court of Sesostris, and the enchanting abodes of Eucharis and
+Calypso.
+
+It is indeed an age the most pleasant, as well as the safest of our
+life, which we cannot pass without a guide; we must then, in order to
+pass with security through the tempestuous days of youth, have
+principles which command us, and not reflections to counsel us; these
+have not any power but in proportion to the vigour of the mind, and the
+mind is only formed by experience and a long conflict of opinions.
+
+Religious instructions have the peculiar advantage of seizing the
+imagination, and of interesting our sensibility, those two brilliant
+faculties of our early years: thus, then even supposing that we could
+establish a course of political morality, sufficiently propped by
+reasoning, for defending from vice men enlightened by maturity, I should
+still say, that a similar philosophy would not be suitable to youth, and
+that this armour is too heavy for them.
+
+In short, the lessons of human wisdom, which cannot govern us during the
+ardour of our passions, are equally insufficient, when our strength
+being broken by disease, we are no longer in a state to comprehend a
+variety of relations; instead of which, such is the pleasing emotions
+that accompany the language of religion, that in the successive decline
+of our faculties, this language still keeps pace with them.
+
+Nevertheless, if we were ever to be persuaded, that there was on earth a
+more certain encouragement to virtue than religion, its powers would be
+immediately weakened; it would not be half so interesting, nor could
+reign when divided; if its sentiments did not overflow, as we may say,
+the human heart, all its influence would vanish.
+
+Religious instruction, in assembling all the means proper to excite men
+to virtue, neglects not, it is true, to point out the relations, which
+exist between the observance of the laws of morality and the happiness
+of life; but it is as an accessary motive, that these considerations are
+presented; and it is not necessary to support them by the same proofs as
+a fundamental principle requires. Also, when people are taught early
+that vices and crimes lead to misery on earth, these doctrines make not
+a lasting impression on them, but in proportion as we succeed at the
+same time, in convincing them of the constant influence of a Providence
+over all the events of this world.
+
+One important reason still exempts religious professors, from attaching
+themselves to demonstrate, that the principal advantages which excite
+the envy of men, are an absolute consequence of the observance of the
+laws of order: it is, that sacrifices, supported by an idea of duty, are
+changed into real satisfactions; and the sentiments, which the virtuous
+enjoy from piety, compose an essential part of their happiness. But what
+consolation can a man have by way of return; what secret approbation can
+we grant him, when we know not any other authority than that of
+political morality, and when virtue is nothing but an opposition between
+private and public interest?
+
+Religion certainly proposes to man his own happiness, as an object and
+ultimate end; but as this happiness is placed at a distance, religion
+conducts us to it by wholesome restrictions and temporary sacrifices; it
+regards only the sublimest part of us, that which disunites us from the
+present moment, in order to connect us with futurity; it offers us
+hopes, which withdraw us from worldly interest, so far as is necessary
+to prevent us from being immoderately devoted to the disorderly
+impressions of our senses, and the tyranny of our passions. Irreligion,
+on the contrary, whose lessons teach us, that we are only masters of the
+present moment, concentres us more and more within ourselves, and there
+is nothing beautiful or good in this condition; for grandeur, of every
+kind, relates to the extent of those relations which we comprehend; and,
+in a like acceptation, our sentiments submit to the same laws.
+
+Those who represent the obligations of religion as indifferent, assure
+us, that we may repose safely the maintenance of morality on some
+general sentiments, which we have adopted; but do not consider that
+these sentiments derive their origin, and almost all their force, from
+that spirit of religion which they wish to weaken. Yes, even humanity,
+this emotion of a noble soul, is animated and fortified by the idea of a
+Supreme Being; the alliance between men holds but feebly from the
+conformity of their organization; nor can it be attributed to the
+similitude of their passions, that continual source of so much hatred;
+it depends essentially on our connexion with the same author, the same
+superintendant, the same judge; it is founded on the equality of our
+right to the same hopes, and on that train of duties inculcated by
+education, and rendered respectable by the habitual dominion of
+religious opinions. Alas! it is a melancholy avowal, that men have so
+many infirmities, so much injustice, selfishness, and ingratitude, at
+least, in the eyes of those who have observed them collectively, that we
+never can keep them in harmony by the mere lessons of wisdom: it is not
+always because they are amiable that we love them; it is sometimes, and
+very often indeed, because we ought to love them, that we find them
+amiable. Yes, goodness and forbearance, these qualities the most simple,
+still require to be compared, from time to time, with an idea general
+and predominate, the band of all our virtues. The passions of others
+wound us in so many ways, and there is often so much depth and energy in
+our self-love, that we have need of some succour to be constantly
+generous in our sentiments, and to be really interested for all our
+fellow-creatures, in the midst of whom we are placed.
+
+In short, not to dissemble, if a man once came to consider himself as a
+being that is the child of chance, or of blind necessity, and tending
+only to the dust from whence he sprung, and to which he must return, he
+would despise himself; and far from seeking to rise to noble and
+virtuous reflections, he would consider this species of ambition as a
+fantastic idea, which consumes in a vain and illusory manner, a part of
+those fleeting minutes which he has to pass on earth; and all his
+attention being fixed on the shortness of life, and on the eternal
+silence which must close the scene, he would only think _how to devour
+this reign of a moment_.
+
+How dangerous then would it be, on this supposition, to show to men the
+extremity of the chain which unites them together! It is in worldly
+affairs this knowledge of having received the last favour, which renders
+them ungrateful towards those from whom they no longer expect any thing;
+and the same sentiment would weaken the power of morality if our lease
+was manifestly only for this world. It is then religion which ought to
+strengthen those ties, and defend the entire system of our duty against
+the stratagems of reasoning and the artifices of our minds; it is
+necessary, in order to oblige all men, to consider with respect the laws
+of morality, to teach them early that the social virtues are an homage
+rendered to the perfections and to the beneficent intentions of the
+Sovereign Author of Nature, of that Infinite Being who is pleased with
+the preservation of order, and the private sacrifices which the
+accomplishment of this grand design requires. And when I see modern
+philosophers tracing, with an able hand, the general plan of our duties;
+when I see them fix with judgment the reciprocal obligations of
+citizens, and giving, at last, for the basis to this legislation,
+personal interest and the love of praise: I recollect the system of
+those Indian philosophers, who, after having studied the revolutions of
+the heavenly bodies, being perplexed to determine the power which
+sustained the vaulted firmament, thought they had freed it from
+difficulty, by placing the universe on the back of an elephant, and this
+elephant on a tortoise. We shall imitate these philosophers, and, like
+them, shall never proceed but by degradation, whenever, by endeavouring
+to form a chain of duties and moral principles, we do not place the last
+link above worldly considerations, and beyond the limits of our social
+conventions.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. II.
+    _The same Subject continued. A Parallel between the Influence of
+            Religious Principles, and of Laws and Opinions._
+
+
+After having examined, as I have just done, in the preceding chapter, if
+it were possible to found morality on the connexion of private with
+public interest, it remains for me to consider, if the punishments
+inflicted by the sovereign, if the sceptre, which public opinion sways,
+have sufficient power to restrain men, and bind them to the observance
+of their duty.
+
+It is necessary to proceed by common ideas, in order to advance one
+degree in the research of truth: thus I ought at first, in this place,
+to recollect, that the penal laws cannot be applied but to offences
+known and proved; this consideration contracts their power within a very
+narrow circle; however, crimes secretly committed, are not the only ones
+which are beyond the cognizance of laws; we must place in this rank
+every reprehensible action, which, for want of a distinct character, can
+never be pointed out; the number of them is prodigious: the rigour of
+parents, ingratitude of children, the inhumanity of abandoning their
+nurses, treachery in friendship, the violation of domestic comfort,
+disunion sown in the bosoms of families, levity of principles in every
+social connexion, perfidious counsels, artful and slanderous
+insinuations, rigorous exercise of authority, favour and partiality of
+judges, their inattention, their idleness and severity, endeavours to
+obtain places of importance, with a consciousness of incapacity, corrupt
+flatteries addressed to sovereigns or ministers, statesmen indifferent
+to public good, their vile and pernicious jealousies, and their
+political dissensions, excited in order to render themselves necessary,
+wars instigated by ambition, intolerance under the cover of zeal; in
+short, many other fatal evils which the laws cannot either follow or
+describe, and which often do much mischief, before they give any
+opportunity for public censure. We ought not even to desire that this
+censure pass certain bounds, because authority, applied to obscure
+faults, or those susceptible of various interpretations, easily
+degenerates into tyranny; and as there is nothing so transitory as
+thought, nothing so secret as our sentiments; none but an invisible
+power, whose authority seems to participate of the divine, has a right
+to enter into the secrets of our hearts.
+
+It is then only, at the tribunal of his own conscience, that a man can
+be interrogated about a number of actions and intentions which escape
+the inspection of government. Let us beware of overturning the authority
+of a judge so active and enlightened; let us beware of weakening it
+voluntarily, and let us not be so imprudent as to repose only on social
+discipline. I will even venture to say, that the power of conscience is
+perhaps still more necessary in the age we live in, than in any of the
+preceding; though society no longer presents us with a view of those
+vices and crimes which shock us by their deformity; yet licentiousness
+of morals, and refinement of manners, have almost imperceptibly blended
+good and evil, vice and decency, falsehood and truth, selfishness and
+magnanimity; it is more important then ever, to oppose to this secret
+depravity, an interior authority, which pries into the mysterious
+windings of disguise, and whose action may be as penetrating as our
+dissimulation seems artful and well contrived.
+
+It is, undoubtedly, because a similar authority appears absolutely
+necessary to the maintenance of public order, that several philosophic
+writers have endeavoured to introduce it as a principle of atheism. In
+such a system the whole is fictitious; they speak of our blushing at the
+recollection of our follies, of dreading our own secret reproaches, and
+of being afraid of the condemnation, which, in the calm of reflection,
+we shall pronounce against ourselves; but these sentiments, which have
+so much force with the idea of a God, they know not what to unite them
+with, when they would give only for a guide the most active personal
+interest, and when all the grand communications, established between men
+by religious opinions, are absolutely broken; conscience is then an
+expression void of meaning, a useless word in the language. We may still
+feel remorse, that is to say, regret at being deceived in the pursuits
+of ambition, in promoting our interest, in the choice of means which we
+employ to obtain the respect and praise of others; in short, in the
+various calculations of our worldly advantage: but such remorse is only
+an exaltation of our self-love; we deify, in some measure, our judgment
+and understanding, and we make at last all our actions appear before
+these false idols, to reproach us with our errors and weaknesses; we
+thus voluntarily become our own tormentors; but when this perfection is
+too importunate, we have it in our power to command our tyrants to use
+more indulgence towards us. It is not the same with the reproaches of
+conscience; the sentiments which produce them have nothing compounded or
+artificial in them, we cannot corrupt our judge, nor enter into a
+compromise with him; that which seduces men never deceives him, and
+amidst the giddiness of prosperity, in the intoxication of the greatest
+success, his looks are inevitably fixed on us; and we cannot but with
+terror enjoy the applause and the triumphs which we have not merited.
+
+We read in several modern books, that with good laws we should always
+have morality sufficient; but I cannot adopt this opinion. Man is a
+being so compounded, and his relations with his species are so various
+and so fine, that to regulate his mind, and direct his conduct, he has
+need of a multitude of sentiments, on which the commands of the
+sovereign have not any hold; they are all simple and declared duties,
+which the legislators have reduced to precepts, and this rough building,
+termed civil laws, leaves vacancies throughout. The laws require merely
+a blind obedience; and as they enjoin and defend only actions, are
+absolutely indifferent to the private sentiments of men; the moral
+edifice which they raise is in several parts a mere exterior form, and
+it is at the roof, if I may say so, that they have begun. Religion
+proceeds in a manner diametrically opposite; it is in the heart, it is
+in the recesses of conscience, that it lays its first base; it appears
+to be acquainted with the grand secrets of nature; it sows in the earth
+a grain, and this grain is nourished, and transformed into numerous
+branches, which, without any effort, spring up, and extend themselves to
+all dimensions and in every kind of form.
+
+I will suppose, nevertheless, that we believed it sufficient for the
+maintenance of public order, to reduce morality to the spirit of civil
+laws, it would still be out of the power of men to draw from this
+assimilation familiar instructions proper to form a code of education;
+for these laws, simple in their commands, are not so in their
+principles. We perceive not immediately why revenge, the most just, is
+prohibited; why we have not the power to do ourselves justice by the
+same means a ravisher would use; why we have not a right to resist with
+violence the tyrannic oppressor; in short, why certain actions, some
+indifferent in themselves, and some hurtful to others, are condemned in
+a general and uniform manner: a kind of combination is necessary to
+discover, that the legislator himself is wandering from natural ideas,
+in order to prevent every person from being a judge in his own cause,
+and to avoid that, those exceptions and distinctions, of which every
+circumstance is susceptible, might never be determined by the judgment
+of individuals. In the same manner, from those indirect motives, the
+laws treat with more rigour an offence difficult to define, than a
+disorder more reprehensible in itself; but of which the excesses might
+be easily perceived: and they observe still the same rule with respect
+to crimes which are surrounded by greater allurements, though this
+seduction is even a motive for indulgence in the eyes of simple justice;
+in short, the laws, in adopting a more determinate method, to constrain
+debtors to the discharge of their obligations, prove that they are not
+compassionate to unforeseen misfortunes, nor actuated by other motives
+of equity which merit an equal interest; all their attention is fixed on
+the relation of engagements with the political resources, which arise
+from commerce and its transactions. There exists thus a multitude of
+prohibitions of punishments, or gradations in the penalties, which have
+not any connexion but with the general views of the legislation, and
+agree not with the circumscribed good sense, which determines the
+judgment of individuals. It is then often, by considerations very
+extensive and complicated, that an action is criminal or reprehensible
+in the eyes of the law: thus, we know not how to erect, on this base
+alone, a system of morality, of which every one can have a clear
+perception; and since the legislator carefully avoids submitting any
+thing to private examination, because he sacrifices often to this
+principle natural justice, how then can he wish, at the same time, to
+give us for a rule of conduct a political morality, which is all founded
+on reasoning?
+
+It is of consequence still to observe, that to the eyes of the greater
+number of men, the sense of the laws, and the decrees formed by those
+who interpret them, ought necessarily to be identified and blended, and
+form only one point of view; and as the judges are frequently exposed to
+error, the true spirit of legislation remains often in obscurity, and we
+with difficulty discern it.
+
+It is, perhaps, because laws are the work of our understanding, that we
+are disposed to grant them a universal dominion: but I will avow, I am
+far from thinking that they can ever be substituted instead of the
+salutary influence of religion, and that I believe them insufficient
+even to regulate the things immediately under their jurisdiction; thus I
+would request you to reflect, if the unfortunate errors with which we
+reproach criminal tribunals, have not their source in the faults
+committed by sovereign authority; when it has referred all the duties of
+the judges to the injunctions of the law, and when it has refused to
+confide any longer in the conscience and private sentiments of the
+magistrates.
+
+Let us render this observation more clear by a single example chosen
+from a number. We demand at present, that the legislator explain himself
+afresh on the grand question, what witnesses are necessary? but will he
+not always run the risk of being deceived, whether he absolutely rejects
+a probable evidence, or whether he makes the fate of a criminal depend
+upon it? How will he determine, that the testimony of an honest man,
+identifying the person of an assassin, in his own cause, should not be
+reckoned any thing by the judge; and how can he pretend also, that a
+testimony of this nature is sufficient to determine a condemnation, when
+he who gives the evidence appears suspicious, either from the motives,
+which we must suppose actuate him, or from the improbability of his
+assertion? Reason is then placed between two extremes; but intermediate
+ideas not being consonant with the absolute language of law, we ought,
+in such circumstances, to leave much to the wisdom and integrity of the
+magistrates; and so far from serving innocence by acting otherwise, we
+visibly endanger it; because judges habituate themselves to render the
+laws responsible for every thing, and respectfully submit to the letter,
+instead of obeying the spirit, which is the earnest desire of obtaining
+truth. What then, some will say, would you wish that there should be no
+positive instructions, neither to serve for a guide in the examination
+of crimes, nor to determine the character by which these crimes may be
+distinguished? This was never in my mind; but I could wish, that in an
+affair of such serious importance, they would unite to the judgment
+which proceeded from the prudence of the legislator, that which may be
+brought by the wisdom of the judges; I could wish, that the criminal
+legislation prescribed to the magistrates, not all that they are obliged
+to do, but all from which they are not exempt; not all that is
+sufficient to determine their opinion, but all which ought to be the
+indispensable condition of a capital punishment. Guided by such a
+spirit, the commands given by the law, would be a safeguard against the
+ignorance, or possible prevarication of the judges; but as any general
+rule, any immutable principle, is not applicable to an infinite
+diversity of circumstances, I would give to innocence a new defender,
+interesting in a more immediate manner the morality of the judges to
+search for and examine the truth, and to recal continually all the
+extent of their obligations; I could wish, that previous to their
+passing a sentence of condemnation, raising one of their hands towards
+heaven, they pronounced with earnestness these words: “I attest, that
+the man accused before us, appears to me guilty, according to the law,
+and according to my own private judgment.” It is not sufficient, that we
+command a judge to examine with probity, if the proofs of an offence,
+are conformable to those required by the statute; it is necessary to
+inform a magistrate, that he ought to enquire into the truth by all the
+means that scrupulous anxiety can suggest; he should know, that, called
+to decide on the life and the honour of men, his understanding and his
+heart, ought to be enlisted in the cause of humanity, and that there are
+not any limits opposed to bound his duty; then, without failing in any
+of the enquiries ordained by the laws, he would force himself to go
+still further, that no evidence proper to make an impression on a
+reasonable man might be rejected, at the same time, that none might have
+so decisive a force, that the examination of circumstances would ever
+appear useless; the judges then would make use of that sagacity, which
+seems to discern instinctively; they would not then disdain to read even
+the looks of the accuser and the accused, and they would not believe it
+a matter of indifference to observe with attention, all those emotions
+of nature, where sometimes truth is painted with so much energy; then,
+in short, innocence would be under the protection of something as pure
+as itself, the scrupulous conscience of a judge.
+
+We have never, perhaps, sufficiently considered how much a methodical
+order, when we confine ourselves too servilely to it, contracts the
+bounds of the mind; it becomes then like a foot-path traced between two
+banks, which prevents our discovering what is not in a strait line. The
+strict observance of method diverts us also from consulting that light,
+sometimes so lively, of which the soul only is the focus; for in
+subjecting us to a positive course of things always regular, and in
+making us find pleasure in a determined path, which offers continual
+repose to our thoughts, it incapacitates for thinking that delicate
+perception of natural sentiments, which has nothing fixed or
+circumscribed, but whose free flight often makes us approach to truth,
+as by a kind of instinct or inspiration.
+
+I should stray too far from my subject, if I extended these reflections,
+and I hasten to connect them with the subject of this chapter, in
+repeating again, that if the laws are insufficient, even in those
+decisions submitted to their authority, and if the they have absolute
+need of the aid of religion, whenever they impose on their private
+expounders duties a little complicated; they would be still less able to
+supply the habitual and daily influence of that motive, the most
+powerful of all, and the only one at the same time, of which the action
+will be sufficiently penetrating to follow us in the mazes of our
+conduct, and in the labyrinth of our thoughts.
+
+I ought now to direct your attention towards other considerations. All
+that is required by public order, all that is of importance to society,
+some will say, is, that criminals may not escape the sword of justice,
+and that an attentive superintendance discover them under the cloud
+where they seek to conceal themselves. I will not here recal the various
+obstacles, which are opposed to the plenitude of this vigilance; every
+one may perceive them, or form an idea of them; but I hasten to observe,
+that in considering society in its actual state, we ought not to forget,
+that religious sentiments have greatly diminished the talk of
+government; a scene quite new would open, if we had for our guide only
+political morality; it would not then be a few men without principles,
+who would trouble the public order, more able actors would mix in the
+throng, some conducted by mature reflection, and others, carried away by
+seducing appearances, would be incessantly at war with all those, whose
+fortune excited their jealousy; and then only we should know how many
+opportunities there are of doing evil, and injuring others. It would
+also happen, that all these enemies of public order not being
+disconcerted by the reproaches of their conscience, would become every
+day more expert in the art of avoiding the observation of justice; and
+the dangers to which the imprudent exposed themselves, would not
+discourage the ingenious.
+
+It is then, if I may be permitted so to express myself, because the laws
+find men in a healthy state, prepared by religious instruction, that
+they can restrain them; but if a system of education merely political
+was ever to prevail, new precautions and new chains would become
+absolutely necessary, and after having freed us from the mild ties of
+religion, the projectors of such a system would increase our civil
+slavery, would bend our necks under the hardest of all yokes, that which
+is imposed by our fellow-creatures.
+
+Religion, whose influence they wish us to reject, is better appropriated
+than they think, to the mixture of pride and weakness, which constitutes
+our nature, and for us, such as we are; its action is far preferable to
+that of the penal laws; it is not, before his equals, armed with the rod
+of vengeance, that the culprit is made to appear; it is not to their
+ignorance, or to their inexorable justice, that he is abandoned; it is
+at the tribunal of his own conscience, that religion informs against
+him; before a God, sovereign of the world, that it humbles, and in the
+name of a tender and merciful Father that it comforts him. Alas! while
+you at once take from us both our consolation and our true dignity, you
+wish to refer every thing to private interest and public punishment; but
+permit me to listen to those commands which come from on high; leave me
+to divert my attention from the menacing sceptre which the potentates of
+the earth weild in their hand; leave me to account with Him, before whom
+they shrink into nothing; leave me, in short, to address myself to him
+who pardons, and who, at the moment I have offended, permits me still to
+love him, and rely on his grace!—Alas! without the idea of a
+God,—without this connexion with a Supreme Being, author of all nature,
+we should only listen to the vile counsels of selfish prudence, we
+should only have to flatter and adore the rulers of nations, and all
+those who in an absolute monarchy, are the numerous representatives of
+the authority of the prince; yes, talents, sentiments, ought to bend
+before these distributors of so much good and evil, if nothing exists
+beyond worldly interest; and when once every one cringes, there is no
+more dignity in the character, men become incapable of any great action,
+and unequal to any moral excellence.
+
+Religious opinions have the double merit of maintaining us in the
+obedience due to the laws and the soveriegn, and of nourishing in our
+hearts a sentiment which sustains our courage, and which reminds men of
+their true grandeur; teaches submission without meanness, and prevents,
+above all, cowardly humiliations before transitory idols, in showing at
+a distance the last period, when all must return to an equality before
+the Master of the World.
+
+The idea of a God, at the same distance from all men, serves also to
+console us for that shocking superiority of rank and fortune under the
+oppression of which we live; it is necessary to transport ourselves to
+the heights religion discovers, to consider with a kind of calmness and
+indifference the frivolous pretentions of some, and the confident
+haughtiness of others; and such objects of regret, or of envy, which
+appeared a Colossus to our imagination, are changed into a grain of
+sand, when we contrast them with the grand prospects which such sublime
+meditations display to our view.
+
+They are then blind, or indifferent to our interest, who wish to
+substitute, instead of religious instructions, political and worldly
+maxims; and in like manner, those are inflexible and unfeeling, who
+believe they shall be able to conduct men only by terror; and who, in
+contesting the salutary influence of religious opinions, expect less
+from them than the axe of the lictors, and the apparatus of execution.
+What is then this wretched system? For supposing even that the different
+means of securing public tranquillity were equal in their effect, should
+we not prefer religious principles, which prevent crimes, to the strict
+laws which punish them? I understand not besides, how, with the same
+hand that they repel religious sentiments, they wish to raise every
+where scaffolds, and multiply, without scruple, those frightful theatres
+of severity; for if men, hurried onwards to crimes, were only governed
+by blind necessity, alas! what do they deserve? And if we still
+determine to destroy them as examples, we should assist at their
+execution, as at that of beings devoted for the good of society, as
+Iphigenia was sacrificed at Aulis for the salvation of Greece.
+
+Religion is, in another respect, superior to the laws, which are ever
+armed for vengeance; instead of that, religion, even when threatening,
+nourishes also the hopes of pardon and felicity; and I believe, contrary
+to the generally received opinion, that man, by his nature, is more
+constantly animated by hope, than restrained by fear; the former of
+these sentiments compose the tenor of our life, whilst the latter is the
+effect of an extraordinary circumstance, or particular situation; in
+short, courage, or want of consideration, turns our attention from
+danger, whilst ideas of happiness are perpetually present, and blended,
+if I may use the expression, with our whole existence.
+
+I perceive, however, that some may say to me, it is not only of civil
+and penal laws that we mean to speak, when we maintain that good public
+institutions would be an efficacious substitute for the influence of
+religion; it would be necessary to introduce laws of education, proper
+to modify, beforehand, the mind and form the character. But they have
+not explained, and I am ignorant that there are such laws, which they
+wish to distinguish from the general doctrines we are acquainted with;
+doctrines susceptible, undoubtedly, of different degrees of perfection,
+which, before instructing us not only in the virtues simple and real,
+but in all those mixed and conventional, have necessarily a vague
+character, and could not separate themselves from the support that they
+borrow from the fixed and precise ideas of religion. They may cite the
+example of Sparta, where the state undertook the education of the
+citizens, and formed by laws the extraordinary manners which history has
+delineated; but that government, aided in this enterprize by all the
+influence of paternal authority, nevertheless proposed but two great
+objects, the encouragement of martial qualities, and the maintenance of
+liberty: morality was not made interesting, though among us it requires
+so much application; and it was rendered less necessary, as every
+institution tended to introduce a perfect equality of rank and fortune,
+and opposed all kind of communication with foreigners. In short, it was,
+after all, a religious opinion which subjected the Spartans to the
+authority of their legislator; and without their confidence in the
+oracle of Delphos, Lycurgus had only been a celebrated philosopher.
+
+We are still further, at present, from the disposition and situation
+which would allow laws of education to govern us, supported only by a
+political spirit; in order to make the trial, we must be divided into
+little associations; and by some means, not yet discovered, be able to
+oppose invincible obstacles to the enlargement of them, and to preserve
+us from the desires and voluptuousness which are the inevitable
+consequence of an augmentation of wealth, and the progress of the arts
+and sciences: in short, and it is a singular remark, at a period when
+man is become a being the most compounded, on account of these social
+modifications, he has need, more than ever, of a principle which will
+penetrate to the very source of his numerous affections; consequently it
+would be necessary suddenly to carry him back to his primitive
+simplicity, to make him agree, in some measure, with the limited extent
+of an education purely civil. Let me add, that a like education could
+not be adapted to the commonalty, as in Sparta; they must be separated
+from the citizens, and kept in servitude: an observation which leads me
+to a very important reflection; it is, that in a country where slavery
+would be introduced, where the most numerous class would be governed by
+the continual fear of the severest chastisement, they would be able to
+confide more in the mere ascendency of political morality; for this
+morality only having to keep in order the part of society represented by
+those who have property, the task would not be difficult; but among us,
+where happily all men, without any distinction, are subject to the yoke
+of the law, an authority so extensive, must necessarily be strengthened
+and seconded by the universal influence of religious opinions.
+
+I shall conclude this part of my subject by one reflection more;
+supposing, even in the sovereign authority, an exertion sufficiently
+general to prevent or repress evil, religion would still have this great
+advantage, that it inculcates the beneficent virtues, which the laws
+cannot reach; and yet, in the actual state of society, it is become
+impossible to omit those virtues. It is not sufficient to be just, when
+the laws of property reduce to bare necessaries the most numerous class
+of men, whose weak resources the most trivial accident disconcerts; and
+I hesitate not to say, that such is the extreme inequality established
+by these laws, that we ought at present to consider the spirit of
+beneficence and forbearance, as constituting a part of social order; as
+in all places and times, it softens by its assistance the excess of
+wretchedness, and by an innumerable multitude of springs spreads itself
+as the vital juice, through forlorn beings, whom misery had almost
+exhausted. But if this spirit, properly intermediate between the rigour
+of civil rights, and the original title of humanity, did not exist, or
+should ever be extinct, we should see all the subordinate ties relax
+imperceptibly; and a man, loaded with the favours of fortune, never
+presenting himself to the people under the form of a benefactor; they
+would more forcibly feel the great extent of his privileges, and would
+accustom themselves to discuss them. Men must then find a way of
+moderating the despotism of fortune, or render homage to religion,
+which, by the sublime idea of an exchange between the blessings of
+heaven and earth, obliges the rich to give what the laws cannot demand.
+
+Religion then comes continually to assist the civil legislation, it
+speaks a language unknown to the laws, it warms that sensibility which
+ought to advance even before reason; it acts like light and interior
+warmth, as it both enlightens and animates; and what we have not
+sufficiently observed, is, that in society its moral sentiments are the
+imperceptible tie of a number of parts, which seem to be held by their
+own agreement, and which would be successively detached, if the chain
+which united them was ever to be broken: we shall more clearly perceive
+this truth, in the examination we are going to make of the connexion of
+opinion with morality.
+
+When we imagine we should be able to subject men to the observance of
+public order, and inspire them with the love of virtue, by motives
+independent of religion, we propose, undoubtedly, to put in action two
+powerful springs; the desire of esteem and praise; and the fear of
+contempt and shame. Thus, to follow my subject in all its branches, I
+ought necessarily to examine what is the degree of force of these
+different motives, and what is also their true application. I have
+already spoken, in other works of mine, of the opinion of the world, and
+of its salutary effects; but the subject I am now treating obliges me to
+consider it under a different point of view, and it is by placing myself
+behind the scene, that I shall be able to fulfil this task.
+
+I remark, at first, that the opinion of the world exercises its
+influence in a very confined space, as it is particularly called in to
+judge men, whose rank and employments have some splendour in the world;
+the opinion of the public is an approbation or censure, exercised in the
+name of the general interest; thus it ought only to be applied to
+actions and to words, which either directly or indirectly affect this
+interest. The private conduct of him who discharges in society the most
+important functions, is indeed submitted to the judgment and
+superintendance of the public at large; and we ought not to wonder that
+it should, since in similar circumstances the principles of an
+individual appear an earnest, or presage of his public virtues; but all
+those, whose sole occupation is to spend their income, those who are
+entirely devoted to dissipation, and have not any connexion with the
+grand interests of the community, become independent of the opinion of
+the world; or at least they do not experience its severity, till, by
+foolish extravagance or inconsiderate pretentions, they draw the
+attention of the public on their conduct. In short, a great number of
+men, who, by the obscurity of their condition and moderate fortune, find
+themselves lost in a crowd, will never dread a power that singles out of
+the ranks its heroes and victims: thus people, concealed under humble
+roofs scattered in the country, are as indifferent to the opinion of the
+world, as are to the rays of the sun, those unhappy tribes who labour at
+the bottom of mines, and pass their whole lives in a dark subterraneous
+cavern.
+
+We cannot then form any kind of comparison between the peculiar
+ascendency of reputation, and the general influence of religious
+morality.
+
+Fame only recompenses rare actions; and would have nothing to bestow on
+a nation of heroes. Religion tends continually to render virtue common;
+but the universal success of its instructions would take away nothing
+from the value of its benefits.
+
+In order to receive the rewards which fame bestows, men must appear with
+splendour on the stage of life. Religion, on the contrary, extends its
+most distinguished favours to those who despise praise, and who do good
+in secret.
+
+The world almost always requires, that talents and knowledge should
+accompany virtue; and it is thus that the love of praise becomes the
+seed and spring of great actions. Religion never imposes this condition;
+its recompenses belong to the ignorant as well as the learned, to the
+humble spirit as well as to the exalted genius; and it is in animating
+equally all men, in exciting universal activity, that it effectually
+concurs to the maintenance of civil order.
+
+The world, only judging of actions in their state of maturity, takes not
+any account of efforts; and, as men do not seize the palm till the
+moment when they approach the goal, it is necessary, at the commencement
+of the career, that every one should derive from his own force his
+courage and perseverance. Religion, on the contrary, if I may say so,
+dwells with us from the moment that we begin to think; it welcomes our
+intentions, strengthens our resolutions, and supports us even in the
+hour of temptation; it is, at all times, and in all situations, that we
+experience its influence, as we are continually reminded of its rewards.
+
+Fame distributing only favours, whose principal value arises from
+comparisons and competitions, often draws on its favourites the
+envenomed breath of slander, and then sometimes they doubt about their
+real value. Religion mingles no bitterness with its reward; it is in
+obscurity that it confers content; and as it has treasures for all the
+world, what is granted to some never impoverishes others.
+
+The world is often mistaken in its judgment, because in the midst of so
+vast a circle it is often difficult to distinguish true merit and the
+splendour which follows it, from the false colours of hypocrisy.
+Religion extends its influence to the inmost recesses of the heart, and
+places there an observer, who has a closer view of men than their
+actions afford, and whom they cannot either deceive or surprise.
+
+In short, I will say it, there are moments when the opinion of the world
+loses its force, and becomes enervated or governed by a servile spirit,
+it searches to find faults in the oppressed, and attributes grand
+intentions to powerful men, that it may, without shame, abandon one, and
+celebrate the other. Ah! it is in such moments we return with delight to
+the precepts of religion, to those independent principles, which, while
+they illustrate every thing deserving of esteem or contempt, enable us
+to follow the dictates of our heart, and speak according to our
+conscience!
+
+Thus, the opinion of the world, whose influence I have seen increase,
+which unites so many motives to excite men to distinguished actions, and
+to exalt them even to the great virtues, still ought never to be
+compared with the universal, invariable influence of religion, and with
+those sentiments which its precepts inspire men of all ages, of all
+conditions, and every degree of understanding.
+
+Would it be straying from my subject, to remark here the illusion we are
+under, if we expect any important utility to arise from those marks of
+distinction lately introduced into France, under the name of public
+rewards for virtue? Those trivial favours of opinion can never be
+decreed but to a few dispersed actions; and it might be apprehended,
+that if we rendered such institutions permanent and general, they might
+turn the attention of the people at large from the grand recompense,
+which ought to be the spring and encouragement of all that is great and
+virtuous. Experienced hunters, at the moment when all the pack is still
+pursuing the most noble ranger of the forest, would not permit them to
+turn, to run after a prey which darted out of a lurking hole or thicket.
+
+The establishments on which I here fix my attention, have, perhaps, also
+the inconvenience of rousing a sentiment of surprise at the appearance
+of a good action, and announcing thus too distinctly, that they believe
+them rare, and above the common exertions of humanity; and if we
+extended still further these institutions, they would only introduce a
+spirit of parade, always ready to languish, when applause was distant;
+and it would be a great misfortune, if such a spirit ever took place of
+simple and modest integrity, which receives from itself its motives and
+reward: virtue and vanity make a bad mixture; men are then accustomed
+only to act to be seen, and these opportunities, at present not very
+numerous, they wish to choose. There is besides a class of men so ill
+treated by fortune, that we should commit a great mistake in habituating
+them to connect continually calculations of probable rewards from men,
+with the practice of their duty; they would too often be deceived.
+
+It is then, we cannot too often repeat it, it is respect for morality,
+which it is necessary to maintain, by strengthening religious
+principles, its most solid foundation; all other extraordinary helps
+derive their force from novelty; and at the period when society would
+have the greatest need of their succour, it would, perhaps, have arrived
+at its greatest depravity.
+
+Thus far at present, I have considered the influence of opinion, only in
+general; but men manifest more in a private manner, the idea that they
+have conceived of each other; and this sentiment, which takes then the
+simple name of esteem, is connected with a determinate knowledge of the
+moral character of those with whom we have an habitual correspondence;
+esteem under this view, has not the splendour of reputation; but as
+every one can pretend to it in the circle where his birth and
+occupations have placed him, the hope of obtaining it ought to be
+reckoned among the grand motives which excite us to the observance of
+morality. However, if we supposed that this esteem was entirely
+separated from religious sentiments, it would be like many other
+advantages, which every one would estimate by his own fancy; for
+whatever comes solely from men, can only have a price relative to our
+connexion with them: thus the esteem of one, or of several persons,
+would not indemnify for such a sacrifice; and often also this sentiment,
+on their part, would appear inferior to some other objects, of ambition;
+in a word, from the moment every preference, every valuation was brought
+to a standard, each would insensibly have his own book of rates; and the
+justness of them would depend on the degree of judgment and foresight of
+every individual. But how can we imagine that perfection in morality
+would ever be secure, when it depended on wavering and arbitrary
+comparisons, whose foundation would be continually changed by the
+various circumstances and situations of life? The motives which religion
+presents are absolutely different; it is not by confused contrasts, that
+it directs men; it is a predominate interest to which they are recalled;
+it is round a beacon, of which the brilliant flames are seen on all
+sides, that they are assembled; in short the rules which it prescribes
+are not uncertain, and the advantages which it promises do not admit of
+an equivalent.
+
+Let us further observe here, that selfishness, after having compared the
+enjoyment of esteem with pleasures of a different kind, would not fail
+to reckon the chances which afford a hope of imposing on men; and in the
+midst of these perplexed calculations, the passion of the moment would
+be almost always victorious. Besides, we might ask, what is the esteem
+of others, to that numerous class which misery makes solitary? And what
+is it but a sentiment, of which the effect is never obvious, to those
+whose view is limited to the present day, or the next, because they only
+live by instantaneous resources? All the advantages annexed to
+reputation are promisory notes, of which it is necessary to be able to
+wait the distant expiration; reflection and knowledge only acquaint us
+with their value; and the ignorance of the greater part of a nation
+would render them unequal to this kind of combination.
+
+If then, after having taken a view of the lowest, I observe those who
+compose the superior class, I will venture a reflection of a very
+different kind; that in a country where we have the hope of obtaining
+the most splendid marks of distinction, and where fame has power to
+raise heroes, great ministers, and men of genius in every profession, we
+do not find that the duties of private life are best known and the most
+respected. Men, uniting to celebrate with ardour great talents and
+actions, consider with more indifference the morals and manners of
+individuals; they make an ideal beauty, composed of every thing which
+contributes to the celebrity of their country and the honour of their
+nation; but by accustoming themselves to refer every thing to these
+interests, they become extremely negligent with respect to common
+virtues, and sometimes they even decide, that the rare qualities of the
+mind may absolutely dispense with them. Besides, if fame can serve to
+reward the most assiduous labour and painful self-denial, it is far from
+being necessary, that moderate sentiments of esteem should indemnify
+those who obtain them for the sacrifice of their passions; it does not
+follow, that this sentiment should give them strength to resist the
+multiplied seductions that the hopes of ambition and the chances of
+fortune present to our view; and this consideration acquires more force
+in a kingdom, where, among the distinctions of which the favour of the
+prince is the origin, there are some which attract so much homage, that
+they resemble fame itself.
+
+In short, and what I am going to say comprehends, in a general manner,
+the various questions which I have just treated: the esteem of men, even
+when this sentiment seems the most foreign to religion, receives,
+nevertheless, from it its principal strength, and even origin; it is a
+reflection of great importance, and of which I will endeavour to
+demonstrate the truth.
+
+We ought, at first, to ask what is the original principle of society,
+which gives weight to the various expressions of the sentiment of
+esteem: we shall find, undoubtedly, that it is a distinct idea of the
+duties of men, a notion of good morals, as general as firm. Now the
+duties of life cannot be fulfilled without the assistance of religion,
+since the connexion of private and public interest, the only foundation
+of the virtues of our framing, is, as we have demonstrated an imperfect
+system, and susceptible of a multitude of exceptions, or arbitrary
+interpretations. It is necessary then that our social obligations should
+be fixed in an authentic manner, if we wish that our judgment and the
+sentiments which we adopt should be a real indication of the relation
+the conduct of men has with moral perfection; but, if this perfection
+was only determined by human conventions, if it was despoiled of the
+majesty which religion invests it with, reputation, and sentiments of
+esteem, which are the pledge and stamp of good morals, would insensibly
+lose their value; we should then recollect that coin, which some vainly
+wished to preserve the current value of in commerce, after having
+materially altered either the weight or the standard; and, in effect, to
+follow the simile a moment longer, how could we alter the essence of
+morality more, and lessen the respect which is due to it, than by
+separating it from the sublime motives which religion presents, to unite
+it only to political considerations.
+
+One objection I ought to obviate: it may be said, perhaps, that the
+influence of honour in the army, seems to be a proof that reputation,
+without the aid of any other impulse, would have sufficient influence to
+direct the mind to the end which we propose to ourselves. This objection
+does not appear to me decisive: honour in armies preserves a great
+ascendency, because amongst men thus assembled, it is impossible to
+escape shame, and the punishment incurred by cowardice; it is in war
+that the power of authority and that of fame unite all their forces,
+because that they exercise their influence on men engaged in one action,
+actuated by the same spirit, by that singular subordination, termed
+discipline. Thus, when in the commencement of the Roman republic, the
+army participated more of the air of the city, and was not yet
+familiarized to the military yoke, it was then only through the sanction
+of an oath, supported by religious sentiments, that the general
+contrived to prevent the inconstancy and defection of those who followed
+him to the camp. Whatever then may be at present, the power of honour in
+armies, whatever at present may be its influence in the field of battle,
+where the actors, spectators, and judges, are on the same stage, and
+have nothing else to do but to practise, remark, and praise a particular
+virtue, we should not be able to draw any deduction from it, applicable
+to the social relations, whose extent is immense, and to whose diversity
+there is no bound. Besides, military honour is very far from being
+foreign to the general principles of morality, and consequently to
+religious opinions, the most solid support of those principles; for
+sentiments which contain, in some manner, the idea of a noble sacrifice,
+would lose great part of their force, if the great basis of our duty was
+ever shaken.
+
+A perfect model is necessary to fix the admiration of men; and it is
+only by an intercourse more or less constant with that first model, that
+several opinions which seem, in appearance, to arise merely from
+convenience have consistency.
+
+However, there has resulted from our warlike customs an opinion purely
+social, which is very powerful: it is that of the point of honour, when
+we consider it in its singular and simple acceptation, when a man is
+ready to sacrifice his life to guard himself from the slightest
+humiliation. This opinion, it is true, only dictates its rules among
+equals, and the exercise of its authority extends to an inconsiderable
+part of a nation, which, wholly given up to worldly concerns, are
+occupied entirely with comparisons and distinctions; it is one of the
+ancient appendages of military honour, and in uniting all its force
+towards a single idea it is become a simple principle, which has been
+blindly transmitted and as blindly respected.
+
+It is by the effect of a similar habit that savages affix all their
+glory to a contempt of bodily pain, and to demonstrations of gaiety, in
+the midst of the most cruel torments. Can we doubt, that their
+supernatural exultation would not be weakened, at the very instant they
+were acquainted with our most common ideas of virtue? likewise our
+notions of honour, which, in its exaggerated state, resembles their
+death songs, would not resist metaphysical arguments, if ever
+metaphysics became our sole guide in morality; for after having analyzed
+the motives of our most important obligations, we should analyze also
+our fine-spun sentiment, which makes us regardless of danger. Yes, if
+respect for religion was absolutely destroyed; if this simple opinion,
+which carries with it so many obligations, and serves to defend so many
+duties, had no other support, the idea of honour would soon be weakened;
+and our personal interest, insensibly disengaged from all the ties of
+the imagination, would take a character so rude, and so determined, that
+our habitual impressions, and our relation with others, would be
+absolutely changed.
+
+Permit me then to make another reflection: it will be always easy to
+subject men to a governing opinion, when they themselves, and those who
+govern them, unite al their efforts to attain the same end; but, if this
+governing opinion is not, like religion, the general principle of our
+conduct; if it cannot give us laws in the different situations of life,
+it would serve only to throw us out of an equilibrium, or at least its
+utility would be partial and momentary· Nevertheless, if, with a design
+of remedying this inconvenience, we searched to multiply these opinions,
+they would weaken each other; for every time we wish strongly to
+restrain the imagination, it is necessary that a single idea, a single
+authority, a single object of interest, should engage the attention of
+men. Perfection, in this respect, is the choice of a single principle,
+whose consequence extends to all; and such is the particular merit of
+religious opinions.
+
+We can then, in the name of reason, of policy, and philosophy, demand
+some respect for them; and I ought to repeat, since it is time for me to
+resume my subject, that esteem or contempt, honour or shame, are so far
+from being able to supply the place of the active influence of religion,
+that its sentiments confirm the opinion of the world, and, more or less,
+obviously direct it. It follows, that we should soon reason shrewdly, on
+the value which we ought to set on the esteem of the world, if the
+expression of its approbation was not united in our contemplation to
+something more noble than the judgment of mankind, and if an awful
+respect for virtue was not imbibed by means of a religious education. We
+should soon experience that, in wishing to found every thing on the
+calculations of worldly wisdom, these same calculations would destroy
+all; and morality having at once lost its grand support, we should try
+in vain to prop it by a scaffold of laws, and the vain efforts of an
+opinion without a guide. Hypocrisy and dissimulation would become
+immediately a necessary science, a legitimate defence, which would weary
+the attention of every inspector; and testimonies of esteem appearing
+only an ingenious encouragement granted to the sacrifices of
+selfishness, the applause decreed to a generous mode of conduct would be
+insensibly discredited by those who gave and by those who received them,
+and would end, perhaps, in becoming a secret object of derision, as mere
+play from one to another.
+
+Every thing is replaced and firmly established by religion; it
+surrounds, I may say, the whole system of morality, resembling that
+universal and mysterious force of physical nature, which retains the
+planets in their orbits, and subjects them to a regular revolution; and
+which, in the midst of the general order it maintains, escapes the
+observation of men, and appears to their feeble sight unconscious of its
+own work.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. III.
+    _An Objection drawn from our natural Dispositions to Goodness._
+
+
+Men, according to the opinion of some, have received from nature a
+secret tendency towards every thing just, good, and virtuous; and from
+this happy inclination, the task of the moralist is confined to prevent
+the alteration of our original constitution: an easy task, add they, and
+which may be fulfilled without any extraordinary effort, and without
+having recourse to religion.
+
+We ought, at first, to observe, that the existence of this excellent
+innate goodness has been a long time a subject of debate, as every
+assertion always will be, of which we cannot demonstrate the truth,
+either by argument or experience. We shall never be able to perceive
+distinctly the natural dispositions of men, since, to our view, they are
+never separated from the improvement, or the modification, which they
+owe to education and habit. One or two examples they produce of children
+arrived at maturity found in a forest; but we are ignorant at what
+precise age they were abandoned by their parents, and what might have
+been their dispositions, if, brought back to society, they had not been
+guided by instruction, or restrained by fear and subordination. It is
+not very probable, that man derived from his original nature all the
+dispositions which lead to goodness; such a thought agrees not with his
+pride or dignity, since the intellectual faculties with which he is
+endowed, the power he has of gradually tending to perfection, announce
+to him that he ought to fulfil his career with the assistance of reason,
+and that, very different from those beings governed by an invariable
+instinct, he should elevate himself as much above them, by cultivating
+the abilities entrusted to him, as by the granduer of the destiny to
+which he is permitted to aspire.
+
+Reason, however, our faithful guide, would be insufficient to attach us
+to sentiments of order, justice, and beneficence, if it was not seconded
+by a nature proper to receive the impression of every noble sentiment;
+but such reflections, far from favouring any system of independence or
+impiety, receive from religious opinions their principal force. What is,
+in effect, in this respect the course of our thoughts? We attribute, at
+first, to a Supreme and Universal Being all the perfections which seem
+to constitute his essence; and from this principle we are led to
+presume, that we, his intelligent creatures, and his most noble work,
+participate, in some manner, of the Divine spirit, of which we are an
+emanation: but, if we could ever be persuaded, that our confidence in
+the idea of a God is a deceitful illusion, we should not have any reason
+to believe that the mere child of nature, blind and without a guide,
+would be disposed to good, rather than evil. We must derive our opinion
+of innate goodness from a secret sentiment, and from a perfect
+conviction of the existence of a power which keeps every thing in order,
+the model of all perfection: but, as we obtain equally from this power,
+the faculties which render us capable of acquiring knowledge, of
+improving by experience, of extending our views into futurity, and
+elevating our thoughts to God; we should not know how to distinguish
+these last expedients of ability and virtue from those which belong to
+our first instinct; and we have no interest in doing it.
+
+That which we perceive most clearly is, that there is a correspondence,
+a harmony between all the parts of our moral nature; and therefore we
+cannot deny the existence of our natural inclination towards goodness,
+nor consider this inclination as a disposition which has not need of any
+religious sentiment to acquire strength, and become a rational conductor
+through the rough road of life. The production of salutary fruits
+requires, before all things, a favourable soil; but this advantage would
+be useless without seed and the labour of the husbandman, and the
+fertilizing warmth of the sun: the Author of Nature has thought fit that
+a great number of causes should concur continually to renovate the
+productions of the earth; and the same intention, the same plan, seems
+to have determined the principle and the developement of all the gifts
+of the mind: it is necessary, in order to attach intelligent beings to
+the love of virtue, and respect for morality, that not only happy
+natural dispositions, but still more, a judicious education, good laws,
+and, above all, a continual intercourse with the Supreme Being, from
+which alone can arise firm resolutions, and every ardent thought, should
+concur; but men ambitious of submitting a great number of relations to
+their weak comprehension, would wish to confine them to a few causes. We
+shall discover, every moment, the truth of this observation; actuated by
+a similar motive, many wish to attribute every thing to education;
+whilst others pretend, that our natural dispositions are the only source
+of our actions and intentions, of our vices and virtues. Perhaps, in
+fact, there is, in the universe, but one expedient and spring, one
+prolific idea, the root of every other: yet, as it is at the origin of
+this idea, and not in its innumerable developements, that its unity can
+be perceived, the first grand disposer of nature: only ought to be in
+possession of the secret; and we, who see, of the immense mechanism of
+the world, but a few wheels, become almost ridiculous, when we make
+choice sometimes of one, and sometimes of another, to refer to it
+exclusively, the cause of motion, and the simplest properties of the
+different parts of the natural or moral world.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. IV.
+  _An Objection drawn from the good Conduct of many irreligious Men._
+
+
+You may think, perhaps, after having read the preceding chapter, that I
+have taken little room to treat a question on which so much has been
+written; but if it be allowed that I have made some approaches to truth,
+I shall not need any excuse. The researches after truth resemble those
+circles which we trace sometimes one round another; the furthest from
+the centre has necessarily the greatest extent.
+
+I will then endeavour, with the same brevity, to examine the objection
+which is to make the subject of this chapter.
+
+Society, some say, is at present filled with persons, who, to borrow the
+expression of the times, are absolutely disengaged from every kind of
+prejudice, who believe not even the existence of a Supreme Being; and
+yet, their conduct appears as regular as that of the most religious men.
+
+Before replying to this objection I ought to make an important
+observation. The detractors of a religious spirit habitually confound,
+in their discourse, devotion and piety; they attribute besides to
+devotion an exaggerated sense, which its natural definition will not
+bear; and derive from this misconception a great advantage. Piety,
+simple in its sentiments and deportment, commonly escapes the heedless
+glance of a man of the world; and the greater part of those who speak of
+it, would have some difficulty to delineate it well; devotion, on the
+contrary, such as we are accustomed to represent, seems to attach some
+value to appearances; it displays itself, it makes a parade of the
+austerity of its principles; and often soured by the sacrifices, of the
+constraint, which it has imposed on itself as a law, it contracts a
+rough and inflexible spirit, which banishes sentiment, amiable and
+indulgent: in short, devotion is sometimes mixed with hypocrisy, and
+then it is only a despicable assemblage of the most contemptible vices.
+It is easy to judge, from these two pictures, that judicious piety,
+rational and indulgent, forms the true characteristic of a religious
+spirit, considered in its purity. It is then with morality, inspired by
+a like spirit, that it is necessary to compare those men, who are guided
+only by the principles they frame to themselves; and I believe, that one
+of these two systems of morality is far superior to the other; but we
+run a risk of deceiving ourselves in our observations, when we do not
+extend them beyond the narrow circle, known amongst us by the name of
+_society_. Men, in the circumscribed relations which arise from the
+communications of idleness and dissipation, require of each other, only
+qualities applicable to these kind of relations; their code of laws is
+very short, integrity in the commerce of life, constancy in friendship,
+or, at least, politeness in our intercourse, a kind of elevation in
+their discourse and manner; in short, probity is the grand outline; and
+this is all that is required, in order to display ourselves to the best
+advantage in the midst of the active scenes which surround us, where we
+sometimes form a confederacy proper to serve as a support of the great
+virtues; but what they wish for before every thing is, a grant of
+indulgence in favour of vices, which do not disturb the order or the
+peace of their pleasures, and which only render unhappy parents,
+husbands, and creditors, vassals and the commonalty. Far distant,
+indeed, from a like tolerance, are those collective obligations which
+morality dictates, obligations, of which I made a concise sketch, when I
+compared them with those which are imposed by civil laws. It is then
+only, after having retraced ourselves the entire system of our duties,
+it is only after having compared them with the conventions softened by
+fashionable society, that we are in a state to judge, if the conduct of
+persons, disengaged from every religious tie, ought to be given as an
+example, and if their morality can suffice for all the circumstances of
+life.
+
+But in admitting, for a moment, this supposition, we should not have a
+right to draw any deduction contrary to the truths, which I have
+endeavoured to establish; for all those who free themselves at a certain
+age, from the yoke of religion, have been at least prepared by it to
+respect virtue. Principles inculcated early in life, have a great
+influence on the human heart, a long time even after our understanding
+has rejected the reasoning which served as the basis of those
+principles: the soul, formed when the reason begins to dawn, to the love
+of order, and sustained in this disposition by the force of habit, never
+entirely loses this principle. So that, whatever be the opinions adopted
+when the judgment is formed, it is slowly, and by degrees, that these
+opinions act on the character and direct the conduct. Besides, while
+religion maintains amongst the greater number of men, a profound respect
+for morality, those who reject these sentiments know, nevertheless, that
+probity leads to esteem, and to the various advantages which depend on
+it. Of course, a virtuous atheist merely makes us recollect, that he
+lives where virtue is respected; and it is not the inefficacy, but, on
+the contrary, the indirect influence of religious opinions, which his
+conduct demonstrates to me. I think I see, in a beautiful piece of
+mechanism, a small part broken off from the chain, and which maintains
+its place, by the force still subsisting of general equilibrium.
+
+What! would you have need of religion to be an honest man? Here is an
+interrogative, with which they hope to embarrass those who wish to
+preserve to morality its best support; and the dread that some have of
+not giving an honourable idea of their sentiments, induces them to reply
+with quickness, that certainly they should not need the check of
+religion, and that the dictates of their heart would always be
+sufficient to direct them. This answer is undoubtedly very respectable;
+but for my part, I avow, I should merely say, that virtue has so many
+charms, when it has been a long time practised, that a truly sensible
+man would continue to be just, even when every religious sentiment was
+annihilated; but that it is uncertain whether, with a political
+education, his principles might have been the same; and I should add
+further, that no one, perhaps, could be certain, that he would have
+sufficient strength to resist a revolution of ideas similar to those
+that we have just supposed, were he to fall at the same time into a
+state of misery and dejection, which would make him revolt at the
+enjoyments and the triumphs of others. It is always in a like situation,
+that it is necessary to place ourselves, to judge properly of certain
+questions; for all those who enjoy the favours of fortune, have, in
+consequence of this fortunate condition, fewer objects of envy, and are
+less subject to temptations; and in the midst of the different comforts,
+which peaceably surround them, it is not the principles of others of
+which they know the want.
+
+As for philosophical writers, if it were amongst them, that we are to
+search for the principal defenders of the new opinions, and if, at the
+same time, their moral conduct was cited as an example, we should have
+to observe, that a retired life, love of study, and a constant habit of
+reflection, ought to spread a kind of calm over their sentiments;
+besides, delivered up to abstraction, or preoccupied by general ideas,
+they know not all the passions, and they are seldom personally engaged
+in those ardent pursuits which stimulate society. They cannot then
+determine, with certainty, what would have been the degree of their
+resisting force, if without any other defensive arms than their
+principles, and no guide but convenience, they had to combat against the
+allurements of fortune and ambition, which present themselves in every
+step of our worldly career. They have also, like all the inventors and
+the propagators of a new system, vanity, which engages them to multiply
+the number of their disciples: and how, in fact, could they be able to
+flatter themselves with any success, if, in attacking the most
+respectable opinions, they had not endeavoured to prove that their
+doctrines were not in opposition to morality. Besides, it is very
+necessary, after having silently sapped the foundation of our dwelling,
+that they support for some time the edifice, were it only while they
+have with us a common habitation; were it only during the interval when
+we should be able to judge in their presence, of the utility of their
+instructions: in short, very often, perhaps, the dupes of their own
+heart, they have been induced to believe that, because they were at the
+same time irreligious by system, and just by character and habit,
+religion and virtue have not a necessary union; and if it is true, that
+in the grand interests of life, the slightest doubt has some influence
+on our actions, would it be possible, that at the time when they would
+seek to shake religious opinions, even when they are ridiculed in
+conversation, that they would still endeavour to preserve a secret
+connexion with them, by the propriety of their conduct? It is thus that,
+in the disputes of princes, or in the quarrels of ministers, the members
+of the same family have sometimes the art of dividing themselves, in
+order, at all events, that one of their friends should be in each party.
+
+These different reflections ought necessarily to be taken into
+consideration, before we give ourselves up to the inferences that they
+would wish to draw from the manners of irreligious men; but, to
+discredit their arguments, it is sufficient to observe, that we cannot
+make any application of them to the most numerous class of men: honest
+atheists have never existed among the commonalty, religion comprehends
+all their knowledge in morality; and if once they were to lose this
+guide, their conduct would be absolutely dependent on chance and
+circumstances.
+
+It is still essential to observe, that, according to the motives to
+which we can attribute the relaxation of moral principles, there exists
+a great difference between the various characters which attend vicious
+actions: a depraved man, though religious, does wrong by accident,
+through weakness, and according to the successive transports of his
+passions; but the wicked atheist has not a fixed time; opportunities do
+not surprise him, he searches for them, or waits for them with
+impatience; he yields not through the contagion of imitation; but he
+takes pleasure in setting an example; he is not a corrupt fruit, he is
+himself the tree of evil.
+
+Another objection is raised, but of a very different kind: they point
+out the contrast, frequently perceived, between the conduct and the
+religious sentiments of the greater part of men; an opposition from
+whence they would wish to conclude, that these sentiments are not a
+certain safeguard: and they add, to support their argument, that in
+examining the belief of all those, whose licentious life is terminated
+by an ignomious death, we perceive that the greater number is composed
+of people blindly subject to religious opinions.
+
+Undoubtedly, these opinions form not, at all times, a complete
+resistance to the different starts of our passions; but it suffices,
+that they may be the most efficacious. There has been, and there ever
+will be, vicious men in the bosom of society, even where religion has
+the greatest influence; for it acts not on us like a mechanical force,
+by weights, levers, and springs, of which we can calculate exactly the
+power; it is not an arbitrary modification of our nature; but we are
+enlightened, guided, and animated, according to our dispositions and
+sensibility, and according to the degree of our own efforts in the
+numerous conflicts which we have to sustain; it would be then an evident
+piece of treachery, to attack religion, by drawing a picture of the
+vices and crimes, from which it has not been able to guard society,
+instead of fixing our attention on all the disorders which it checks or
+prevents.
+
+They would be equally wrong, who represent the general languor of
+religion, as a proof that it has, in our time, very little influence on
+morality; it would be necessary rather to remark, how great must have
+been that power, which even in the decline of its force is still
+sufficient to concur to the maintenance of public order; we should be
+authorized to say, how valuable is the whole, when we receive so much
+advantage from a part?
+
+In short, the consequence that they would wish to draw from the
+opinions, and from the faith of wretches sinking under the sword of
+justice, in an abuse of reasoning: men termed religious, forming the
+major part of the populace, we must among them necessarily meet the
+greater number of malefactors; in the same manner that we are sure to
+find, in this class, more men of a particular age, stature, or
+complexion; but, if they have a right to use such an argument to censure
+a religious education, they might, with the same reason, contest the
+salubrity of breast milk, alledging, that many sick and dying persons
+have received this nourishment. We should never confound a common
+circumstance with a general cause; these are two ideas absolutely
+distinct.
+
+There are other objections which equally deserve to be discussed; but
+they will find a place, with more propriety, after the chapter where, I
+shall examine, under different heads, the influence of religious
+opinions on our happiness. You have seen, and you will perceive still
+more, in the progress of this work, that I do not endeavour to elude
+difficulties; for before I determined to defend, according to my
+abilities, a cause which I could wish to render dear to mankind, I
+carefully studied the means; and after having fortified myself against
+the systems opposite to my sentiments, I fear not to examine the motives
+which serve to support them.
+
+
+
+
+                                CHAP. V.
+       _The Influence of Religious Principles on our Happiness._
+
+
+As we have shown the close connexion of morality with religious
+opinions, we have already pointed out the principal relation of these
+opinions with public good, since the repose and interior tranquillity of
+society essentially depend on the maintenance of civil order, and the
+exact observance of the laws of justice. But a great part of human
+happiness does not arise from the community: thus, the benefits religion
+imparts would be very imperfect, if they were not extended to our most
+intimate sentiments, if they were not useful in those secret conflicts
+of different affections which agitate our souls, and which pre-occupy
+our thoughts. Religion is very far from deserving this reproach; that
+which raises it indeed above every kind of legislation is, that it
+influences equally public good and private happiness. We ought to
+examine this truth; but to do it philosophically, we must necessarily
+contemplate, and pry into our nature, and examine, for a moment, into
+the first causes of the enjoyments or the anxieties of our minds.
+
+Men, when they have advanced a few steps in the world, and as soon as
+their intellectual faculties begin to open, extend their views, and live
+in the future; sensual pleasures and bodily pain only detain them in the
+present; but in the long intervals which exist between the renewal of
+these sensations, it is by anticipation and memory that they are happy
+or miserable; and recollection is only interesting, as it is perceived
+to keep up the connexion between the past and future. Undoubtedly, the
+influence of the future, on all our moral affections, escapes often our
+notice; to cite some examples of this truth, we believe, that only the
+present moment produces happiness, when we receive elogiums, obtain some
+mark of distinction, or are informed of an unexpected augmentation of
+our fortune; and still more, when we are pleased with the sport of our
+imagination, or the discoveries of our reason in our closet or in
+conversation. These enjoyments, and many others similar, we call present
+happiness; though there is not any one of them which does not owe its
+value, and even reality, to the single idea of futurity. In fact,
+respect, applause, the triumphs of self-love, the forerunners of fame,
+and even fame itself, are the acquisitions which education and habit
+have rendered precious, in exhibiting always beyond them some other
+advantage, of which these first were only the symbols. Often, indeed,
+the last object of our ambition is but an enjoyment of opinion, the
+confused image of some possession more real. Every where we see vague
+hopes hurry away our imagination; we see the expected good, the
+immediate end of our meditation, or the obscure motive of the estimation
+we annex to the various satisfactions, of which our present happiness is
+composed. Thus, indirectly, and almost unknown to ourselves, all is in
+perspective in our moral existence; and it is by this reasoning that,
+always deluded, we are seldom perfectly deceived. Subjected by long
+habit, it is in vain that we would wish to separate the imaginary
+advantages of opinion from the delusions of hope which surround them,
+and by which we have been seduced all our life.
+
+There is but a small part of the moral system, which we cannot make
+agree with this manner of explaining the principal cause of our
+pleasures and of our pains. I am very far, however, from wishing to make
+the sentiments, which unite men by the charm of friendship, depend on
+the same principle; and which have such an essential influence on their
+happiness. All is real in these affections, since they are a simple
+association of ourselves to others, and them to us; in this view it may
+be considered as, in some measure, prolonging our own existence; but
+this division, so intimate, of the good and evil of life, does not
+destroy their essence. Friendship doubles our pleasures and our
+comforts; and it is by the close alliance of two sympathizing souls that
+we are fortified against all events; but it is always with the same
+passions that it is necessary to combat; thus whether we remain
+solitary, or live in others, the future preserves its influence over us.
+
+If such is, however, our moral nature, that the object of our wishes
+will always be at some distance; if our thoughts, like the course of the
+waves, are ever active, and pressing forward; if our present enjoyments
+have a secret tie with the imaginary advantages of opinion, of which the
+last term is still a fleeting shadow; in short, if all is future in the
+fate of man; with what interest, with what love, with what respect,
+ought we not to consider this beautiful system of hope, of which
+religious opinions are the majestic foundation! What encouragement they
+present! What an end to all other ends! What a grand and precious idea,
+by its connexion with the most intimate and general sentiment, the
+desire of prolonging our existence! That which men dread most, is the
+image of an eternal annihilation; the absolute destruction of all the
+faculties which compose their being, is for them the downfall of the
+whole universe; and they are anxious to seek for a refuge against this
+overwhelming thought.
+
+Undoubtedly, it is according to nature, according to the degree of
+strength of their religious opinions, that men seize with more or less
+confidence the hopes which they give, and the recompense they promise;
+but, doubt and obscurity have a powerful action, while supreme happiness
+is the object; for even in the affairs of this life, the grandeur of the
+prize offered to our ambition excites still more our ardour, than the
+probability of success. But where should we fix, where attach the
+slightest hope, if even the idea of a God, this first prop of religion,
+was ever destroyed; if, from the infancy of men, we did not present to
+their reflection, that worldly considerations are as transient as
+themselves; and if, early in life, they were humbled in their own eyes;
+if men applied themselves to stifle the internal sentiments, which
+inform them of the spirituality of their souls? Discouraged in this
+manner, by the first principles of their education, slackened in all the
+movements which carry thier reflections into futurity, they would often
+take retrospective views: the past recalling an irreparable loss, would
+too much captivate their attention; and their minds, in the midst of
+time, would no more be in a necessary equilibrium to enjoy the present
+moment; in short, this moment, which is not, in reality, but an
+imperceptible fraction, would appear almost nothing to our eyes, if it
+were not united in our contemplations, to the unknown number of days and
+years which are before us. It is then, because that there is nothing
+limited in the ideas of happiness and duration, with which religious
+sentiments impress us, that our imagination is not forced to recoil on
+itself, when it is insensibly lost in the immensity of futurity.
+
+When, in following the course of a noble river, a vast horizon is
+presented to our view, we turn not our observation on the sandy banks we
+are coasting: but if, changing our situation, or twilight narrowing this
+horizon, our attention was turned on the barren flat we are near; then
+only we should remark all its dryness and sterility. It is the same in
+the career of life: when the grand ideas of infinity elevate our
+thoughts and our hopes, we are less affected by the weariness and
+difficulties strewed in our path; but, if changing our principles, a
+gloomy philosophy were to obscure our perspective, our whole attention
+drawn back on the surrounding objects, we should then very distinctly
+discover the void and illusion of the satisfactions of which our moral
+nature is susceptible.
+
+Let us recollect, then, all the happiness which we owe to religious
+sentiments and obvious reflections, which, in attracting us continually
+towards the future, seem willing to save from the present moment the
+purest part of ourselves; these are, without our perceiving it, the
+enchantments of the moral world; if it were possible that, by cold
+reasoning, we at length destroyed them, a sad melancholy would ally
+itself to most of our reflections; and it would seem as if a
+winding-sheet had taken place of that transparent veil, through which
+the prospects of life are embellished. Undoubtedly, there would be still
+some charm in the days of youth, when the pleasures of the senses press
+on us, and fill a considerable time; but when the passions are tempered
+by age, when our strength has been broken by years, or prematurely
+attacked by sickness; in short, when the time is arrived, when men are
+constrained to seek, in the principles of morality, the chief support of
+their happiness; what would become of them, if those hopes and opinions
+were dissipated, which afford solid comfort and encouragement; and if an
+imagination, thus active, were weakened, which enlivens all the objects
+that anticipation can reach?
+
+Reflect, then, with attention, on the different consequences which would
+be the fatal train of the annihilation of religious opinions; it is not
+a single idea, a single view, that men would lose; it would be, besides,
+the interest and the charm of all their desires and ambition. There is
+nothing indifferent, when our actions and designs can be in any respect
+attached to a duty; there is nothing indifferent, when the exercise and
+the improvement of our faculties appear the commencement of an
+existence, whose termination is unknown: but, when this period offers
+itself on all sides to our view, when we approach it every moment, what
+strong illusion would be sufficient to defend us from a sad despondency?
+Strictly circumscribed in the space of life, its limits would be in such
+a manner present to our mind, to every sentiment and enterprize perhaps,
+that we should be tempted to examine, what it is which can merit, on our
+part, an assiduous research; what it is which deserves close and painful
+application. Indeed, fame itself, which is called immortal, would no
+more hurry us on in the same manner, if we had a secret conviction, that
+it cannot grow, rise, subsist, but in such portions of space, and such
+durations of time, as our imagination cannot conceive. It is necessary,
+that the uncertain future be still our country, in order that we should
+be able to feel that unquiet love of a long celebrity, and those ardent
+impulses towards great things which is the salutary effect of it.
+
+We deceive ourselves then, I think, when we accuse religion of
+necessarily rendering the business and the pleasures of the world
+uninteresting; its chief pleasures, on the contrary, are derived from
+religion, from those ideas of eternity, which it presents to our mind,
+which serve to sustain the enchantments of hope, and the sense of those
+duties of which our moral nature is ingeniously composed.
+
+Religious opinions are perfectly adapted to our nature, to our
+weaknesses and perfections; they come to our succour in our real
+difficulties, and in those which the abuse of our foresight creates. But
+in what is grand and elevated in our nature, it sympathizes most: for,
+if men are animated by noble thoughts; if they respect their
+intelligence, their chief ornament; if they are interested about the
+dignity of their nature, they will fly, with transport, to bow before
+religion, which ennobles their faculties, preserves their strength of
+mind, and which, through its sentiments, unites them to Him, whose power
+astonishes their understanding. It is then that, considering themselves
+as an emanation of the Infinite Being, the commencement of all things,
+they will not let themselves be drawn aside by a philosophy, whose sad
+lessons tend to persuade us, that reason, liberty, all this immaterial
+essence of ourselves, is the mere result of a fortuitous combination,
+and an harmony without intelligence.
+
+We have never perhaps observed, with sufficient attention, the different
+kinds of happiness which would be destroyed, or at least sensibly
+weakened, if this discouraging doctrine was ever propagated.
+
+What would then become of the most sublime of all sentiments, that of
+admiration, if, instead of the grand view of the universe, far from
+reviving the idea of a Supreme Being, we retraced only a vast existence,
+but without design, cause, or destination; and if the astonishment of
+our minds was itself but one of the spontaneous accidents of blind
+matter?
+
+What would become of the pleasure which we find in the developement,
+exercise, and progress of our faculties, if this intelligence, of which
+we love to glory, was only the result of chance, and if all our ideas
+were but a mere obedience to the eternal law of motion; if our liberty
+was but a fiction, and if we had not, if I may say so, any possession of
+ourselves?
+
+What would become then of that active spirit of curiosity, whose charm
+excites us to observe continually the wonders with which we are
+surrounded, and which inspires, at the same time, the desire of
+penetrating, in some measure, into the mystery of our existence, and the
+secret of our origin? Certainly it would little avail us to study the
+course of nature, if this science could only teach us to comprehend the
+afflicting particulars of our mechanical slavery: a prisoner cannot be
+pleased to draw the form of his fetters, or reckon the links of his
+chains.
+
+But how beautiful is the world, when it is represented to us as the
+result of a single and grand thought, and when we find every where the
+stamp of an eternal intelligence; and how pleasing to live with the
+sentiments of astonishment and adoration deeply impressed on our hearts!
+
+But what a subject of glory are the endowments of the mind, when we can
+consider them as a participation of a sublime nature, of which God alone
+is the perfect model. And how delightful then to yield to the ambition
+of elevating ourselves still more, by exercising our thoughts and
+improving all our faculties!
+
+In short, how many charms has the observation of nature, when, at every
+new discovery, we believe we advance a step towards an acquaintance with
+that exalted wisdom which has prescribed laws to the universe, and
+maintains it in harmony! It is then, and only then, that the study is
+truly interesting, and the progress of knowledge becomes an increase of
+happiness. Yes, under the influence of opinions, arising from the
+notions of materialists, all is languishing in our curiosity, all is
+mere instinct in our admiration, all is fictitious in the sentiments
+which we have of ourselves; but with the idea of a God, all is lively,
+all is reasonable and true: in short, this happy and prolific idea
+appears as necessary to the moral nature of man, as heat is to plants
+and to all the vegetable world. You may think, perhaps, that in
+examining the influence of religion on happiness, I have dwelt on
+several considerations, which are not of equal importance to all men;
+there are, indeed, some more particularly adapted to that part of
+society, whose minds are improved by education; but I am very far from
+wishing to divert a moment my attention from the numerous class of the
+inhabitants of the earth, whose happiness and misery arises from a
+simple idea, proportioned to the extent of their interests and
+reflections.
+
+Those who seem to have a more pressing and constant need of the
+assistance of religion, have been left by the misfortunes of their
+parents to the wide world, devoid of property, and deprived also of
+those resources which depend on education. This class of men, condemned
+to hard labour, are, as it were, confined in a rough and uniformly
+barren path, where every day resembles the last, where they have not any
+confused expectations, or flattering illusion to divert them: they know
+that there is a wall of separation between them and fortune; and if they
+carried their views in life forward, they would only discover the
+dreadful state any infirmity would reduce them to; and the deplorable
+situation to which they might be exposed, by the cruel neglect which
+attends old age. With what transport, in this situation, would they not
+catch at the comfortable hopes which religion presents! With what
+satisfaction would they not learn, that after this probationary state,
+where so much disproportion overwhelmed them, there would come a time of
+equality! What would be their complaints, if they were to renounce a
+sentiment which still conforms itself, for their advantage, to a general
+idea, the only one, in short, of which they can make use in all events
+and circumstances of life. It is God’s will, they say to themselves, and
+this first thought supports their resignation: God will recompense you,
+God will return it to you, say they to others, when they receive alms;
+and these words remind them, that the God of the rich and powerful is
+also theirs; and that far from being indifferent to their fate, He
+deigns Himself to discharge their obligations.
+
+How many other popular expressions continually recal the same sentiment
+of confidence and consolation. It is this continual relation of the poor
+with the Deity which raises them in their own eyes, and which prevents
+their sinking under the weight of contempt with which they are
+oppressed, and gives them sometimes courage to resist the pride of
+earthly greatness. What grander effect could be produced by an idea so
+simple? Thus, among the different things which characterise religion, I
+remark, above all, what seems more particularly the seal of a divine
+hand; it is, that the moral advantages, of which religion is the source,
+resembling the grand blessings of nature, belong equally to all men; and
+as the sun, in the distribution of its rays, observes neither rank nor
+fortune, in the same way those comforting sentiments, which are
+connected with the conception of a Supreme Being, and the hopes united
+to it, become the property of the poor as well as the rich, of the weak
+as well as the powerful, and can be as securely enjoyed under the lowly
+roof of a cottage, as in a superb palace. It is civil laws which
+increase, or give a sanction to the inequality of possessions; and it is
+religion which sweetens the bitterness of this hard disproportion.
+
+We could not avoid feeling a compassion as painful as well founded, if,
+in considering attentively the fate of the greater number of men, we
+supposed them all at one stroke deprived of the only thought which
+supported their courage; they would no more have a God to confide their
+sorrows with; they would no more attend his ordinances to search for the
+sentiments of resignation and tranquillity; they would have no motive
+for raising their looks to heaven; their eyes would be cast down, fixed
+for ever on this abode of grief, of death, and eternal silence. Then
+despair would even stifle their groans, and all their reflections
+preying on themselves, would only serve to corrode their hearts; then
+those tears which they have a satisfaction in shedding, and which are
+attracted by the tender persuasion, that there exists some where
+commiseration and goodness, these consoling tears would no more moisten
+their eyes.
+
+Who has not seen, sometimes, those veteran soldiers, who are prostrate
+here and there on the pavement of a sanctuary, erected in the midst of
+their august retreat? Their hair, which time has whitened; their
+forehead marked with honourable scars; that tottering step, which age
+only could impress on them, all inspire at first respect; but by what
+sentiments are we not affected, when we see them lift up and join with
+difficulty their weak hands, to invoke the God of the universe, of their
+heart and mind; when we see them forget, in this interesting devotion,
+their present pains and past griefs; when we see them rise with a
+countenance more serene, and expressive of the tranquillity and hope
+devotion has infused through their souls. Complain not in those moments,
+you who judge of the happiness of this world only from its enjoyments;
+their looks are humbled, their body trembles, and death awaits their
+steps; but this inevitable end, whose image only terrifies us, they see
+coming without alarm; they, through religion, have approached Him who is
+good, who can do every thing, whom none ever loved without receiving
+comfort. Come and contemplate this sight, you who despise religion, you
+who term yourselves superior; come and see the real value of your
+pretended knowledge for promoting happiness. Change the fate of men, and
+give them all, if you can, some portion of the enjoyments of life, or
+respect a sentiment which serves them to repulse the injuries of
+fortune; and since even the policy of tyrants has never dared to destroy
+it, since their power would be insufficient to enable them to succeed in
+the savage attempt, you, to whom nature has given superior endowments,
+be not more cruel, more inexorable than they; or if, by a pitiless
+doctrine, you wish to deprive the old, the sick, and the indigent, of
+the only idea of happiness which they can apply to, go from prison to
+prison, and to those dreary cells, where the wretched prisoners struggle
+with their chains, and shut with your own hands, if you have the heart
+to do it, the only aperture through which any ray of light can reach
+them.
+
+It is not, however, a single class of society which derives an habitual
+assistance from religion, it is all those who have to complain of the
+abuse of authority, of public injustice, and the different vicissitudes
+of their fate; it is the innocent man who is condemned, the virtuous man
+who is slandered, the man who has once acted inconsistently, and been
+censured with too much rigour; all those, in short, who, convinced of
+the purity of their own conscience, seek for, above all, a secret
+witness of their intentions, and an enlightened judge of their conduct.
+
+A man of an exalted character, endowed with sensibility of heart,
+experiences also the necessity of forming to himself an image of an
+unknown Being, to which he can unite all the ideas of perfection which
+fill his imagination; it is to Him that he refers those different
+sentiments, which are useless amidst the corruptions which surround him;
+it is in God alone that he can find an inexhaustible subject of
+astonishment and adoration; and with Him alone can he renew and purify
+his sentiments, when he is wearied with the sight of the vices of the
+world, and the habitual return of the same passions. In short, at every
+instant the happy idea of a God softens and embellishes our path through
+life, and by it we associate ourselves with delight to all the beauties
+of nature; by it every thing animated enters into communication with us;
+yes, the noise of the wind, the murmurs of the water, the peaceable
+agitation of plants, all serves to support, or melt our souls, provided
+that our thoughts can rise to a universal cause, provided we can
+discover every where the works of Him whom we love, provided we can
+distinguish the vestiges of His footsteps and the traces of His
+intentions; and, above all, if we can suppose, that we ourselves
+contribute to the display of His power, and the splendour of His
+goodness.
+
+But it is principally over the enjoyments of friendship that piety
+spreads a new charm; bounds, limits, cannot agree with the sentiment
+which is as infinite as thought, it would not subsist, at least would be
+troubled with continual anxiety; we should not consider without terror
+the revolution of years and the rapid course of time, if those
+benevolent opinions, which enlarge for us the future, did not come to
+our assistance. Thus, when we find ourselves separated from the objects
+of our affection, lonely meditations bring them back to aid the general
+idea of happiness, which, more or less, distinctly terminates our view;
+then the tender melancholy, in which one is lost, is changed into
+pleasing emotions: and you have, above all, need of those precious
+opinions, you, who, timid in a bustling world, or discouraged by
+disappointments, find yourself a solitary wanderer on the earth, because
+you partake not of the passions which agitate the greater part of
+mankind! You want a friend, and you only see pecuniary associations; you
+want a comforter, and you only see the ambitious, strangers to all those
+who have not power or a distinguished reputation; a tender confident is
+at least necessary, and the active scenes of society disperses the
+affections and diminishes every interest. In short, when you have this
+friend, this confident, this comforter; when you have acquired it by the
+most tender union; when you live in a son, a husband, or a cherished
+wife, what other idea, but that of a God, can come to your relief, when
+the frightful image of a separation presents itself to your thoughts? It
+is, indeed, in such moments that we embrace with transport all those
+opinions which tend to foster the idea of continuity and duration? How
+gladly then we lend an ear to those words of comfort which are so
+perfectly consonant with the desires and the wants of our soul! What
+association of ideas, so frightful as that of the eternal annihilation
+of life and love? How can we unite to that soft division of interests
+and of sentiments, to that charm of our days; how can we unite to so
+much of existence and happiness, the internal persuasion and habitual
+image of a death without hope, a destruction without return? How can we
+offer only the idea of oblivion to those affectionate minds, who have
+centred all their self-love, all their ambition in the object of their
+esteem and tenderness; and who, after having renounced themselves, are,
+as it were, deposited entirely in the bosom of another, to subsist there
+by the same breath of life and the same destiny? In short, near the
+tomb, which, perhaps, they will one day bedew with their tears, how can
+they pronounce the overwhelming words, forever!—forever!—Oh! horrors of
+horrors, both for the mind and feelings! and if it be necessary that the
+contemplations of a man of feeling approach a moment to the frightful
+confines, let a benevolent cloud at least cover the dark abyss! Tears
+and sorrow still afford some comfort, when we give them to a beloved
+shade, when we can mix with our griefs the name of a God, and when this
+name appears to you the cement of all nature: but if in the universe all
+was deaf to our voice; if no echoes were to repeat our plaints; if the
+shades of eternal darkness had hid from us the object of our love, and
+if they were advancing to drag us into the same night; if he is the most
+unhappy being, he who survives, and cannot even hope, that what death
+has severed will again be united; if, when his whole soul was filled
+with the recollection of a loved object, he could not say, he is in some
+place, his heart so affectionate, his soul so pure and heavenly waits
+for me, and calls me perhaps to be near that unknown Being, whom we
+have, with common consent, adored; and if, instead of a thought so dear,
+it was necessary, without any doubt, to consider the earth as a
+sepulchre forever shut—my heart dies within me—unable to contend with
+the dreadful images, the universe itself seems to dissolve, and
+overwhelm us in its downfall. O source of so many hopes, sublime idea of
+a God! abandon not the man who has sensibility; Thou art his courage,
+Thou art his futurity, Thou art his life; leave him not desolate, and,
+above all, defend him from the ascendency of a barren and fatal
+philosophy, which would afflict his heart by pretending to comfort it.
+
+Well, I make another effort, and I address myself to you, who boast of
+being enlightened by a fresh ray of wisdom. I am lost in the most
+profound grief; a father, a mother, who guided me by their counsels, and
+watched over me by their tenderness, these protecting parents have just
+been taken from me; a son, a daughter, both my comfort and pride, have
+been cut off in the prime of youth; a faithful companion, whose words,
+sentiments, and actions, were the support of my life, has vanished from
+my arms;—a moment of strength remains with me, I come to you, ye
+philosophers; what have you to say?—“Seek for dissipation, turn your
+thoughts to some other object, an abyss not to be fathomed separates
+thee for ever from the objects of thy tenderness; and these
+recollections, which pierce thee through with so many sorrows, they are
+only a form of vegetation, the last play of organized matter.” Alas!
+have you ever loved, and can you pronounce tranquilly these cruel words!
+Banish far from me such consolations, I dread them more than my anguish.
+And thou, O daughter of heaven, lovely and mild religion, what wouldst
+thou say? Hope, hope; “what God gave thee—He can again restore.” What a
+difference between these two languages! One abases, the other exalts us!
+It is left to men to choose, amongst their different guides, or rather
+to determine, whether they prefer darkness to light, death to life;
+whether they prefer blighting winds to refreshing dews; the frost of
+winter to the charms of spring; and the insensible stone to the most
+brilliant gifts of animated nature.
+
+I will say it: the world, without the idea of a God, would be only a
+desert, embellished by a few delusions;—yet man, disenchanted by the
+light of reason, would find nothing throughout but subjects of sadness.
+I have seen them, the dreams of ambition, the allurements of fame, and
+the vain shews of grandeur; and even when the illusion was most
+dazzling, my heart always retired into itself, and was attracted to an
+idea more grand, to a consolation more substantial; I have experienced,
+that the idea of the existence of a Supreme Being threw a charm over
+every circumstance of life; I have found, that this sentiment alone was
+able to inspire men with true dignity: for every thing which is merely
+personal is of little value, all that places some an inch high above
+others; it is necessary, in order to have any reason to glory, that, at
+the same time we exalt ourselves, we elevate human nature; we must refer
+it to that sublime intelligence, which seems to have dignified it with
+some of its attributes. We then hardly perceive those trivial
+distinctions which are attached to transitory things, on which vanity
+exercises her sway; it is then that we leave to this queen of the world
+her rattle and toys, and that we search elsewhere another portion; it is
+then also that virtue, exalted sentiments, and grand views, appear the
+only glory of which man ought to be jealous.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. VI.
+  _The same Subject continued. The Influence of Virtue on Happiness._
+
+
+It is not sufficient to have demonstrated, that religion, so necessary
+to feeling minds, agrees perfectly with the moral nature of men; it is
+still necessary to observe, that the habitual exercise of virtue,
+enjoined as a duty in the name of God, is not in opposition with
+happiness; and after having considered a truth so important, I will
+prove, that it is not contrary to what has been said in the first
+chapter of this work, on the impossibility of making men attentive to
+public order, only by the motive of personal interest.
+
+We cannot deny, that virtue often obliges us to conquer our appetites,
+and struggle with our passions; but if these conflicts, and the victory
+which attends them, lead to more solid and durable satisfactions, than
+those which folly and vice portrays the image of, they would misconceive
+the restrictions of morality, who perpetually united the idea of
+self-denial with that of a sacrifice.
+
+We cannot fix our attention on the various objects of desire which
+occupy the thoughts of men, without seeing clearly, that if they
+abandoned themselves, unrestrained, to all their wild propensities, they
+would often stray far from the state of happiness which forms the object
+of their wishes. Any of the blessings, strewed here and there in our
+path, cannot fill the void of life. Are they the gratifications of the
+senses which captivate us? Their duration is determined by our weakness;
+and we cannot break loose from the immutable limits opposed by nature.
+Are they the advantages dependent on opinion that we look for, such as
+honour and praise; or the exterior splendour, which fortune gives? You
+will soon perceive, that quickly after they are obtained the charm is
+flown; they resemble Proteus in the fable, who only appeared a God at a
+distance. Men then have more need than is supposed of an interest
+independent of their senses and imagination; and this interest we find
+in the duties morality inculcates and establishes.
+
+In all times, in all circumstances, we have a choice between good and
+evil: thus, virtue may be continually in a state of action, and we may
+find the application of it even in the most apparently indifferent
+relations of life, because virtue only has the privilege of connecting
+little things to a great object; and that it can only be encouraged by
+conscience, which, in accompanying all our actions and meditations,
+seems to augment our existence, and procure those satisfactions which
+are not known to the crowd who do not act from principle.
+
+Sensual pleasures, the desires of vanity, the longings of ambition,
+would soon extinguish themselves, if they were not fed by the continual
+activity of society, which produces new scenes, and displays every
+moment some changes of decoration. Virtue, satisfied with its views, has
+not need of a succession of similar desires; its paths are varied, but
+the end is ever the same.
+
+We cannot search for the enjoyments of life in the imaginary advantages
+of opinion, without allowing others to construct the laws on which our
+happiness is founded; and of course discord must result, which leaves us
+a prey to every kind of emotion. Virtue has not any associates in her
+counsels, she judges herself of all that is good; and in this respect a
+virtuous man is the most independent of all beings, for it is from
+himself alone that he receives commands, and expects approbation. Yes,
+the obscure man, who does good in secret, is more master of his destiny,
+than the being ever will be who seems loaded with all the favours of
+fortune, and has need, that fashion and transient gratifications come to
+determine his taste, and give laws to his vanity, to enable him to enjoy
+them
+
+The little passions of the world, trying to render us happy, lead us on
+from one illusion to another, and the last boundary always appears at a
+distance. Virtue, very different, has its recompenses within itself: it
+is not in events nor in uncertain success that it places contentment; it
+is even in our resolution, in the calmness which accompanies it, and the
+secret sentiment which precedes it.
+
+Recollection ever composes the principal happiness of virtue, whilst
+worldly vanity is tormented by the remembrance of what is gone for ever;
+and with regard to the passions in general, the past is but a gloomy
+shadow, out of which proceed, from time to time, sorrow and remorse.
+
+The intervals which occur between the starts of violent passions, are
+almost always filled by sadness and apathy; we all know, according to
+the laws of nature, that lively and ardent sensations produce languor
+the moment the tumult is over. Virtue, in the enjoyment of those
+pleasures peculiar to itself, knows nothing of those irregular emotions,
+because all its principles are firm, and it acts round its own centre;
+besides, it also invites us continually to set a just value on that
+happiness which is most proper for us; it dictates its first laws in the
+bosom of domestic life, and employs all its strength to sustain, by the
+ties of duty, our most rational and simple affections.
+
+Virtue, which is the offspring of religion, is of the greatest use in
+delivering men from the tormenting solicitude of doubt, by presenting a
+general system of conduct; and above all, by marking fixed points to
+direct them, by telling them what to love, choose, and do. Thus, whilst
+men, carried away by their imagination, continually allow that they are
+deceived by phantoms, and lend the most glowing colours to those which
+have just escaped them, virtue sets no value but on what it possesses,
+and knows not regret. It would seem, at the first glance, that the
+desires and caprices of the imagination cannot agree with any kind of
+restraint; however, it is not less true, that these trifling forerunners
+of our will have need of a guide, and often of a master; our first
+inclinations and sentiments are frequently uncertain, weak, and
+wavering; it is of consequence to our happiness, that this trembling
+stalk should be fixed and supported; and such is the service virtue
+renders to the human mind.
+
+We see not any uniformity in the conduct of those who are not influenced
+by motives of duty; they have too many things to regulate, too many to
+decide about every instant, when convenience is their only guide: to
+simplify the management of ourselves, we should submit to the government
+of a principle, which may be easily applied to most of our
+deliberations.
+
+In short, virtue has this great advantage, that it finds its happiness
+in a kind of respect for the rights and claims of the different members
+of the community, and that all its sentiments seem to unite themselves
+to the general harmony. The passions, on the contrary, are almost always
+hostile; the vain man desires that others should grace his triumphs; the
+proud wishes them to feel their inferiority; the ambitious, that they
+keep clear of his pursuit; the imperious, that they bend to him. It is
+the same of the different competitions, which an excessive love of
+praise, high reputation, or fortune, gives birth to; in the path they
+choose every one would wish to go alone, or advance before all the rest,
+and occupied about their own interest, they clash inconsiderately with
+those of others. Virtue, very different in following its course, fears
+neither rivals nor competitors; it does not jostle with any one, the
+road is spacious, and all may walk at their ease; it is an orderly
+alliance, of which morality is the knot, drawing together, by the same
+motives and hopes held in common, that chain of duties and sentiments
+which unite the virtues of men to the ideal model of all perfection.
+
+Virtue, which guards us from the snares of our senses, and checks our
+blind desires, is besides the basis of the most precious wisdom; but it
+is not the interest of a day, or the pleasures of a moment, that it
+protects, it is the whole of life, that it takes under its
+superintendency; it is, to speak metaphorically, the vindicator of
+futurity, the representative of duration, and becomes, to the feelings,
+what foresight is to the mind. We must then, with respect to private
+manners, consider virtue as a prudent friend, taught by the experience
+of all ages, who directs our steps, and never lets the flambeau waver,
+whose salutary light ought to guide them. Our tumultuous passions
+dispute the honour of partaking the government: it is necessary a master
+should assign to each its proper limits, one who can keep in peace all
+these petty domestic tyrants; which reminds us of the image of Ulysses,
+arriving suddenly in the midst of the hundred kings who had taken
+possession of his palace.
+
+Virtue, some will say, severe in its judgments, and austere in its
+forms, would it not deprive us of the greatest happiness, the pleasure
+of being beloved? I reply, that virtue, in its most improved state, has
+not this character; I represent it to myself as a just sentiment of
+order, far from banishing all other comforts, it leads to them: thus,
+benevolence and forbearance, which agree so well with human weakness;
+the social spirit so consistent with our nature; urbanity in discourse
+and manner; that amiable expression of a heart, which seeks to unite
+itself with others; all these qualities, very far from being strangers
+to virtue, are its attendants and brightest ornament.
+
+Virtue allies itself to all the ideas which can give extent to our mind,
+and early in life accustoms us to discern relations, and to sacrifice
+frequently our present affections to distant considerations; it is, of
+all our sentiments, that which carries us farthest out of ourselves, and
+consequently has the nearest resemblance with abstract thinking. It is
+then, through the assistance of virtue, that a man acquires all his
+knowledge of his strength and all his grandeur. Vice, on the contrary,
+concentres us in a little space; it seems to be conscious of its own
+deformity, and fears all that surrounds it; it endeavours to fix on a
+single object, on a single moment, and would wish to have power to draw
+into a point our whole existence.
+
+I must still add, that virtue, by uniting a motive to all our actions,
+and by directing towards an end all our sentiments, habituates our mind
+to order, and justness of conception; and prevents our wandering in too
+great a space: thus I have often thought, that it was not only by his
+vices, that an immoral man is dangerous in the administration of public
+affairs; we ought to fear him also as unable to comprehend a whole, and
+for his want of capacity to rally all his thoughts and direct them
+towards any general principle: every kind of harmony is unknown to him,
+every rule is become a burthen; he is busy, but only by starts; and it
+is by accident that a man, always versatile, stumbles on what is right.
+
+It may then truly be said, that morality serves as ballast to our
+sentiments, its aid enables us to go on without being agitated
+continually by the caprices of our imagination, without being obliged to
+turn back at the first appearance of an obstacle.
+
+Virtue then enlarges the mind, gives dignity to the character, and
+invests it with every thing becoming. Of all the qualities of men, the
+most rare, the most apt to create respect, is, that elevation of
+thought, sentiment, and manners; that majestic consistency of character
+which truth alone can preserve, but which the least exaggeration, the
+most trivial affectation, would disconcert or banish. This resembles not
+pride, and still less vanity, as one of its ornaments is, that it never
+seeks for the homage of others: the man endowed with real dignity, is
+placed above even his judges; he accounts not with them, he lives under
+the government of his conscience, and, proud of such a noble ruler, he
+does not wish for any other dependence: but as this grandeur is entirely
+within himself, it ceases to exist, when he dictates to others what he
+expects from them; it can only be restrained in its just limits by
+virtues which do not pretend to dazzle.
+
+It is to the same principle, that men owe that noble respect for virtue,
+the most graceful ornament of a great soul; they owe to it also that
+simplicity in thinking and speaking, that happy habit of a conscience
+not in want of being on its guard. A man truly honest considers disguise
+as a detractor, and desires to appear as he really is; it is not his
+interest to conceal his weaknesses, for in a generous heart they are
+almost always united to something good; and perhaps frankness would have
+become the policy of his mind, if it had not been one of the qualities
+of his character.
+
+There is, in every virtue, a kind of beauty which charms us without
+reflection: our moral sense, when it is improved by education, is
+pleased with that social harmony which the sentiments of justice
+preserves. These enjoyments are unknown to men, whose selfishness
+renders them insensible to every kind of concord, and they appear to me
+to deserve our contempt in one essential point; it is, that they profit
+by the respect others have for order, without being willing to subject
+themselves to the same rules, and without declaring publicly their
+intention; it seems to me, that, in this view, a defect of morality is
+indeed a breach of the laws of hospitality.
+
+In short, talents, those faculties of the mind which belong more
+immediately to nature, can never be applied to great things without the
+aid of morality; there is no other way of uniting the interest of men,
+and of attaining their love and respect. Honesty resembles the ancient
+idioms, according to which you must know how to speak, when you wish to
+be understood by the generality; and a language is never well known, but
+by constant practice. The understanding is sometimes sufficient to
+acquire an ascendency in circumscribed relations; you there take men one
+by one; and you often engage them by proportioning yourself to their
+depth: but on a vast theatre, and principally in public administration,
+where we have need of captivating men in a body, it is necessary to
+search for a band which will embrace all; and it is only by a union of
+talents and virtue that this chain can be formed. And when I see the
+homage paid by a nation to virtuous characters; when I remark the almost
+instinctive judgment which assists in discerning them; when I see that
+they praise and love only what they can connect to pure virtue, and
+noble intention, I return to my favourite sentiment, and believe I
+recognize in these emotions the stamp of a hand divine.
+
+After having tried to give a feeble sketch of the various recompenses
+and different satisfactions which seem to appertain to regularity of
+principles, and propriety of conduct, you will perhaps ask, if you have
+not a right to conclude from these reflections, that we can attach men
+to morality by the mere motive of personal interest; I have already
+mentioned, that I intended to answer such an objection, and now is the
+time to do it.
+
+Virtue, in its most improved state; virtue, such as we have just
+represented, is not the work of a moment; it is necessary that it should
+be called forth and strengthened by degrees; but it would be nipped when
+it first begins to unfold itself, if we destroyed the simple opinions
+which serve to educate it, if we overturned the only end which can be
+perceived by all minds; and if we weakened the sentiments which connect
+it with those who respect the laws of morality, and who promote this
+cultivation by their commendations and esteem.
+
+Besides, it is not virtue only, but virtue united to different motives,
+which contributes to our happiness. This observation is very important,
+and with great facility you may be made to feel the full force of it.
+Employment is generally reckoned the surest source of agreeable
+impressions of which we are susceptible; but its charm would vanish, if
+it did not lead to some recompense, if it did not show, in perspective,
+an increase of wealth, an enjoyment for our self-love, a chance for
+fame, or some other advantages of which we are desirous. Vainly, say
+some, that the exercise of our faculties is of itself a pleasure;
+certainly, because that it offers to our view a train of prospects which
+succeed each other. But there must always be a strong motive to direct
+us to the right road, and make us set off; our bark must be driven by
+the wind; in short, every kind of labour requires encouragement,
+although this labour, proportioned to our strength, may be more
+favourable to happiness then sloth and idleness; and this truth would
+strike us still more, if we had ability to analyze a sentiment with
+sufficient attention, to distinguish clearly the happiness which is
+annexed to action and employment, from that which necessarily relates to
+the end and to the motive of that action.
+
+The reflections, which I have just made, may be applied to virtue; we
+can easily, in studying its different effects, perceive, that it is an
+excellent guide in the course of life; but we discover, at the same
+time, that it has need, as well as employment, of a spur, a simple
+encouragement on a par with our understanding: it is in religion that
+virtue finds this encouragement, and we shall not be able to separate it
+from the motives and hopes it presents, without disconcerting every
+connexion it has with human happiness.
+
+It will be easy to perceive the great benefit which must arise from
+morality; but at the same time it must be remarked, that to follow its
+dictates with confidence and firmness, knowledge and strong powers of
+reflection are necessarily required in the study of so compounded a
+truth: we are then in want of a motive to excite our first effort, which
+subjects us to self-denial, and determines us to struggle with courage
+against the dominion of the present moment.
+
+In short, even when, by the art of sophistry, some philosophers have, at
+length, thrown into confusion the true principles of order and
+happiness; when, by the force of address, they have led us to doubt
+about the kind and degree of power which it is necessary to assign to
+religion, it should not, however, be the legislators of the nation who
+ought to lend an ear to their subtle distinctions.
+
+Metaphysical sentiments and ideas are not proper for statesman, but in
+their own defence; to assist them to guard themselves from the
+ascendency of brilliant errors, and to confirm the respect due to useful
+truths: but when they have to guide minds, when they wish to excite
+activity, it is always, if they are wise, the most simple idea that they
+will make use of; and they will be very careful not to despise those
+habitual principles, to which time, still more then knowledge, has given
+a sanction. These are so many lessons, which long experience seems to
+have gradually disengaged from every thing foreign to natural morality
+and the secret sentiments of men.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. VII.
+      _On Religious Opinions, in their Relation with Sovereigns._
+
+
+Many nations, either by choice, or necessity, have deposited their wills
+in the hands of an individual; and have thus erected a perpetual
+monument to the spirit of discord, and injustice, which has so
+frequently reigned amongst men. It is true, that from time to time they
+have wished to recollect that they were capable of knowing themselves
+their true interest; but monarchs mistrusting their inconstancy, have
+taken care to fortify the springs of authority, by surrounding
+themselves with standing armies; and they have only left them the power
+of being disgusted with slavery: soldiers and taxes have supported each
+other; and through the assistance of this corresponding action, they
+have become masters and directors of every thing. How much good and evil
+depend on them? We then necessarily wish them to possess a vigorous
+morality, proportioned to their immense duties; but what force will your
+morality have, if they perceive at last, that it is not supported by a
+divine sanction; if they consider it as a human institution, which they
+have power to break, and which they are in the habit of modifying? At
+least they will have the liberty, like other men, to examine if their
+private interest agrees with that of the public, and their conduct will
+depend on the result of this calculation.
+
+I will acknowledge, that at the point of elevation, where kings find
+themselves placed, they ought not to be acquainted with those passions
+which proceed from our petty competitions; but how many other sentiments
+have they not to repress? And with what celerity it is necessary to do
+it; since they do not experience any contradiction, they are not, like
+us, obliged to reflect and consider! Besides, though sovereigns are
+supposed to be sheltered by their situation, from the irritations of
+self-love, and from the desires of fortune and advancement, they are
+not, however, disengaged from every passion of this kind; it is towards
+other princes that they feel them; and envy, ambition, and revenge,
+become often very dangerous, as they associate with these passions those
+of the nation they govern, by means of a war. It is then that, freed
+from religious ties, and sure of not accounting with any body, they
+would find morality a very ingenious invention, to render the
+maintenance of public order more easy, and to preserve the subordination
+which secures their power; but, would not acknowledge such a master for
+themselves, and would dispense with bowing to its dictates.
+
+You will say, undoubtedly, that a virtuous king would be recompensed by
+the applause of his subjects: but I have already shown, that the
+influence of public opinion would be very weak, if the principles of
+morality, which serve to guide this opinion, were not supported by
+religion. We should also observe, that elogiums and applause, homage so
+encouraging to private men, have not an equal power over princes, who
+cannot, like individuals, consider this suffrage as an earnest, or
+forerunner of exaltation; it is by the continual view of the advantages
+and triumphs of others, that the desire of respect and distinction is
+continually kept alive; and it may, perhaps, proceed a little from the
+stimulation of envy, or at least from those jarring pretentions, and
+from those struggles of self-love, of which society alone is the
+theatre. Princes without rivals are not subject to the same impressions;
+and the flattery they have so early imbibed, and the praises which are
+lavished on them from the simple motive of hope, all serve to render
+them less sensible to deserved applause; in short, this exaggerated
+praise soon becomes a dull monotony, which extinguishes, by its
+uniformity, that emulation which a just homage sometimes inspires. There
+would be then great danger in reposing too much on the power of public
+opinion, if we were to consider it as a check able to replace with
+princes the compressing force of religion.
+
+I must now make an essential remark: those who surround a monarch, often
+mislead his judgment by the nature and the application of the elogiums
+which they lavish on him. The praise of men, in a monarchy, always has a
+taint of slavery: thus, in such countries, a look, a word from the
+prince, which seems to efface, for an instant, the distance that
+separates him from his subjects, delights them; and their enthusiasm in
+those moments serves to persuade the monarch, that it is sufficient for
+him to smile, to render his people happy: dangerous illusion, sad effect
+of servility: in short, in consequence of the character which is
+impressed by an habitual yoke, men are pleased with exalting the power
+of him to whom they are obliged to submit; they love to see their
+servile companions multiplied; and as the greater part of them have
+seldom any access to the prince, vanity persuades them, that in
+affecting to partake of the royal grandeur, they contract a kind of
+familiarity with it; therefore, without reflecting whether it will be
+more in the power of the sovereign to make them happy, when, by
+enlarging his dominions, he shall have more subjects, and of course more
+duties to fulfil, they celebrate, above all, the conquering warrior, and
+thus invite princes to prefer the pursuit of military glory to every
+other; and, as the multitude can quickly comprehend this kind of merit;
+as the gaining of a battle is a simple idea, easily conceived by men of
+every condition and turn of mind, it happens, by this reasoning, that
+these triumphs are the most highly extolled; and even that men, on
+account of them, can excuse every other failure, broken treaties,
+violated oaths, alliances abandoned—In short, such is the mad folly of
+our praise, that the tranquillity of the state, the repose of the
+people, the mild benefits of peace, appear no more than the last
+consequence of the labours and the success of a monarch; and even
+history frequently represents this fortunate time, as the days of
+obscurity in which heroes of blood and carnage are educated; kings,
+discontented with their destiny, are warriors through ambition, and
+happy by the victories, to which we annex our first honours, and the
+most noble wreaths of fame.
+
+It is thus, however, that the prevailing opinion, and the rumour of
+renown, can sometimes deceive princes, though inconsistent with the
+instructions of morality and the legislation of yore, which point out
+the true interest of the people as the first object of a sovereign’s
+anxious solicitude; and instead of a sounding name, and dazzling
+qualities, enforce those requisite to form the guardian and protector of
+the felicity of the public; duties of a vast extent, and which are
+discharged by the secret labours of paternal vigilance, still more than
+by the noise of the drum and the instruments of destruction.
+
+Let us consider, however, the influence the opinion of the world will
+have on sovereigns, in directing only our views towards the interior
+functions of administration. An essential observation presents itself at
+first to the mind: it is, that the thirst for glory is especially felt
+when a great abuse is to be reformed, and when we can hope to make
+regularity succeed to confusion; but when this task is fulfilled, and
+that it is only necessary to preserve and support what is good, the love
+of renown has not sufficient aliment, and it is then that the virtue of
+princes becomes the only faithful guardian of the public interest. A
+reign, such as we have formed an idea of, would carry away from the
+following ones every subject of dazzling splendour; and it would be
+necessary that new troubles and fears re-animated the sentiment of
+admiration, to give it its ancient ascendency and original force.
+
+We should be able also, and this picture would be very different, to
+figure to ourselves a period, when, by the successive degradation of
+character, the opinion of the public would no longer indicate the way to
+fame, nor resound to excite ambition; the recompenses it offers would
+not be a motive sufficiently powerful to influence men. Thus, in a
+country, in a metropolis, where covetousness seemed triumphant, where
+every body would appear to pursue that fortune which is only acquired by
+intrigue, and the vices of those who bestow it, respect for the real
+interest of the people, and attention to lighten their burthens, would
+no longer purchase renown. In like manner, in a country where despotism
+reigns, and the people are accustomed to prostrate themselves before
+power, they would acknowledge no other idol; we should not there be able
+to acquire a contemporary fame by elevation of character, by tempering
+with wisdom the exercise of authority, and allowing the citizens to
+enjoy that degree of freedom, which does not degenerate into
+licentiousness. It is then morality, and morality alone, which comes at
+all times, and in all circumstances, to resist the revolutions of habit
+and opinion, of which history furnishes examples, and of which men are
+ever susceptible.
+
+I ought not to neglect another very important consideration: princes, by
+the elevation of their rank, and influence on the national manners, find
+that they are in that singular situation, where one is more called to
+direct the reigning opinion, than to receive instruction and
+encouragement from it: thus we are impelled to wish, that a monarch
+should have principles which flow from his heart, and which depend on
+his reflections, from which he may be able to derive, at all times, a
+force properly his own, a natural courage. It is necessary for a prince
+to investigate and decide on his own conduct; and a sublime morality
+should nourish in his heart an ideal model of perfection, with which he
+can continually compare the opinions of the world and the private
+judgment of his conscience.
+
+In short, and this last reflection which I have made will apply, in a
+general manner, to the preceding remarks; the opinion of the public, the
+just complaints of the people, are sometimes a long while in reaching
+the prince; they ring in the kingdom before he hears the rumour; they
+wander round the palace, but the whispers do not reach him; vanity,
+pride, and every vice excludes them; the old courtiers sneer, and the
+insignificant pursuers of credit or favour amuse themselves by indulging
+their turn for ridicule. The ministers, who are followed by the clamour,
+are often importuned by it; and when it reaches their master, find some
+method to weaken its impression, attributing these commotions to private
+passions, and giving the name of cabal to a just indignation against
+vice. Yes, such is the unhappy fate of princes, that the peace of a
+state is often tottering, before the opinion of the world reaches them,
+and discovers the truth; a new consideration, very proper to convince
+us, that the power of opinion can never equal in utility those grand
+principles of morality, which, by the aid of religion, are fixed, in the
+hearts of men, to give them laws, without distinction of birth, rank, or
+dignity.
+
+But if, from sovereigns, we carry our views to those who share their
+confidence, we shall perceive still more the absolute necessity of an
+active and governing morality. Ministers, without virtue, are more to be
+feared than sovereigns indifferent to public good; newly come out of the
+crowd they know better than the monarch the selfish use that they can
+make of all the passions and vices; and as they are connected with
+society, as they have a continual relation with the different orders of
+the state, their corruptions are propagated, and their dangerous
+influence spreads to a great distance. Attacked, nevertheless, by the
+public, they become still more mischievous in their means of warding off
+danger, for despairing of disguise before the attentive eyes of a whole
+people, they turn their address against the prince; they study, they pry
+into his weaknesses, and artfully encourage those which may protect or
+cover the defects of their character; they apply themselves, at the same
+time, to adorn immorality with every grace which can render it amiable,
+and they endeavour to make virtue hateful, by delineating it as austere,
+imperious, unsociable, and almost incompatible with our morals and
+manners: it is thus that ministers, not restrained by principles,
+occasion not only the misery of a country whilst their influence lasts,
+but they poison the source of public felicity, by weakening in the
+monarch his sentiments of duty, diverting his good dispositions, and
+discouraging, if I may say so, his natural virtues.
+
+In short, the picture which I have just drawn will produce another
+important observation: the prince, after having wandered out of the path
+of true glory, may return, when he pleases, to the love of virtue and
+greatness; all the avenues are open to him, all hearts ready to welcome
+him, we have an inclination to love him, and desire to esteem him, whom
+fate has placed at the head of the nation; and who, invested with the
+majesty which he borrows from a long train of ancestors, exhibits
+himself surrounded by all the enchantments of a diadem; we adopt with
+pleasure any interpretation which can excuse his conduct; we impute to
+ill counsels the faults which he has committed; and we are eager to
+enter with him into a new contract of esteem and hope. It is not the
+same with ministers; a like indulgence is not due to them, because they
+cannot throw the blame on others, and all their actions proceed from
+themselves; when they have once lost the opinion of the public, their
+depravity will increase daily; because, to maintain their post they are
+obliged to redouble their intrigues and dissimulation.
+
+I have maturely reflected: the religion of princes, of ministers, of
+government in general, is the first source of the happiness of the
+people; we despise it, because it is not our invention, and we often
+give the preference to those artifices of the mind, which seduce us as
+being our own work; and perhaps they are wanted, after having lost sight
+of this sure and faithful guide, this companion of true genius, which,
+like it, prefers easy and simple means. Yes, this exalted virtue,
+resembling superior abilities, rejects equally those weak resources and
+inventions, which derive not their origin from an elevated sentiment or
+grand thought; and, whilst one obliges a statesman to respect honour,
+justice, and truth, the other discovers the union of these principles
+with the just means which strengthen authority, and with the true glory
+and durable success of politics; in short, whilst one renders him
+anxious about the happiness of the people, the other shows how, from the
+bosom of this happiness, they would see rise insensibly an agreement of
+interests and of wills, of whose extensive use we are still ignorant.
+
+If we wish to dwell a moment on the private happiness of princes, we
+shall readily perceive, that they have a real want of the encouragement
+religion affords. Their distinguished authority appears, indeed, to
+their mind, a singular privilege; they believe this power should extend
+to every thing, and they indiscretly endeavour to accelerate the moments
+of enjoyment; but as they cannot change the law of nature, it happens,
+that in delivering themselves up to every thing which seduces their
+imagination, they experience as quickly the sad langour of indifference,
+and the oppression of apathy.
+
+Kings, in the exercise of their intellectual faculties are exposed to
+the same extremes; providence having placed them on the pinnacle of
+fortune, they consequently have not been led from one view to another,
+and know not those gradations which actuate their subjects in the name
+of vanity, self-love, or fortune.—Alas! we obey so quickly, and their
+desires are so soon gratified, that their taste and inclinations cannot
+be renewed with the quickness necessary to enable them to fill the
+irksome void which so frequently occurs. If the magnificent end which
+religion offers were to be obscured, and if, henceforth, we were to
+consider it as a fallacious illusion, unworthy of our attention, kings
+would soon attain to that term when the future would appear to their
+mind a barren uniformity, a space without colour or form.
+
+The numerous duties of princes, undoubtedly, afford a continual source
+of satisfaction; but it is necessary that they should be able to connect
+all their obligations to a grand idea, the only one which can constantly
+animate their actions and thoughts, who have need of neither favour nor
+advancement from their fellow-creatures. And how much would it
+contribute to their happiness sometimes, to imagine themselves between
+this world, in which they are weary of their own power, and that
+magnificent future; the sublime contemplation of which would carry them,
+with a new charm, to the exercise of their authority! What pleasure then
+would flow from this authority, the source of so much good!—What
+pleasure would they not find in more closely imitating the divine
+beneficence, the most comfortable of all ideas, and what a moment for
+him, when particularly conscious of the presence of the exalted friend
+of the whole human race, he should be able to reflect, in the morning,
+on the people he was going to make happy; and in the evening, on those
+he had actually done good to. What a difference between these delicious
+moments, whose influence the nation feels, and those insignificant
+levees, only known to courtiers, in which the monarch is the spectacle,
+and tastes the sad pleasure of seeing so many men cringing before his
+own image. What a difference, even between these rapturous sensations,
+and those raised by flattery, or the dazzling parade which surrounds
+him, in the midst of which he cannot discern himself, whether he is a
+great man, or only a king.
+
+In short, we ought to acknowledge, that the more extensive the horizon,
+which opens before sovereigns, the greater is the number of duties
+presented to their reflections, the more they must feel the want of that
+sustaining power so infinitely superior to their own strength: they are
+conscious of the disproportion which exists between the extent of their
+authority and the means entrusted to human nature; and it is only by
+supporting themselves against that mysterious pillar, erected by
+religion, that they can be firm, and consider without affright, that
+Providence has called them to regulate and direct the destiny of a whole
+empire. It was when profoundly meditating on the existence of a God;
+reflecting on the influence and various relations of such a grand
+thought, that Marcus Aurelius discovered all the extent of his duties,
+and felt, at the same time, the courage and the will to fulfil them. The
+happy and constant agreement of his actions and principles made his
+reign an illustrious example of wisdom and morality.
+
+We must confess, that it is to virtue, supported by every sentiment
+which it imprints on the human heart, that we should wish to confide the
+sacred deposit of public happiness; this alone is always faithful and
+vigilant, surpasses the spur of praise, and, by the ascendency of a
+great example, leads men to the knowledge of every thing they ought to
+admire.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAP. VIII.
+_An Objection drawn from the Wars and from the Commotions which Religion
+                          has given Rise to._
+
+
+I shall present, at first, this objection in all its force, or rather I
+will not seek to weaken it; it would be needless to recal to the memory
+of men all the evils that have happened during a long series of years,
+with which we have reason to reproach the blind and savage zeal of
+religious fanaticism. Every one has present to his mind those multiplied
+acts of intolerance which have sullied the annals of history; every one
+knows the scenes of discord, of war, and fury, which theological
+controversies have caused amongst men; they have been informed of the
+fatal consequences which these enterprizes have brought in their train,
+and which the rare virtues of a great king have not been able to
+justify. In short, to maintain, in all ages, a remembrance of the fatal
+abuses which have been committed in the name of the God of Peace, it
+would be sufficient to describe those direful days, when some different
+tenet produced a sentence of proscription, and the frightful signal of
+the most cruel frenzies.
+
+It is thus then, that in all times, by an absurd tyranny, or by a
+ferocious enthusiasm, triumphs have been contrived for the eager
+detractors of religion. Let us examine, however, if the deductions that
+they wish to draw from these errors of the human mind, are founded on
+reason and justice.
+
+I shall not stop to observe, that religion has oftener been the pretext,
+than the true motive, of the unhappy convulsions of which it appears at
+present the sole origin; or stop to recal the various political
+advantages, which could only arise from such a grand principle of
+action; those august testimonies are commemorated in history: I shall
+only borrow the support of reason, and shall bound my discussion to a
+few simple reflections.
+
+Do you think, that by relating the different abuses of authority we
+could prove the advantage of anarchy? Could we decry every species of
+jurisprudence, by recounting all the ills which have been produced by
+chicane? Should we be able to throw an odium on the sciences, by
+recalling all the fatal discoveries which are owing to our researches?
+Would it be proper to stifle every kind of self-love and activity, by
+reciting the different crimes which covetousness, pride, and ambition
+have given rise to? And ought we, then, to desire to annihilate
+religion, because fanaticism has made an instrument of it to distress
+the human species? All these questions are similar, and all should be
+resolved in the same manner: thus we may say with respect to them, that
+in all our interests and passions, it is by acquired knowledge, and the
+light of reason, that right is separated from wrong; but we ought never
+to confound their proximity with a real identity.
+
+Fanaticism and religion have not any connection, though very often these
+ideas are found united. It is not the worship of the common Father of
+men; it is not the morality of the gospel, whose precepts lead to
+goodness and forbearance, which inspires the spirit of persecution; we
+should attribute it to a blind madness, resembling all those wild errors
+and crimes which dishonour humanity. But since, at present, the excesses
+to which men abandon themselves do not induce us to condemn, as a
+misfortune, all the sentiments of which the criminal passions are only
+the extreme, why do we wish to refuse religion the gratitude which is
+its due, because sometimes it has given birth to hatred and unhappy
+divisions? It would be necessary rather to remark, that intolerant zeal
+is, of all the errors of the human mind, that on which the progress of
+our knowledge appears to have had most influence. In fact, whilst
+fanaticism, gradually weakened, seems to be now verging to its decline,
+the disorders connected with the common passions of ambition, love of
+wealth, and thirst of pleasure, remain in all their force. However, what
+sentiment, what predominant idea, has a greater claim to pardon for its
+mistakes than devotion? By what an infinite number of benefits the pure
+spirit of religion makes amends for the abuses which spring from the
+false interpretation of its precepts. It is to this spirit, as we have
+shown, that men owe the stability of public order and the firm
+principles of justice: it procures the indigent the succours of charity,
+and virtue its encouragement; oppressed innocence its only refuge, and
+sensibility its dearest hopes. Yes, the pure spirit of religion
+surrounds us on every side, it makes the charm, of solitude, the band of
+society, the invigorater of intimate affections; and can we calumniate
+it and wish to destroy it, on recollecting the tyrannic opinions of some
+priests and sovereigns, whose principles and conduct we now detest?
+
+I shall further remark, and ask why men denounce a sentence of
+reprobation against religion, and give as the motive, the ancient wars
+of which it has been the origin; whilst they never contest the
+importance of commerce, though rivers of blood have been continually
+shed for the smallest advantage on this account? Can they be so mistaken
+in their judgment, as to compare a few pecuniary advantages, which one
+political state never enjoys, but at the expence of another, with those,
+as precious as they are universal, of which religion is the origin and
+support?
+
+In short, among the various arguments that are employed to attack these
+opinions, the most frivolous, undoubtedly, is that which derives all its
+force from the errors and faults of which the present times do not
+furnish any example. What should we say if, at the moment when a superb
+edifice was firm on its foundation, we should be exhorted to level it
+with the ground, by a relation of all the accidents its erection
+occasioned?
+
+Throwing then a painful retrospect on the period of history, when
+religion was made the pretext of wars and cruelty; let us oppose to the
+return of those sanguinary scenes, let us oppose to the spirit of
+intolerance all the force of wisdom, and the instructions of that
+religion which they pretend to serve by a blind zeal. But far from
+freeing us from the respect which we owe to such salutary opinions,
+which men have abused, let us take advantage of experience, as a new
+defence against the wanderings of our imaginations, and the surprises of
+our passions[2].
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. IX.
+               _Another Objection examined. The Sabbath._
+
+
+I do not intend to place among the objections I ought to discuss, nor in
+the number of arguments, that it is important to examine, the various
+opinions on such and such parts of religious worship, nor the
+difficulties raised against the adoption of some dogmatic notion,
+thought essential by some, and considered with indifference by others:
+it is not a treatise of controversial theology which I wish to compose;
+and it is still less the doctrines of one particular church, which I
+would oppose to that of another; all of them connect morality to the
+commands of a Supreme Being; they all of them see in the public worship
+the respectful expression of a sentiment of love and gratitude towards
+the Author of Nature. Thus, those who might think they perceived some
+imperfections in the system, or in the forms of worship, adopted in a
+nation, should not use this objection to dispute the utility of
+religion, since the reflections, which have been just made on its
+importance, may be applied equally to the doctrines of all countries,
+and the principles of every sect.
+
+I shall dwell then on the only difficulty which interests, without
+distinction, the different religions of Europe.
+
+The establishment of public worship, and the necessity of consecrating
+at least one day in every week, occasions, say some, a suspension of
+labour too frequent; and this suspension injures the state, and
+diminishes the resources of the people.
+
+I may at first observe, that such objections would appear very weak, if
+compared with the great advantages which men owe to religion! An
+increase of wealth can never outweigh order, morality, and happiness.
+But I must go further to prove, that a day of rest, devoted amongst us
+to public worship, cannot injure the political strength; and that so far
+from being contrary to the interests of the people, it protects and
+favours them; and as I invariably prefer such interests to all others, I
+shall begin by demonstrating, in a few words, the justness of this
+proposition.
+
+We should be mistaken if we thought, that in a given space of time, men
+forced, by the inequality of conditions, to live by their labour, would,
+by observing the precepts of religion, better their situation, if they
+were not obliged to rest from labour one day in every week.
+
+It is necessary, in order to perceive this truth, to examine, first,
+what is now the measure of wages; it is not an exact proportion between
+labour and its reward. In fact, if we consulted only the light of reason
+and equity, no one, I believe, would dare to decide, that the most
+scanty necessaries is the just price of fatiguing and painful labour,
+which commences at the dawn, and does not finish till the setting of the
+sun: we should not be able to maintain, that in the midst of his
+enjoyments, and in the bosom of luxurious idleness, the rich ought not
+to grant any other retribution to those who sacrifice their time and
+strength to increase their revenue and multiply their enjoyments. It is
+not then by the principles of common sense or reflection, that the wages
+of the generality have been fixed; it is a compact established by power,
+a yoke to which the weak must submit. The possessor of a vast domain
+would see all his riches vanish, if numerous labourers did not come to
+cultivate his estate, and carry into his store-house the fruit of their
+toil; but, as the number of men without property is immense, their
+concurrence, and the pressing need that they have to labour for a
+subsistence, obliges them to receive the law from him who can, in the
+bosom of ease, wait quietly for their services; and it results from this
+habitual relation between the rich and poor, that the wages for hard
+labour are constantly reduced to the most scanty allowance, that is to
+say, to what is only sufficient to satisfy their daily and indispensable
+wants.
+
+This system once settled, if it were possible, that, by a revolution in
+our nature, men could live and preserve their strength without allotting
+every day some hours to repose and sleep, it is beyond doubt, that the
+work of twenty hours would be required for the same wages now granted
+for twelve.
+
+Or, by an assimilation, agreeing with the hypothesis I have just
+mentioned, suppose that a moral revolution permitted labourers to work
+the seventh day, they would consequently, in a short time, require of
+them the extraordinary labour at the former rate; and this levelling
+would take place through the gradual diminution of the price of labour.
+The class of society, which, in exerting its power, has regulated the
+present wages, not according to reason and equity, but according to the
+necessities of the labourers, would quickly discern its own interest;
+and that when a day more was paid for, the people could bear a
+diminution of the seventh part of their wages, and be in their old
+state. Thus, though before the change had thoroughly taken place, all
+those who live by labour would think that they had acquired a new
+resource; yet they would soon be brought to their former condition; for
+it is the same with social order as with the law of equilibrium in
+nature, which combines ranks and places, every thing according to the
+immutable law of the proportion of force.
+
+Men, devoid of property, after having been some time deceived, would
+only get an increase of work by the abolition of the Sabbath; and as
+this truth does not present itself naturally to the mind, we ought to
+consider, as an essential service of religion, its having secured the
+greater number of men from a degree of oppression, to which they would
+have run blindly, if they had been at liberty to make a choice.
+
+The daily labour of one class of society surpasses the reasonable
+measure of its strength, and hastens the days of decripitude; it was
+then absolutely necessary that the customary course of these labours
+should be, for a time, suspended; but as the people, pressed by wants of
+every kind, are exposed to be seduced by the slightest appearance of
+advantage, it was further necessary to their happiness, that the
+interruption of thier fatigues, fixed by a religious duty, appeared not
+to them the voluntary sacrifice of fortune, and did not leave in them
+any regret. In short, they are pleased when they think of those days of
+rest, which produce a little alteration in their manner of living; and
+they require that alteration, not to be depressed by a continual train
+and repetition of the same occupations. Thus, were you to assert
+artfully, that the people are not as comfortable of a Sunday, as during
+the week, it would be at least true, that one is softened by the
+expectation of the other; there are people so very wretched, and
+probably, on that account, so bounded are their desires, that the most
+trifling variety is a substitute for hope. It seems to me, that the
+hearts of the common people may be sometimes cheered with the thought of
+being once a week dressed like their superiors; when they are absolute
+masters of their time, and can say,—and I also—I am free[3].
+
+I must now examine the second proposition which I have mentioned.
+
+You have made obvious, some will say, that an augmentation of the days
+of labour would occasion a reduction of the wages allowed for it, we may
+then reasonably ask, if this result would not favour commerce, and
+contribute, in some respect, to increase the political strength?
+Undoubtedly you may consider under this point of view, the diminution of
+the reward of industry; but the political strength being always a
+relative idea, and derived from comparisons with other states, this
+strength can never be augmented or diminished by a circumstance common
+to all the countries of Europe. Were a barbarous ambition to abolish in
+one state the Sabbath, the abolition would probably procure it a degree
+of superiority, if it was the only one that adopted such a change; but
+as soon as others followed their example, the advantage would disappear.
+However, the same arguments ought to serve to convince us, that those
+countries, where the intervals of inaction occur oftener, have
+necessarily a political disadvantage, with regard to others, where
+Sunday and a few solemn feasts are the only days of rest prescribed by
+government.
+
+We may conclude from these observations, that so far from finding fault
+with religion for appointing a day of rest, devoted every week to public
+worship, we ought to acknowledge with pleasure, that such an institution
+is a benevolent act, extended to the most numerous class of the
+inhabitants of the earth, the most deserving our consideration and
+protection; from which we require so much, and return so little: towards
+that unfortunate class, whose youth and maturity the rich profit by, and
+abandon them when the hour is come, when they have no more strength left
+but to enable them to pray and weep.
+
+
+
+
+                                CHAP. X.
+    _An Observation on a particular Circumstance of public Worship._
+
+
+It is not sufficient, that sovereigns are persuaded of the influence of
+religion on the morality and happiness of men; they ought to make use of
+proper means to maintain this salutary action; and, of course, every
+part of public worship becomes of the greatest importance. Educated in a
+religion, thought by some to approach nearer the first ideas of
+christianity, yet as it has adopted several principles by no means
+consonant with the Catholic faith, it would be unwise in me to discuss
+any of the questions which divide the two churches; and I should do it
+without any good accruing from it, so much are we disposed to refer to
+early prejudices, the ideas which are most intimately blended with the
+sentiments and feeling of a man; we like to take a general view, and
+this method agrees with our indolence; but it leads us often astray. I
+think, however, that the minds of the people are now sufficiently
+enlightened, to permit me to advise the superiors of both church and
+state, to examine attentively, if it is not full time to make more use
+of the vulgar tongue, and if we are not warned, by the present depravity
+of morals, to alter the manner of performing divine service in this
+respect.
+
+It is only during an interval of the grand mass that the priest
+addresses to country people some words of exhortation in their own
+language; it was natural to consider this moment as the most proper to
+dispose the mind to respect and attention; but perhaps, even the pomp of
+an august ceremony, by attracting strongly the imagination, withdraws
+the generality from the importance of the other parts of divine worship;
+and it frequently happens in country places, that many people go out of
+the church during the sermon, and return at the moment of consecration.
+
+I think also, that public prayers should always be in the vulgar tongue,
+and they might easily be made interesting and affecting, as there are
+not any religious discourses which sympathize more with human weakness;
+and as our wants and anxieties may be made use of to raise us towards
+the Supreme Being, the best of all bands might be chosen to win the
+multitude.
+
+I must observe besides, that part of the country people, especially in
+harvest time, and other seasons, when the husbandman is particularly
+busy, assist only at early mass, and then they see but a part of the
+religious ceremonies[4]. And, if the practice and liberty of working on
+a Sunday was more extended, the inhabitants of the country, still more
+confined to the first mass, would hear neither prayers nor instructive
+discourses in their own language during the whole year.
+
+Certainly there must be something altered in these religious
+institutions in order to make them more efficaciously serve to support
+morality, and comfort the most numerous class of the human race. Country
+people, whose labour produces our wealth, ought to be taken care of with
+paternal anxiety; and since they are not exposed to those disorderly
+passions which find nourishment in a metropolis; since mild and prudent
+means still suffice to maintain them in the habit of duty; both the
+superiors in church and state have to answer, in some measure, for the
+corruption of their manners and dispositions.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. XI.
+  _That the single Idea of a God is a sufficient Support of Morality._
+
+
+After having shown that morality has need of a supernatural support, you
+have reason to expect, that I should explain the intimate and immediate
+relation which unites religion to the love of virtue, and the observance
+of order. I will endeavour, then, to discuss this important question;
+and in order to arrive at the truth, I shall follow first the course of
+those simple sentiments and natural thoughts, which guide the mind and
+the heart of man, in every climate and country under heaven.
+
+It is easy to unite all the moral legislation, and the entire system of
+our duties, by means only of the idea of a God.
+
+The universe, notwithstanding its magnificence and its immensity, would
+be a mere nothing, if its Supreme Author had not peopled it with
+intelligent beings, capable of contemplating so many wonders, and of
+receiving happiness from them; but the faculties with which we are
+endowed, consciousness of possessing them, and the liberty to act, all
+announce to us that we are united to a grand combination, that we have a
+part to take on the vast stage of the world.
+
+The most simple reason, that which resembles instinct, would have been
+sufficient to enable us to take care of the body, and to have concentred
+us in ourselves; more would not have been necessary for those who have
+so little to do. Thus, when I see that the mind is susceptible of
+continual improvement, when I see that men enjoy the power of assisting
+each other, and of communicating their ideas, in a manner so much
+superior to other animals; when I fix my attention on our social
+dispositions, and on all the relative qualities which compose our
+nature, I cannot avoid thinking, that we have a plan of conduct to
+follow towards others, and that in our pilgrimage on earth we must be
+circumspect, having obstacles to conquer, sacrifices to make, and
+obligations to fulfil.
+
+Men then appear to be led to religion by the most excellent gifts of
+nature, and by all that they have in them of the sublime; but we ought
+to remark, as a singular resemblance, that their wants also, and their
+extreme weakness, lead them to the same object.
+
+Whatever may be my emotions, when I reflect on the present imperious
+laws to which I am obliged to submit, and when I recal to mind the
+grandeur and magnificence which I have been a witness of, I raise
+continually my soul towards the Sovereign Director of events, and am led
+by instinct, as well as by a rational sentiment, to address my prayers
+to Him. It appears to the unfortunate, when they view so many wonders
+which their understanding cannot grasp, that so little is wanting to
+guard them from the dangers which threaten them, they implore the
+commiseration of Him whose formidable power bursts from all sides. But,
+while they admire and adore, they must imitate His perfections, and not
+expect mercy when they show none. Purity of heart only can render an
+intercourse with the Supreme Being interesting; and prayers are merely a
+solemn kind of mockery, when they do not produce virtue and forbearance,
+when they do not render us kindly affected to each other; our very state
+of dependence, our wants and weaknesses, should bind us to those beings
+who equally share the blessings so liberally bestowed, and have the same
+evils to endure. Thus discontent, the fear of futurity, the anxiety
+caused by misfortunes, all the sentiments, which engage men to disturb
+social order, take another character, or are at least sensibly modified;
+when, from their first suffering, they can elevate their wishes to God,
+but dare not do it, with a heart sullied by criminal intentions.
+
+It is not only prayer which leads us to religion; another communication
+with the Supreme Being, gratitude, produces the same effect. A man,
+persuaded of the existence of a sovereign power, and who gladly connects
+with the divine protection his success and happiness, feels, at the same
+time, a desire to express his gratitude; and not being able to do any
+thing for him who bestows all, he seeks to form an idea of the
+perfections of that Supreme Being, in order to comprehend the system of
+conduct most conformable to his attributes. At first, what reflections
+possess our mind, what emotions agitate our souls, when we contemplate
+the universe? When we respectfully admire that magnificent harmony,
+which is the incomprehensible result of an innumerable multitude of
+different powers: struck with this vast whole, where we discover an
+agreement so perfect, how is it possible for us to avoid considering
+order as a distinct mark of the wisdom and of the design of Omnipotence?
+And how is it possible for us not to think, that we render him the most
+worthy homage, at the time we make use of the free intelligence which he
+has endowed us with. Then in the composition of a social structure, a
+work which has been entrusted to us, we shall try to penetrate the ideas
+of wisdom and order, of which all nature presents such a grand example;
+then, in establishing the relations which unite men, we shall carefully
+study the laws of moral order, and we shall find them all founded on the
+reciprocation of duties, which submit to a regular movement different
+jarring personal interests. In short, the idea of a God, Creator,
+Regenerator, and Preserver of the Universe, by invariable laws, and by a
+train of the same causes and the same effects, seems to call us to the
+conception of a universal morality, which, in imitation of the unknown
+springs of the natural world, may be as the necessary tie of this
+succession of intelligent beings, who always, with the same passions,
+come to pass and repass on the earth, to seek, or to fly, to assist, or
+to hurt each other, according to the strength or the weakness of the
+knot which unites them, and according to the wisdom or inconsistency of
+the principles which direct their opinions.
+
+The attentive study of man and of his nature ought to contribute to
+confirm in us the idea which we have just pointed out. We cannot, in
+fact, consider the prodigious difference which exists between the minds
+and characters of men; we cannot fix our attention on the length to
+which this difference may be carried, by the perfectibility of which
+they are susceptible; we cannot, in short, reflect on a like
+constitution, without being induced to think, that the counterpoise of
+these extraordinary means of force and usurpation must proceed from
+reason, from that singular authority which only can establish, between
+men, relations of justice and convenience, proper to maintain an
+equilibrium and harmony in the midst of so many disparities: it is thus,
+that respect for morality seems evidently to make a part of the general
+view and primitive idea of the Supreme Disposer of the universe. And
+what pleasure shall we not find in the persuasion, that the cultivation
+of virtue, that the observance of order, offers us the means of pleasing
+our Divine Benefactor! It is by that alone that we can hope to concur,
+however feebly, in the execution of his grand designs; and in the centre
+of so many blessings, surrounded by so many signs of a particular
+protection, how highly ought we to value this means of communication
+with the Author of our existence? Thus, then, the homage of adoration
+and gratitude which we render to the Deity, leads us to a sentiment of
+respect for the laws of morality; and this sentiment, in its turn,
+serves continually to maintain in us the idea of a Supreme Being.
+
+Independent of the reflections which we have just presented, morality,
+considered in all its extent, has need of being strengthened by this
+disposition of the soul, which makes us interested in the happiness of
+others; and it is besides, in one of the most glorious perfections of
+the Deity, that we find the first model of this precious sentiment. Yes,
+we cannot deny it: either our existence proceeds from no cause, or we
+owe it to the goodness of the Supreme Being. Life, some will say,
+undoubtedly is a mixture of pains and pleasures: but, if we are candid
+we shall confess, that those moments, when it ceases to appear to us a
+benefit, do not often occur in life: in youth, existence is thought the
+greatest blessing, and the other seasons of life offer pleasures less
+animated, certainly, but which agree better with the progress of our
+understanding, and the increase of our experience.
+
+It is true, that in order to free ourselves from a sentiment of
+gratitude, we often think that we would not accept of a renewal of life,
+on condition of our running over a second time our career, and returning
+step by step in the same track. But we should consider, that we do not
+fix a just value on the benefits which we have received; for when we
+take a retrospective view of life, we see it stripped of its two
+principal ornaments, curiosity and hope; and it is not in this state
+that it was given to us, and that we have enjoyed it.
+
+It is, perhaps, not in our power to replace ourselves, by contemplation,
+in the situation where the imagination made our chief pleasure, a slight
+breath has easily effaced it from our memory: it is evident that we
+enjoy life, because we look forward with affright to the moment when we
+shall be forced to renounce it; but, as this happiness is composed of
+present pleasures, and those which we anticipate, we cease to be good
+judges of the value of life, when this future prospect is not presented
+to our eyes, but under the form of the past; for we know not how to
+appreciate, with a languishing recollection, that which we have loved in
+the moment of hope.
+
+Physical evils are not either the end or the condition of our nature,
+they are its accidents: the happiness of infancy, which shows in its
+primitive purity the works of the Deity, visibly point out the goodness
+of the Supreme Being; and how can we avoid believing, that we owe our
+origin to a benevolent design, since it is a desire of happiness, which
+has been given to serve as the motive of all our actions? We should
+indeed speak well of life, if we had not corrupted its comforts by
+artificial sentiments, which we have substituted instead of nature; if
+we had not submitted so many realities to pride and vanity; if, instead
+of assisting each other to be happy, we had not employed our thoughts to
+make others submit to us. Undoubtedly there are some sufferings annexed
+to our existence, as in the natural world there are apparent defects.
+Let us employ our minds on the most exalted subjects, and we shall no
+longer be a prey to envy and discontent.
+
+It is on the consideration of detached events; it is in some particular
+circumstances, that we raise doubts about the goodness of God; but we
+immediately discern it when we compare particulars which wound us, with
+the great whole of which they make a part; we discover then, that the
+misfortunes which we are so quickly offended with are a simple appendage
+of a general system, where all the characters of a beneficent
+intelligence are evidently traced. It is necessary then to view the
+whole of life to discover the intention of the author of nature; and in
+meditating in this manner, we shall return always to a sentiment of
+respect and gratitude. This simple idea is very extensive in its
+application; it seems to me, above all, that it serves to console us
+under the ills of life; the man who is penetrated by it can say to
+himself, the transitory evil to which I am subject, is perhaps one of
+the inevitable effects of this universal harmony, the most noble and the
+most extensive of all conceptions. Thus, in the moments when I bemoan my
+fate, I ought not to think myself forsaken, I ought not to accuse Him,
+whose infinite wisdom is present to my view, Him whose general laws have
+so often appeared to me a visible expression of real goodness.
+
+It is in vain, some will say, it is in vain that you would wish to make
+us attend to these considerations; we only remark, that our earthly
+happiness is at least inferior to that which our imagination so readily
+forms the picture of; and we do not perceive, in such a disposition, the
+union of perfections which ought to be ascribed to the Supreme Being.
+
+This objection is presented under different forms in the writings of all
+the enemies to religion; and they have drawn consequences, sometimes
+against the goodness of God, his power, his wisdom, and justice. It is
+necessary, clearly to explain this difficulty, to be in a state to form
+to ourselves an idea of the perfection of an Infinite Being; but in all
+our attempts, we only carry to the extreme every quality which we
+conceive; instead of that, perfection in the works of the Creator,
+probably consists in a kind of gradation and harmony, the secret of
+which we cannot either embrace, or penetrate; and we ought still more to
+be on our guard, when we form any conception of the essence of the
+Deity, as by confining ourselves solely to reconcile his sovereign power
+with his perfect goodness, we should never fix the boundary when these
+two properties will be in an equilibrium: for after having exhausted
+every supposition, we might still ask, why the number of rational beings
+is not more extended? We might ask, why every grain of sand is not one
+of those beings? why there is not a number equal to that infinite
+divisibility of which we form the idea? In short, from extreme to
+extreme, and always in arguing on the sovereign power, the least
+inanimate atom, the least void in nature, would appear a boundary to the
+goodness of the Supreme Being. We see then to what a point we may
+wander, when we abandon common sense for the vague excursions of a
+metaphysical spirit.
+
+I think, if no other proofs could be found, the power of God would be
+sufficient to demonstrate his goodness; for this power informs us every
+instant, that if the Supreme Ruler of the World had intended the misery
+of rational beings, he would have had, to fulfil this intention, means
+as rapid as numerous. He needed not have created worlds; nor have made
+them so convenient and beautiful; a terrific gulph, and eternal darkness
+might have been sufficient to collect together those unfortunate beings,
+and make them feel their misery. Let us not dwell on these gloomy
+subjects, let us follow a just emotion of gratitude; we shall be eager
+then to render homage to that indelible character of love and goodness
+which we see stamped on all nature. An unknown power opens our eyes to
+the light, and permits us to view the wonders of the universe: it
+awakens in us those enchanting sensations which first point out the
+charms of life; it enriches us with that intellectual gift which
+re-assembles round us past ages, and the time to come; it confers, in an
+early hour, an empire, by endowing us with those two sublime faculties,
+will and liberty; in short, it renders us sensible to the real pleasure
+of loving and being beloved; and when, by the effect of a general plan,
+of which we have but an imperfect conception, it spreads here and there
+some difficulties in the road of life; it seems to wish to soften them,
+by showing us always the future through the enchanting medium of the
+imagination. Could it be then without any interest or goodness, that
+this magnificent system was conceived, and preserved by so many superb
+demonstrations of wisdom and power? What should we be in the sight of
+the Eternal, if he did not love us? We do not adorn his majestic
+universe, or lend to the dawn its magnificent colours; neither have we
+covered the earth with a verdant carpet, or bid the celestial bodies
+revolve in the immense expanse; he asked not counsel of us—we should be
+nothing in his eyes, if he was indifferent to our gratitude, and if he
+took not any pleasure in the happiness of his creatures.
+
+In short, were we to turn our attention from so many striking proofs of
+the goodness of God; were they to be effaced from our memory, we should
+still find, in the recesses of our heart, a sufficient evidence of this
+comfortable truth, we should perceive that we are good and affectionate,
+when not perverted by passion; and we should be led to think, that such
+an inclination in beings who have received every thing, must necessarily
+be the seal of their Divine Author. In order to exalt this sentiment, we
+must refer it continually to the idea of a Supreme Being; for there is,
+we doubt not, a correspondence of instinct and reflection between our
+virtue and the perfections of him who is the origin of all things; and
+provided we do not resist our natural emotions, we shall perceive from
+those very perfections all that is sufficient to excite our worship and
+adoration; above all, whatever is necessary to serve as an example for
+our conduct, and to afford principles of morality.
+
+I ought now to examine some important objections; for why should I fear
+to present them? a love for systems and opinions ought not to exist, in
+treating a subject on which so many have expatiated, and which belongs
+equally to all men. Though we are allowed, when seeking truth eagerly,
+to wish to find it united to the sentiments which form our happiness,
+and the principles which are the foundation of public order.
+
+We admit, say some, that there are many perfections peculiar to the
+Supreme Being, the study and knowledge of which ought to serve to
+sustain the laws of morality; but one of the essential properties of the
+divine essence oversets the whole structure, it is prescience: for, as
+God knows beforehand what we are to do, it follows, that all our actions
+are irrevocably determined; and thus man is not free. And, if such is
+his condition, he deserves neither praise nor censure; he has no means
+of pleasing or displeasing the Supreme Being, and the ideas of good and
+evil, of virtue and vice, are absolutely chimerical. I shall, at first,
+make a very simple reply to this objection, but a very decisive one: it
+is that, if against appearances you should happen to persuade me, that
+there now exists an absolute contradiction between the liberty of man
+and the prescience of the Deity, it is on the nature and extent of this
+prescience that I shall raise my doubts; for, forced to choose, I should
+rather mistrust the judgment of my own mind, than that of an internal
+persuasion. It is by these same considerations, that it will always be
+impossible to prove to men that they are not free: we could only succeed
+with the assistance of reasoning, and reasoning being already a
+beginning of art, a kind of exterior combination of reflections, this
+means, in some measure out of us, would not have power to eradicate a
+sentiment which seems the first that we are conscious of.
+
+We soon discover the limits of our faculties, in the efforts which we
+make to acquire a just idea of the divine prescience: we can very well
+suppose, that God foresees with certainty what we only conjecture about,
+and in extending without end the bounds which occur to our mind, we
+shall proportion in our imagination, the knowledge of the Creator to the
+immensity of space, and to the infinity of time; but beyond these vague
+ideas we shall err in all our speculations. How is it possible, that
+men, who know not even the nature of their own souls, should be able to
+determine the nature of prescience? How is it possible, that they can
+know whether this prescience is the effect of a rapid calculation of
+him, who embraces at one glance the relation and effects of every moral
+and natural cause? how can they discern, whether this prescience, in an
+Infinite Being, is distinct from simple knowledge? How can they know
+whether that Being, by a property beyond our conception, does not exist
+before and after events, whether he is not, in some manner, the
+intellectual time, and whether our divisions of years and ages, would
+not disappear before his immoveable existence and eternal duration.
+
+It results, however, from these considerations, that on account of our
+extreme ignorance we cannot accurately define prescience; but we are
+reduced to examine whether this prescience, considered in a general
+manner, is incompatible with the liberty of man.
+
+This opinion, I think, should not be adopted. Prescience does not
+determine future events, for the mere knowledge of the future makes not
+the future. It is not prescience which necessitates the actions of men,
+because it does not change the natural order of things; but all future
+events are fixed, whether foreseen or not; for constraint and liberty
+conduct equally to a positive term: thus, all that will happen is as
+immutable as that which is past, since the present was the future of
+yesterday, and will be to morrow the past. It is then abstractedly
+certain, that an event, either foreseen or not, will take place some
+time; but if liberty is not contrary to this inevitable certainty, how
+would it be more so, because their exists a Being who is acquainted
+previously with the precise nature of events? We may then say, with
+truth, that the knowledge of the future is no more an obstacle to
+liberty, than the remembrance of the past; and prophecies, like
+histories, are only recitals, whose place is not the same in the order
+of time; but not having any influence on events, do not constrain the
+will, cannot enslave the sentiments, or subject men to the law of
+necessity.
+
+We will confess, however, that if prescience was founded on the
+possibility of calculating the actions of men, like the movements of an
+organized machine, liberty could not exist; but then it would not be
+prescience which opposed this liberty, it would be because we are
+automatons; for with such a constitution we should be without liberty,
+were even the Supreme Being not to have any knowledge of futurity.
+
+It is in vain, in order to convince us we are not free, that some would
+represent us as necessarily submitting to the impulse of various
+exterior objects; comprehending, among those objects, every thing that
+is subtle in moral ideas, and uniting them under the general name of
+motives, and giving afterwards to these motives a physical force which
+we are bound to obey; but to be free, is it necessary that we act
+without motives? then man would be indeed evidently a piece of
+mechanism. It is certain, that we are, in all our actions, determined by
+reason, taste, or a cause of preference; but it is our mind which
+comprehends these various considerations, which weighs, compares, and
+modifies; it is our mind which listens to the counsels of virtue, and
+which replies to the language of our passions; it is in order to
+enlighten itself that it borrows from the memory the succours of
+experience; it is then our mind which prepares, composes, and improves
+every thing which we term motives, and it is after this intellectual
+labour that we act. There is too much order, unity, and harmony in our
+thoughts, to allow us to suppose them the mere effect of exterior
+objects; which, under the form of ideas, come without order to impress
+themselves on our brain; and until we are made acquainted with the works
+of chaos, we shall believe with reason that every where there is that
+unity, that order; that there is a faculty capable of re-assembling
+every thing that is scattered, and uniting to one end all that is mixed
+without design.
+
+As soon as we are impelled to believe, that there is a master of all our
+perceptions, and that we feel this master act, how is it possible not to
+be certain that it is our mind which acts? It is then, in breaking loose
+from its operations, that we are stripped of our liberty, and that we at
+length suppose that our will is the necessary consequence of all
+exterior objects, as if it were the colours, and not the painter, which
+produced a picture. However, if we secure our mind from that dependence
+to which some wish to reduce it, our actions will not obey these
+irresistible emotions; for if they grant that we have liberty of
+thought, we have free will.
+
+We ought to consider our senses as messengers, which bring to our mind
+new subjects of reflection; but they are in such a manner subordinate to
+the sublime part of ourselves, that they act only under direction;
+sometimes the ruling principle commands them to bring representations of
+the beauties of nature, to examine assiduously the registers of the
+human mind, to take the rule and the compass, and render an exact
+account of that which it desires to know with precision; sometimes they
+are taught to acquire more power, and when the soul wishes to
+communicate with men, when it wishes to address posterity, it orders
+them to perpetuate in indelible characters all that it has maturely
+combined, all that it has discovered, and all it hopes to add to the
+treasures of our knowledge. Is it not the master rather than the slave
+of our senses, or the blind play of their caprice?
+
+There is besides another observation, which seems to contrast with the
+absolute empire, that some are willing to grant to exterior objects over
+the powers of our soul; for it is in the silence of meditation that the
+action of our mind is not interrupted: we experience that we have the
+power of recalling past ideas, and that we can connect those ideas with
+the prospect of the future, and to various imaginary circumstances of
+which we compose this picture; our reflection is then the result, but
+not the work of those exterior objects we are acquainted with. These two
+words, work and result, which in some acceptations have a great
+resemblance, have here very different meanings; and it is only in
+confounding them, that the objection against the existence of our
+liberty is favoured. We cannot form any judgment, without previously
+discussing every argument proper to throw a light on the subject; and
+the result of such enquiries determines our will; but these enquiries
+are themselves the work of our mind.
+
+In short, all the degrees which lead to the end of our intellectual
+researches, are simple antecedents, and not absolute motives: there is,
+in the operations of our mind, as in every thing which is not
+immoveable, a train of causes and effects; but this train does not
+characterize necessity more than liberty.
+
+In restoring thus to our soul its original dignity, do you not perceive,
+that we approach nearer to nature, than in adopting those systems and
+explications which assimilate our intellectual faculties to the regular
+vibrations of a pendulum? or would you like better still to compare them
+to those little balls which go out of their niches to strike our brain,
+which by various ramifications, produce that shock which impels our
+will? I see, in all this, only childish figures, put in the place of
+those names which indicate at least, by their abstraction, the
+indefinite extent of the ideas which they represent, and the respect
+they merit. It is easy to call a motive a little moving ball; it is easy
+to call uncertainty or repentance the combat of two of these balls, till
+the arrival of a third forms a determination; and the concurrence of
+many to the same point excites, in us, an impetuous passion: but who
+sees not that, after having endeavoured to debase the functions of the
+mind by these wretched comparisons, the difficulty remains undiminished?
+
+In short, if the meditations and the researches of our minds, on the
+existence and the nature of our liberty, presents us only impenetrable
+clouds and obscurity, is it not singular, that in the midst of this
+darkness we should reject all the information of our instinctive
+sentiments, which only can clearly explain every thing that we in vain
+search for by other means? What would you say of a man born blind, who
+would not be directed by the voice? We are assuredly better instructed
+in the constitution of our nature by our feelings, than by metaphysical
+arguments! they compose an internal part of the essence of our soul; and
+we ought to consider them, in some measure, as a sally of the
+incomprehensible formation, whose mysteries we cannot penetrate. Such a
+doctrine, which came to us from a divine hand, is more deserving of
+confidence than the interpretations of men. There are secrets which
+philosophers try in vain to explain, all their efforts are useless to
+represent by comparison, that which is alone and without resemblance.
+
+One would think, that nature, guessing the false reasoning which would
+mislead us, has purposely bestowed an inward conviction of the existence
+of our free will, in composing our natural life of two movements very
+distinct: one depends on a necessity, whose laws we are not acquainted
+with, and do not govern; whilst the other is entirely submitted to the
+government of our reason. Such a comparison would be sufficient to
+convince us, if we sought merely for the truth.
+
+When Spinosa desired to throw contempt on our instinctive perceptions,
+he said, it is the same as if a weather-cock, at the very moment it was
+the plaything of the winds, believed itself to be the cause, and
+consequently that it had free will. What signifies such an argument,
+unless it is to prove, that it is possible to suppose a fiction so
+perfect, that it would apparently be equivalent to a reality? But I
+would ask, by what foolish design of an intelligent being, or even by
+what fortuitous assemblage of blind nature, is it that man should have
+every moment a will precisely conformable to his actions, if there is
+not a real correspondence between every part?
+
+We could oppose to the hypothesis of Spinosa another argument, which
+would lead to a conclusion absolutely contrary; that is, if the most
+apparent liberty may be only a fiction, by a particular concurrence of
+our will with an action ordained; it is also incontestible, that were we
+to suppose the existence, or simple possibility of a free-will, we could
+not have a different idea of it, than that which we have already; and
+the liberty of God himself would not appear to our thoughts under any
+other form. It is very essential to remark, that when we reflect about
+our faculties, we with ease imagine a superior degree of intelligence,
+of knowledge, of memory, of foresight, and of every other property of
+our understanding; liberty is the only part of ourselves to which our
+imagination cannot add any thing.
+
+I shall not pursue other subtle arguments, which have been produced, to
+corroborate my opinion; it is not to some men, but to all, that I desire
+to speak, because I wish to be universally useful: I shall then always
+dwell on the principal reflections, whenever they appear to me
+sufficient to influence the opinion of sound minds, and to fix them on
+those important truths which are the surest foundation of public
+happiness. Self-love might induce many to follow a question as far as it
+would go, and vainly glory in spinning it out; but self-love, applied to
+profound meditations, is itself a great subtilty.
+
+Let us examine other arguments used to combat principles which we have
+established. It is in vain, some will say, to endeavour to prove the
+existence of a God, as a real support of the laws of morality; all this
+system will fall to pieces, if we are not informed, at the same time, in
+what manner this God rewards and punishes.
+
+I shall observe, at first, that such an objection cannot make a very
+deep impression, but when it is connected in our minds with some doubt
+of the existence of a Supreme Being: a question that I shall not yet
+treat; for supposing an internal conviction of this last truth,
+supposing, in all its force, the idea of a God present to our thoughts;
+I ask, whether in order to please Him, we should not have need of
+knowing precisely the period when we could perceive distinct signs of
+his approbation and beneficence? I ask, again, whether, to avoid
+incurring His displeasure, it would be equally necessary for us to know
+how, and in what manner, He would punish us? Undoubtedly not: for in
+taking a comprehensive view of the rewards and punishments which may
+proceed from a Supreme Being, struck with His grandeur, and astonished
+by His power, the vague idea of infinity would obtrude; and this idea,
+so awful, would suffice to govern our sentiments, and fix our principles
+of conduct. We should be careful not to propose conditions to Him who
+has drawn us out of nothing, and we should wait with respect for the
+moment, when, in His profound wisdom, He may think proper to make us
+better acquainted with His attributes. Men may say to each other, secure
+my wages, I want them on such a day, I demand them on such an hour; they
+barter things of equal value, and during a short space of time; but in
+the intercourse of man with the Deity, what a difference!—The creature
+and the Creator—the child of dust and the source of life—a fleeting
+moment and eternity—an imperceptible atom and the Infinite Being!—our
+understanding is struck by the contrast! How then should we adapt to
+such disproportions the rules and notions which we have introduced into
+our trivial transactions? You require that in order to feel the desire
+of pleasing the Supreme Being, He should every moment bestow gifts on
+those, who, by their sentiments and actions, appear worthy of his
+goodness; and, to inspire the fear of offending Him, you wish that,
+without delay, He would let His vengeance crush the wicked. Certainly
+you would be scrupulous observers of His will on such conditions, for
+less stable hopes and fears detain you servilely near a monarch; and I
+may venture to say, that you would be equally attentive to the Ruler of
+the World, if, in order to reward or punish you, he was to alter the
+laws of nature.
+
+But do we not, you may add, see that God does not interfere in any
+manner to direct things here below: you do not perceive Him; but do you
+more clearly discover the power which gives life and motion? It is not
+because He does not exist, but because He is above the flight of your
+mind. We do not know what to say to a man who rejects the opinion of the
+existence of a God; for without that guide all our ideas are wandering,
+and have not any other connexion but that of the wildest imagination;
+but if you grant that the world had an origin, if you suppose a God,
+creator and preserver, what arguments would you use to induce us to
+believe that this God has no relation to us; that He does not take any
+notice of us, and that He is thus separated from the offspring of His
+intelligence and love? You add, vice is every where triumphant, an
+honest man often languishes in despondency and obscurity; and you cannot
+reconcile this injustice with the idea of a Divine Providence! One may
+at first deny the assertion which forms the basis of this reproach, or
+dispute at least the consequences that are drawn from it: these ideas of
+triumph and abasement, of splendour and obscurity, are sometimes very
+foreign to the internal sentiments, which only constitute happiness and
+misery; and for my part, I am persuaded, that if we take for a rule of
+comparison, not some particular situation, or some, scattered events,
+but the whole of life, and the generality of men; we shall then find,
+that the most constant satisfactions attend those minds which are filled
+with a mild piety, firm and rational, such as the pure idea of the Deity
+ought to inspire; and I am equally persuaded, that virtue, united to
+this piety, which knows how to soften every sacrifice, is the safest
+guide in the path of life. Perhaps, ignorant as we are of our nature and
+destination, it is not our interest that uninterrupted rewards should
+excite us to virtue; for if this virtue were our title and hope with God
+for the present, and the time to come, we ought not to desire that it
+should degenerate into an evident calculation, into a sentiment
+bordering on selfishness. It would then be very difficult to give a
+proper definition of liberty, if, by the effect of rapid justice, a
+constant proportion of good and evil, accompanied every determination of
+our mind; we should then, morally as well as physically, be impelled by
+an imperious instinct, and the merit of our actions would be absolutely
+destroyed.
+
+I mean by all this to ask, what would be our merit or demerit, if our
+life is only for an instant, and if nothing is to follow? The persuasion
+of the existence of a God, without a certainty of the immortality of our
+soul, cannot impose any obligation; but the real connexion between these
+two ideas is too frequently overlooked.
+
+Undoubtedly, left to our understanding, this word certainty is not made
+for us, or at least it is not applicable to our relation with the Deity,
+and to the judgment we form of his designs and will. We are too far
+removed from the High and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, to pretend
+to measure His thoughts by our bounded views. They are covered with a
+veil, and we always obscurely discern that which is hid in the depths of
+His wisdom: but the more this God, whom we adore, escapes by His
+immensity from our conceptions, the less have we a right to limit His
+perfections, in order to refuse Him the power of transporting our
+existence beyond the narrow circle submitted to our view; and I know not
+how it would be possible to persuade us, that this action of the Deity
+would surpass in grandeur the creation of the world, or the formation of
+animated beings: the habit of observing a great wonder may weaken our
+astonishment, but should not eradicate our admiration.
+
+We cannot reach, but by reflection, to those events of which the future
+is still the depository; but if every thing which surrounds us attests
+the grandeur of the Supreme Being; if the mind, in its meditations,
+without terror, approaches the confines of infinity, why mistrust that
+he can perform in favour of men, a magnificent union of Omnipotence and
+perfect goodness? Why reject, as an absurd confidence, the idea of
+another existence? We see, without astonishment, the feeble chrysalis
+force its way from the tomb it wove for itself, and appear under a new
+form. We cannot be anticipated witnesses of the perpetuity of our
+intelligence; but its vast extent would appear to us, were we not
+familiarized with it, a greater phœnomenon than duration.
+
+In short, why do I resist an idea of a continuation of existence, since
+I am forced to give credit to my birth? There is a greater distance from
+nothing to life, than from life to its sequel, or renewal under a new
+form: I am clearly acquainted with the commencement of existence, I know
+death only by conjecture. We now enjoy the light and blessings brought
+to us by a beneficent heavenly Teacher; could it be, that he alone would
+be a stranger to his own glory and virtues? I cannot say, why this
+contrast makes an impression on me; but it is among the number of
+superficial ideas which occur to my mind, when I reflect on this
+subject.
+
+A comforting thought still strikes me, the natural order of the universe
+appears to me a finished system: we perceive a perfect regularity
+between the revolution of the heavenly bodies, an invariable succession
+in vegetable life, an almost incredible precision in that immense
+quantity of volatile particles submitted to the laws of affinity; and
+think every thing in its right place, and that all fulfil exactly their
+destination in the grand and complete system of nature.
+
+But if we turn afterwards our attention on the multitude of beings
+inferior to men, we shall discover also, that their action is as
+complete and conformable in every respect to the faculties they are
+endowed with, since they are governed by an imperious instinct. Full of
+these ideas, struck with astonishment at the appearance of an harmony so
+general, have we not just grounds to presume, that man, transported into
+infinite space by his intelligence; that man, susceptible of
+improvement, and continually combatting obstacles; that man, in short,
+this most noble work of nature, only commences in this sublunary world
+his race? And, since all which composes the material order of the
+universe appears to us in an harmony so admirable, ought we not then to
+conclude, that the moral order in which we perceive some things vague
+and not determinate; that the moral order is connected with another life
+more sublime and more astonishing than the other parts of creation, and
+will one day be ultimately developed? This singular disproportion
+between the harmony of the physical and apparent confusion of the moral
+world, seems to announce a time of equilibrium and completion; a time
+when we shall all know its relation with the wisdom of the Creator, as
+we already perceive the wisdom of His designs, in the perfect agreement
+of the innumerable blessings on sature with the present wants of man,
+and every other animated creature.
+
+The grandeur of the human mind is indeed a vast subject of reflection;
+this marvellous constitution seems to remind us perpetually of a design
+proportioned to such a noble conception; it seems almost unnecessary
+that God should have endowed the soul with such noble faculties for such
+a short life as ours, to fulfil its limited plans and trivial pursuits:
+thus every thing authorizes us to carry our views further; were I to see
+such men as Columbus, Vesputius, Vasco de Gama, in a ship, I should not
+suppose that they were mere coasters.
+
+Some try to destroy our hopes, by endeavouring to prove, that the soul
+is material, and that it ought to be assimilated to every thing which
+perishes before us; but the forms only change, the vivifying force does
+not perish; perhaps the soul resembles it, but with this difference,
+that as it is composed of memory, reflection, and foresight, it exists
+only by a series of consequences, which forms the distinct attributes
+and particular character of its essence: it follows then, that it cannot
+be generalized like the blind force which animates in a universal manner
+vegetation; but that every soul is in some measure a world to itself,
+and that it ought to preserve separately an identity of interest, and
+consciousness of preceding thoughts. Thus, in this system, the corporeal
+body, which distinguishes us to the eyes of others, is only the
+transitory habitation of that soul which is not to die; of that soul
+susceptible of continual improvement, and which, by degrees we can have
+no idea of, will probably approach insensibly to that magnificent
+period, when it will be thought worthy of knowing more intimately the
+Author of Nature.
+
+How can we conceive the action of the soul on our senses, without a
+point of contact? and how conceive that contact, without the idea of
+matter? For it is only by experience we are acquainted with the
+necessity of it to occasion a motion; and without that previous
+knowledge, the rapidity with which one body sometimes strikes another,
+could only have been represented by the length of time necessary for its
+approach to it: however, if we had not any metaphysical knowledge of the
+cause of motion, and if experience only guided our judgment in this
+respect, why resist an idea that there is within us a faculty which acts
+of itself? the intimate feeling which we have of it, is certainly an
+argument for its existence. We cannot, besides, maintain, that a like
+property may be opposite to the nature of things; since if we adopt the
+system of the creation of the world, this property may proceed, like all
+others, from the Divine Power; and if we admit, on the contrary, the
+irreligious opinion of the eternity of the universe, there must have
+been from eternity a general movement without impulsion, without
+exterior contact, or any cause out of itself; and the action of our
+souls might be subject to the same laws.
+
+The idea of the necessity of a contact, to effect a movement, would
+never have occurred, if we had bounded our observations to the influence
+of our ideas on our determinations, and the influence of those
+determinations on our physical being. In short, the laws of attraction
+and repulsion are subject to great exceptions; which exceptions may
+serve to support the system of the spirituality of the soul. We may be
+allowed to say, that there exists a vacuum in the universe, since,
+without this vacuum, there could not have been any motion? It is known
+that this motion depends on the laws of attraction but how can
+attraction act through a vacuum, unless it is by a spiritual force,
+which acts without contact, and notwithstanding the absolute
+interruption of matter? It is then this force, or its equivalent, that I
+may adopt to define the cause of the impressions of which our souls are
+susceptible.
+
+Let others explain, in their turn, by what material communication, the
+sight of a few immoveable characters, traced on insensible marble,
+disturbs my soul. It is very easy to comprehend by what mechanism the
+eye distinguishes these characters; but there ends the physical action,
+for we cannot attribute to that action, the general power of producing
+sensations in the mind, since, perhaps, many other men may consider the
+same characters, without receiving any impression.
+
+It is very possible, that our intellectual preceptions have not any
+connection with motion, such as we conceive it. Our interior nature,
+which we distinguish by the name of immaterial, is probably subject to
+laws very different from those which govern nature in general; but as we
+are obliged to apply to the mysteries of our souls, those expressions
+which serve to delineate or to interpret the phœnomena submitted to our
+inspection; these expressions, and their continual use, have insensibly
+habituated us to certain opinions, about the causes and developement of
+our intellectual faculties. It is thus that, after having used the words
+motion, rest, agitation, and action, to discriminate different
+affections of our souls, of which we know very little, we have
+afterwards assimilated them, foolishly, to our moral nature, to all the
+ideas which were represented by these denominations; and even death
+itself, of which we have not any clear knowledge, but by the dissolution
+of our physical being; death, an image borrowed from things which are
+under the inspection of our senses, has not, perhaps, either relation or
+analogy with the nature and essence of our spirit; all these are
+incomprehensible secrets, not mixt with any thing we are acquainted
+with.
+
+We act, in this respect, like men born deaf, who apply to sounds those
+terms which they were accustomed to use, to express the sensations the
+other senses produced.
+
+I shall only add another observation to the ideas on which I have just
+dwelt: perhaps we should never have thought of applying the words which
+express action and motion, to all the operations of our souls, if we had
+not at first divided our spiritual being into a great number of
+dependencies, such as attention, reflection, thought, judgment,
+imagination, memory, and foresight; and if afterwards, in order to
+render intelligible the variable relations of these abstract parts of
+our mind (these parts of a unit which we have taken to pieces, though it
+composed that single being ourself) we had not been obliged to have
+recourse to some plain expressions, like those of action, motion,
+attraction, and repulsion; but this familiar use of these expressions,
+in order to explain the accidents of our intellectual system, very much
+resembles the use which we make of X in Algebra, to express unknown
+terms.
+
+In short, were we to submit the action of our souls to the laws of a
+particular movement, forming one of the dependencies of the great one,
+we should still have to explain the cause of the consciousness that we
+have of this action, which Atheists refuse to nature itself, at the very
+moment they make it the God of the Universe. Were reasoning able to
+subject all the operations of our mind to the impressions of external
+objects, we could not rank under the same laws, that consciousness which
+we have of our existence, and of the different faculties of the soul.
+This consciousness is not an effect, or the production of any known
+force, since it has been always in us independent of any external
+object, consequently we cannot investigate it. The conception of the
+existence of our souls, is as incomprehensible to us as that of
+eternity; what a profound thought, which even our imagination cannot
+embrace!
+
+Let us admit, however, for a moment, that all the operations of our
+souls are determined by some impulsion, whatever it may be, we shall
+still be struck with the absolute difference which exists, according to
+our knowledge between the regular movements of matter, and the almost
+infinite and unaccountable emotions of our hearts and minds; so variable
+and so differently modified, that the attention is lost in the
+examination of them. And after having vainly endeavoured to conceive the
+union established between our thoughts and exterior objects, we have
+still to form an idea of the actions of these thoughts on themselves,
+their progression and connection; our mind led astray, lost in such a
+meditation, leaves us only a consciousness of our weakness, and we feel,
+that there is an intellectual altitude which the human faculties can
+never reach.
+
+We distinguish, in a single character which our judgment can decypher,
+an absolute difference between soul and matter: we cannot avoid
+representing the latter as infinitely divisible, whilst, on the
+contrary, all the efforts of our imagination could never divide that
+indivisible unit which composes the soul, and which is the sovereign
+over our will, thoughts, and all our faculties[5].
+
+But if we examine again, under another appearance, the properties of
+matter, we know not how to assimilate to them the emotions of our soul;
+for we distinctly feel those emotions, let their number be ever so
+numerous, when even they act together and terminate in the same center,
+which is that Indivisible Being before alluded to; whereas matter, by an
+essential property, cannot, in the same instant be pressed or struck in
+several manners, unless it is in parts which have a tendency to
+different centres.
+
+There is not then any resemblance between the impressions that our souls
+receive, and the various effects which may be attributed to the action
+of all the material substances of which we can form any conception: they
+are always connected with the idea of space and extent; but that centre,
+where all our perceptions meet, that Judge, who dictates laws in the
+internal empire, whose revolutions we only know, that last Director of
+our will, this Indivisible Being, at the same time our friend and
+master, is not to be found in any compounded idea; and this unity so
+simple, ought necessarily to convince us, that nothing which is
+submitted to the dominion of our senses, can serve as a type of the idea
+which we are to form of the soul.
+
+We discover the traces of this truth, when we fix our attention on the
+comparisons with which our spiritual unit, our identical self, is
+continually occupied: we imagine it seated on a throne, listening, and
+examining the various reasons which ought to determine its action; we
+see it, like Nero, yielding sometimes to Narcissus, and sometimes to
+Burrhus; but at the same time we distinctly perceive all the
+counsellors, all the flatterers, all the enemies which surround it; we
+never remark but a single master in the midst of the tumult and the
+intrigues of this court.
+
+Whilst our soul then is thrown into motion by contemplation, and by the
+imperceptible modification of a fugitive idea, as well as by every thing
+which is opposed to material action, why should we not suppose that it
+is purely intelligent and spiritual? It must be confessed, that
+sometimes our corporeal infirmities influence our minds; but this
+relation is not a proof of identity, since our body may be an instrument
+entrusted to our soul, one of the organs which it is to make a
+transitory use of. The continuity of existence, considered abstractedly,
+certainly is in the universe a simple and natural state; and the
+temporary existence is perhaps the only one which is heterogeneous and
+accidental; the soul seems too noble to be assimilated to the latter
+state, it may exist in a different manner when joined to a material
+substance, but that connection does not make it lose its original
+essence.
+
+It is to be acknowledged, that it is through the medium of our senses we
+know all the force of our existence; and that they are those parts of
+our mixt being which strike us most during a little while; and it is
+perhaps by a law of the same kind that we see men, engrossed by a great
+passion, entirely strangers to every other moral affection; but, why
+should it be contrary to the nature of things, that the soul, once
+stripped of its terrestrial cloathing, should be acquainted with the
+nature of its existence, and at the same time perceive those truths
+which now are obscured by clouds. An innate fire languishes a long time
+unknown in a rough stone, that stone is struck, and we see issue out a
+splendid light; this is perhaps a faint picture of the state in which
+our soul is when death breaks its fetters.
+
+In short, in a matter so obscure every supposition is admissable, which
+assures us that the soul is not on earth in a state of enchantment, or
+in a kind of interruption of its ordinary existence. All that we see of
+the universe is an assemblage of incomprehensible phœnomena; and when we
+wish to discover the conclusion, through the aid of the ideas most on a
+level with our intelligence, we wander perhaps from truth; since,
+according to appearances, it is in the depths of infinity that it
+reposes.
+
+I doubt, whether we can allow the authority of those metaphysical
+arguments which are made use of to defend the spirituality of the soul
+to be decisive; but they are sufficient to repulse the different attacks
+of materialists. The most evident opinion to me is, that we are too weak
+to comprehend the secret we search for. We have, according to our petty
+knowledge, divided the universe into two parts, spirit and matter; but
+this division serves only to distinguish the little we know from that
+which we have no knowledge of; there is perhaps an infinite gradation
+between the different properties which compose motion and life, instinct
+and intelligence; we can only express the ideas conceived by our
+understandings, and the general words which we make use of, serve only
+to detect the vain ambition of our mind; but with respect to the
+universe, in considering its immensity, we shall find, that there is
+sufficient space for all the shades and modifications we have no idea
+of. We confess, that it is the connection between our physical powers
+and intellectual faculties, and the action that they seem to have on
+each other, which nourishes our doubts and anxieties; but without this
+relation, without the appearance of our fall, all would be distinct in
+the fate of man, all would be manifest. It is then, because that there
+is a shade in the midst of the picture, which continually catches our
+attention, that we have need to collect the light of the mind and the
+feelings, in order to see in perspective our destiny; and it is from
+this motive that we find it necessary, above all, to be penetrated with
+the idea of a God, and to search for, in his power and goodness, the
+last explication which we want.
+
+There is, in the judgments of men, a contrast which I have often been
+struck with. Those people, who, at the sight of the immensity of the
+universe, at the view of the wonders in the midst of which they are
+placed, fear not to attribute to our intellectual faculties the power of
+interpreting and understanding every thing, and even the capacity of
+attaining almost to the hidden secrets of our nature; these same people
+are nevertheless most eager to strip the soul of its true dignity, and
+the most obstinate in refusing it spirituality and duration, and every
+thing else which can exalt it.
+
+But happily, these refusals or concessions fix not our fate: the nature
+of the soul will always be as unknown as the essence of the Supreme
+Being; and it is one of the proofs of its grandeur, to be wrapped up in
+the same mysteries which hide from us the universal spirit. But there
+are simple ideas and sentiments, which seem to bring along with them
+more comfort and hope than metaphysical arguments.
+
+We cannot profoundly meditate on the marvellous attributes of thought;
+we cannot attentively contemplate the vast empire which has been
+submitted to it, or reflect on the faculty with which it is endowed, of
+fixing the past, approaching the future, and bringing into a small
+compass the expanded views of nature, and of containing, if I may use
+the phrase, in one point the infinity of space, and the immensity of
+time; we cannot consider such a wonder, without continually uniting a
+sentiment of admiration to the idea of an end worthy of such a grand
+conception, worthy of Him whose wisdom we adore. Shall we, however, be
+able to discover this end, in the passing breath, in the fleeting
+moments which compose life? Shall we be able to discover it in a
+succession of phantoms, which seem destined only to trace the progress
+of time? Shall we, above all, perceive it in this general system of
+destruction? and ought we to annihilate in the same manner the
+insensible plant, which perishes without having known life; and the
+intelligent man, who every day explores the charms of existence? Let us
+not thus degrade our fate and nature; and let us judge and hope better
+of that which is unknown. Life, which is a means of improvement, should
+not lead to an eternal death; the mind, that prolific source of
+knowledge, should not be lost in the dark shades of forgetfulness;
+sensibility and all its mild and pure emotions, which so tenderly unite
+us to others, and enliven our days, ought not to be dissipated as if it
+were the vapour of a dream; conscience, that severe judge was not
+intended to deceive us; and piety and virtue are not vainly to elevate
+our views towards that model of affection, the object of our love and
+adoration. The Supreme Being, to whom all times belong, seems already to
+have sealed our union with futurity by endowing us with foresight, and
+placing in the recesses of our heart the passionate desire of a longer
+duration, and the confused sentiment which it gives of obtaining it.
+There are some relations still obscure, some connections between our
+moral nature and futurity; and perhaps our wishes, our hopes, are a
+sixth sense, a faint sense, if I may be allowed to express myself so, of
+which we shall one day experience the satisfaction. Sometimes also I
+imagine, that love, the most noble ornament of our nature, love, sublime
+enchantment, is a mysterious pledge of the truth of these hopes; for in
+disengaging us from ourselves, transporting us beyond the limits of our
+being, it seems the first step towards an immortal nature; and in
+presenting to us the idea, in offering to us the example of an existence
+out of ourselves, it seems to interpret by our feelings that which our
+minds cannot comprehend.
+
+In short, and this reflection is the most awful of all, when I see the
+mind of man grasp at the knowledge of a God; when I see him, at least,
+draw near to such a grand idea; such a sublime degree of elevation
+prepares me, in some manner, for the high destiny of the soul; I search
+for a proportion between this immense thought and all the interests of
+the world, and I discover none; I search for a proportion between these
+boundless meditations and the narrow picture of life, and I perceive
+none: there is then, I doubt not, some magnificent secret beyond all
+that we can discern; some astonishing wonder behind this curtain still
+unfurled; on all sides we discover the commencement of it. How imagine,
+how resolve the thought, that all which affects and animates us, all
+which guides and captivates us, is a series of enchantments, an
+assemblage of illusions? The universe and its majestic pomp would then
+have been only destined to serve as the theater of a vain
+representation; and such a grand idea, so magnificent a conception would
+have had for an object a mere dazzling chimera. What would then have
+signified that mixture of real beauties and false appearances? What had
+signified that concourse of phantoms, which, without design or end,
+would be less admirable than a ray of light, destined to enlighten our
+abode? In short, what had signified in men that union of sublime
+thoughts and deceitful hopes? Guard us from giving credit to such a
+supposition! Is it to Him then, whose power has not any limits, that we
+dare to attribute the artifices of weakness? Should we have seen every
+where order, design, and exactness, as far as our understanding can
+reach, and as soon as we are arrived at the utmost boundary of our
+faculties, should we stop the views of the Supreme Intelligence, and
+imagine that all is finished, because futurity is unknown? Alas! we
+endure but a moment, and we presume to know the past and the future! But
+grant us only the idea of a God; do not deprive us of our confidence in
+Him; it is in relying on that grand truth, that we shall be able to
+guard our hopes against all the metaphysical arguments which we are not
+immediately prepared to answer.
+
+Would you object, that hope is not sufficient to determine men to the
+observance of morality, and to subject them to the sacrifices which the
+practice of virtue seems to impose? What then attracts them, in all the
+bustle of life, unless it is hope; what is it that renders them greedy
+of honour and of fortune, unless it is expectation? And when they obtain
+the object of their wishes, they have frequently only the imaginary
+advantages hope created. Why then would you ask for a demonstrated
+certainty, in order to devote yourself to all the researches which the
+human mind can conceive to be the most grand, the most worthy of an
+ardent pursuit? On the contrary, the most trifling degree of expectation
+should become a motive of encouragement. And what is it, of all our
+interests, which could be put in competition with the most fugitive
+idea, with the slightest hope of pleasing the Master of the World, and
+maintaining the intercourse which seems to be indicated by our natural
+sentiments, and by the first perceptions of our minds?
+
+I would wish to go still further, and I would demand, not of all men,
+but of some at least, if, were even this life to be their only heritage,
+they would think themselves freed from the desire of pleasing the
+Sovereign Author of Nature. The moment that is given us to know and
+admire Him, would it not still be a blessing? We celebrate the memory of
+those princes who have done good to men; are we not to do the same with
+Him to whom we are indebted for our existence; to Him who has contrived,
+if I may be allowed to say so, the various enjoyments we are so
+unwilling to detach ourselves from? Shall we dare, weak and ignorant as
+we are, to measure the wisdom, and calculate the power of our
+Benefactor, and rashly reproach him for not having done more for us?
+This would be the language of ingratitude. But, as I have shown, our
+sentiments have not been put to this test; and it is on more liberal
+terms that we have been admitted to treat with the Supreme Being: He has
+surrounded us with every thing that can encourage our expectations; He
+allows us, by contemplation, to attain almost a knowledge of his
+perfections; He lets us read them in that collection of glory and
+magnificence which the universe displays; He permits us to perceive his
+power and goodness, infinity and happiness; and by that succession of
+ideas he has guided our wishes and our hopes. How grand is the
+contemplation of the Eternal, they who have sensibility can tell! But
+this idea should be very early implanted in the human heart, it is
+necessary that it should be connected with our first feelings, that it
+should rise by degrees, in order to gain strength before men are thrown
+into the midst of that world which boasts of being freed from childish
+prejudices; left, hurried along by its levity, they follow every day a
+new master, and render themselves the slaves of pleasure and vanity.
+
+And that which is to maintain, amongst men, the principles first
+inculcated, is public worship, an idea as beautiful as simple, and the
+most proper to vivify all that is vague and abstract in reasoning and
+instruction: public worship, in assembling men, and in turning them
+without public shame to their weaknesses, and in equalising every
+individual before the Master of the world, will be, in this point of
+view a grand lesson of morality; but this worship, besides, habitually
+reminds some of their duty, and is for others a constant source of
+consolation; in short, almost all men, astonished and overwhelmed by the
+ideas of grandeur and infinity, which the appearance of the universe,
+and the exercise of their own thoughts, present to them, aspire to find
+repose in the sentiment of adoration which unites them in a more
+intimate manner to God, than the developement of their reason ever will.
+
+We should guard ourselves carefully from despising the emotions of
+piety, which cannot be separated from its advantages; and philosophers
+themselves know not how far they would go, when they try to reduce the
+interests of men to the narrow circle of demonstrated truths: that which
+we perceive confusedly, is more precious than all we have a certain
+knowledge of; that which we anticipate, is of more value than the
+blessings scattered round us. Thus, we should be miserably impoverished,
+if they could retrench from the various comforts which we shall never
+possess, but through the aid of the imagination. However, if we take
+this imagination as a guide and encouragement, when we are engaged in
+the pursuits of fortune and ambition, and if the wise themselves find
+that to be good which serves to nourish our passions, why would you
+reject it, when, simply more grand and more sublime in its object, it
+becomes the support of our weaknesses, the safeguard of our principles,
+and the source of our most interesting consolations?
+
+It is the part of legislators to study these truths, and to direct
+towards them the spirit of laws, and the uncertain course of opinions.
+How honourable is it for them to be called to form the august alliance
+which is to unite happiness with morality, and morality with the
+existence of a God!
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. XII.
+                         _That there is a God._
+
+
+That there is a God! How is it possible to avoid being penetrated with
+an awful respect in uttering these words? How reflect on them without
+the deepest humility, and even an emotion of surprise, that man, this
+weak creature, this atom dispersed in the immensity of space, undertakes
+to add some weight to a truth, of which all nature is the splendid
+witness? However, if this truth is our supreme good, if we are nothing
+without it, how can we banish it from our minds? Does it not constrain
+us to dwell continually on the subject? Compared with it, all other
+thoughts are insignificant and uninteresting; it gives birth to, and
+sustains all the sentiments on which the happiness of an intelligent
+creature depends. I confess I tremblingly discussed the different
+objections which are employed to destroy our confidence in the existence
+of a Supreme Being; I dreaded the melancholy which those arguments
+produced; I was afraid to feel the impression of it myself, and thus to
+hazard the opinion most dear to my heart, and most essential to my
+happiness; it appeared to me, that a few general ideas, supported by
+lively feelings, would have been sufficient for my tranquillity; and
+without an interest more extended, without the desire of opposing,
+according to my powers, a spirit of indifference and false philosophy,
+which is every day gaining ground, I should never have stepped beyond my
+circle. But, I am far from regretting the part I have taken: I have ran
+over, without much trouble, those books where the most pernicious
+doctrines are ingeniously disseminated; and have thought that a person,
+endowed with common sense, on whom metaphysical subtleties were
+obtruded, would resemble those savages who are brought sometimes amongst
+us, and who, from the depraved refinement of our morals and manners,
+have often recalled us, by some natural reflections, to those simple
+principles which we have abandoned, to those ancient truths whose
+vestiges are lost.
+
+The whole structure of religion would be overturned, if, by the strength
+or artifices of reasoning, men could destroy our confidence in the
+existence of a Supreme Being: morality, being detached from the opinions
+which sustain it, would remain a wavering, unsupported notion, only
+defended by a policy, whose power time would insensibly weaken. A fatal
+languor invading every mind, where would be that universal interest,
+that sentiment felt by all men, and proper to form a general alliance
+between them? Then those, who, with pure intentions, can only be guided
+and sustained by an intimate persuasion, would retire sad, and leave to
+others the care of supporting moral order by fictions and falsehoods;
+they would pity that dismayed race, called to appear and pass away like
+flowers, which bloom but for a day; they would despise those animated
+phantoms which only come to make a buz with their vanity and trivial
+passions, and fall in a little while into eternal oblivion. All that
+appears beautiful in the universe, and excites our enthusiasm, would
+soon lose its splendour and enchantment, if we perceived nothing in this
+brilliant scene but the play of some atoms, and the uniform walk of
+blind necessity; for it is always because a thing may be otherwise, that
+it acquires a claim to our admiration: in short, that soul, that spirit,
+which vivifies man, that faculty of thought which surprises and
+confounds those who reflect, would only appear a vain movement, if
+nothing was before, or was to follow, if some unknown breath, or general
+intelligence, did not animate nature. But we have dwelt too long on
+those gloomy thoughts; reassume your light and life, admirable works of
+God; come and confound the pride of some, and comfort others; come and
+take possession of our souls, and direct our affections towards Him whom
+we ought to love, towards Him who is the eternal model of perfect
+wisdom, and unlimitted goodness!
+
+I shall not endeavour to prove that there is a God, by reciting all the
+wonders the works of nature display to our eyes; several celebrated
+writers have already done it, and have missed their aim. Infinity can
+only be represented by astonishment and respect, which overwhelms all
+our thoughts: and when we labour to explain the successive and varied
+picture of the wonders of nature, this change of objects is more
+calculated to relax our admiration than to increase it; for any change
+eases our mind, by affording those relaxations which our weakness has
+need of; and if we were to investigate only one phœnomenon, we should
+soon discover the utmost extent of our faculties. We find the limits of
+our understanding in the examination of the organization of the smallest
+insect, as well as in observing the faculties of the soul; and the
+mysteries of the simplest vegetation is as far above the reach of our
+intelligence, as the principal agent of the universe.
+
+It is then as a hymn of praise to the Supreme Being, and not as
+necessary instruction that I freely follow the course of my thoughts. I
+shall begin by throwing a rapid glance on the principal characters of
+wisdom and grandeur, which we are all equally struck with, when we
+contemplate the wonder of the universe.
+
+What a sight is that of the world! What a magnificent picture for those
+who can be roused out of the state of indifference, in which habit has
+thrown them. We know not where to begin, or stop, when we expatiate on
+so many wonders; and the most noble of all is, the faculty which has
+been bestowed on us of admiring and conceiving them. What an astonishing
+and sublime relation is that of the innumerable beauties of nature, with
+the intelligence which permits us to enjoy, and to be made happy by
+them! What relation so surprising, as that of the order and harmony of
+the universe, with the moral intelligence which enables us to anticipate
+the enjoyments of wisdom and unclouded knowledge! Nature is immense, and
+all that it contains, all that it spreads with so much splendour, seems
+within the reach of our sensibility, or the powers of our mind; and
+these faculties, invisible and incomprehensible, unite to form, that
+wonder of wonders, which we call felicity. Let not these plain words
+turn our attention from the magical ideas which they represent. It is
+because the grand phœnomena of our existence cannot either be defined or
+expressed many ways, that they are so much more wonderful; and those
+words, used by common consent, soul, mind, sensation, life, happiness,
+and many others besides, which we pronounce so slightly, confound not
+less our understanding, when we wish to discuss the essence of the
+properties of which they are the sign. It is for this reason, among
+several others, that the admiration of particulars, in the works of
+nature, is always insufficient for those who have sensibility, as such
+admiration is necessarily placed between two ideas susceptible of being
+known; ideas which we connect through the aid of our own knowledge; but
+the charm of our relation with the wonders which surround us, arises
+from experiencing every instant the impression of an infinite grandeur;
+and feeling the necessity of flying to that mild refuge of ignorance and
+weakness, the sublime idea of a God. We are continually carried towards
+this idea by the vain efforts which we make, in order to penetrate the
+secrets of our own nature; and when I fix my attention on those
+astonishing mysteries, which seem to terminate, in some manner, the
+power of our thoughts, I represent them with emotion, as the only
+barrier which separates us from the infinite spirit, the source of all
+knowledge.
+
+Men endowed with the greatest genius, perceive quickly the bounds of
+their faculties when they wish to go very far in the study of abstract
+metaphysical truths; but the simplest and least exercised mind, can
+distinguish the proofs of that order, which announces with so much
+splendour the end and design of sovereign wisdom. It seems, that all the
+knowledge proper to interest men has been placed within their reach. The
+learned astronomer, observing the course of our globe round the sun,
+perceives the cause of that regular succession of repose and vegetation,
+which secures the earth its fecundity, and adorns every season with
+renewed beauties; but the simple cultivator, who sees the treasurers of
+the earth renovated every year, and answer, with singular precision, to
+the wants of animated beings, is not less a witness of a phœnomenon
+which is sufficient to excite his admiration and gratitude! Newton
+analyzed light, and calculated the swiftness with which it runs over the
+immensity of space; but the ignorant herdsman, who sees, when he wakes,
+his hut enlightened by the same rays which animate all nature, is
+equally benefitted by them. The indefatigable anatomist attains a just
+idea of our inimitable structure, and the ingenious texture of our
+different organs; but the man most devoid of instruction, who reflects
+an instant on the pleasures, and the variety of the sensations, which we
+find ourselves susceptible of, partakes the blessing equally.
+
+The transcendent knowledge of some people, is a degree of superiority
+which disappears when contrasted with the incomprehensible grandeur of
+nature; when we contemplate infinity, those talents which exalt one man
+above another are no more seen; and probably it is beyond the limits of
+our intelligence that the greatest wonders of nature begin. The
+knowledge of all ages has not explained what is the imperious authority
+of our will over our actions, nor how our thoughts could reach the most
+remote ages, how our souls could investigate that innumerable multitude
+of present objects, of recollections and anticipations; neither has it
+informed us how all those excellencies of the mind, sometimes remain
+unknown to itself, nor how they are sometimes at its command, issuing
+out of their long obscurity, and succeeding each other with method, or
+are profusely poured forth. At the sight of these astonishing phœnomena,
+we think man presumptuous, when, puffed up with pride, he mistakes the
+measure of his strength and wishes to penetrate into the secrets, whose
+confines are shut by an invisible hand. He should be content to know,
+that his existence is united to so many wonders; he should be satisfied
+with being the principal object of the liberality of nature, and he
+should adore with reverential respect that powerful Sovereign, who
+bestows so many blessings on him, and who has made him to sympathize
+with all the powers of heaven and earth.
+
+The globe on which we live runs over every year a space of two hundred
+millions of leagues; and in this immense course, its distance from the
+sun, determined by immutable laws, is exactly proportioned to the degree
+of the temperature necessary to our feeble nature, and to the successive
+return of that precious vegetation, without which no animated being
+could subsist.
+
+That celestial body, which fertilizes the seeds of life shut up in the
+bosom of the earth, is, at the same time, the source of that light which
+opens to our view the glorious sight of the universe. The rays of the
+sun run over in eight minutes about thirty millions of leagues: such an
+impetuous motion would be sufficient to pulverize the largest masses of
+matter; but, by an admirable combination, such is the incomprehensible
+tenuity of these rays, that they strike the most tender of our organs,
+not only without wounding it; but with a measure so delicate and
+precise, that they excite in us those extatic sensations, which are the
+origin and the indispensable condition of our greatest enjoyments.
+
+Man, in immensity, is only an imperceptible point; and yet, by his
+senses and intelligence, he seems in communication with the whole
+universe; but how pleasant and peaceable is this communication! It is
+almost that of a prince with his subjects: all is animated round man,
+all relates to his desires and wants; the action of the elements, every
+thing on earth, like the rays of light, seems to be proportioned to his
+faculties and strength; and whilst the celestial bodies move with a
+rapidity which terrifies our imagination, and whilst they hurry along in
+their course our dwelling, we are tranquil in the bosom of an asylum,
+and under the protecting shelter allotted us; we enjoy there in peace a
+multitude of blessings, which, by another wonderful affinity, ally
+themselves to our taste, and all the sentiments we are endowed with.
+
+In short, and it is another favour, man is permitted to be, in some
+things, the contriver of his own happiness, by his will and ingenuity;
+he has embellished his habitation, and united several ornaments to the
+simple beauties of nature; he has improved, by his care, the salutary
+plants; and even in those which seemed the most dangerous he has
+discovered some wholesome property, and carefully separated it from the
+envenomed parts which surrounded it; he can soften metals, and make them
+serve to augment his strength; he obliges the marble to obey him, and
+assume what form he desires; he gives laws to the elements, or
+circumscribes their empire; he stops the invasion of the sea; he
+restrains the rivers in their natural bed, and sometimes obliges them to
+take a different course, in order to spread their benign influence; he
+erects a shelter against the fury of the winds, and by an ingenious
+contrivance, makes use of that impetuous force, which he could not at
+first dream of defending himself from; even the fire, whose terrible
+action seems to presage destruction, he subjugates, and renders it, if I
+may so express myself, the confident of his industry, and the companion
+of his labours.
+
+What a source of reflections is this dominion of the mind over the most
+dreadful effects of the movement of blind matter. It seems as if the
+Supreme Being, in submitting thus to the intelligence of men the most
+powerful elements, chose to give us an anticipation of the empire which
+His sovereign wisdom has over the universe.
+
+However, it is in the influence of our spiritual faculties on
+themselves, that we observe, above all, their admirable nature; we see,
+with astonishment, the perfections which they acquire by their own
+action. Intelligence, considered in a general manner, undoubtedly is a
+great phœnomenon; but it is a still greater wonder, to see the thoughts
+of a man reach, by the most ingenious means, the knowledge of others,
+and form an alliance between the past and present productions of the
+mind. It is by such an alliance that the sciences have been improved,
+and that the mind of man has been acquainted with all its strength. The
+mighty of the earth cannot break this association, nor subject to their
+tyrannic divisions the noble heritage of knowledge; this gift, so
+precious, preserves the stamp of a divine hand;—and no one has yet been
+able to say it is mine.
+
+The most noble use that has ever been made of the admirable union of so
+many talents, and so much knowledge, was to demonstrate how every thing
+in nature relates to the idea of a first cause; which forcibly announces
+a design full of wisdom, and a beneficent intention; but now, unhappily,
+these proofs of the existence of a God are not sufficient; imperious
+philosophers have laboured to subvert every thing founded on the
+connection and wonderful harmony of the system of nature; it is not
+sufficient to oppose to these new opinions the mere authority of final
+causes; they do not contest that there is a perfect conformity between
+our desires and wants, between our senses and the bounties of nature;
+they do not contest, from the cedar to the hyssop, from the insect to
+man, that there is a beauty of proportion in the whole, which is to be
+found equally in the relation that objects have with each other, as well
+as in their different parts; but this admirable harmony, in which the
+pious man, the man of feeling, perceives with delight the stamp of an
+eternal intelligence; others less fortunate, undoubtedly, obstinately
+present it to us as a fortuitous collision, as a play of atoms agitated
+by a blind movement, or as nature itself, existing thus from all
+eternity. What trouble they take to invent and defend these systems
+destructive of our happiness and hopes! I prefer my feelings to all this
+philosophy; but, to avoid an encounter would be to favour their
+presumption, and give additional strength to their opinions.
+
+Thus I shall treat the most important question that man can consider. I
+shall endeavour first to show, that the different conjectures on the
+origin of the world all centre in the single opinion of the eternal and
+necessary existence of every thing which is; and I shall afterwards
+compare the basis of that system with the reason of that happy and
+simple belief which unites the idea of a Supreme Being with all we see
+and know; in short, to the universe, the most unlimitted of our
+conceptions.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAP. XIII.
+                     _The same Subject continued._
+
+
+When we see the authors of the different systems, concerning the
+formation of the world, reject the idea of a God, under the pretext,
+that this idea is foreign to the nature of our perceptions, should we
+not have a right to expect some better substitute for it? But, far from
+answering our expectations, they abandon themselves to all the
+wanderings of the most fantastic imagination. In fact, whether we refer
+the origin of the universe to the effect of hazard, the fortuitous
+concourse of atoms, or whether we establish another hypothesis derived
+from the same principle, it is necessary at least to suppose the eternal
+existence of an innumerable multitude of little particles of matter,
+placed without order in the immensity of space; and to suppose,
+afterwards, that these atoms, disseminated to infinity, attracted each
+other, and corresponded by the inherent properties of their nature; and
+that there resulted, from their adhesion, not only organized, but
+intelligent faculties; it is necessary, in short, to suppose, that all
+those incomprehensible atoms have been settled with admirable order
+through the effect of a blind motion, and by the result of some of the
+possible chances in the infinity of accidental combinations. Indeed,
+after so many suppositions without example or foundation, that of an
+Intelligent Being, soul and director of the universe, had been more
+analogous and more consonant with our knowledge.
+
+Let us return to the hypothesis we have just mentioned. We shall then
+recognize the trifling habit of the mind; it is accustomed to proceed
+from simple to compound ideas, every time it meditates, invents, or
+executes: thus, by an inverse method, the composers of systems have
+thought, that, in order to connect the universe to its origin, it was
+sufficient to detach, by the exercise of thinking, all its parts, and to
+break and subdivide them afterwards to infinity; but whatever may be the
+tenuity of these atoms, their existence, having organized and
+intellectual properties, which we should be obliged to grant them, would
+be a wonder almost equal to those phœnomena which surround us.
+
+When we see a plant grow, embellished with different colours, we only
+think of the period when its vegetation may be perceived by our senses;
+but the seed of this plant, or if you like better, the organized atoms,
+the first principle of this seed, would have offered also a grand
+subject of admiration, if we had been endowed with the faculties
+necessary to penetrate into the occult secrets of nature. But perhaps,
+in transforming into an imperceptible powder all the parts of matter,
+which have been collected to compose the world, we have only before our
+eyes a fugitive vapour, to which even our imagination cannot reach; and
+those who unfortunately love and defend this admiration, find besides,
+in the system of divisible atoms, means to defer, according to their
+fancy, the moment of their astonishment.
+
+All these fantastic combinations serve only to lead us astray in our
+researches; and I do not think it a matter of indifference to make a
+general observation. The study of the first elements, of all the
+sciences which we acquire, such as geometry, languages, civil
+legislation, and several others, appear to us the simplest parts of our
+instruction. It is not the same, when we seek to know the laws of the
+physical world; for the works of nature never appear more simple than in
+their compounded state; they are then, to our mind, that which harmony
+is to the ear; it is the agreement of all parts which forms a union
+perfectly proportioned to our intelligence. Thus, man, for example, that
+wonderful alliance of so many different faculties, does not astonish our
+understanding, but appears to us in one point of view, a simple idea;
+but we are troubled, and, as it were, dismayed, when we try to analyze
+him, or mount to the elements of his liberty, will, thought, and all the
+other properties of his nature.
+
+We only advance towards infinity, and consequently towards the most
+profound darkness, when we destroy the world in order to divide it into
+atoms, out of the midst of which we make it issue afresh, after having
+rallied all we have dispersed.
+
+Let us admit, for a moment, that there exists organized and intelligent
+atoms, and that they are such, either by their nature, or by their
+adhesion to other atoms. We are now, of all these scattered atoms, to
+compose the universe, that master-piece of harmony, and perfect
+assemblage of every beauty and variety, that inexhaustible source of
+every sentiment of admiration; and in rejecting the idea of a God,
+creator and preserver, we must have recourse to the power of chance,
+that is to say, to the effects of an unknown continual motion, which,
+without any rule, produces, in a limited time, all the combinations
+imaginable; but, in order to effect an infinite variety of combinations,
+it is not only necessary to admit a continual motion, but besides, to
+suppose this continual motion changes its direction in all the parts of
+space subject to its influence. The existence of such a change, and a
+similar diversity in the laws of motion, is a new supposition which may
+be ranked with the other wild ones.
+
+However, after these chimerical systems have been granted, we are not
+freed from the difficulties which the notion of the formation of the
+world by a fortuitous concourse of atoms produces.
+
+It is difficult to comprehend how particles of matter, agitated in every
+manner, and susceptible, as has been supposed, of an infinity of
+different adhesions, should not have formed such a mixture, such a
+contexture, as would have rendered, the harmonious composition of the
+universe in all its parts, impossible.
+
+When we represent to ourselves, abstractedly, the unlimmitted number of
+chances that may be attributed to a blind movement, the imagination,
+unable to conceive, is left to guess how an infinite number of atoms,
+endowed with a property of uniting themselves, under an infinite
+diversity of movements, could compose the heavenly bodies; but, as long
+before that period, when such an accidental throw would become probable;
+these same atoms might have formed an innumerable multitude of partial
+combinations; if one of these combinations had been incompatible with
+the harmony and composition of a world, that world could not have been
+formed.
+
+The same considerations may be applied to animated beings: chance might
+have produced men susceptible of life, and the transmission of it, long
+before chance gave them all the faculties which they enjoy; and if they
+had been formed with only four senses, they could not have acquired a
+fifth; for the same reason that we do not see a new one spring up.
+Besides, the chance which might have produced living beings, must have
+always preceded the chance which afforded those beings every thing
+necessary for their subsistence and preservation.
+
+It may indeed be supposed, that atoms assembled in a manner incompatible
+with the disposition of the universe, have been separated by the
+continuation of the motion introduced into the immensity of space; but
+this continual motion, sufficient to sever that which it has joined,
+would it not have destroyed that harmony which has been the result of
+one of the fortuitous chances to which the formation of the world has
+been attributed?
+
+Will some object, that all the parts of matter, once united in the
+masses and proportions which constitute the heavenly bodies, have been
+maintained by the impression of a predominant force at the same time
+invariable? But how is it possible to reconcile the existence and
+dominion of such a force with that continual motion, which was requisite
+for the composition of the universe?
+
+It may be also demonstrated, that the formation of worlds, by the
+chances of a blind motion, and their regular continuity of existence,
+are two propositions which disagree. Let us explain this idea. The play
+of atoms, necessary in order to produce the unformed masses of the
+heavenly bodies, being infinitely less complicated than that which is
+necessary to produce them, inhabited as they are with intelligent
+beings, must have happened long before the other. Thus, in the system of
+the composition of the universe, by the fortuitous concourse of atoms,
+it is necessary to suppose, that these atoms, after having been united
+to form the heavenly bodies, have been severed, and united again, as
+many times as was necessary, to produce a planet inhabited by
+intelligent beings. Since beings thus endowed add nothing to the
+stability of the world, since they do not contribute to the grand
+coalition of all its parts; why the same blind motion which has united,
+dissolved, and assembled so often every part of the earth, before it was
+composed, such as it is; why does it not produce some alteration now? It
+should again reduce to powder our world, or at least, let us perceive
+the commencement of some new form.
+
+It is not only to a world inhabited by intelligent beings, that the
+arguments, just mentioned, may be applicable; for we perceive around us
+an innumerable multitude of beauties and features of harmony, which were
+not necessary to the preservation of our world, and which, according to
+every rule of probability, would never have existed, unless we supposed,
+that the earth has been formed, dissolved, and reproduced, an infinity
+of times, before having been composed such as we see it; but then I
+would ask, why there are no vestiges of those alterations, and why that
+motion has stopped?
+
+It would be possible, however, by the assistance of a new supposition,
+to resolve the difficulty I have just mentioned; some may say, that the
+union, and the successive dispersion of the universal atoms, are
+executed in a space of time, so slow and insensible, that our
+observations, and all those which we have from tradition, cannot inform
+us whether there will not be a separation of all the parts of the
+universe, by the same causes which have occasioned their adhesion.
+
+It is obvious, that transporting us into infinity and admitting such a
+series of arbitrary suppositions, they are not indeed exposed to any
+rational attacks; but, making equally free with infinity, in order to
+oppose nonsense to nonsense, why may I not be allowed to suppose, that
+in the infinite combinations arising from perpetual motion, men have
+been created, destroyed, and again called into being, with the same
+faculties, remembrances, thoughts, relations, and circumstances; and why
+each of us separated from our former existence, only by a sleep, whose
+duration is imperceptible, should not be in our own eyes immortal
+beings? Infinity permits the supposition of this absurd hypothesis, as
+it authorises every flight of the imagination in which time is reckoned
+for nothing. We see, however, how we risk running into error, when with
+our limited faculties we wish to subject the incomprehensible idea of
+infinity, and boldly adjust it to the combinations of finite beings.
+
+Let us produce, however, another objection. It may be said, that our
+planet is the result of chance; but is not this chance improbable, if we
+suppose that there existed in the infinity of space, an infinite number
+of other assembled atoms, equally produced by the first throw of the
+dice, which represent all the possible forms, and imaginable
+proportions? And I would also ask, by what laws, all these irregular
+bodies, necessarily subject, by reason of their number and masses, to an
+infinity of movements, have not disconcerted the planetary system
+formed, at the same time as they were, by chance?
+
+I ought to observe, above all, that the order which we are acquainted
+with, is a proof of universal order; for, in immensity, where one part
+is nothing compared with the whole, no part, without exception, could be
+preserved, unless it was in equilibrium with every other.
+
+Thus, whether _an infinite succession of chances_ be supposed, to which
+the entire mass of atoms has been uniformly subject, or whether the
+first general throw is thought sufficient, but divided _into an infinity
+of different sections_, our reason opposes invincible difficulties to
+the result which some want to draw from these various systems.
+
+In short, we must observe, that in order to understand the accidental
+formation of a world, such as we are at liberty to suppose, the eternal
+existence of every kind of organized and intelligent atoms, must have
+preceded the formation of that world. I must again observe, that when
+they are obliged to such wonderful first principles, and to admit, in
+the beginning, a nature so astonishing, we can scarcely conceive how
+they can make it act suddenly a foolish part, in order to finish the
+work of the universe: a more exalted supposition, would have prevented
+their drawing a conclusion, so absurd.
+
+It seems to me, that notwithstanding the immensity which has given rise
+to so many ridiculous notions about the formation of the world, they
+have such a resemblance to each other, that we can scarcely discern any
+difference; and considering the little circle which the imagination runs
+over, when it applies its force to deep conceptions, we think we
+discover something supernatural in its singular weakness: the authors of
+these systems seem to have a slavish turn of thinking, and the marks of
+their chains are very visible; it is always atoms, and atoms that they
+make play together, either at different times, or all at once, in
+infinite space; but when some want to form ideas of liberty and will, as
+they do not know in what manner to analyze these properties, they
+suppose them pre-existing in the elementary parts, which they made use
+of to create their universe; and they prudently take care not to grant
+any action to liberty and will, in order to prevent any resistance to
+those notions on which they build their universe.
+
+They would not render either more simple or credible, the blind
+production of worlds, by supposing not only innumerable multitude of
+organized atoms, but, even an infinite diversity of molds to hold the
+atoms, and of which force chemical analogy gives us an idea. Such a
+system, which might serve to explain a few secondary causes of our known
+nature, is not applicable to the first formation of beings; for with
+such an assemblage of molds and atoms, all the great difficulties would
+still subsist. In fact, how should the different molds have classed
+themselves properly, in order to form the most simple whole, but which
+beside required a fixed measure and gradation of ranks? The mold
+destined for the organized atoms, of which the crystalline is to be
+composed, how is it possible it should have placed itself in the centre
+of that mold which is to form the pupil of the eye, and this last on
+that one which is to form the whole, and so on, by an exact gradation,
+whose divisions and subdivisions are innumerable?
+
+Were they to suppose an infinite succession of molds, of which the
+largest attracted the smallest, in the same manner as the molds
+attracted the atoms; this supposition, less ridiculous than any other,
+is not sufficient to model, even in imagination, the most unimportant
+phœnomena of nature; it is necessary, besides, that by the direction of
+a wise and powerful force, the molds, and the atoms which belong to
+them, set themselves in motion, without confusion; it is necessary that
+those destined to compose the exterior fibres should not obstruct the
+passage of those molds calculated to form the interior organs; in short,
+that every one of those in its course and expansion, should artfully
+observe those delicate shades which blend or separate all the parts of
+the simplest of nature’s works.
+
+We are already acquainted with a force which acts in all directions,
+which disposes every thing in due order, tends towards an end, stops,
+begins again, and finishes, every moment, a complicated work; and this
+is the intelligent will, and certainly we have reason to be astonished,
+that the only faculty we have an intimate consciousness of, is the one
+philosopher’s turn from, when they investigate the admirable order of
+the universe.
+
+I allow, that they may, at the same time they reject the idea of a God,
+admit, as a principle, the eternal existence of a mechanical force,
+which, by an incomprehensible necessity, directed, towards a wise end,
+every thing that was at first confusedly scattered in the immensity of
+space; but this new supposition would form an hypothesis similar to the
+system of the eternal existence of the universe; in fact, the eternal
+existence of all the elements, of all substances, forces, and properties
+which were necessary to produce a certain order of things, would be a
+phœnomenon as incomprehensible as the existence of that order itself.
+
+We must add, that these two phœnomena would be separated in our thoughts
+only by an indivisible instant, an instant that we can neither describe
+nor imagine in the extent of the time represented by eternity; for any
+chosen period would be still too late by an infinity of ages. The
+necessary effect of an eternal cause has not, like that cause, any
+period to which we can fix its commencement.
+
+We thus perceive, under another point of view, how vain and ridiculous
+are the fantastic operations, they imagine, before the existence of the
+world, and which are attributed sometimes to the disordered movements of
+chance, and sometimes to the regular laws of blind necessity.
+
+There is then but one hypothesis to be opposed to the idea of a God: it
+is the system of the eternal existence of the universe. Such an
+atheistical system will always be more easily defended than any other,
+because that being founded on a supposition without bounds, it does not
+require to be embraced by reasoning, like all the hypothetical ideas, by
+which men make nature act according to an order of their own invention.
+We will, in the next chapter, consider this system, and discuss it by
+every means in our power.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. XIV.
+                     _The same Subject continued._
+
+
+Those who maintain that the world subsists of itself, and that there is
+not a God, say, in favour of their opinion, that if the eternal
+existence of the universe overwhelms our understanding, the eternal
+existence of a God is a still more inconceivable idea; and that such a
+supposition is only another difficulty, since, according to a common
+mode of judging, a work the most wonderful appears a phœnomenon less
+astonishing than the knowledge of which it is the result.
+
+Let us first fix our attention on this argument. It is useless to ask,
+what is meant by another difficulty in infinity; those ideas which are
+represented by familiar expressions, necessarily derived from
+comparison, are only admissable in the narrow circle of our knowledge;
+out of it, those ideas have not any application, and we cannot fix any
+degrees in the immensity which exceeds the bounds of our views, and in
+those unfathomable depths which are out of the reach of our intellectual
+powers.
+
+Undoubtedly, our mind is equally lost, both in trying to form a distinct
+idea of a God, and in endeavouring to describe the eternal existence of
+the world, without any cause out of itself: however, when we try to
+glance our thoughts towards the first traces of time; when we try to
+rise almost to the beginning of beginnings, we feel distinctly that, far
+from considering the eternal existence of an intelligent cause as
+increasing the difficulty, we only find repose in that opinion; and
+instead of forcing our mind to adopt such an opinion, and thinking we
+wander in an imaginary space, we find it, on the contrary, more
+congenial with our nature; whilst order unites itself to the idea of a
+design, and a multiplicity of combinations to the idea of an
+intelligence. Thus we rise from little to great things, and reasoning by
+analogy, we shall more easily conceive the existence of a Being endowed
+with various unlimitted properties, which we in part partake; we shall,
+I say, more easily conceive such an existence, than that of a universe,
+where all would be intelligent, except the first mover. The workman,
+undoubtedly, is superior to the work: but according to our manner of
+feeling and judging, an intelligent combination, formed without
+intelligence, will always be the most extraordinary, as well as the most
+incomprehensible phœnomenon.
+
+It is not indifferent to observe, that according to the system I combat,
+the more the world would appear to us the admirable result of wisdom,
+the less power should we have to draw any deduction favourable to the
+existence of a God, since the author of a perfect work is not so easily
+traced as the feeble re-iterated labours of mediocrity. Thus, all those
+who particularized the beauties of nature, would stupidly injure the
+cause of religion, and weaken our belief in the existence of a Supreme
+Being. It seems to me, that it is easy to perceive what an ill-founded
+argument that must be which leads us to a conclusion so absurd.
+
+The attentive view of the universe should make us mistrust the judgment,
+which we form, of that which is the most simple in the order of things;
+for all the general operations of nature arise from a movement more
+noble and complicated than we can easily form an idea of. We should
+surely find, contrary to a perfect simplicity of means, that a circuit
+of two hundred millions of leagues, which our globe makes every year, is
+necessary, in order to produce the successive changes of seasons, and to
+assure the reproduction of the necessary fruits; we should find, that
+the distance of thirty-four millions of leagues, between the sun and the
+earth, was necessary to proportion the rays of light to the delicacy of
+our organs. However, if even in the narrow circle we traverse, we do not
+discover any constant application of that simple order, of which we form
+an idea, how could such a principle serve to guide our opinions, at the
+moment when we elevate our meditations to the first link of the vast
+chain of beings; when we undertake to examine, whether, throughout the
+immensity of the universe, there exists, or not, an intelligent cause?
+What would become, in that immensity, of the insignificant phrase, _it
+is one difficulty more_? The buzzing fly would be less ridiculous, if
+capable of perceiving the order and magnificence of a palace, it
+asserted, that the architect never existed.
+
+Every thing indicates, that, according to our different degrees of sense
+and knowledge, what is simple, and what is easy, have a very different
+application; we may continually observe, that these expressions are not
+interpreted in the same manner, by a man of moderate abilities and a man
+of genius; however, the distance which separates the various degrees of
+intelligence with which we are acquainted, is probably very trifling in
+the universal scale of beings. All our reflections would lead us then to
+presume, that beyond the limits of the human mind, the simple is
+compounded, the easy our wonderful, and the evident our inconceivable.
+
+After having examined the principal arguments of the partisans of
+athiestical systems, which we now attack; let us change the scene, and
+in the midst of the labyrinth, in which we are placed, try to find a
+clue for our meditations.
+
+We are witnesses of the existence of the world, and intimately
+acquainted with our own; thus, either God or matter must have been
+eternal; and by a natural consequence, an eternal existence, which is an
+idea the most incomprehensible, is, however, the most incontestible
+truth. Obliged now, in order, to fix our opinion, to chuse between two
+eternal existences, the one intelligent and free, the other blind, and
+void of all consciousness, why not prefer the first? An eternal
+existence is an idea so astonishing, so much above our comprehension,
+that we decorate it with every thing sublime and beautiful, and nothing
+deserves more those decorations than thought.
+
+Would it not be strange, that in our sysmatic divisions, it was only to
+thought, and consequently to all that was most admirable in our nature,
+that we refuse eternity, whilst we grant it to matter and its blind
+combinations? What a subversion of all proportion! that we should
+believe in the eternal existence of matter, because it is present to our
+eyes, and yet not admit the eternal existence of an intelligence; whilst
+that which we are endowed with becomes the source of our judgment, and
+even the guide of our senses!
+
+And by what other singularity we should grant the faculty and the
+consciousness of intelligence, only to that small part of the world
+which is represented by animated beings? Thus, the whole of nature would
+be below a part; and if no spirit animated the universe, man would
+appear to have reached his ultimate perfection; though we see in him but
+a faint sketch, a weak shadow of something more complete and admirable;
+we perceive that he is, to speak thus, at the commencement of thinking;
+and all his cares, all his efforts, to extend the empire of that
+faculty, only inform him, that he tends continually towards an end, from
+which he is always distant; in short, in his greatest exertions he feels
+his weakness; he studies, but he cannot know himself; he makes a few
+petty discoveries, sees some trifling wheels, whilst the main spring
+escapes his search: he is fallen into the world, like a grain of sand
+thrown by the winds; he has neither a consciousness of his origin, nor a
+foresight of his end; we perceive in him all the timidity and mistrust
+of a dependent being; he is constrained, by instinct, to raise to heaven
+his wishes and contemplations; and, when he is not led astray by an
+intoxicating reason, he fears, seeks to adore a god, and rejects with
+disdain the rank which audacious philosophers assign him in the order of
+nature.
+
+I must also add, that the sentiment of admiration, which I cannot
+stifle, when I turn my attention on the spiritual qualities we are
+endowed with, would be insensibly weakened, if I was reduced to consider
+man himself as a simple growth of blind matter; for the most astonishing
+production would only inspire me with a transitory emotion, unless I can
+refer it to an intelligent cause: I must discover a design, a
+combination, before I admire; as I have need to perceive feeling and
+affection, before I love.
+
+But as soon as I see in the human mind the stamp of Omnipotence; and it
+appears to me one of the results of a grand thought; it reasumes its
+dignity, and all the faculties of my soul are prostrate before such a
+wonderful conception.
+
+It is then united with the idea of a God, that the spiritual faculties
+of man attract my homage and captivate my imagination; in reflecting on
+these sublime faculties, studying their admirable essence, I am
+confirmed in the opinion that there exists a sovereign intelligence,
+soul of nature, and that nature itself is subject to its laws: yes, we
+find in the mind of man the first evidence, a faint shadow of the
+perfection which we must attribute to the Creator of the Universe. What
+a wonder indeed is our thinking faculty, capable of so many things yet
+ignorant of its own nature! I am equally astonished, by the extent and
+limits of thinking; an immense space is open to its researches, and at
+the same time it cannot comprehend the secrets which appear most
+proximate with it; as the grand motive of action, the principle of
+intellectual force, ever remains concealed. Man is then informed, every
+instant, of his grandeur and dependence; and these thoughts must
+naturally lead to the idea of Omnipotence. There are, in those limits of
+our knowledge and ignorance, in that confused and conditional light, all
+the evidence of design; and it seems to me, sometimes, that I hear this
+command given to the human soul by the God of the universe: go to admire
+a portion of my universe, to search for happiness and to learn to love
+me; but do not try to raise the veil, with which I have covered the
+secret of thy existence; I have composed thy nature of some of the
+attributes which constitute my own essence, thou wouldst be too near me,
+if I should permit thee to penetrate the mysteries of it; wait for the
+moment destined by my wisdom; till then, thou canst only reach me by
+reverence and gratitude.
+
+Not only the wonderful faculty of thinking connects us with the
+universal intelligence; but all those inconceivable properties, known by
+the name of liberty, judgment, will, memory, and foresight; it is, in
+short, the august and sublime assemblage of all our intellectual
+faculties. Are we, in fact, after the contemplation of such a grand
+phœnomenon, far from conceiving a God? No, undoubtedly, we have within
+us a feeble image of that infinite power we seek to discover; man is
+himself a universe, governed by a sovereign; and we are much nearer the
+Supreme Intelligence, by our nature, than by any notion of the primitive
+properties of matter; properties, from which some wish to make the
+system of the world and its admirable harmony flow.
+
+It seems to me, that our thinking faculty is too slightly treated in the
+greater number of philosophic systems; and some have been so afraid of
+honouring it, that they will not admit it to be a simple and particular
+principle, when the subject of the question is the immortality of the
+soul; nor will they consider it as a universal principle, when they
+discuss the opinion of the existence of a God.
+
+It is equally singular, that they wish to compose of matter a soul
+endowed with the most sublime qualities; and they pretend, at the same
+time, that the world, in which we see intelligent beings, had not for a
+contriver and principal any being of the same nature: this supposition,
+however, would be as reasonable as the other is weak; but it seems to
+me, that they like better to attribute order to confusion, than to order
+itself.
+
+We seek to penetrate the secret of the existence of the universe; and
+when we reflect on the causes of that vast and magnificent disposition,
+we can only attribute it to what seems the most marvellous and analogous
+to such a composition, thought, intention, and will. Why then should we
+retrench from the formation of the world all those sublime properties?
+Are we to act sparingly in an hypothesis in which all the wonders of
+nature are concentred? It is by the spiritual faculties with which man
+is endowed, that he remains master of the earth, that he has subdued the
+ferocious animals, conquered the elements, and found a shelter from
+their impetuosity: it is by these faculties that man has constructed
+society, given laws to his own passions, and that he has improved all
+his means of happiness; in short, nothing has ever been done, but by the
+aid of his mind; and in his speculations on the formation of the world,
+and on the admirable relations of all the parts of the universe, that
+which he wishes not to admit, and will dare to reject is the intelligent
+powers and action of thinking. It seems like men disputing about the
+means which has been made use of to erect a pyramid, who name all the
+instruments, except those that they found at the foot of the edifice.
+
+Habit only turns our attention from the union of wonders which compose
+the soul; and it is thus, unfortunately, that admiration, lively light
+of the mind and feelings, does not afford us any more instruction. We
+should be very differently affected, if, for the first time, we
+contemplated the meanest part of this admirable whole! But even then, in
+a little time, the strong conviction of the existence of a God would be
+worn away, and become what it is at present. But, let me be permitted,
+in order to render this truth more striking, to have recourse, for a
+moment, to fiction. Let us imagine men, as immoveable as plants, but
+endowed with some one of our senses, enjoying the faculty of reflection,
+and enabled to communicate their thoughts. I hear these animated trees
+discourse about the origin of the world, and the first cause of all
+things; they advance, like us, different hypothesis on the fortuitous
+movement of atoms, the laws of fate and blind necessity; and among the
+different arguments, employed by some, to contest the existence of a
+God, creator of the universe, that which makes the greatest impression
+is, that it is impossible to conceive how an idea should become a
+reality; of how the design of disposing the parts should influence the
+execution, since the will being a simple wish, a thought without force
+has not any means to metamorphose itself into action: but in vain would
+these immoveable spectators of the universe wish to change their
+situation, to raise a shelter against the impetuosity of the winds, or
+the scorching heat of the sun; yet then it would be evidently absurd to
+imagine the existence of a faculty essentially contrary to the immutable
+nature of things. Let however, in the midst of this conversation, a
+supernatural power appear, and say to them, what would you think then,
+if this wonder, whose existence you regard as impossible, should be
+executed before your eyes; and if the faculty of acting, according to
+your own will, was to be suddenly given you? Seized with astonishment,
+they would prostrate themselves with fear and respect; and from that
+instant, without the slightest doubt, would believe they had discovered
+the secret of the system of the world; and they would adore the infinite
+power of intelligence, and it is to a like cause we should attribute the
+disposition of the universe. However, the same phœnomenon which would
+appear above belief, and out of the limits of possibility, to those who
+have never been a witness of it, that wonder exists in our world; we see
+it, we experience it every instant; though the force of habit weakens
+the impression and eradicates our admiration.
+
+The hypothesis I have just mentioned, might even be applied to the
+sudden acquisition of all the means proper to communicate ideas; and to
+the prompt discoveries of the other properties of our mind; but several
+of these properties constitute, in such an essential manner, the essence
+of the soul, that we cannot, even in imagination, separate them, any
+more than we can detach action from will, and will from thought. There
+are some spiritual faculties, and those the most wonderful, which we
+cannot define, and which we should not have even supposed to exist had
+we not possessed them; and if it had been possible to have known them
+before we were endowed with them, the inventors of systems would have
+pointed out this astonishing means, as the only one applicable to the
+composition of the admirable harmony of the universe.
+
+We shall be led to the same reflections, when ceasing to expatiate on
+the greatest wonders of our nature, we bound ourselves to consider the
+human mind at the moment when its action may be perceived. To render
+this observation clearer, let us follow a man of genius in the course of
+his labours, and we shall see him at once embrace a multitude of ideas,
+compare them, notwithstanding their distance, and form from such a
+mixture a distinct result proper to direct his public or private
+conduct; let us consider him extending and multiplying these first
+combinations, and connecting them, by an invisible web, to some
+scattered points which his imagination has fixed in the vast regions of
+futurity; with the assistance of these magic succours we see him
+approaching the time which does not yet exist; but we see him, in his
+career, aided by accumulated knowledge, more subtle than the rays of the
+sun and yet separated, with an admirable order; more fleet and dispersed
+than the light vapours of the morning, and still subject to the will of
+that inconceivable power, which, under the name of memory, heaps up the
+acquisitions of the mind, in order to assist it afterwards in its new
+acquirements: but let us examine still further this man of genius, when
+he deposits, by means of writing, his different reflections; and let us
+ask, how he knows quickly, that an idea is new, and that a style has an
+original turn? Let us again enquire, how, in order to form such a
+judgment, he makes with celerity a recapitulation of the thoughts and
+images employed by others, to illustrate the subjects they have treated,
+whilst years and ages were rolling away; in short, let every one,
+according to his strength, try to penetrate into these mysterious
+beauties of the human understanding; and let him enquire afterwards
+about the impression which he receives from a like meditation. There is,
+perhaps, as great a difference, if I may be allowed to say so, between
+the most perfect vegetable and the human mind, as between it and the
+Deity: to extend this idea, we have only to suppose, that in the
+immensity which surrounds us, there exists a gradation equal to that we
+have perceived in the little space we are permitted to inspect.
+
+The author of a celebrated work accuses men of presumption, because,
+when they endeavour to trace the first principle of things, by comparing
+their own faculties with it, they seem to think that they approach it.
+But, what other part should we be able to take, when we are called to
+reason and to judge? It is not sufficient that the idea of the Supreme
+Being may be metaphysical; it is necessary further, some will argue,
+that we even try to render it abstract, by removing it out of our
+imagination, and that we seek for, in our judgment and opinions, a
+support which may be in a manner absent from ourselves, and absolutely
+foreign to our nature. All this cannot be understood: we confess that we
+have not sufficient strength to know the essence and perfection of God,
+but giving way to abstraction, we extinguish our natural light, and
+deprive ourselves of the few means we have to obtain this knowledge; we
+can only be acquainted with unknown things by the help of those we know:
+we shall be led astray, if we are obliged to take another road; and
+modern philosophers often seek to attack intimate sentiments by
+arbitrary ideas, of which an imagination the most capricious is the only
+foundation.
+
+It will then always be surprizing, that in our contemplations and habits
+of thinking, the wisdom of the design, the harmony of the whole, and the
+perfection of parts, are manifest traces of intelligence; and yet that
+we should renounce, suddenly, this manner of feeling and judging, in
+order to attribute the formation of the universe to the effect of
+chance, or the eternal laws of blind necessity; and is it possible, that
+we can deduce the same consequences from an admirable order, as from
+wild confusion? Facts so different, principles so contrary, should not
+lead to the same conclusion; the magnificent system of the universe
+ought to have some weight, when we conjecture about its origin; and it
+would be difficult to persuade us, that in investigating the most
+exalted truths, we ought to consider all the knowledge we acquire by the
+view of nature as merely indifferent. Men are carried very far, when
+they reject the arguments drawn from final causes; it is not only a
+single thought they would destroy, it is the source of all our knowledge
+they would dry up.
+
+Men insensibly cease to perceive a connexion between the existence of a
+God, and the different miracles with which we are surrounded; but all
+would be changed, if God exhibited the numerous acts of his power
+successively, instead of displaying them all at once; our imagination,
+animated by such a movement, would rise to the idea of a Supreme Being;
+it is then, because an accumulation of wonders aggrandizes the universe;
+it is because a harmony, not to be equalled, seems to convert an
+infinity of parts into an admirable whole; and that profound wisdom
+maintains it in an immutable equilibrium; it is, in short, because
+insensible gradations and delicate shades render still more perfect the
+wonders of nature, that men are less struck with astonishment, or lost
+in adoration.
+
+We want, say you, new phœnomena to determine our persuasion: do you
+forget, that all which is offered to our view already surpasses our
+understanding? If the least miracle was to be effected before you, you
+would be ready to bend your proud reason; but because the most grand and
+wonderful, which the imagination itself can form an idea of, has
+preceded your existence, you receive no impression from it, all appears
+simple to you, all necessary. But, the reality of the wonders of the
+universe has nothing to do with the instant you are allowed to
+contemplate them: your pilgrimage on earth, is it not a period
+imperceptible in the midst of eternity? admiration, surprise, and all
+the affections of which man is susceptible, do not change the nature of
+the phœnomena which surround him; and his intelligence reflects but a
+very small part of the wonders of the universe.
+
+We have no need of a revolution in the order of nature, to discover the
+power of its author; the fibres of a blade of grass confound our
+intelligence, and when we have grown old in study and observation, we
+continually discover new objects, which we have not investigated, and
+perceive new relations; we are ever in the midst of unknown things and
+incomprehensible secrets.
+
+However, supposing, for a moment, the existence of extraordinary
+miracles which we should be impressed with; it is easy to conceive, that
+these miracles would not have on men the influence we presume; for if
+they were frequent, and if they happened only at regular periods, their
+first impression, would slowly be weakened, and, at last, men would
+range them in the class of the successive movements of eternal matter.
+But if, on the contrary, there was a long interval between these
+miracles, the generations who succeeded the actual witnesses of them
+would accuse their ancestors of credulity, or contest the truth of those
+traditions, which transmitted the account of a revolution contrary to
+the common course of nature.
+
+Some may still say, that, in order to render manifest the existence of
+the Supreme Being, it would be necessary that men were punctually
+answered, when they address their prayers; but the influence of our
+wishes upon events, if this influence was habitual and general, would it
+be sufficient to change the opinion of those who see, with indifference,
+that innumerable multitude of actions which are so miraculously subject
+to our will? Would they not still find some reason for considering such
+an increase of power, as the necessary result of the eternal system of
+the universe? Thus, whatever might be the measure of intelligence, added
+to that we now enjoy, in short, though a number of new wonders were
+accumulated, men could still oppose to that union of miracles the same
+objections, and the same doubts they do not now fear to raise against
+the wonders we are daily witnesses of. It is difficult, it is
+impossible, to make a constant or profound impression on men who are
+only susceptible of astonishment in the short transition from the known
+to the unknown; they have but a moment to feel this emotion, and it is
+from the slowness of their comprehension, or the continual succession of
+the phœnomena submitted to their inspection, that the duration of their
+admiration depends. And, perhaps, our faculties and powers would excite
+more surprise, if, in order to subject our movements to our will, it
+were necessary to give our orders, and to pronounce them with a loud
+voice, as a captain does to his soldiers; however, such a constitution
+would be a degree less wonderful than that we possess.
+
+I will anticipate another objection; we advance gradually, some will
+say, in discovering the secrets of nature; the power of attraction, that
+grand physical faculty, has only been known about a century, and
+observations on the effects of electricity are still more recent; every
+age, every year, adds to the treasure of our knowledge, and the time
+will arrive, perhaps, when, without having recourse to any mysterious
+opinions, we shall have explained all the phœnomena which still astonish
+us.
+
+It is not at first conceivable, how our past discoveries, and all those
+which may in future enrich the human mind, would ever free us from the
+necessity of placing a first cause at the termination of our
+reflections; for, the more we perceive of new links in the vast
+disposition of the universe, the more we extend the magnificence of the
+work, and the power of the Creator. A series of successful exertions may
+reveal, perhaps, the secret of some physical properties, superior in
+force to those we have experienced: but, even then, all the movements of
+nature would be subordinate to a few general laws; and when we should
+distinguish these laws, the result of our researches would demonstrate
+simply the existence of a greater unity in the system of the world; and
+this character of perfection would be impressed, if it was possible,
+still more on us; for, in a work, such as the universe, it is the simple
+and regular relations which announce, above all, the wisdom and power of
+the Disposer; because our admiration could never be excited by an
+assemblage of incoherent ideas, whose chain would every instant be
+broken. But, I know not by what habit or blindness it is, that when men
+have discovered a principle uniform in its action, and have given to
+that principle a denomination, they believe that their astonishment
+ought to cease: in fact, attraction and electricity are not so much now
+subjects of surprise, as a means to free us from the admiration due to
+the magnificent result of those singular properties; in short, we are
+habituated to consider, with indifference, every general effect, of
+which we acquire a conception, as if even this conception was not one of
+the most noble of the phœnomena of nature. Some will say, that men, by
+degrees, becoming familiarized with their own minds, despise all they
+can easily understand; their competitions are then the only origin of
+their vanity; for when they examine themselves individually, or when
+they judge of men in general, they have such a mean opinion of
+themselves, that they do not highly value their discoveries.
+
+We ought to place, amongst the number of ideas the most extensive and
+general, that of Buffon on the formation of the earth; but this idea,
+supposing it as just as it is beautiful, only explains to us one of the
+gradations of this superb work. I see the earth formed by an emanation
+of the sun; I see it animated and become fertile, when it has received,
+by slow degree, its temperature; and I see, beside, issue out of its lap
+all the beauties of nature; and that which surprises me still more, all
+the beings endowed with instinct or intelligence; but if the elements of
+these incomprehensible productions had been prepared or simply disposed
+in the fiery body which animates our system, I transfer to it my
+astonishment, and equally have to seek for the author of so many
+wonders.
+
+I must now fix my attention, for a few moments, on the most metaphysical
+part of this work. We can, perhaps, form an idea of a world existing
+without a beginning, and by the laws of blind necessity, provided that
+world was immoveable and invariable in all its parts; but how apply the
+idea of eternity to a continual succession; as such a nature is
+necessarily composed of a beginning and end, we cannot otherwise define
+the idea of succession; thus, we are constrained to elevate ourselves to
+a first Being existing by himself, when we have before our eyes a
+constant revolution of causes and effects, of destruction and life. It
+is impossible to have any idea of motion without that of a beginning.
+
+The difficulty would not be removed, by saying, that the whole of the
+universe is immutable, and the parts only subject to change; for a whole
+of this kind, without any relation whatever, either real or imaginary, a
+like whole has only an ideal circumscription, which, in fact, is not
+susceptible of an alteration; but such a circumscription only presents
+us an assemblage of positive things contained in its circle; and it is
+not in studying those, nor in examining the different parts of the
+unknown whole, which we call the universe, that we are allowed to draw
+consequences, or to form a judgment. Thus, seeing only a succession, we
+rationally feel the necessity of a first cause.
+
+But, some will say, you are entangled in the same difficulty, when you
+suppose the eternity of a God; for a series of designs in an intelligent
+being should lead to the idea of a commencement, as well as the
+successions of the physical world.
+
+This proposition, undoubtedly, is not easily cleared up, like all those
+whose solution appears to be united to the knowledge of infinity. We
+cannot, however, hinder ourselves from perceiving, that the physical
+generations lead us, in a manner simple and manifest, to the necessity
+of a first principle; and we ought to search for this principle out of
+ourselves, since our nature does not furnish any idea of it; whereas,
+the successive combinations of the mind may relate to an origin, of
+which we have not any conception, and which seems united, in some
+manner, to these same combinations. In fact, we can easily form a
+distinct idea of a faculty of thought, antecedent to the action of
+thinking, and which might even be separated by such intervals as the
+imagination could conceive. It is the same with liberty, that
+intellectual power of which we have the consciousness, at the same time
+that it remains absolutely idle.
+
+I shall add, that, even in the narrow circle of our thoughts, it is
+true, the operations of the mind appear to us often dependant on each
+other; yet, sometimes their chain is so broken, that our ideas seem
+really to issue out of nothing; instead of which, in every other
+production, we know, there is always a visible tie between that which
+is, and that which was. We must not forget, that at the very time our
+ideas appear to us connected, that succession is to be attributed to our
+weakness and ignorance, rather than to the mind, considered in a general
+manner. Circumscribed in all our means, we are obliged to go continually
+from the known to the unknown, from probability to certainty, from
+experience of the past, to conjectures about the future; but this
+gradation, this course, ought to be absolutely foreign to an
+intelligence without bounds, which knows and which sees all at the same
+time; and perhaps we are in the way of this truth, when we perceive,
+amongst us, the claim of true genius, and the turbulent whirlpool of
+folly.
+
+In short, it is not men persuaded of the existence of a God, that we
+need require to transport themselves beyond, if I may say so, the domain
+of thought, in order to search for proofs of their opinion; atheists
+alone want such an effort, since they alone resist the influence of the
+simplest sentiments and most natural arguments; since they alone bid us
+mistrust that distinct connexion which we perceive between the Supreme
+Intelligence and the perfection of order; that train of causes and
+effects, between the idea of a God and all the propensities of the soul;
+it is these considerations, intelligible to all, which give new force to
+our opinions.
+
+Directed by these reflections, and wishing to investigate in a useful
+manner the subject I have undertaken, I shall not engage in the
+arguments which turn on the creation of the world. It is sufficient for
+me to have perceived, that the idea of the creation of the universe is
+not more inconceivable than the idea of its eternity; I am not indeed
+obliged, with those who adopt the last system, to suppose something
+growing out of nothing; but substituting the idea of an eternal
+existence, instead of that of nothing, is a thought which equally
+terrifies my imagination; for my mind knows not where to place that
+eternity and in order to comprehend it still surrounds it with a vacuum.
+In the system of a created universe, I see something coming out of
+nothing, by the will of a Being whom I can form an idea of; but in the
+system of the eternity of matter, my faculties are absorbed in
+endeavouring to embrace it; in short, both of these modes of existence
+appear to me in the midst of a vague infinity, which no human power can
+conceive; and if sometimes the eternal existence of the universe seems
+less incomprehensible than its creation, it is only because such an idea
+eludes examination and precludes reasoning.
+
+The idea of a Creator is undoubtedly equally above our comprehension,
+but we are led to it by all our feelings and thoughts; and if we are
+stopped in the efforts which we make to reach the cause we seek, it is
+by obstacles which we can even attribute to the will of that power we
+are searching to discover; instead of that, contemplating the uniform
+and insipid rotation of an eternal existence, we are almost driven to
+despair, that is to say, we feel the impossibility of conceiving the
+nature of things, and the certainty, nevertheless, that there exists not
+any veil designedly placed between that nature and our understandings.
+
+I must still make some further observations; we see a resemblance of
+creation in the continual reproduction of all the bounties of the earth;
+and our moral system offers a still more striking one, in the formation
+of ideas which did not exist antecedently. Our feelings appear another
+proof of the same truth; for they have not any evident connexion with
+the cause that we assign them: thus, without habit we might see as great
+a difference between certain exterior emotions and the various
+affections of our souls, as we can conceive between the existence of the
+world and the idea of a Creator.
+
+We perceive also, that the universe has all the characters of a
+production; characters which consist in the union of a multitude of
+parts, whose relations are fixed by a single thought. In short, even the
+succession of time announces intelligence; for we know not how to place
+that succession in the midst of an eternal existence. We cannot conceive
+any different periods in an extent in which there is not a beginning;
+for before we arrive at any of these periods, there must have been
+always an infinite space; besides, there being no beginning, considered
+abstractedly, annihilates the idea of intervals, since they could not
+have two fixed points: thus, the introduction of the past, the present,
+and the future, into the midst of eternity, seems due to an intelligent
+power, who has modelled this immense uniformity, and governs the nature
+of things.
+
+I ought not to dwell long on these reflections; to give a basis to
+religious opinions, it is not necessary to conceive of creation in its
+metaphysical essence; it is sufficient, to believe the existence of a
+Supreme Being, creator and preserver of nature, the model of wisdom and
+goodness, the protector of rational beings, whose providence governs the
+world. We lose all our strength when extending too far our meditations,
+we aspire to know and explain the secrets of infinity; we then only
+exhibit to the adversaries of religion the faint stretch of our
+opinions, and the last struggles of a reason weakened by its own
+efforts; it is much better to use those arguments which sense and
+feeling are able to defend. We should candidly confess, that our noblest
+faculties have immutable limits; one degree more would perhaps diffuse a
+sudden light on the questions, whose examination disconcerts us. There
+is not perhaps any mind accustomed to meditation, which has not had
+several times pre-sentiments of this truth; for the first glimmering of
+a new perception seems to out-run thinking, and such is its proximity
+that we imagine one step more would enable us to catch it; but our hope
+is dissipated, we cannot grasp the fleeting shadow, and fall back again
+into the sad conviction of our impotence. Alas! in that infinite space
+which our intellectual powers try to run over, there are only immense
+deserts, where the mind cannot find repose, or the thoughts meet any
+asylum; these are the regions whose entrance seems to have been
+desolated, in order that the most unbounded imagination might not obtain
+any knowledge of them; but will you dare to say, that there stops all
+intelligence, there finishes the mysteries of nature? would you expect
+to possess the secrets of time in attributing an eternal existence to
+all we know? Certainly, we are too insignificant to promulge such
+decrees, we enjoy too small a portion of eternity to determine what
+belongs to it.
+
+The most probable thought is, that our reason is insufficient to reach
+the explanations we wish to unfold; the chain of beings above us every
+instant reminds us of this truth; and it appears singular, that
+perceiving so distinctly the bounds of our senses, we should not be
+induced to think, that our intelligence, apparently so extended, may
+nevertheless run over a very circumscribed space. Our imagination goes
+much farther than our knowledge, but its domain is perhaps only a point
+in what is yet unexplored; and it is necessary to penetrate those
+unknown regions, to discover the truths which illustrate the mysteries
+that surround us; but there is a Being who knows them, Omniscience is at
+the summit of those gradations of intelligence which we trace. We know
+nothing, we do not discover any result but through the assistance of
+experience and observation; and we only know the world by the little
+front scene which meets our view: is it rational to suppose, that only
+this kind of knowledge exists in the universe? Men, in the slow progress
+of their judgment, resemble children; but even this condition recals the
+idea of a father and a tutor. Every thing however shows us, that the
+phœnomena of nature relate to a grand whole; we see that its dispersed
+productions are united to some general cause; it is the same with human
+knowledge; more admirable than the rays of light spread through
+immensity, it is an emanation from the most perfect light. In short, if
+space, if time itself, those two existences without bounds, are subject
+to division, why should we not be induced to think, that the degrees of
+knowledge we experience and conceive, are also only a part of a
+universal intelligence?
+
+Of all the objections against the idea of a God, the weakest, in my
+opinion, is that drawn from the mixture of troubles and pleasures to
+which human life is exposed. A God, some will say, ought to unite every
+perfection, and we cannot believe in his existence, when we perceive
+limits in his power or goodness.
+
+This is a flimsy argument; for, if men do not admit as a proof of the
+existence of a God, all that we discover of wisdom, harmony, and
+intelligence in the universe, what right have they to use an apparent
+contrast between sovereign power and goodness, in order to attribute the
+formation of the world to chance. Would it be just, that the defects of
+a work should be brought as a proof against the existence of a workman,
+whilst the beauty of the same work was not allowed to support a contrary
+opinion? We should reason in a different manner; disorder and
+imperfection merely point out to us a negation of certain qualities; we
+must, in general terms, throw an odium on the whole, in order to banish
+the idea of an intelligent hand; whereas, to strengthen the other
+opinion, it is sufficient that particular parts announce art and genius.
+Thus, when we enter a palace, if we find there distinct marks of
+talents, we attribute its erection to an architect, even though in a
+part of the edifice we should not distinguish any traces of invention.
+
+I have already had occasion to show how we are led to these
+incomprehensible extremes, when we endeavour exactly to proportion the
+wisdom and power of an Infinite Being, and I shall not again dwell on
+this argument: or repeat that from any imaginable hypothesis, we might
+draw this deduction, that Omnipotence could have produced more
+happiness.
+
+There are ideas which appear contrary to reason, only because we cannot
+perceive them in one point of view; and we discover this truth, not only
+in considering things which are foreign to our nature, but when we turn
+our attention on the events which come daily under our inspection. Why
+do we then suppose, that we can comprehend the most grand and noble
+thoughts? Is it consistent with the idea of an Infinite Power that we
+refuse to credit the existence of infinite goodness? Is it consistent
+with the idea of Infinite Wisdom that we will not admit the existence of
+Omnipotence? Nay more, is it consistent with the idea of infinite
+chances that we imagine the absurd systems concerning the formation of
+the world? We use infinity for every thing, except to place above us an
+intelligence, whose properties and essence our reason cannot determine.
+
+We are lost in a boundless uncertainty, when we try to go beyond the
+limits of human powers. Thus, after having collected all the forces of
+our souls, to enable us to penetrate the existence of a God, we ought
+not to exhaust ourselves in subtleties, vainly endeavouring to conceive
+in a just acceptation, and under evident relations, various attributes
+of an Infinite Being, who has chosen to make himself known to us in a
+certain measure, and under certain forms; and it is too much to require
+of the worshippers of God, to defend themselves against those who
+contest his existence, and dispute about the nature of his perfections.
+I am far from supposing any obstacle to the execution of his will; but I
+should be full of the same religious sentiments, if I knew that there
+existed order and laws in the nature of things, which the Divine Power
+has a faculty of modifying, and that it cannot entirely destroy. I
+should not less adore the Supreme Being, if, at the same time, his
+various attributes were in constant union, it was nevertheless, by
+degrees, that he produced happiness; I should silently respect the
+secrets which would escape my penetration, and wait with respectful
+submission, till the clouds were dissipated which still surrounded me.
+What then! always in ignorance and obscurity? Yes, always: such is the
+condition of men, when they wish to go beyond the limits traced by the
+immutable laws of nature; but the grand truths which we can easily
+perceive are sufficient to regulate our conduct, and afford us comfort.
+That there is a God, every thing indicates and loudly announces; but I
+cannot discover either the mysteries of his essence, or the intimate
+connection of his various perfections. I plainly see in a crowd the
+monarch encircled by his guards; I know his laws, I enjoy the order he
+has prescribed; but I assist not at his councils, and am a stranger to
+his deliberations. I even perceive, that an impenetrable veil separates
+me from the designs of the Supreme Being, and I do not undertake to
+trace them; I commit myself with confidence to the protection of that
+Being whom I believe good and great, as I would rely on the guidance of
+a friend during a dark night; and whilst I have my foot in the abyss, I
+will depend on Him to snatch me from the danger and calm my terrors.
+
+If we might be allowed the comparison, we should say, that God is like
+the sun, which we cannot stedfastly gaze at; but throwing our eyes down,
+we perceive its rays and the beauties it spreads around. However, men
+who, either through a mistrust of their understanding, or the nature of
+it, have only by their reverence an intercourse with God, feel most
+forcibly the impression of his grandeur; as it is at the extremity of
+the lever that we strongly experience its power.
+
+We consider the general assent of nations and ages, in the opinion of
+the existence of a God, as a remarkable presumption in favour of that
+opinion; but such a proof would lose part of its force, if we, in time,
+regarded as a kind of moral phœnomenon, the relation which all men may
+have with an idea so sublime, notwithstanding the visible disparity
+which exists between their different degrees of understanding and
+knowledge; and this observation should lead to a thought, that in the
+midst of the clouds, which obscure the idea of a God, sensibility
+becomes our best guide: it seems the most innate part of ourselves, and
+in this respect to communicate, in the most intimate manner, with the
+Author of our Nature.
+
+The sight advances before our other senses, the imagination goes beyond
+it; but as it is obliged to trace its own path, sensibility, which
+bounds over all, goes still further.
+
+The reasoner, in his efforts to attain to profound metaphysical truths,
+forms a chain whose links rather follow each other, than are joined: the
+mind of man not being sufficiently subtle, and extended, cannot always
+unite exactly that infinite multitude of ideas which crowd at the
+determination of our meditations; sensibility is then the best
+calculated to conceive the sublime truth, which not being composed of
+parts, is not susceptible of section, and can only be comprehended in
+its unity. Thus, whilst the mind often wanders in vain speculations, and
+loses itself in metaphysical labyrinths, the idea of a Supreme Being is
+impressed, without effort, in a simple heart, which is still under the
+influence of nature: thus, the man of feeling, as well as the
+intelligent man, announces a Supreme Being, whom we cannot discover
+without loving; and this union of all the faculties of the soul towards
+the same idea, this emotion, which resembles a kind of instinct, ought
+to be connected with a first cause; as there is for every thing a first
+model.
+
+It is, perhaps, also the confused sentiment of that first model, which
+leads us to religion, when we see a virtuous man. Men, with their fatal
+systems, would alter and annihilate every thing, but the comfortable
+hopes and thoughts which arise from a profound and rational admiration,
+will still resist that destruction. They vainly wish to make us consider
+such a sentiment as the simple play of blind matter, whilst all within
+us seems to invite us to search for a more noble origin. And how can we
+avoid seeing, in these great qualities of men, nobleness of soul,
+elevation of genius, expansion of heart, love of order, and interesting
+goodness; how avoid seeing, in this rich picture, the reflection of a
+celestial light, and concluding from it, that there is somewhere a first
+intelligence. Do rays exist without a centre of light? I know not, but
+hurried away by these reflections, I sometimes think, innate goodness,
+which we admire as the first rank in the scale of intelligent beings, in
+a more immediate manner, leads to the knowledge of the Author of nature;
+and when this innate morality is found united in some persons with a
+presentiment of the Divine Nature, there is, in this agreement, a charm
+which impresses us; a kind of unknown character which attracts our
+respect: as every tender and sublime thought is roused by the idea which
+we form of the souls of Socrates and Fenelon.
+
+At the same time, actuated by similar sentiments we experience a painful
+emotion, when we are informed, that there exist men, enemies to all
+these ideas; men, who had rather debase themselves and humanity, by
+attributing their origin to chance, than resolve to consider the
+spiritual faculties which they enjoy as a faint sketch of the sovereign
+intelligence. Thus, instead of employing their minds to lend some force
+to these comfortable truths, or, at least probabilities so dear, they,
+on the contrary, dispute their realty, and seek to embarrass by
+sophistry, the doctrines which tend to fortify the first dispositions of
+our nature: we see the materialists, rather then elevate themselves,
+drag us with them from happiness and hope; they only grant eternity to
+the dust, out of which, they say, we sprung. What honour, however, can
+they derive from those more enlightened views which they boast of, if
+they are only the result of a growth similar to that of plants; and if
+our spiritual faculties, so far from being lost, in some measure, in the
+infinite intelligence, so far from being united to a grand destiny, are
+only associated to this frail structure, which is every day, every hour,
+exposed to various dangers. What credit should we derive from these
+faculties, if they only enabled us to describe, with precision, the
+almost imperceptible circle of time, in which we live and die: if they
+only served to raise us above our equals during that short moment of
+life, which is hastening to lose itself in endless ages, as a light
+vapour in the immensity of air? How can you speak with delight of fame
+and promotion, when you voluntarily renounce the grandeur arising from
+the most noble origin? You are proud of the celebrity of your country,
+the renown of your families, and the only glory you desire not partake,
+is that which ennobles the whole human race!
+
+In short, I would ask, by what strange error of the imagination it is,
+that in meditating on the existence of a God, men do not go further than
+to doubt it; since to support, to guide our judgment, we have only an
+understanding whose weakness we continually experience; since it is
+capable of gradual improvement, as knowledge is perpetually
+accumulating? There exists not any proportion between the measure of our
+knowledge and the unbounded extent which is displayed before us; there
+is not any between the union of all our powers and the profound
+mysteries of nature: how then shall we dare to say, that men are arrived
+at the pinnacle of knowledge, and that in the endless ages to come,
+there will never break forth a more penetrating faculty than our weak
+reason?
+
+However, were men even to lose the hope of advancing one step in
+metaphysical researches; and persisted to declare insufficient and
+imperfect the various proofs of the existence of a God; it is not to be
+contested, that all other systems are surrounded with still greater
+obscurity, and they would only have a doubt as the result of their
+reasoning. But have they ever reflected on the influence a simple doubt
+has, when that doubt is applied to an idea, whose relations are without
+bounds? Let us try to represent an equal probability in a circumstance
+which only concerns the interests of this transitory life, and we shall
+soon see what force the same degree of probability would have in the
+immensurable relations of the finite to the infinite. Thus, not only an
+uncertainty, but the slightest presumption of the existence of a God,
+would, in the estimation of sound reason, be a sufficient foundation for
+religion and morality. Yes, we might thus humbly pray, though depressed
+by doubt:—O Thou God who art unknown! sovereign goodness whose image is
+stamped on our hearts—if Thou existest, if Thou art Lord of this
+magnificent universe, deign to accept our love and humble homage.——
+
+Undoubtedly, these thoughts are sufficient to inspire with respect and
+fear beings ignorant of their origin, who have so little to sacrifice
+and so much to desire, who, on account of their extreme weakness, cannot
+relinquish some hopes, and must attach themselves to a fixed and
+predominate idea, which may serve as an anchor in the midst of the
+inconsistencies and agitations of their minds.
+
+It is, perhaps, because the time when every thing will be explained, is
+still far distant, that many exaggerate their doubts, and often confound
+them with a decided incredulity. I form to my imagination, a solemn
+period, when the inhabitants of the earth will be instructed in the
+mysteries of their nature and the secrets of futurity; and that some
+signal phœnomenon will mark the awful day proper to fix our attention;
+and I am intimately persuaded, that, in such a moment, the men most
+indifferent about religion will appear dismayed, and even recognize that
+what they took for conviction, was but a wavering opinion, only
+supported by self-love and a desire of distinction.
+
+At the same time that I form this judgment of the pretended incredulity
+of several persons, I will venture a reflection of a different kind: it
+is, that superficial faith in the existence of God, and the opinions
+which depend on it, is not equivalent in effect to doubt retained in
+proper bounds; and perhaps, if these bounds were determined, the belief
+of one class of society would be less wavering.
+
+I anticipate another objection; those doubts, some may say, those doubts
+which so many men cannot smother, are they not an argument against the
+existence of a God? for a Powerful Being, such as we suppose Him, could
+have inspired a general confidence in that noble truth; He needed not to
+have recourse to supernatural means; His will was sufficient. I confess,
+that we can easily add, in imagination, several degrees to our knowledge
+and happiness; but that condition of our nature, of which the cause is
+unknown, can never be contrary to the idea of the existence of a God:
+all is limited in our physical properties and in our moral faculties;
+but within these confines we see the work of a Supreme Intelligence, and
+we discover every instant the traces of a divine hand, sufficiently
+obvious to direct our opinions. Unstable reasoning, concerning what we
+should be, can never weaken the distinct consequences which arise from
+what we are.
+
+When the Laplander, in his cave, hears by chance the distant echo of
+thunder, he says, that _God still lives on the high mountain_; and, is
+it in the very bosom of munificent blessings, with the light of
+philosophy, that men would wish to reject the idea of the existence of a
+Supreme Being? What an abuse of reason! Infinity ought to overwhelm the
+most vigorous and enlightened understanding, make the wise man timid in
+his judgment, and inform him what he is; can man do better than give way
+to the admiration the view of so many incomprehensible wonders must
+necessarily inspire, and with fervour seize that chain of miracles which
+seem to promise to lead to the knowledge of the Creator of them? Can he
+be more nobly employed, than in tracing an opinion, not only the most
+probable, but the most grand and interesting? Alas! if we should ever
+lose it—the idea is not to be endured; clouds and thick darkness would,
+overwhelm the feelings which seem to dart before our reason, to explore
+the unknown country we pant after, and a melancholy and eternal silence
+would appear to surround all nature: we should call for a comforter,
+implore protection—but where is it to be found? We should search for
+hope, but it is for ever fled—Alas! this is not all, a terrific thought
+strikes me, I hesitate a moment to communicate it; yet, it seems to me,
+that we lend new force to religious opinions, when we demonstrate, by
+various ways, that the principles which destroy those opinions lead to a
+result contrary to our nature. I will then conclude this chapter by a
+reflection of serious importance.
+
+If there is not a God, if this world and the whole universe was only the
+production of chance or nature itself, subsisting from all eternity; and
+if this nature, void of consciousness, had not any guide or superior; in
+short, if all its movements were the necessary effect of a property ever
+concealed in its essence, a terrible thought would alarm our
+imagination: we should not only renounce the hopes which enliven life,
+we should not only see continually advancing towards us the image of
+death and annihilation, these dreadful anticipations would not be all—an
+uncertain cause of fear would trouble the mind. In fact, the revolutions
+of a blind nature being more obscure than the designs of an Intelligent
+Being, it would be impossible to discover on what base, in the universe,
+reposed the destiny of men; impossible to foresee whether, by some one
+of the laws of that imperious nature, intelligent beings are devoted to
+perish irrevocably, or revive under some other form; if they are to
+stumble on new pleasures, or suffer eternally: life and death, happiness
+and misery, may belong indifferently to a nature whose movements are not
+directed by any intelligence, are not connected by any moral idea, but
+solely dependent on a blind property, which is represented by that word,
+terrible and inexplicable _necessity_. A like nature would resemble the
+rocks to which Prometheus was bound, that were equally insensible to the
+agonizing groans of the wretch, and to the joy of the vultures who
+preyed on his vitals.
+
+Thus, in a like system, nothing would be able to fix our opinion with
+respect to futurity, and guard the sensible part of ourselves from
+yielding to some unknown force: in short, can we reply without
+trembling? nothing,—and of course eternal torments might accidentally
+become our portion.
+
+The momentary experience of life might, perhaps, inspire us with a kind
+of tranquillity; but what is that in immensity, but calculations founded
+on the observance of a short interval? What is that hope which only a
+fleeting moment gives weight to? It is as if the fluttering insect,
+which lives but a day, should consider it as a representation of the
+eternal condition of the universe. The mixture of pains and pleasures,
+to which men are subject on earth, is not a certain proof of what may
+happen in other times and places; for unity, equality, and analogy, all
+those sources of probability, and principles to judge from, are
+connected with general ideas of order and harmony, but those ideas are
+not applicable to a nature subject to necessity.
+
+We have some difficulty to assure ourselves of the designs of a Supreme
+Being: however, by a kind of analogy we shall be able to form an idea of
+the divine will; and our minds, our feelings, and virtues, all aid us in
+the search; but were we sprung from an insensible nature, we should not
+have any connection with the different parts of its immense extent, and
+the attentive study of our moral constitution would not throw a light on
+the various revolutions of which the material world is susceptible. We
+should only discover, that there would be much less reason to oppose, in
+imagination, limits to the varied movements of a nature without a guide,
+than to circumscribe, in some manner, the actions of an Omnipotent
+Being, whose other attributes are also infinite; for the ideas of order,
+justice, and goodness, which arise from a knowledge of His perfections,
+seem to trace a circle in the midst of infinity, which the mind of man
+may perceive. Yes, these ideas subject a great space to our
+contemplations; but what advantage is there in trying to be acquainted
+with the mysteries of an insensible nature, or to penetrate the secret
+of the motion impressed by blind necessity?
+
+Let me repeat it then, as a termination to these reflections; all would
+be obscure, all mere chance in the fate of man, if we did not attribute
+the disposition and preservation of the world to the omnipotent will of
+an Intelligent Being, whose perfections our feelings and thoughts
+faintly represent.
+
+In short, when even in the system of the eternity of nature, men were
+assured that death destroys individuality, and were they even able to
+drive away the idea of the continuation or renewal of it, by any
+sentiment or remembrance; would it be evident, that we should be
+absolutely indifferent about the torments rational beings may endure in
+that space which is represented by the idea of infinity and eternity?
+The metaphysical idea, which determines us to place our consciousness on
+that imperceptible and mysterious point, which unites our present
+thoughts to the past, and our actual sentiments to our hopes and fears;
+this thought is not sufficient to make us regardless of our fate, or
+render us indifferent to the unknown effects which may result from the
+revolutions of a nature, which we are not acquainted with: the anxieties
+and troubles of the beings who are to live in the ages yet unborn, do
+not interest us as belonging to any particular person; however, we have,
+for those abstract misfortunes, in this instance, a sympathy which
+escapes reasoning.
+
+I agree, that in the system of undirected nature, happiness or misery,
+transitory or without end, have the same degree of probability: but what
+a terrifying resemblance! Can we undismayed consider such a chance?
+
+How happens it then, that some pretend, that atheism frees us from every
+kind of terror about futurity? I cannot perceive, that such a conclusion
+flows from this fatal system. A God, such as my heart delineates,
+encourages and moderates all my feelings; I say to myself, He is good
+and indulgent, He knows our weakness, He loves to produce happiness; and
+I see the advances of death without terror, and often with hope. But
+every fear would become reasonable, if I lived under the dominion of an
+insensible nature, whose laws and revolutions are unknown: I seek for
+some means to escape from its power;—but even death cannot afford me a
+retreat, or space an asylum. I reflect, if it is possible, to find
+compassion and goodness; but here is no prime intelligence, no first
+cause, a blind nature surrounds us, and governs imperiously. I in vain
+demand, what is to be done with me? it is deaf to my voice. Devoid of
+will, thought, and feeling, it is governed by an irresistible force,
+whose motion is a mystery never to be unfolded. What a view for the
+human mind, to anticipate the destruction of all our primitive ideas of
+order, justice, and goodness! Shall I further say, when even, in every
+system, the entrance of the future was unknown, I should be less unhappy
+and forlorn, if it was to a father, a benefactor, that I committed the
+deposit of life which I held from him; this last communication with the
+Master of the World would mitigate my pains; my eyes, when closing,
+would perceive His power; that I should not lose all, I might still hope
+that God remained with those I loved, and find some comfort in the
+thought, that my destiny was united to His will, that my existence and
+the employments I devoted myself to, formed one of the indelible points
+of His eternal remembrance; and that the incomprehensible darkness I was
+going to plunge into, is equally a part of His empire. But when a
+feeling and elevated soul, which sometimes enjoys a sentiment of its own
+grandeur, should certainly know, that dragged by a blind motion, it was
+going to be dissipated, to be scattered in that dreary waste, where all
+that is most vile on earth is indifferently precipitated; such a thought
+would blight the noblest actions, and be a continual source of sadness
+and despondency. Save us from these dreadful reflections, sublime and
+cherished belief of a God! afford us the courage and comfort we need,
+and guard our minds, as from fatal phantoms, from all those vain
+suppositions, those errors of reasoning and metaphysical subtleties,
+which interpose between man and his Creator! And we, full of confidence
+in the first lesson of nature, will take for a guide that interior
+sentiment which is not thought, but something more, which neither
+reasons nor conjectures; but perhaps forms the closest connexion and
+most certain communication with those grand truths which the
+understanding alone can never reach.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. XV.
+     _On the Respect that is due from true Philosophy to Religion._
+
+
+The view of the universe, the reflections of our minds, and the
+inclinations of our hearts, all concur to strengthen the thought, that
+there exists a God; and without power to comprehend this Infinite Being,
+to form a just idea of His essence and perfections, the confused
+sentiment of his grandeur, and the continual experience of their own
+weakness, are so many imperious motives, which, in all ages and
+countries, have impelled men to worship a God. Those natural ideas have
+acquired new force by the light of revelation; but it is not in a
+metaphysical work that the authenticity of the Christian religion ought
+to be discussed; nor could we add much to the doctrines contained in
+books composed at different periods on this important subject. All
+discussions which are allied to truths, whose authenticity depends on
+facts, are necessarily confined within certain bounds; and we are
+obliged to pursue a beaten track, and run over the same circle, when we
+enter on such a well-known subject. I shall then confine myself to some
+general reflections, and make choice of those which are best adapted to
+the particular genius of the present age, and the modifications which
+our sentiments receive from predominate opinions; for our judgments,
+like our impressions, vary with the change which happens insensibly in
+habits and manners: one age is that of intolerance and bigotry; another
+of relaxation and indifference, or a contempt of all ancient customs:
+every century, every generation is distinguished by a general character,
+a character which we take sometimes for new ideas; whilst it is nothing
+but the natural effect of exaggeration in our preceding opinions. Men
+are subject to moral laws, similar in several respects to mechanical
+rules; and with all their knowledge and pride, they remind us of those
+children, who, placed at the extremity of a long balance, rise and fall
+successively. They can only be fixed by moderate sentiments, which are
+sustained by their own force; any other has a borrowed action, and this
+action is never in perfect equilibrium with truth.
+
+It is in the nature of revelation to appear less evident to the mind, in
+proportion as the proofs of its authenticity are distant; and if, among
+the dogmas united to a religious doctrine, some one contains a mystic
+sense; if, among the forms of worship adopted, some one is not consonant
+with the simple and majestic idea which we ought to have of the Master
+of the World; it would not be extraordinary that this religious
+institution, considered in its different parts, should give birth to
+controversies; and we should not be exasperated against those, who,
+after having faithfully examined, still have some doubts. It is in
+proportion to the extent of our understanding that God has thought fit
+to manifest Himself to us; thus, the exertion of those faculties of the
+mind cannot be displeasing to Him. But reason left to itself, and even
+when improved by philosophy, should, by no means, lead men to any kind
+of contempt for religious worship in general, or any of the particular
+opinions of which Christianity is the support. Any doctrine which leads
+to the adoration of the God of the universe is worthy of the respect of
+His creatures: thus, persons most disposed to contest the authenticity
+of the sacred books, ought still to love precepts which seem to come to
+the aid of the human mind, in order to assist men in the last efforts
+which they make to know more of God; as the friendly bark, offered to
+the forlorn wretch struggling on the surface of the immense waste of
+waters, on which his feeble hands have vainly endeavoured to support
+him.
+
+We cannot but have discovered, that the sentiments of gratitude and
+respect which inspire men, the most capable of reflection, with the idea
+of a God, are intimately connected with the Christian doctrines, such as
+we find them in the New Testament; and in those moments, when, with the
+desire of happiness, and the timidity which belongs to our nature, we
+seek to unite our littleness to supreme grandeur, and our extreme
+weakness to Omnipotence, the divine perfections which the gospel
+delineates encourage our hopes and dissipate our fears; religion shows
+us all that we have need of in our miserable condition, a sovereign
+goodness, an inexhaustible compassion: thus then, the last link of the
+Christian faith, like the termination of the deepest meditations,
+reaches the same conclusion; and religion agrees with philosophy, in the
+moment when it is most elevated.
+
+However, the Christian and the Deist unite, in some manner, in the
+ultimate tendency of their thoughts; they meet when they throw their
+attention on civil society, and when they seek to determine the duties
+of men; for a wise man must ever pay homage to the morality of the
+gospel, and the philosopher could not have imagined a more reasonable
+system, or one more conformable to our situation[6]. If it is then true,
+that opinions, in appearance opposite, approach, at their extremities;
+and if it is true, that the adoration of a God, and respect for
+morality, form by uniting, the circle of evangelical doctrines, it very
+little concerns the reasonable philosopher, that the Christian faith is
+placed between those two grand ideas; if he thinks he can himself
+explore the space which separates man from his Creator, for what reason
+would he condemn with bitterness the sentiments of those who are
+attached to the comfortable system of intercession and redemption, of
+which Christianity has laid the foundation?
+
+In short, were they even not to agree in every opinion with the
+interpreters of the Christian doctrine, this would not be a sufficient
+reason for breaking the religious alliance which ought to subsist
+amongst men; an alliance represented and rendered authentic, in every
+nation, by the public worship which has been made choice of by the
+government. What idea then should we have of the genius or the abilities
+of a philosopher, who, at the sight of the ceremonies of the public
+worship which disgust him, could not rise above them, so as to consider
+them, in some measure, as the atmosphere of religious opinions, which
+turning his attention from the importance of those opinions, could not
+preserve, at least, some respect for all the dependencies of the most
+sublime and salutary thought? It is easy, however, to perceive, that,
+for the generality of men, the duties of morality, religion, and all the
+exterior homage rendered to the Deity, compose a whole so closely
+connected, that the basis is in danger when the outworks are attacked.
+The imagination of the vulgar cannot be guided in the same manner as
+that of the solitary thinker; and it would be committing a great error,
+to try to influence the opinions of the generality by the same
+considerations which are sufficient for the man who profoundly reflects:
+there is a system proportionate to the different faculties of
+intelligent beings, as there is one applicable to the varied forces of
+their physical nature.
+
+I know nothing more dangerous, than the inconsiderate censures of those
+religious ceremonies received and respected in the country we live in:
+some do not think that they are acting wrong when they speak slightingly
+of the various symbols of public worship; yet, if they attentively
+observed the kind of minds, and the first habits of the greater part of
+those to whom they address such discourses, they would know how easy it
+is to wound them in the sentiment which is the source of all their
+tranquility, and the safeguard of their moral conduct. The deliverer of
+Switzerland struck off with one of his arrows an apple placed on the
+head of his only son; but every one cannot expect to be so fortunate.
+
+Some would contradict these assertions, by saying, that celebrated men
+have occasioned rapid changes in the church of Rome without weakening
+religion. The origin, the circumstances, and the result of a revolution
+so marked in history, has not any connexion with the present question;
+the reformers of the sixteenth century, preaching a new doctrine, openly
+professed religious zeal and a fervent piety: thus, at the same time
+that they disapproved of a part of the established worship, they more
+rigidly recommended all the fundamental opinions of Christianity, and
+sought to introduce a severity of manners which even extended to the
+proscription of several indulgences that had not been before condemned:
+and, in fact, if the new doctrines had not been united to the greatest
+respect for the essential principles of the Christian religion, they
+never would have had so many followers.
+
+They cannot then establish any kind of comparison between the censures
+poured forth by the reformers, and the ridicule or contempt of those who
+now insult our most respectable opinions; those men, who at present
+abound, are sometimes excited by a libertinism of mind and conduct, by
+self-love or the enthusiasm of false philosophy, and some of them are
+seduced by an air of superiority, attached to the principles which they
+themselves institute. There is a great difference between the grave and
+serious course of the reformers, and the various evolutions of the
+active opponents of religion: the latter do not take care to stop at
+clearing up a point of doctrine, or a disputed interpretation of some
+dogma; it is religion itself that they wish to attack, and if they begin
+with the outworks, it is in order to undermine it; they take skilfully
+their post, and know when to have recourse to a tone of pleasantry;
+which is very dangerous, as it gives an air of confidence to those who
+employ it, and they obtain a kind of ascendency in avoiding every idea
+of an equal combat: one is disposed to think, that it is by disdain that
+they glance slightly over the subject; we cowardly submit to the
+appearance of their superiority; and that which is in them weakness or
+impotence gives consequence.
+
+Men, in order to express their gratitude to the sovereign Master of the
+World, must borrow from their imaginations every thing grand and
+majestic: thus, when they detach from those reverential signs the ideas
+that they represented and preserve, they only display a vain gravity, a
+chimerical pomp; and it is easy to make a similar contrast a subject of
+ridicule; but in acting thus, far from making us applaud their talents,
+they insult, without any sense, the habit most men have acquired of
+venerating, on the whole, every system of worship paid the Supreme
+Being.
+
+Nevertheless, the bold and frivolous discourses which are permitted
+against religion in general, have made such a progress, that at present
+the persons who most respect these opinions, without ostentation or
+severity, find themselves obliged to conceal or moderate their
+sentiments, lest they should be exposed to a kind of contemptuous pity,
+or run the risk of being suspected of hypocrisy. We are at liberty to
+speak on every subject, except the most grand and interesting which can
+occupy men. What strange authority gave rise to this imperious
+legislation, which is termed fashionable? What a miserable conspiracy,
+that of weakness against Omnipotence! Men are proud of knowing at what
+hour the king wakes, goes to the chace, or returns; they are very eager
+to be informed of the vile intrigues which successively debase or exalt
+his courtiers; they pass, in short, their whole lives in panting after
+objects of vanity and badges of slavery; they are continually brought
+into conversation; and they proscribe, under the dreadful name of
+vulgarity, the most remote expression, which would recal the idea of the
+harmonious universe, and the Being who has bestowed on us all the gifts
+of the mind; what is most excellent in our nature we overlook, to dwell
+only on the inflations of vanity. Ungrateful that we are! Our
+intelligence, our will, all our senses, are the seal of an unknown
+power; and, is it the name of our Master and Benefactor that we dare not
+pronounce? it is from your modern philosophers that this false shame
+arises; you, who spread derision over the most respectable sentiments,
+and employing in the dispute the frivolous shafts of ridicule, have
+given confidence to the most insignificant of men; you have, for your
+followers, a numerous race, which is taken promiscuously from every rank
+and age.
+
+We now reckon, amongst those who oppose a contemptuous smile to
+religious opinions, a multitude of young people, often incapable of
+supporting the most trivial arguments, and who, perhaps, could not
+connect two or three abstract propositions. These pretended philosophers
+artfully, and almost perfidiously, take advantage of the first flight of
+self-love, to persuade beginners, that they are able to judge at a
+glance, of the serious questions which have eluded the penetration of
+the most exercised thinkers: in short, such is in general the decisive
+tone of the irreligious men of our age, that in hearing them so boldly
+murmur about the disorders of the universe, and the mistakes of
+Providence; we are only surprised to see how much they differ in stature
+from those rebellious giants mentioned in the heathen mythology.
+
+I believe, however, that if contempt for religious opinions did not
+produce a striking contrast, those who profess to feel this contempt
+would quickly adopt other sentiments; they only superficially attend to
+the pernicious tendency of their maxims, whilst they believe themselves
+still in the opposition; but if they ever obtained a majority, not
+having then the spur of self-love, they would soon discover the
+absurdity of their principles, and hastily throw them aside.
+
+There are, undoubtedly, a great number of estimable persons, who highly
+value the truths and precepts of religion, yet are a prey to doubt and
+uncertainty, and who become the first victims of the inconsistencies of
+their minds; but men of such a character do not aim at dominion, on the
+contrary, they rather wish to be confirmed by the example of those whose
+confidence is more assured; they would consider with interest the
+sentiments that unfortunately have made too slight an impression on
+them; and they would endeavour to strengthen their weak hopes, till they
+reached the courageous persuasion which inspires the Christian:——yes,
+even the enthusiasm of piety excites their envy, as it is more
+delightful to yield to the emotions of a lively imagination, than to
+struggle with apathy against the opinions calculated to diffuse
+happiness. Thus, if amongst the number of persons that I have just
+delineated, there were some to whom nature had granted superior talents,
+wit or eloquence, they would carefully avoid exerting them to disturb
+the repose of those peaceable souls who calmly rely on religion, and
+receive all their consolation from that source. A wise man never permits
+himself to spread sadness and discouragement, in order to gratify the
+ridiculous vanity of exalting himself a little above common opinions, or
+to show his abilities by making some ingenious distinctions concerning
+particular parts of the established religion; in the same manner, as it
+would be the height of folly to stop an army during its march, to
+discriminate systematically the perfect justness of the different tones
+of the warlike instruments of music. The bold and frivolous opinions of
+several philosophers, have appeared to me to be weak, where they most
+wish to rise; I mean, in the extent and loftiness of their views.
+
+I need not speak to those who deny even the existence of a God. Alas! if
+they are so unhappy as to shut their eyes, and not to admit this
+resplendant light; if they have a soul so insensible, as not to be
+affected with the comfortable truths which flow from such a noble
+thought; if they are become deaf to the interesting voice of nature; if
+they trust more to their weak reasoning, than the warnings of conscience
+and sensibility; at least, let them not spread their disastrous
+doctrine, which, like the head of Medusa, would transform every thing
+into stone. Let them remove from us that frightful monster, or let his
+hoarse hissing be only heard in the dreary solitude, of which their
+heart presents the idea; let them spare the human race, and have pity on
+the distress into which they would be plunged, if the mild light, which
+serves to guide them, were ever to be obscured: in short, if they really
+believe that morality can agree with atheism, let them give the first
+proof of it, by remaining silent; but if they cannot abstain from
+publishing their opinions, let a remnant of generosity induce them to
+inform us of their dangerous tendency, by placing in the frontispiece of
+their works this terrible inscription of Dante’s: _Lasciat’ ogni
+speranza voi ch’ entrate_.
+
+
+
+
+                               CHAP. XVI.
+       _The same Subject continued. Reflections on Intolerance._
+
+
+The surface of the earth represents to us about the two hundred and
+fortieth part of the surperfice of the different opaque bodies which
+revolve round the sun.
+
+The fixed stars are so many suns, which, according to all appearance,
+serve equally to enlighten and fertilize planets similar to those we are
+acquainted with.
+
+A famous astronomer[7] has lately discovered fifty thousand new stars in
+a zone fifteen degrees in length and two in breadth, a space which
+corresponds with the thirteen hundred and sixty-fourth part of the
+celestial sphere.
+
+Thus, supposing that we perceive an equal number of stars in every other
+parallel section of the firmament, the quantity we should be acquainted
+with would rise to near sixty-nine millions.
+
+And if each of these stars were the centre of a planetary system,
+resembling the one we inhabit, we should have an idea of the existence
+of a number of habitable globes, whose extent would be sixteen or
+seventeen millions of times more considerable than the surface of the
+earth[8].
+
+However, the ingenious invention which assists us to explore the vaulted
+firmament is susceptible of new improvement; and even at the period when
+it may arrive at the greatest perfection, the space which our astronomic
+knowledge may have taken possession of, will only be a point in the vast
+extent which our imagination can conceive.
+
+This imagination itself, like all our intellectual faculties, is perhaps
+only a simple degree of infinite powers; and the images that it presents
+are but an imperfect sketch of universal existence.
+
+What then becomes of our earth, in the midst of that immensity which the
+human mind vainly tries to grasp? What is it even now, compared with
+that number of terrestrial bodies we can calculate or suppose?
+
+Is it then the inhabitants of this grain of sand, is it only a few of
+them, that have discovered the true mode of worshipping the Creator of
+so many wonders? Their dwelling is a point in infinite space; the life
+which they enjoy is but one of the moments which compose eternity; they
+pass away like a flash of lightning in that course of ages, in which
+generations after generations are lost. How then dare any of them
+announce to the present age, and to those to come, that men cannot
+escape the vengeance of Heaven if they alter one tittle of the Ritual?
+What an idea they give of the relation established between the God of
+the universe and the atoms dispersed throughout nature? Let them then
+raise one of the extremities of that veil which covers so many
+mysteries, let them consider a moment the wonders on every side, the
+starry firmament, and the inconceivably dreary immensity which their
+imagination cannot embrace; and let them judge, if it is by the exterior
+form of their adoration, the vain pomp of their ceremonies, that this
+Omnipotent God can distinguish their homage. Is it then, by the pride of
+our opinions, that we think to reach the Supreme Being? It is more
+comfortable, more reasonable to believe, that all the inhabitants of the
+earth have access to His throne, and that we are permitted to raise
+ourselves to it by a profound sentiment of love and gratitude, as the
+most sure and intimate relation between man and his Creator.
+
+Undoubtedly it is necessary that public worship should be constantly
+regulated, and that distinct symbols should be respected, whose
+essential character ought not to vary, that the sentiments of the
+generality, so promptly affected by exterior objects, may not be exposed
+to any alteration; it is necessary that weak minds easily find their
+way, and that they are not embarrassed with doubt and uncertainty; in
+short, it is to be desired, that the citizens, united by the same laws
+and political interests, should be so by the same worship, in order that
+the sacred band of religion may take them all in; and that principles of
+education should be maintained and fortified by example. But as morality
+is the first law of princes, and that always clear and distinct in its
+motives and instructions, it ought to precede the uncertain combinations
+of the politician. A government is never permitted to aim at any end by
+unjust means, let it be ever so desirable; and I believe that this rule
+is equally adapted to the opinions of men and their rights. It would be
+possible to conceive a system of distribution, with respect to the
+fortunes of men, more convenient than any other for the increase of
+public wealth and the power of the state; but though this knowledge
+should influence the general conduct of government, it receives no right
+from its discernment, to arrange according to its will, the situation of
+every citizen. The same principle has greater force applied to opinions:
+it is reasonable to seek to direct their course by slow and mild means;
+but the system of unity, which is certainly most conducive to the
+happiness of a state, would cease to be good, if, in order to establish
+that system, violence, or merely constraint, was had recourse to:
+liberty of thought is the first of rights, and the most respectable
+dominion is that of conscience.
+
+Some now talk of the union of civil tolerance and religious intolerance;
+the one protects Protestants in Catholic countries, and Catholics in
+Protestant countries; and the other would forbid every kind of worship
+which is not conformable to the institutions of the predominant
+religion: but upon this plan, if the number of Dissenters was to become
+considerable, an important part of the nation would be without worship;
+and the government should not appear indifferent to this, since it is of
+great importance to mankind to maintain carefully every support of
+morality.
+
+There is nothing more to be said on intolerance when we consider it in
+its excess. We all now know what we ought to think of the severities and
+persecutions which history has transmitted an account of, and we know
+the opinion we should form of many acts of intolerance and inhumanity
+which some have for a long time gloried in; and we cannot stifle our
+indignation at the sight of the faggots that are still lighted round
+those unhappy wretches scattered over the face of the earth, of whom
+Jesus Christ himself said, with so much goodness, in the midst of his
+agonies; _Father forgive them, for they know not what they do_. It is
+time to abolish for ever those dreadful customs, ignominious remembrance
+of our ancient phrensies! O God, are these Thy creatures that they dare
+to torment in Thy name! Is it the work of Thy hand that they sacrifice
+to Thy glory?—Petty tyrants! ferocious inquisitors! do you expect to
+obtain the favour of Heaven, with a heart hardened, after mutilating the
+members and tearing the bosoms of those whom you can only draw to you by
+a sentiment of pity? whose emotions you are not acquainted with? The God
+of goodness rejects such offerings—He cannot away with them. Who then
+will pardon errors, if not men who are continually deceived! Alas! if
+exactness of judgment, or the perfection of reason, were the only title
+to divine benevolence, there is not any one who might not cast down his
+eyes devoid of all hope.
+
+Those who proudly flatter themselves, that they alone know the worship
+agreeable to the Supreme Being, lose all their claim to our confidence,
+when, guided by a spirit of intolerance, they depart so visibly from the
+character which ought to inspire the idea of a God, protector of human
+weakness. But the absurd attempt to inspire faith by acts of rigour and
+severity, has been so often and so ably combated, that I shall not dwell
+on a principle, the truth of which common sense will discover. I shall
+only make one observation sufficient to intimidate the conscience of
+inquisitors, and all those who adopt their maxims. The operations of the
+mind can only be influenced by reasoning, all the designs formed to
+attain this end by violence are attempts to subvert the belief of the
+spirituality of the soul, and indirect associations with materialists;
+for we must believe in the identity of matter and thought to have a
+right of presuming, that the empire exercised on us by rigorous
+treatment can have an influence on our opinions; and then we must
+consider man as a being governed by mechanical laws, to be able to
+imagine, that with instruments of torture we can excite a sensation,
+which, by an unknown conduit, might act instead of judgment and the
+sentiment of persuasion.
+
+It is because, the indignant emotions of a worthy heart are more
+powerful than the cool arguments of offended reason, that we rise with
+warmth against intolerance; for without this motive it would only
+deserve our contempt, as indicating a singular littleness of soul. Who
+can remember without pity, those dissensions so long maintained, in
+which men, both weak and blind, united in the name of devotion, actuated
+by self-love, unintelligible decrees, to some important controversy? All
+these disputes appear foolish when we coolly examine them; and we have
+only to consider, abstractedly, those quarrels, to discover all their
+absurdity.
+
+But as it is only by spreading knowledge and diffusing wholesome
+precepts that we can hope to cure enthusiasm and intolerance; we ought
+to be on our guard against the dangerous spirit of indifference,
+otherwise one evil will be removed only to introduce another equally
+fatal; when trying to divert men from fanaticism, we destroy the ideas
+which served as a foundation for religion. There could not subsist any
+sound opinion or estimable principle, if the different errors which
+creep round them were torn away by an awkward or violent hand; and is
+the evil, which continually mixes with the good, became the subject of
+blind proscription.
+
+Let us loudly acknowledge the benefits which we have received from
+distinguished writers, who have defended with zeal and energy the cause
+of toleration; it is an obligation, added to many others, which it is
+just to acknowledge, that we have received from genius and talents
+united: but permit us also to observe, that several of those writers
+have lost a part of the applause due to them, by seeking to depress
+religion, in order to succeed in their attempt; such a proceeding was
+unworthy of enlightened philosophers, who more than others ought to
+assign limits to reason, and never despair of its influence. What should
+we think, if, amongst those who justly attack the tyranny exercised over
+conscience, there were some intolerant in the defence of toleration; and
+if we had reason to reproach them with despising, and sometimes hating
+those who do not concur with them; and by an inconsiderate imputation of
+pusillanimity or hypocrisy, make the characters and intentions of those
+who do not adopt their sentiments appear suspicious? What a strange
+inconsistency, in a different way, do they not exhibit; forgetting,
+sometimes, their own opinions, and contradicting, without thinking,
+their acknowledged incredulity, they raise a clamour about the miseries
+to which mankind are subject, and display the pretended disorders of the
+universe, in order, afterwards, to throw an odium on the God whose
+existence they contest, to ridicule a Providence they do not rely on!
+One would think, that after having overturned the empire of the Deity,
+that they might remain the only legislators of the world; they regretted
+not having any longer a rival, and wished to rebuild the temple they
+have destroyed, to have again a vain idol to insult. Another
+inconsistency appears in their asperity against those who resist their
+dogmas, whilst, in the system of fate, reason does not preserve its
+empire, and the master, as well as the disciple, are equally subject to
+the laws of necessity.
+
+To exercise an authority over the mind by the power of eloquence is a
+great advantage; for such an authority is not confined to any place or
+time; but to have a right to such an extensive reign, we must renounce
+fashionable opinions, the counsels of vanity and the instigations of
+self-love; and be only actuated by that universal and durable interest,
+the happiness of mankind.
+
+I would not wish to prohibit the wise man or philosopher from treating
+any subject proper to direct our judgment; for there are abuses and
+prejudices every where, which we cannot destroy without making a step
+towards reason and truth; but as there is a philosophy for the thoughts,
+there is one also for the actions. I indeed wish that men of an enlarged
+turn of mind, who perceive at a glance the moral order of things, would
+attack with more caution and moderation, and at a proper season, that
+which directly relates to the opinions most essential to our happiness;
+and that a respect for these opinions should be manifest, even when they
+censure fanaticism and superstition.
+
+Such a wish is far from being realized; and I cannot help lamenting,
+when I consider the design of the greater part, who have written for
+some time past on religious subjects: some seek artfully to destroy, or,
+at least, relax the band which unites men to the idea of a Supreme
+Being; and others shut up in some mystic idea, as in a dark den, blindly
+level their anathemas against every kind of doubt and uncertainty; and
+confound, in their rigorous censures, the accessary ideas with the
+principal opinions.
+
+However, in taking a course so opposite, they unfortunately have an
+equal interest in ranking the essential principles of religion with the
+most insignificant symbols: but influenced by very different motives;
+the former act with a view of making religious zeal serve to defend
+every part of the worship of which they are the ministers; the latter,
+guided by a motive of self-love, readily admit confusion, that they may
+have an opportunity of undermining religion when they attack its
+outworks.
+
+We have need, more than ever, to be directed to religion by wise and
+moderate discourses, by a happy mixture of reason and sensibility, the
+true characteristic of evangelical morality. It is only by these means
+that the authority of salutary truths can be strengthened: we are easily
+hurried beyond the just line, when the human mind is not in a state to
+mark any limits; but the daily progress of knowledge obliges us to use
+more exactness: it is necessary then to rein in the imagination, and to
+allow reason to take place of it: yet it is still allowed us to animate
+reason, and even useful to do so, but we must absolutely avoid
+disguising it. False notions only have need of the assistance of
+exaggeration; it seems that some are very fond of extremes, that common
+sense may not investigate them.
+
+I will make another observation. Those who, to free us from
+superstition, endeavour to relax religious restrictions; and those who,
+to strengthen them, have recourse to intolerance, equally miss their
+aim. The hatred so naturally excited by every kind of violence and
+constraint, in matters of opinion, creates a repugnance in those persons
+to religion who are insensibly led to consider this excellent system as
+the motive or excuse for a blind spirit of persecution. And the direct
+attacks against religious opinions engage well-disposed minds to adhere
+more strenuously to every custom which appears a form of respect or
+adoration; as we redouble our zeal for a friend in the midst of those
+who neglect or slight him.
+
+Let us unite, and it is certainly time, to render to the Supreme Being
+sincere worship; and let that worship always be worthy of the dignity of
+our Creator: let us banish severity and superstition; but let us equally
+dread that culpable indifference, the cause of so many misfortunes; and
+when we shall have strengthened the influence of sound reason, let us
+adhere more closely to the useful opinions which have been refined from
+errors, and with all our force repulse those who wish us to bury our
+hopes to free ourselves from the wanderings of the imagination. Yes, a
+religion, disengaged from the passions of men, in its native beauty,
+ought to dwell with us; public order and private happiness equally claim
+it, and all our reflections lead us to elevate our hearts towards an
+Omnipotent Being, of whose existence all nature reminds us: religion
+well understood, far from being the necessary principle of rigour or
+violence, should be the foundation of every social virtue, and of every
+mild and indulgent sentiment. We are not called to tyrannize over the
+opinions of others, or to give despotic laws to the mind; we must
+observe, that a moderate and rational religion only will guide us to the
+path of happiness and virtue, by addressing equally our hearts and
+minds.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAP. XVII.
+        _Reflections on the Morality of the Christian Religion._
+
+
+I will venture a few reflections on a subject which has often been
+treated; the course of my subject naturally leads to it: but in order to
+avoid, as much as possible, what is generally known, I shall confine
+myself to consider the morality of the gospel, under a point of view
+which seems to me to distinguish its sublime instructions.
+
+The most distinct characteristic of christianity is the spirit of
+charity and forbearance which pervades all its precepts. The ancients,
+undoubtedly, respected the beneficent virtues; but the precept which
+commends the poor and the weak, to the protection of the opulent,
+belongs essentially to our religion. With what care, with what love, the
+Christian legislator returns continually to the same sentiment and
+interest! the tenderest pity lent to his words a persuasive unction; but
+I admire, above all, the awful lesson he has given, in explaining the
+close union established between our sentiments towards the Supreme Being
+and our duties towards men. Thus, after having termed the love of God,
+_the first commandment of the law_, the Evangelist adds; _and the
+second, which is like unto it, is to love thy neighbour as thyself_. The
+second, which is like unto it! what simplicity, what extent in that
+expression! Can any thing be more interesting and sublime, than to offer
+continually to our mind the idea of a God taking on himself the
+gratitude of the unfortunate? Where find any principle of morality, of
+which the influence can ever equal such a grand thought? The poor, the
+miserable, however abject their state, appear surrounded with the symbol
+of glory, when the love of humanity becomes an expression of the
+sentiments which elevate us to God; and the mind ceases to be lost in
+the immensity of His perfections, when we hope to maintain an habitual
+intercourse with the Supreme Being, by the services which we render to
+men; it is thus that a single thought spreads a new light on our duty,
+and gives to metaphysical ideas a substance conformable to our organs.
+
+Justice, respect for the laws, and duty to ourselves, may be united, in
+some manner, to human wisdom; goodness alone, among all the virtues,
+presents another character; there is in its essence something vague and
+undeterminate which claims our respect; it seems to have a relation with
+that intention, that first idea which we must attribute to the Creator
+of the world, when we wish to discover the cause of its existence.
+Goodness then is the virtue, or to express myself with more propriety,
+the primitive beauty, that which has preceded time. Thus the pressing
+exhortations to benevolence and charity, which we find running through
+the gospel, should elevate our thoughts, and penetrate us with profound
+respect; it recals us, it unites us, to a sentiment more ancient than
+the world, to a sentiment, by which we have received existence, and the
+hopes which compose our present happiness[9].
+
+But if, from these elevated contemplations, we, for a moment, descend to
+the political principles which have the greatest extent, we shall find
+there the influence of a truth on which I have already had occasion to
+dwell; but I shall now treat it in a different manner. The unequal
+division of property has introduced amongst men an authority very like
+that of a master over his slaves; we may even justly say, that in many
+respects the empire of the rich is still more independent; for they are
+not bound constantly to protect those from whom they require services:
+the taste and caprice of these favourites of fortune fix the terms of
+their convention with men, whose only patrimony is their time and
+strength; and as soon as this convention is interrupted, the poor man,
+absolutely separated from the rich, remains again abandoned to
+accidents; he is obliged then to offer his labours with precipitation to
+other dispensers of subsistence; and thus he may experience, several
+times in the year, all the inquietudes that must necessarily arise from
+uncertain recourses. Undoubtedly, in giving the support of the laws to a
+similar constitution, it has been reasonably supposed, that in the midst
+of the multiplied relations of social life, there would be a kind of
+balance and equality between the wants which oblige the poor to solicit
+wages, and the desires of the rich which engage them to accept their
+services; but this equilibrium, so essentially necessary, can never be
+established in an exact and constant manner, since it is the result of a
+blind concourse of combinations, and the uncertain effect of an infinite
+multitude of movements, not one of which is subject to a positive
+direction. However, since to maintain the distinction of property they
+were obliged to leave to chance the fate of the greater number of men,
+it was indispensably necessary to find some salutary opinion, proper to
+temper the abuses inseparable from the free exercise of the rights of
+property; and that happy and restoring idea could only have been
+discerned in an obligation of benevolence imposed on the will, and a
+spirit of general charity recommended to all men: these sentiments and
+duties, the last resource offered to the unfortunate, can alone mitigate
+a system, in which the fate of the most numerous part of a nation rests,
+on the doubtful agreement of the conveniences of rich with the wants of
+the poor. Yes, without the aid, without the intervention of the most
+estimable of virtues, the generality would have just reason to regret
+the social institutions, which, at the price of their independance, left
+to the master the care of their subsistence; and it is thus that
+charity, respectable under so many different views, becomes still an
+intelligent and political idea, which serves to blend personal liberty
+and the imperious laws of property.
+
+I know not if ever the christian precepts have been considered under
+this point of view; but reflecting a little on this subject, we perceive
+more than ever of what importance the salutary institutions are, which
+place in the first rank of our duties the beneficent spirit of charity,
+and which lends to the most essential virtue all the force and constancy
+which religion gives birth to. Thus, at the same time that the doctrines
+of the gospel elevate our thoughts, its sublime morality accompanies, in
+some measure, our laws and institutions, to sustain those which are
+really conformable to reason, and to remedy the inconveniences
+inseparable from the imperfections of human wisdom.
+
+It is not, however, only to pecuniary sacrifices, that the gospel
+applies its precepts respecting charity; it extends to those generous
+acts of self-denial, that religion alone can render supportable; and
+which makes some descend with a firm step into the dreary abodes, in
+which the culprit is a prey to the remorse that tears his heart; and
+when his very relations have abandoned him, he still beholds a
+comforter, whom religion conducts to pour consolation into his afflicted
+soul. The same motives and thoughts induce some to renounce the world
+and its hopes, to consecrate themselves entirely to the service of the
+sick, and to fulfil those sad functions with an assiduity and a
+constancy, that the most splendid reward could never excite. O rare and
+disinterested virtue, perfection of piety! what a tribute of admiration
+is due to the sublime sentiment which inspires such painful self-denial!
+Men are only stimulated by notions of right and justice; it belongs to
+christianity to impose duties, whose base is placed beyond the narrow
+circle of our terrestrial interests. I know not, but it seems to me,
+that, notwithstanding a diversity of opinions, we cannot help being
+affected, when we contemplate the sketch of the last day which the
+gospel delineates: it exhibits a terrific and sublime picture of that
+day, in which all actions are to be revealed, and the most secret
+thoughts have the universe for a witness, and God as a judge; and at the
+moment when we wait to see the retinue of virtues and vices which have
+rendered men celebrated, it is a single quality, a virtue without
+splendour, which is chosen by the Divine Arbiter of our fate, to derive
+an immortality of happiness from, and He pronounces these memorable
+words, which contain in a small compass our whole duty:—_I was hungry,
+and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a prisoner and
+ye visited me. Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom
+prepared for you_, &c. Men love to contemplate the triumphs of
+goodness—love to exalt it under different forms. We have so many wants,
+are so weak, and we are able to do so little for ourselves, that this
+interesting virtue appears our safeguard and the mysterious tie of all
+nature.
+
+The spirit of charity, so essential in its exact interpretation, may be
+applied to the regard and delicate attention that different degrees of
+talents, render necessary: society, under this relation, has also its
+rich and poor; and we know the extent of charity and the secrets of our
+moral nature, when we practice that general benevolence, which preserves
+others from feeling a painful sentiment of inferiority, and which makes
+it a duty to respect the veil, that a beneficent hand has designedly
+placed between the light of truth and those imperfections which we
+cannot entirely correct.
+
+It is always about the generality of men that the author of christianity
+seems to be interested; the gospel takes cognizance of their private
+sentiments, condemning pride, and recommending modesty; and it applies
+itself to level those distances which appear to us so important, when we
+only view the little points of gradation which compose our scale of
+vanity. Religion enables us to discern that haughtiness and contempt,
+only display our ignorance and folly: _what hast thou, that thou didst
+not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory?_—What is
+the pride that does not melt away before these awful words? Religion
+seems ever to tend towards the same end, and by continually reminding us
+of the brevity of life, to prevent strong illusions from engrossing our
+thoughts.
+
+The greater part of ancient moral instructions were in general
+addressed, either to man considered as an individual occupied with the
+care of his destiny, or to the citizen connected by his duties to his
+country, and none of them had sufficient extent: it is necessary, when
+giving counsel to a solitary individual, only to try to free him from
+those passions which would destroy his repose and happiness; and the
+obligations that are imposed on the different members of a political
+state, necessarily participate of a jealous spirit, which the will of
+the government may turn into hatred. The Christian religion, more
+universal in its views, turns its attention from the contrariety of
+interests which divide men when they belong to different governments; it
+considers us indistinctly as citizens of a great society, united by the
+same origin, nature, and dependencies, and by the same sentiment of
+happiness. Recommending the reciprocal duties of benevolence, the gospel
+does not make any difference between the inhabitant of Jerusalem and
+Samaria; it takes man in the most simple of his relations, and the most
+honourable, those which arise from his intercourse with the Supreme
+Being; and under this point of view, all the hostile divisions of
+kingdom against kingdom, absolutely disappear; it is the whole human
+race which has a right to the protection and the beneficence of the
+Author of Nature, and it is in the name of every intelligent being that
+we credit the alliance which unites heaven to earth.
+
+The rich and powerful made the first laws, or, at least, directed the
+spirit of them; it was especially to defend their possessions and
+privileges that they extolled justice: the legislator of our religion,
+speaking of this virtue, has shown, that the interests of all men were
+equally present to his thoughts; we might even say, that he made an old
+obligation a new duty, by the manner in which he prescribed it:
+_Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them_,
+is a maxim ever remarkable, if we consider the extent of the precept
+which it contains: there are so many acts of severity and oppression, so
+much tyranny, which escapes the reach of the law, and the
+superintendency of opinion, that we cannot too highly value its
+importance; Christianity indeed affords a simple guide and measure for
+all our actions.
+
+Religion, beside, in order to fix our determinations, strengthens the
+authority of conscience: she saw, that every one of us has within
+himself a judge, the most severe and clear-sighted, and that it is
+sufficient to submit to its laws to be instructed in our duty; for it is
+our hidden thoughts that this judge examines, and nothing is excused, no
+subterfuge admitted.
+
+It is not the same with those censures which we exercise towards others,
+the simple actions only strike us; and the different motives they result
+from, the emotions, the conflicts which accompany them, and the regret,
+the repentance, which follow them, all these essential characteristics
+escape our penetration: thus religion, always wise, always benevolent in
+its counsels, forbids our forming hasty and precipitate judgments; and
+we cannot read, without emotion, that lesson of indulgence so mildly
+addressed to the crowd which surrounded the woman taken in adultery, _he
+that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her_. But
+how resist being affected by admiration, when we see religion so warmly
+employed about the fate of those whom the suspicions or false
+accusations of men have dragged before their tribunals? by declaring
+that it is better to let a hundred culprits escape punishment, than run
+the risk of condemning a single person unjustly. This tender anxiety
+corresponds with every sentiment of our hearts. Innocence delivered to
+infamy, innocence encompassed with all the horrors of an execution, is
+the most dreadful sight that the imagination can present; and we are so
+struck by it, that we should be almost disposed to think, that before
+the Supreme Being the whole human race is responsible for such a crime:
+yes, it is under Thy protection, O my God, that unknown virtue and
+injured innocence take shelter; men turn towards Thee for comfort when
+pursued by men, and it is not in vain that they trust in that awful day
+when all shall be judged before Thee.
+
+I wish only to dwell on the particular character of the Christian
+religion, as it proportions the merit of our actions, not to the
+grandeur or importance of them; but to the relation that they have with
+our abilities, it is an idea absolutely new: this system, which presents
+the same motives and rewards to the weak and strong, remarked the
+widow’s mite, as well as the generous sacrifices of opulence; this
+system, as just as rational, animates, in some measure, our whole moral
+nature, and seems to inform us, that a vast circle of good actions and
+social virtues are submitted to the same rules, as the immense domain of
+physical nature, in which the simplest flower, or the most insignificant
+plant, concurs to perfect the designs of the Supreme Being, and composes
+one part of the harmonious universe.
+
+The superintendance of the Christian religion extends still further than
+I can point out; and guided by a spirit not to be equalled, it estimates
+our intentions, obscure dispositions, and internal determinations, often
+separated from action by different obstacles: it directs men, in some
+measure, from their first sentiments and designs; it continually reminds
+them of the presence of God; warns them to watch over themselves, when
+their inclinations are but dawning, before they have gained strength; in
+short, at an early hour it forms the mind to the exercise of virtue, by
+discriminating virtue and vice, and reminding us to cultivate a love of
+order and propriety before the active scenes of life force those
+sentiments to appear conspicuously displayed in actions.
+
+But the more the methods of meriting the divine approbation are
+multiplied, the more essential is it that our confidence should not be
+depressed, every instant, by the sentiment which arises from the
+experience of our errors; it is necessary, that at the moments, too
+frequent, when the chain which unites us to the Supreme Being would
+escape from our grasp, the hope of again seizing it should remain with
+us: it is then to succour our weak faith, that we see in the gospel that
+idea at once so excellent and new, that of repentance and the promises
+which are annexed to it. This noble idea, absolutely belonging to
+Christianity, prevents our relation with the Deity from being destroyed
+as soon as it is perceived; the culprit may still hope for the favour of
+God, and after contrition confide in Him. Human nature, that singular
+connexion of the spirit with matter, of strength with weakness, of
+reason with the imagination, persuasion with doubt, and will with
+uncertainty, necessarily requires a legislation appropriated to a
+constitution so extraordinary: man, in his most improved state,
+resembles an infant, who attempts to walk, and falls, rises and falls
+again; and he would soon be lost to morality, if, after his first fault,
+he had not any hope of repairing it; under a similar point of view, the
+idea of repentance is one of the most philosophical which the gospel
+contains.
+
+That pressing recommendation to do good in secret, without ostentation,
+is the result of a salutary and profound thought: the legislator of our
+religion undoubtedly had perceived that the praises of men was not a
+basis sufficiently steady to serve for the support of morality; and he
+discerned, that vanity, allowed to enjoy these kind of triumphs, was too
+dissipated to be a faithful guide; but the most important part of that
+precept is, that morality would be very circumscribed, if men only
+adhered to those just actions which all the world might see; there are
+not many opportunities to do good in public, and the whole of life may
+be filled by unseen virtues: in short, from that continual relation with
+our conscience, a relation instituted by religion, there results an
+inestimable benefit; for it is easy to perceive, that if we have within
+us a clear-sighted and severe judge, this same judge turns consoler and
+friend every time that we are unjustly condemned, or when events do not
+answer according to the purity of our intentions; and we believe then
+that we have almost two souls, one aiding and sustaining the other on
+every occasion in which virtue unites them.
+
+The severe censure of superstition, which we find throughout the gospel,
+is derived from an idea as reasonable as enlightened; men are too much
+disposed to make their religion consist of little exterior practices,
+always easier than the conflicts with and triumphs over the passions:
+our minds seize with avidity every extraordinary idea; when they are in
+part of our own creating, they aid our self-love to subjugate our
+imagination; man is not at the age of maturity terrified by those
+phantoms which annoy his infancy; but mysteries, occult causes,
+extraordinary appearances, continue to make an impression on his mind;
+and like the wonders of nature, form too large a circle round his
+thoughts; it is by ideas more proportioned to his strength, by mere
+superstition, that he permits himself often to be led captive: we love
+trivial commands, observances, and scruples, because we are little
+ourselves, and that in our weakness we would wish to know every instant
+the limits of our obligations.
+
+Sometimes, persons terrified by their imaginations, or by the confused
+picture which they form of the duties of religion, attach themselves to
+superstitious practices as a safeguard near at hand which may quickly
+guard them from the different anxieties of their minds. The precepts of
+the gospel are designed to destroy these dispositions; for on one side,
+they facilitate the study of morality, by reducing to simple principles
+the entire system of our duties; and on the other, they seek to render
+our intercourse with the Supreme Being more easy, by teaching us that we
+may unite ourselves to Him by the expansion of a pure mind; by informing
+us, that it is not either on Mount Sion or Gerizim that we are to raise
+an altar; but that every honest heart is a temple, where the eternal is
+adored _in spirit and in truth_. The Christian religion is the only one
+which, discarding ceremonies and superstitious opinions, leads us to the
+worship more consonant to our nature: Christianity indeed, in that grand
+thought, has pointed out the dictates of our conscience as most worthy
+of respect; benevolence, as the worship most agreeable to the Supreme
+Being, and all our moral conduct as the most certain prognostic of our
+future state. There reigns a profound philosophy in the doctrines of the
+gospel, men have only added a vain pageantry, a more sounding tone.
+
+Let us render homage to Christianity, for that sacred tie which it has
+formed, in uniting not for a moment, but for the whole of life, the fate
+of two beings, one having need of support, and the other of comfort: it
+is religion which refines this alliance by rendering it immutable, and
+obliges men not to sacrifice to the caprices of their imaginations the
+unity and confidence which secures the repose of families, order in the
+disposition of fortunes, the peaceable education of the succeeding
+generation, and which, in giving to children, for an example, a union
+formed by fidelity and duty, implants in their hearts the seeds of the
+most important virtues; religion has taught us, that the friendships of
+a world, in which selfishness reigns, have need of being cemented by
+that community of interests and honours which marriage only gives us an
+idea of; holy union, alliance without equal, which renders still more
+valuable all the blessings of life, which seems to augment our hopes,
+and fortify in us the comfortable thoughts and mild confidence which
+piety gives birth to: the engagements entered into between men, which
+being, for the most part, sounded on reciprocal services, a time might
+come, when our weakness would be so great, others having no more
+interest to associate with us, it might be necessary to find a support
+in that friendship which time has matured, and of which a sentiment of
+duty repairs the breaches, and which acquires a kind of sanctity from
+the habit and the remembrance of a long and happy union: it is religion
+in, short, which has ordained, that the delicate virtue, the most
+excellent ornament of a weak and timid sex, should only be subject to
+the ascendency of the most generous and faithful sentiment.
+
+These principles, indeed, are not formed for corrupt hearts; but the
+service which religion renders, the end which it proposes, is to assist
+us to combat our depraved dispositions; it is to point out the errors
+and the snares of vice; it is to preserve, amongst us, the sacred
+deposit of principles, which are the foundation of public order, and
+still maintain some light to illuminate the path of wisdom and true
+happiness.
+
+Religion recals us continually to those universal duties which we
+describe under the name of good morals; duties that men would often
+inconsiderately wish to separate from public interest, but which,
+however, are bound to it by so many almost imperceptible and secret
+ties. Every act of wisdom and virtue is not of immediate importance to
+society; but morality must be cultivated by degrees, and fortified by
+habit, as it is like those delicate plants which we rear with a kind of
+fondness to preserve their beauty; if we make a distinction between
+personal, domestic, and public manners, in order to neglect, as we find
+convenient, one part of our duty, we shall lose the charm of it, and
+every day virtue will appear more difficult.
+
+There is, I think, a connexion, more or less apparent, between every
+thing good and worthy of esteem; and it seems to me, that this idea has
+something amiable, which confusedly satisfies our most generous
+dispositions and most comfortable hopes: and if, to sustain a truth so
+important, I was permitted to interrogate the young man, whose virtues
+and talents are the most remarkable in Europe, I should ask him, if he
+did not experience that his filial tenderness, the regularity of his
+domestic life, the purity of his thoughts, and all his rare private
+qualities, are not united to the noble sentiments which make him appear
+with so much splendour as a statesman? But without dwelling on such
+instances, who has not been sometimes struck with the beauty attached to
+that simplicity and modesty of manners which we often find in an obscure
+situation? We then manifestly discover, that there exists a kind of
+agreement and dignity, I could almost say, a kind of grandeur,
+independent of refined language, polished manners, and all those
+advantages due to birth, to rank, and fortune.
+
+I have only glanced over the benefits arising from the Christian
+religion; but I cannot avoid observing, that we owe to it a consoling
+idea, that of the felicity reserved for innocent babes; interesting and
+precious hope for those tender mothers, who see slip from their embraces
+the objects of their love, at an age when they have not acquired any
+merit before the Supreme Being, whom they cannot have any relation with,
+but through His infinite goodness. I feel that I involuntarily mix with
+the elogiums of Christianity a sentiment of gratitude for the mild and
+paternal ideas which are disseminated with its instructions; and there
+is something remarkable in those instructions, that they are continually
+animated by every thing which can captivate our imagination, and
+associate with our natural inclinations. Sensibility, happiness, and
+hope, are the strongest ties of a heart still pure; and all the emotions
+which elevate towards the idea of a God exalt in our minds the doctrine
+of morality, which recals us continually to the sublime perfections of
+Him who was its author.
+
+In short, we cannot avoid admiring the spirit of moderation, which forms
+one of the distinct characteristics of the gospel; we do not always
+find, it is true, the same spirit in the interpreters of the Christian
+doctrines; several constrained by a false zeal, and more disposed to
+speak in the name of a threatening master, than in that of a God, full
+of wisdom and goodness, have frequently exaggerated and multiplied the
+duties of men; and to support their system, they have often obscured the
+natural sense, or the general import of the precepts contained in the
+scriptures; and sometimes also, collecting a few scattered words, they
+have formed a body of divinity, foreign in several respects to the
+intention of the apostles and first Christians. Servants always go
+further than their masters; and as the first thought does not belong to
+them, they only act by adding something heterogeneous: the spirit of
+moderation consists, beside, in a kind of proportion, which mere
+imitators have only an imperfect knowledge of; fortitude is even
+necessary to impose limits on virtue itself; and to determine the
+precise and exact measure of the multiplied duties of men requires a
+profound and sublime intelligence. It was by his sublime precepts that
+the institutor of a universal morality shewed himself superior to that
+age of ignorance in which extremes reigned; when piety was changed into
+superstition, justice into rigour, indulgence into weakness; and when,
+in the exaggeration of every sentiment, a kind of merit was sought for
+incompatible with the immutable laws of wisdom: it was by those sublime
+precepts, in short, that a legislator rose above transitory opinions to
+command all times and ages, and that he appears to have been desirous to
+adapt his instructions, not to the instantaneous humour of a people, but
+to the nature of man.
+
+We shall, beside, find easily in the gospel several characteristics
+proper, essentially to distinguish it from philosophic doctrines; but in
+an examination so serious and important I avoid every observation which
+might appear to the greater number a simple research of the
+understanding; it is the grand features only which belong to grand
+things, and any other manner would not agree with a subject so worthy of
+our respect. I must say, however, that when I am left alone to reflect
+with attention on the different parts of the gospel, I have experienced,
+that, independent of general ideas and particular precepts which lead us
+every instant to profound admiration, there reigns, beside, in the whole
+of that sublime morality, a spirit of goodness, of truth, and wisdom, of
+which all the characters can only be perceived by our sensibility, by
+that faculty of our nature which does not separate objects, which does
+not wait to define; but which penetrates, as by a kind of instinct,
+almost to that love, the origin of every thing, and that indefinite
+model from which every generous intention and grand thought has taken
+its first form.
+
+
+
+
+                              CHAP. XVIII.
+                             _Conclusion._
+
+
+What a time have I chosen to entertain the world with morality and
+religion! and what a theatre is this for such an undertaking! Only to
+conceive it is a great proof of courage; every one is employed about his
+harvest; lives in his affairs; is lost in the present instant, all the
+rest appears chimerical. When I was formerly engrossed by cares for the
+public welfare, and writing on my favourite subject, I could draw the
+attention of men by a series of reflections on their own fortunes and on
+the power of their country; it was in the name of their most ardent
+passions that I engaged them to listen to me; but in treating the
+subject I have now made choice of, it is their natural dispositions, now
+almost effaced, that I must address: thus I feel the necessity of
+re-animating the sentiments which I wish to direct, and giving birth to
+the interest I desire to enlighten. And when I fix my attention on the
+actual course of opinions, I fear to have for judges, either men who are
+indifferent to the subject, or who are too severe in their censurers;
+but the reflections of vanity are trivial to the motives which have
+guided me; and provided any of my thoughts have agreed with the
+inclinations of feeling minds, and added something to their happiness, I
+shall enjoy the sweetest reward. Such a wish I formed, when, with a weak
+hand, I ventured to trace some reflections on the importance of
+religious opinions.
+
+The more we know of the world, its phantoms, and vain enchantments, the
+more do we feel the want of a grand idea to elevate the soul above
+discouraging events which continually occur. When we run after honours,
+fame, and gratitude, we find every where illusions and mistakes; and it
+is our lot to experience those disappointments which proceed from the
+infirmities or the passions of men. If we leave our vessel in the
+harbour, the success of others dazzles and disturbs us; if we spread our
+sails, we are the plaything of the winds: activity in action, ardour,
+and indifference, all have their cares and difficulties; no person is
+sheltered from the caprices of fortune, and when we have reached the
+summit of our wishes, when we have by chance attained the object of our
+ambition, sadness and languor are preparing to frustrate our hopes, and
+dissipate the enchantment: nothing is perfect except for a moment;
+nothing is durable but change; it is necessary then to have interest in
+with those immutable ideas which are not the work of man, which do not
+depend on a transient opinion: they are offered to all, and are equally
+useful in the moment of triumph and the day of defeat; they are, as we
+need them, our consolation, our encouragement, and our guide. What
+strength, what splendour, those ideas would soon have, if, considered as
+the best support of order and morality, men would try to render them
+more efficacious, in the same manner as we see the citizens of a
+political society concur, in proportion to their faculties, to promote
+the welfare of the state. A new scene would open before us; men of
+learning, far from following the counsels of vanity, far from searching
+to destroy the most salutary belief of men, would, on the contrary,
+allot for their defence a portion of their noblest powers; we should see
+the penetrating metaphysician eager to refer to the common treasure of
+our hopes, the light which he perceives through the continuity of his
+meditations, and the perspicacity of his mind: we should see the
+attentive observer of nature occupied with the same idea, animated by
+the same interest; we should see him, in the midst of his labours, seize
+with avidity every thing which could add any support to the first
+principle of all religions; we should see him detach from his
+discoveries, appropriate, with a kind of love, all that tended to
+strengthen the happiest persuasion and most sublime of thoughts. The
+profound moralist, the philosophic legislator, would concur in the same
+design; and in such a grand enterprize, men, merely endowed with an
+ardent imagination, would be like those wanderers, who, when they return
+home, talk of some unknown riches. There are ways in the moral, as well
+as in the physical world, which lead to unknown secrets; and the harvest
+which may be gathered in the vast empire of nature is as extensive as
+diversified. How excellent would be the union of every mind towards this
+magnificent end! In this view, I represent sometimes to myself, with
+respect, a society of men distinguished by their character and genius,
+only employed to receive and place in order the ideas proper to augment
+our confidence in the most precious opinion. There are thoughts
+conceived by solitary men which are lost to mankind, because they have
+not had the talent to connect a system; and if those thoughts were to be
+united to some other knowledge, if they were to come like a grain of
+sand, to strengthen the banks raised on our shore, the following
+generations would transmit a richer heritage. We sometimes register with
+pomp a new word, introduced into the language, and men of the most
+exalted genius of the age are called to be present at that ceremony:
+would it not be a more noble enterprize to examine, to choose, and
+consecrate the ideas or observations proper to enlighten us in our most
+essential researches? One of those researches would better deserve a
+wreath, than any work of eloquence or literature.
+
+Let us suppose, for a moment, that in the most ancient empire of the
+world there might have been priests, from time immemorial, who guarded
+the deposit of all the original ideas which served to support the
+opinion of the existence of a God, and the sentiment of the immortality
+of the soul; and that, from time to time, every new discovery,
+calculated to increase the confidence due to these most necessary
+truths, was inscribed in a religious testament, called the book of
+happiness and hope; how highly should we value it, and how eagerly
+desire to be acquainted with it; and with what respect should we
+approach the ancient temple, in which those superb archives were
+deposited. But, on the contrary, could we imagine another retreat, where
+subtle arguments and artificial discourses were collected, by which some
+endeavour to destroy or shake those holy opinions which unite the
+universe to an intelligent thought, to a sublime wisdom; and the fate of
+men to infinite goodness, who amongst us would wish to enter into that
+dark abode? who would wish to explore that fatal register? Let us learn
+to know our nature better, and through the delirium of our blind
+passions discover its wants: it is a God we feel the want of, a God,
+such as religion presents; a God, powerful and good, the first source of
+happiness, and who only can secure it to the human race: let us open all
+our faculties to that splendid light, that our hearts and minds may
+welcome it, and find pleasure in widely diffusing it. Let us be
+penetrated in our youth, by the only idea ever necessary to our peace:
+let us strengthen it when in our full vigour, that it may support us in
+the decline of life. Ravishing beauties of the universe, what would ye
+be to us without this thought? Majestic power of the human mind,
+astonishing wonders of the thinking faculty, what could it represent if
+we separated it from its noble origin? Souls affectionate and
+impassioned, what would become of you without hope? Pardon, O Master of
+the world, if not sufficiently sensible of my own weakness, and
+abandoning myself only to the emotions of my heart, I have undertaken to
+speak to men of Thy existence, Thy grandeur, and Thy goodness! Pardon me
+if, lately agitated by the tumultuous waves of passion, I dare to raise
+my thoughts to the realms of eternal peace, where Thou more particularly
+exhibits Thy glory and sovereign power. Ah! I know more than ever that
+we must love Thee, we must serve Thee. The powerful of the earth exalt
+and depress their favourites capriciously; there is no relying on them;
+after profiting by the talents devoted to them, they forsake the victim,
+or crush him like a reed. There is in the universe but one immutable
+justice, but one perfect goodness and consolatory thought: yet we go
+continually towards other coasts, where we call for happiness, but it is
+not to be found: there are phantoms accustomed to deceive men, who
+answer when they call: we run towards them, and pursue them, and we
+leave far behind religious opinions, which only can lead us back to
+nature, and elevate us to its author. The blind passions of the world,
+and the devouring desires of fame and fortune, only serve to harden us;
+every thing is selfish and hostile in them. Ambitious men, who only wish
+for a vain name, a childish triumph, acknowledge your features in this
+sketch; a single object engrosses you, a single end fixes your views:
+the heavens may be obscured; the earth covered with darkness; and the
+future annihilated before you; and you are satisfied if a weak taper
+still permits you to discern the homage of those who surround you; but
+how is it possible to expect thus to pass a whole life? how be able to
+retain that homage which appears so necessary to your dream of
+happiness? how can you make stationary what so many concur to demand? We
+have a more rational certainty of happiness, when a sentiment of piety,
+enlightened in its principle and action, softens all our passions, and
+bends them, in some measure, to the laws of our destiny. Piety, such as
+I form an idea of, may be properly represented as a vigilant friend,
+tender and rational. It lets us see the various blessings of life; but
+it recals us to the idea of gratitude, in order to augment our
+happiness, by referring it to the most generous of all benefactors: it
+allows us to exercise our faculties and talents; but recals us to the
+idea of morality and virtue, in order to assure our steps, and shield us
+from regret: it allows us to run the race of glory or ambition; but
+recals us to the idea of inconstancy and instability, to preserve us
+from a fatal intoxication: it is always with us, not to disturb our
+felicity, not to impose useless privations, but to blend itself with our
+thoughts, and to unite to all our projects those mild and peaceable
+ideas which attend wisdom and moderation: in short, in the day of
+adversity, when our strength is broken, in which we have placed our
+confidence, piety comes to succour and console us; it shows us the
+nothingness of vanity and worldly illusions; it calms the remorse of our
+souls, by reminding us of a particular providence; it softens our
+regrets, by presenting more worthy hopes than any earthly object can
+afford, in order to engage our interest and fix our attention.
+
+I am not led to these reflections by a temporary melancholy; I should be
+afraid of it, if I had not always had the same thoughts, and if the
+various circumstances of a life, often perturbed, had not led me to
+think of the necessity of attaching myself to some principle independent
+of men and events. Almost entirely alone at this instant, and thrown
+into solitude by an unforeseen accident, I experience, it is true[10],
+more than ever, the want of those rational ideas, the representations of
+all that is great, and I approach with renewed interest the truths which
+I always loved; grand and sublime truths, which I have recommended to
+men at the moment when I see them more than ever inclined to neglect
+them. How mistaken are they in their calculations, they trust to-day in
+the strength of their minds, to-morrow they will find their weakness;
+they imagine, that in turning their views from the termination of life
+they remove the fatal boundary; but already the hand trembles on the
+dial to give the signal of their last moment. What a dire sacrifice we
+should make, if we gave up those consoling truths which still present to
+us a future, when all the bustle of life is over! We should again demand
+them, search for them with the most diligent anxiety, if ever the traces
+of them were unfortunately effaced.
+
+All these ideas, some may say, are vague, and do not agree with the
+humour of the age; but at a certain distance from the field of ambition
+and vanity, is there any thing to every one of us more vague than the
+passions of others? Are men employed about our interest? do they dream
+of our happiness? No, they are like ourselves; they seek for precedency;
+now and then indeed they pronounce the name of public good; but it is
+only a watch word which they have stolen, to be able to run over our
+ranks without danger. Where shall we find then a real tie? Where shall
+we find a universal rendezvous, if not in those unalterable ideas which
+are so consonant to our nature, which should equally interest us all,
+being suited to all without distinction; and which are ready to welcome
+us when we see the folly of earthly pursuits? They may not, indeed,
+gratify the childish wishes of the moment; but they relieve our anxiety
+about to-morrow, they are allied to objects of meditation which belong
+to our whole life, and above all, they unite us to that spirit which
+constitutes our true grandeur, to that sublime spirit, a few of whose
+relations only are yet discovered by us, and the full extent of whose
+power and goodness can be but faintly guessed at by finite beings.
+
+
+                                 FINIS.
+
+
+
+
+    _I was engrossed by the last Cares which the Publication of this
+    Book occasioned, when M. de_ CALONNE’S _Second Memorial made its
+    Appearance. I have read it; and I here publicly engage to answer
+    this new Attack, and fully to support the Credit which is justly
+    due to the Account I presented to the King in 1781._
+
+                                                             NECKER.
+
+-----
+
+Footnote 1:
+
+  Thesis proposed by the French Academy, with a prize, for the best
+  Catechism of Morals, the instructions of which were to be founded on
+  the principles of natural right only.
+
+Footnote 2:
+
+  I should have enlarged this chapter, if I did not intend to make some
+  general reflections on intolerance in another part of this work.
+
+Footnote 3:
+
+  These various reflections are very necessary in the place where I
+  live; since, for a short time, labourers have been permitted to work,
+  at Paris, of a Sunday. We see this publicly done at the new bridge,
+  which is building over the Seine, as if a work of mere convenience was
+  in such haste, that the laws should be dispensed with to accelerate
+  its execution. The labourers, some will say, are glad to gain a day
+  every week. Undoubtedly, because they see only the present instant,
+  they have reason to think so; but it is the duty of government to
+  consider, in a more comprehensive point of view, the interest of the
+  people, of that part of society, which is so blind, or so limited in
+  its calculation; and the church should examine also, if the sudden
+  alteration of a practice so ancient, may not give rise to an idea,
+  that the spirit of religion is grown feeble. For the nations where
+  this spirit is best preserved, have the greatest respect for the
+  Sabbath.
+
+Footnote 4:
+
+  This mass is commonly called a low mass.
+
+Footnote 5:
+
+  Some say, in order to weaken this argument, that we may attribute to
+  the indivisible unit all the qualities of matter, that a round body is
+  really divisible, but that roundness and impenetrability are not. Such
+  an objection is evidently not just. Roundness and impenetrability are
+  only qualities, and these qualities, when merely abstract, are
+  necessarily invariable: thus, it is as impossible to divide it, as it
+  is to multiply and increase it; but my soul, my thoughts, the
+  consciousness that I have of my own existence, forms a particular and
+  personal being; and if it were of the same nature as matter, ought to
+  be equally divisible.
+
+Footnote 6:
+
+  I shall present some reflections on this truth in another Chapter.
+
+Footnote 7:
+
+  Dr. Herschel.
+
+Footnote 8:
+
+  It may be said, that the fifty thousand new stars perceived by Dr.
+  Herschel, being the result of observation directed to the milky-way,
+  we are not to expect to discover as great a number in other parts of
+  the heavens of a like extent; but independent of these stars which Dr.
+  H. clearly distinguished, he imagined that there were twice as many
+  more of which he had only an instantaneous glance. See the
+  Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1774. Dr. H. has
+  probably, since that time, made new discoveries; but they have not
+  reached me: I find, in the Transactions of the Royal Society, of which
+  he is a member, that he considers the new telescope as being still _in
+  its infancy_; these are his own words.
+
+Footnote 9:
+
+  I think I perceive the traces of these philosophical ideas in the
+  censure Jesus passed upon one of his disciples, who called him _good
+  master_. _Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one._
+
+Footnote 10:
+
+  For I had begun this chapter during my exile.
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+
+
+                          TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
+
+
+ Page           Changed from                      Changed to
+
+  200 that a moral revolution          that a moral revolution
+      permitted laboures               permitted labourers
+
+ ● Standardized spelling.
+ ● Retained dialect.
+ ● Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
+ ● The caret (^) serves as a superscript indicator, applicable to
+     individual characters (like 2^d) and even entire phrases (like
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+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76773 ***
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+<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76773 ***</div>
+
+<div class='tnotes covernote'>
+
+<p class='c000'><strong>Transcriber’s Note:</strong></p>
+
+<p class='c000'>New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.</p>
+
+</div>
+
+<div class='titlepage'>
+
+<div>
+  <h1 class='c001'><span class='small'>OF THE</span><br> IMPORTANCE<br> <span class='small'>OF</span><br> <span class='xlarge'>RELIGIOUS OPINIONS.</span></h1>
+</div>
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+<div class='nf-center c002'>
+    <div>TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH</div>
+    <div class='c002'><span class='small'>OF</span></div>
+    <div class='c002'><span class='sc'>Mr.</span>  <em class='gesperrt'>NECKER</em>.</div>
+    <div class='c003'>LONDON:</div>
+    <div class='c002'><span class='small'>PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON, N<sup>o</sup> 72, ST. PAUL’S CHURCH-YARD.</span></div>
+    <div class='c002'><span class='small'>M.DCC.LXXXVIII.</span></div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+</div>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 class='c004'>ADVERTISEMENT.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c005'><em>In rendering this Work into English some
+Liberties have been taken by the Translator,
+which seemed necessary to preserve the Spirit
+of the Original.</em></p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CONTENTS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<table class='table0'>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. I.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>On the Connection of Religious Principles with public Order</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'>Page <a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. II.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>The same Subject continued. A Parallel and of Laws and Opinions</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_48'>48</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. III.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>An Objection drawn from our natural Dispositions to Goodness</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_98'>98</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. IV.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>An Objection drawn from the good Conduct of many irreligious Men</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_104'>104</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. V.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>The Influence of Religious Principles on our Happiness</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_118'>118</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. VI.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>The same Subject continued. The Influence of Virtue on Happiness</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_149'>149</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. VII.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>On Religious Opinions, in their Relation with Sovereigns</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_169'>169</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. VIII.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>An Objection drawn from the Wars and from the Commotions which Religion has given Rise to</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_189'>189</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. IX.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>Another Objection examined. The Sabbath</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_196'>196</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. X.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>An Observation on a particular Circumstance of public Worship</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_206'>206</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XI.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>That the single Idea of a God is a sufficient Support of Morality</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_210'>210</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XII.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>That there is a God</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_278'>278</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XIII.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>The same Subject continued</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_296'>296</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XIV.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>The same Subject continued</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_316'>316</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XV.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>On the Respect that is due from true Philosophy to Religion</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_382'>382</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XVI.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>The same Subject continued. Reflections on Intolerance</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_399'>399</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XVII.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>Reflections on the Morality of the Christian Religion</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_417'>417</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'>&#160;</td>
+    <td class='c008'>&#160;</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td class='c006' colspan='2'>CHAP. XVIII.</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c007'><em>Conclusion</em></td>
+    <td class='c008'><a href='#Page_446'>446</a></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_i'>i</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>INTRODUCTION.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>My thoughts having been detached
+from the study and disquisition of
+those truths which have the political good
+of the state for their object; and being no
+longer obliged to fix any attention on those
+particular arrangements of the public interest,
+which are necessarily connected with
+the operations of government; I found
+myself abandoned, as it were, by all the
+important concerns of life. Restless and
+wandering in this kind of void, my soul,
+still active, felt the want of employment.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_ii'>ii</span>I sometimes formed the design of tracing
+my ideas of men and characters; I imagined
+that long experience in the midst of
+those active scenes which discover the passions,
+had taught me to know them well;
+but elevating my views, my heart was filled
+with a different ambition, and a desire to
+reconcile the sublimest thoughts with those
+meditations from which I was constrained
+to withdraw myself. Guided by this sentiment,
+I remarked, with satisfaction, that
+there existed a natural connection between
+the different truths which contribute to the
+happiness of mankind. Our prejudices and
+our passions frequently attempt to disunite
+them; but to the eye of an attentive observer,
+they have all one common origin.
+From a similar affinity, the general views
+of administration, the spirit of laws, morality,
+and religious opinions, are closely
+connected; and it is by carefully preserving
+an alliance so beautiful, that we raise a
+rampart round those works, which are
+destined for the prosperity of states and the
+tranquillity of nations.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_iii'>iii</span>One could not have taken an active part
+in the administration of public affairs; or
+made it the object of stedfast attention;
+one could not have compared the several
+relations of this great whole, with the natural
+dispositions of minds and characters;
+nor indeed observed men in a perpetual state
+of rivalry and competition, without perceiving,
+how much the wisest governments
+need support from the influence of that invisible
+spring which acts in secret on the
+consciences of individuals. Thus whilst I
+am endeavouring to form some reflections
+on the importance of religious opinions, I
+am not so far removed from my former habit
+of thinking as may, at the first glance,
+be imagined; and as in writing on the management
+of finances, I omitted no argument
+to prove that there is an intimate connexion
+between the efficacy of governments,
+and the wisdom with which they are conducted;
+between the virtue of princes, and
+the confidence of their subjects, I think I
+am still proceeding in the same train of sentiment
+and reflection, when struck with
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_iv'>iv</span>that spirit of indifference which is so general,
+I endeavour to refer the duties of men
+to those principles which afford them the
+most natural support.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>After having studied the interests of a
+great nation, and run over the circle of our
+political societies, we approach nearer perhaps
+to those sublime ideas which bind
+the general structure of mankind to that
+infinite and Almighty Being, who is the
+first grand cause of all, and universal mover
+of the universe. In the rapid course of an
+active administration, indeed one cannot
+indulge similar reflections; but they are
+forming and preparing themselves in the
+midst of the tumult of business, and the
+tranquillity of retirement enables us to
+strengthen and extend them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The calm which succeeds hurry and
+confusion, seems the reason most favourable
+to meditation; and if any remembrance, or
+retrospective views of what is past should
+inspire you with a kind of melancholy, you
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_v'>v</span>will be involuntarily led back to contemplations
+which border on those ideas with
+which you have been long conversant. It
+is thus the mariner, after having renounced
+the dangers of the sea, sometimes seats
+himself on the beach, and there, a more
+tranquil observer, considers attentively the
+boundless ocean, the regular succession of
+the waves, the impression of the winds,
+the flux and reflux of the tide, and that
+magnificent firmament, where, during the
+night, among lights innumerable, he distinguishes
+the lucid point, which serves as a
+guide to the navigators.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is in vain, in those high stations under
+government, to interest yourself about the
+happiness of mankind in general; it is in
+vain, that, penetrated with a just respect for
+the important duties of office, a public
+character shall dare to take in hand the
+cause of the people, and incessantly apply
+himself to the defence of the weak, in opposition
+to the attacks of the powerful; he
+soon perceives how bounded are his abilities,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_vi'>vi</span>and how limited are those, even of
+sovereignty itself. Pity for the distresses of
+the individual is checked by the law of
+civil rights; benevolence by justice; and
+liberty by its own abuses: you perpetually
+behold merit struggling with patronage,
+honour with fortune, and patriotism with
+the interest of the individual. There is no
+such thing as real disinterestedness in the
+passions, only by fits and starts; unless
+great circumstances, or vigorous virtue in
+an administration, forcibly renewed the
+idea of public good, a general langour
+would take place in every mind, and society
+itself would appear one confused mass of
+opposite interests, which the supreme authority
+keeps within bounds for the maintenance
+of peace, without any inquietude
+about real harmony, or any revolution favourable
+to the manners or happiness of
+the public.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>From the midst of these clashings and
+contradictions, continually recurring, a minister,
+possessed of a reflecting mind, is incessantly
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_vii'>vii</span>called back to the idea of imperfection;
+he will, undoubtedly, be sorry,
+when he sees the great disproportion which
+exists between his duty and his powers; and
+he will sometimes grieve and be discouraged,
+at perceiving the obstacles he must surmount,
+and the difficulties he must overcome: he
+raises, with labour and care, banks on the
+strand, the waters swell, their course becomes
+more rapid, and the first precautions
+rendered insufficient, oblige him to have recourse
+to new works, which, thrown down
+in their turn, hurry on a continued succession
+of fruitless toil and useless attempts.
+What then would be the consequence, if
+once the salutary chain of religious sentiments
+were broken? What would be the
+event, if the action of that powerful spring
+were ever entirely destroyed? You would
+soon see every part of the social structure
+tremble from its foundation, and the hand of
+government unable to sustain the vast and
+tottering edifice.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_viii'>viii</span>The sovereign, and the laws which are
+the interpreters of his wisdom, should have
+two grand objects, the maintenance of public
+order, and the increase of private happiness.
+But to accomplish both, the aid of religion
+is absolutely necessary. The sovereign cannot
+influence the happiness of individuals,
+but by a general solicitude; because the sentiments
+which spring from the different
+characters of men, or merely from the circumstances
+of their respective situations,
+are independent of him. Neither can he
+ensure the preservation of public order, but
+by rules and institutions, which are only applicable
+to actions, and to those actions positively
+proved. It is necessary also that
+the laws should extend their influence to
+society in a uniform manner; they should
+always have a tendency to diminish the
+number of distinctions, shades, and modifications,
+that are to be found in the actions
+of men; in short, to prevent those abuses
+inseparably attendant on arbitrary decisions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_ix'>ix</span>Such are the bounds of sovereign authority,
+and such the necessary developement of
+its means and powers. Religion, to attain
+the same ends, employs other motives essentially
+different: first, it is not in a vague
+and general manner, that she influences the
+happiness of mankind; it is by addressing
+all men individually; by penetrating the
+heart of every human being, and pouring
+into it consolation and hope; by presenting
+to the imagination every thing that can insensibly
+lead it captive; by taking possession
+of men’s sentiments; by occupying their
+thoughts; and by availing herself of this
+dominion over them, to sustain their courage,
+and to afford them comfort under their afflictions
+and disappointments. In this manner
+religion concurs to maintain good order,
+by means absolutely distinct from those of
+government; for she not only governs our
+actions, but even our sentiments: it is with
+the errors and inclinations of each man in
+particular, that she seeks to combat. Religion,
+in demonstrating the presence of the
+Deity, on all occasions, however secret, exercises
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_x'>x</span>an habitual authority over the consciences
+of men; she seems to assist them
+under the perturbations of fear, and yet attends
+them in their flight; she equally notices
+their intentions, projects, and repentance;
+and in the method which she takes,
+seems as undulating and flexible in all her
+motions, as the empire of the law appears
+immoveable and constrained.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I should not, at present, extend these reflections
+any further; but, if religion, in
+some measure, completes the imperfect work
+of legislation; if it ought to supply the insufficiency
+of those means which government
+is under the necessity of adopting,
+the subject I propose to treat of seems not
+foreign to those objects of meditation, which
+the study of administration ought to comprehend.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I well know, that it is impossible to explain
+the importance of religion, without,
+at the same time, fixing the attention on
+the grand truths on which it depends; and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xi'>xi</span>you must also frequently touch on many
+subjects that are closely connected with the
+deepest metaphysics. We are, at least,
+obliged to seek for a defence against those arguments
+which sap the foundation of the most
+necessary opinions; by which the most impassioned
+sentiments have been discouraged;
+by which some would reduce man to a vegetable,
+make the universe the result of
+chance, and morality a state trick.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>As soon as I discovered how far my subject
+was likely to lead me, I felt myself intimidated;
+but I could not allow this to be
+a sufficient reason for relinquishing my undertaking;
+and since the greater part of the
+philosophers of the present age are united
+in opposition to those opinions, which the
+light of nature seems to have rendered sacred,
+it is become indispensably necessary,
+to admit to the combat all that offer; nay,
+even to select a champion from the main
+body of the army, when all the strong ones
+are already gone over to the camp of the
+enemy.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_xii'>xii</span>There is nothing which seems to engross
+the attention of mankind more than metaphysical
+enquiries, for it is by thinking
+alone they can be fathomed; the light
+gained by acquired knowledge is, in some
+measure, lost in those obscure depths which
+it is necessary to sound, and that immense
+space which it is necessary to traverse.
+Thus, it were better, perhaps, that each
+should enter by chance into these labyrinths,
+where the paths, already traced, lead to no
+one determined point. I have, besides,
+often observed, that, even for those researches,
+where the helps of science are most
+useful, we ought to set a certain value on
+the particular excursion of each genius,
+which seeks out for itself a way, and which,
+indebted to nature alone for its peculiar formation,
+preserves in its progress a character
+of its own; it is then, and then only, that
+we are not invested with the distinguishing
+marks of slavishness of thinking; but when,
+by devoting ourselves to reflection, we coincide
+with the opinions of others, this conformity
+has nothing of servility in it, and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xiii'>xiii</span>the marks of imitation are not even recognized.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In vain would man resist the impression
+of truth; in vain would he defend himself
+by a ridiculous indifference for ancient opinions;
+there never could be an idea more
+worthy to occupy our meditations, there
+never could be an idea, on which we might
+be more fully permitted to expatiate, according
+to our knowledge and penetration,
+than that sublime one of a Supreme Being,
+and the relation we bear to him: an idea,
+which though far removed from us by its
+immensity, every moment strikes the soul
+with admiration, and inspires the heart
+with hope.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It appears to me, that there are interests
+which may be considered as patriotic by intelligent
+and feeling beings; and while the
+inhabitants of the same country, and the
+subjects of the same prince, employ themselves
+diligently in one common plan of
+defence, the citizens of the world ought to
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xiv'>xiv</span>be incessantly anxious to give every new
+and possible support to those exalted opinions
+on which the true greatness of their
+existence is founded, which preserves the
+imagination from that frightful spectacle
+of an existence without origin, of action
+without liberty, and futurity without
+hope. Thus after having, as I think,
+proved myself a citizen of France, by my
+administration, as well as my writings, I
+wish to unite myself to a fraternity still
+more extended—that of the whole human
+race: it is thus, without dispersing our
+sentiments, we may be able nevertheless to
+communicate ourselves a great way off, and
+enlarge in some measure the limits of our
+circle: glory be to our thinking faculties
+for it! To that spiritual portion of ourselves
+which can take in the past, dart into futurity,
+and intimately associate itself with the
+destiny of men of all countries, and of all
+ages. Without doubt, a veil is thrown
+over the greater part of those truths, to
+which our curiosity would willingly attain;
+but those which a beneficent God has
+permitted us to see, are amply sufficient for
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xv'>xv</span>our guide and instruction; and we cannot,
+for a continuance divert our attention without
+a species of slothful negligence, and a
+total indifference to the superior interests of
+man. How little is every thing indeed,
+when put in competition with those meditations,
+which give to our existence a new
+extent, and which, in detaching us from
+the dust of the earth, seem to unite our
+souls to an infinity of space, and our duration
+of a day to the eternity of time!
+Above all, it is for you to determine, who
+have sensibility—who feel the want of a
+Supreme Being, and who seek to find in
+him that support so necessary to your weakness,
+that defender and that assurance, without
+which painful inquietude will be perpetually
+tormenting you, and troubling
+those soft, tender affections which constitute
+your happiness.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>However, I must say, there never perhaps
+was a period, when it was more essentially
+necessary to recal to the minds of
+men, the importance of religious sentiments;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xvi'>xvi</span>at present they are but prejudices,
+if we may credit the spirit of licentiousness
+and levity; the laws dictated by fashion;
+and more particularly essential since we have
+had philosophical instructions, which excite
+the various deviations of vanity, and rally
+the wanderings of the imagination.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is not any form of religion, undoubtedly,
+to which ideas more or less
+mystical have not been annexed; and of
+which the evidence has not been in
+proportion to the dictatorial language, and
+authoritative tone, which has been made
+use of in teaching and defending it; as
+such, one might at any given period have
+been tempted to dispute about particular
+parts of worship, which different nations
+have adopted; but it is principally in the
+present age, that a certain class of men has
+sprung up, distinguished for their wit and
+talents; and who, intoxicated by the facility
+with which they have gained a victory,
+have extended their ambition, and had the
+daring courage to attack the reserved body
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xvii'>xvii</span>of that army of which the front ranks had
+already given way.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>This struggle between persons, one of
+whom would imperiously rule by faith
+alone, whilst the other thinks he has a right
+to reject with disdain every thing that has
+not been demonstrated, will always be a
+fruitless combat; and only serve to nourish
+blind aversion and unjust contempt. Some
+seek to wound their adversaries, others to
+humble them; in the mean time the good
+of mankind, and the true benefit of society,
+are absolutely lost sight of; yes, the real
+love of useful truths, the impartial search
+after them, and the desire of pointing them
+out, these sentiments, so amiable and so truly
+laudable, seem to be entirely unknown. I
+see, permit me to say it, I see at the two extremities
+of the arena, the savage inquisitor,
+and the inconsiderate philosopher; but neither
+the faggots lighted by the one, nor
+the derisions of the other, will ever diffuse
+any salutary instruction; and in the eyes of
+a rational man, the intolerance of monks
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xviii'>xviii</span>adds no more to the dominion of true religious
+sentiments, than the jests of a few
+licentious wits have effected a triumph in
+favour of philosophy.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is between these opposite opinions, and
+in the midst of wanderings equally dangerous,
+that we must attempt to mark out our
+way; but as all the opinions of men are
+subject to change; at present, when their
+minds are more averse to the maxims of
+intolerance, it is religion itself that principally
+needs support; and such is the daily
+diminution of it, that means supplying the
+deficiency seem to be already publicly preparing.
+For some time past we have heard
+of nothing but the necessity of composing
+a moral catechism, in which religious principles
+should not be introduced, as resources
+that are now out of date, and when
+it is time they were discarded. Without
+doubt these principles might be more effectually
+attacked, could they ever be represented
+as totally useless for the maintenance
+of public order; and if the cold
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xix'>xix</span>lessons of a political philosophy could be
+substituted for those sublime ideas, which,
+by the spiritual tie of religion, binds the
+heart and mind to the purest morality. Let
+us now examine if we should gain any
+thing by the exchange; let us see, if the
+means they propose to employ can be put
+in competition with those which ought to
+be made use of; and, if they are more solid,
+and more efficacious; let us see, if this
+new doctrine, which is recommended, will
+produce in the soul the same degree of consolation;
+if it is calculated for those hearts
+which are possessed of sensibility; and,
+above all, let us attentively consider, if it
+can be suitable to the measure of intelligence,
+and the social situation of the greater
+part of mankind. In short, in considering
+the various questions, which in any manner,
+relate to the important subject we have
+undertaken to treat, let us not be afraid to
+resist, as well as we can, the foolish ambition
+of those, who, availing themselves of
+the superiority of their understanding, wish
+to deprive man of his dignity, to place him
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_xx'>xx</span>on a level with the dust under his feet, and
+make his foresight a punishment:—melancholy
+and deplorable destiny! from which,
+however, we are permitted to seek to defend
+ourselves; cruel and disastrous opinion!
+which tears up by the roots every
+thing which surrounds it, which relaxes the
+most necessary bands, and, in an instant,
+destroys the most delightful charm of life.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>O thou God unknown!——but whose
+beneficent idea has ever filled my soul,
+if thou ever throwest a look on those efforts
+which man makes to approach thee,
+sustain my resolution, enlighten my understanding,
+raise my thoughts, and reject not
+the desire I have to unite still more, if
+possible, the order and happiness of society,
+with the intimate and perfect conception of
+thy divinity, and the lively idea of thy sublime
+existence.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter ph1'>
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+<div class='nf-center c011'>
+    <div><span class='small'>OF THE</span></div>
+    <div class='c002'>IMPORTANCE</div>
+    <div class='c002'><span class='small'>OF</span></div>
+    <div class='c002'><span class='xlarge'>RELIGIOUS OPINIONS.</span></div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+</div>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_1'>1</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. I.<br> <em>On the Connection of Religious Principles with public Order.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>We know not distinctly the origin of
+most political societies; but as soon
+as history exhibits men united in a national
+body, we perceive, at the same time, the
+establishment of public worship, and the
+application of religious sentiments, to the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>maintenance of good order and subordination.
+Religious sentiments, by the sanction
+of an oath, bind the people to the magistrates,
+and the magistrates to their engagements;
+they inspire a reverential respect for the
+obligations contracted between sovereigns;
+and these sentiments, still more authoritative
+than discipline, attach the soldier to
+his commander; in short, religious opinions,
+by their influence on the manners
+of individuals, have produced an infinite
+number of illustrious actions and
+instances of heroical disinterestedness, of
+which history has transmitted us the remembrance.
+But as we have seen a philosophy
+spring up among nations the most
+enlightened, anxiously employed in depriving
+religion of all that merited respect, dissertations
+on times far removed from us,
+and the various systems that they would
+endeavour violently to associate with religion,
+would become an endless source of
+controversy. It is then, by reasoning alone,
+by that exercise of the mind, which belongs
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span>equally to all countries and all ages,
+that we can support the cause which we
+have taken in hand to defend. There is,
+perhaps, something weak and servile in our
+wishing to draw assistance from ancient
+opinions; reason ought not, like vanity, to
+adorn herself with old parchments, and the
+display of a genealogical tree; more dignified
+in her proceeding, and proud of her
+immortal nature, she ought to derive every
+thing from herself; she should disregard
+past times, and be, if I may use the phrase,
+the contemporary of all ages.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It was reserved, particularly for some writers
+of our age, to attack even the utility of
+religion; and to seek to substitute, instead
+of its active influence, the inanimate instruction
+of a political philosophy. Religion, say
+they, is a scaffold fallen into ruins, and it is
+high time to give to morality a more solid support.
+But what support will that be? we
+must, in order to discover, and form a
+just idea of it; distinctly consider the different
+motives of action on which depend
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>the relations that subsist between men; and
+it will be necessary to estimate, afterwards,
+the kind and degree of assistance which we
+may reasonably expect from a like support.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It appears to me, that in renouncing the
+efficacious aid of religion, we may easily
+form an idea of the means that they will
+endeavour to make use of to attach men to
+the observance of the rules of morality,
+and to restrain the dangerous excesses of
+their passions. They would, undoubtedly,
+place a proper value on the connection
+which subsists between private and general
+interest; they would avail themselves of the
+authority of laws, and the fear of punishment;
+and they would confide still more in
+the ascendency of public opinion, and the
+ambition, that every one ought to have, of
+gaining the esteem and confidence of his
+fellow-creatures.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us examine separately these different
+motives; and first, attentively considering
+the union of private with public interest,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>let us see if this union is real, and if we
+can deduce from such a principle any moral
+instruction truly efficacious.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Society is very far from being a perfect
+work; we ought not to consider as an harmonious
+composition the different relations
+of which we are witnesses, and particularly
+the habitual contrast of power and weakness,
+of slavery and authority, riches and
+poverty, of luxury and misery; so much
+inequality; such a motly piece could not
+form an edifice respectable for the justness
+of its proportions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Civil and political order is not then excellent
+by its nature, and we cannot perceive
+its agreement, till we have deeply
+studied, and formed to ourselves those reflections
+which legislators had to make, and
+the difficulties that they had to surmount.
+It is then only, with the assistance of the
+most attentive meditation, that we discover
+how those particular relations, which are
+established by social laws, form, nevertheless,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>that system of equilibrium, which is
+most proper to bind together an immense
+diversity of interests; but a great obstacle
+to the influence of political morality is, the
+necessity of giving, for the basis of the
+love of order, an abstract and complicated
+idea. What effect on vulgar minds would
+the scientific harmony of the whole have,
+opposed daily to the sentiment of injustice
+and inequality, which arises from the aspect
+of every part of the social constitution,
+when we acquire the knowledge of it, in
+a manner solitary and circumscribed; and
+how limited is the number of those, who
+can continually draw together all the scattered
+links of this vast chain!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It could not be avoided, in the best regulated
+societies, that some should enjoy, without
+labour or difficulty, all the conveniencies of
+life; and that others, and far the greater
+number, should be obliged to earn, by the
+sweat of their brow, a subsistence the most
+scanty, and a recompense the most confined.
+It is not to be prevented, that some will
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>find, when oppressed by sickness, all the
+assistance which officious tenderness and
+skill can afford; whilst others are reduced
+to partake, in public hospitals, the bare relief
+that humanity has provided for the indigent.
+We cannot prevent some from being
+in a situation to lavish on their families
+all the advantages of a complete education;
+whilst others, impatient to free themselves
+from a charge so heavy, are constrained to
+watch eagerly for the first appearance of natural
+strength, to make their children apply
+to some profitable labour. In short, we
+cannot avoid perpetually contrasting the
+splendour of magnificence with the tatters
+which misery displays. Such are the effects,
+inseparable from the laws, respecting property.
+These are truths, the principles of
+which I have had occasion to discuss in the
+work which I composed on administration
+and political œconomy; but I ought to repeat
+them here, since they are found closely
+connected with other general views. The
+eminent power of property is one of the
+social institutions, the influence of which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span>has the greatest extent; this consideration
+was applicable to the commerce of grain;
+it ought to be present to the mind, in disquisitions
+on the duties of administration;
+and it is still more important, when the
+question is to be examined, what kind of
+moral instruction may be proper for mankind?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In effect, if it appertains to the essence
+of the laws of right, constantly to introduce
+and maintain an immense disparity in the
+distribution of property; were it an essential
+part of these laws, to reduce the most numerous
+class of citizens, to that which is
+simply the most necessary; the inevitable
+result of such a constitution would be, to
+nourish, amongst men, a sentiment of habitual
+envy and jealousy. Vainly would you
+demonstrate, that these laws are the only
+ones capable of exciting labour, animating
+industry, preventing disorder, and opposing
+obstacles to arbitrary acts of authority; all
+these considerations sufficient, we grant, to
+fix the opinion and the will of the legislator,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span>would not strike in the same manner
+the man thrown on the earth, without property,
+without resources, and without
+hopes; and he will never render free homage
+to the beauty of the whole, when there is
+nothing for him but deformity, abjectness,
+and contempt.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Men, in most of their political reasonings,
+are deceived by resemblances and analogies:
+the interest of society is certainly
+composed of the interests of all its members;
+but it does not follow from this explication,
+that there is an immediate and
+constant correspondence between the general
+and private interest; such an approximation,
+could only be applicable to an
+imaginary social state; and which we
+might represent as divided into many parts,
+of which the rich would be the head,
+and the poor the feet and hands: but
+political society is not one and the same
+body, except under certain relations, whilst,
+relatively to other interests, it partakes in
+as many ramifications of them as there are
+individuals.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>Those considerations, to which we annex
+an idea of general interest, would be very
+often susceptible of numberless observations;
+but the principles, we are accustomed to
+receive and transmit, in their most common
+acceptation; and we discover not the mixt
+ideas which compose them, but at the moment
+when we analyze the principles, in
+order to draw consequences from them, in
+like manner as we perceive not the variety
+of colours in a ray of light, till the moment
+we divide them by means of a prism.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The formation of social laws, with reason,
+ought to appear one of our most admirable
+conceptions; but this system is not
+so united in all its parts, that a striking disorder
+would always be the necessary effect
+of some irregular movement: thus the man,
+who violates the laws, does not quickly
+discover the relation of his actions with the
+interest of society; but at the instant enjoys,
+or thinks to joy, the fruit of his usurpations.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>Should a theatre be on fire, it is certainly
+the interest of the assembly that every one
+go out with order; but if the people, most
+distant from the entrance, believed they
+should be able to escape sooner from the
+danger, by forcing their way through the
+crowd which surrounds them, they would
+assuredly determine on this violence, unless
+a coercive power prevented them; yet the
+common utility of restricting ourselves to
+order in such circumstances, would appear
+an idea more simple, and more distinct, than
+is the universal importance of maintaining
+civil order in society.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The only natural defence of this order,
+is government; its function obliges it ever
+to consider the whole; but the need which
+it has of power to carry its decrees into
+execution, proves evidently, that it is the
+adversary of many, even when acting in the
+name of all.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We are then under a great illusion, if we
+hope to be able to found morality on the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>connection of private interest with that of
+the public; and if we imagine, that the
+empire of social laws can be separated from
+the support of religion. The authority of
+these laws has nothing decisive for those
+who have not assisted to establish them; and
+were we to give to the hereditary distinctions
+of property an origin the most remote, it is
+no less true, on this account that the poor
+succeeding inhabitants of the earth, struck
+with the unequal division of its rich domains,
+and not perceiving the limits and
+lines of separation traced by nature, would
+have some right to say; these compacts, these
+partitions, this diversity of lots, which procures
+to some abundance and repose; to
+others, poverty and labour; all this legislation,
+in short, is only advantageous to a
+small number of privileged men; and we
+will not subscribe to it, unless compelled
+by the fear of personal danger. What are
+then, they would add, these ideas of right
+and wrong, with which we are entertained?
+What are these dissertations on the necessity
+of adopting some order in society, and of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>observing rules? Our mind bends not to
+those principles, which, general in theory,
+become particular in practice. We find
+some satisfaction and compensation, when
+the idea of virtue, of submission, and of sacrifice,
+are united to religious sentiments;
+when we believe we shall render an account
+of our actions to a Supreme Being, whose
+laws and will we adore, and from whom
+we have received every thing, and whose
+approbation presents itself to our eyes, as a
+motive of emulation, and an object of recompense:
+but if the contracted bounds of
+life limit the narrow circle in which all our
+interest ought to confine itself, where all
+our speculations and our hopes terminate,
+what respect owe we then to those whom
+nature has formed our equals? To those
+men sprung from lifeless clay, to return to
+it again with us, and to be lost for ever in
+the same dust? They have only invented
+these laws of justice, to be more tranquil
+usurpers. Let them descend from their
+exalted rank, that they may be put on our
+level, or, at least, present us with a partition
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>less unequal, and we shall then be able
+to conceive, that the observance of the laws
+of right is of importance to us; till then,
+we shall have just motives for being the
+enemies of civil order, which we find so
+disadvantageous; and we do not comprehend
+how, in the midst of so many gratifications
+which excite our envy, it is, in
+the name of our own interest, that we ought
+to renounce them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Such is the secret language which men,
+overwhelmed with the distress of their
+situation, would not fail to use; or those
+who, merely in a state of habitual inferiority,
+found themselves continually hurt by the
+splendid sight of luxury and magnificence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It would not be an easy task to combat
+these sentiments, by endeavouring to paint
+forcibly the vanity of pleasure in general, and
+the illusion of most of those objects which
+captivate our ambition, and the apathy
+which follows in their train. These reflections,
+without doubt, have their weight
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>and efficacy; but if we attentively consider
+the subject, every thing that deserves the
+name of consolation in this world, cannot
+be addressed with any advantage; but to
+minds prepared for mild sentiments, by an
+idea of religion and of piety, more or less
+distinct; we cannot, in the same manner,
+relieve the barren and ferocious despondency
+of an unhappy and envious man, who has
+thrown far behind him all hope. Concentred
+in the bare interests of a life, which is
+for him eternity, and the universe itself;
+it is the passion of the moment which enslaves
+him, and nothing can disengage him
+from it; he has not the means to catch
+any vague idea, nor of being content; and
+as even reason has need, every instant, of
+the aid of the imagination, he cannot be
+encouraged, either by the discourse of his
+friends, or his own reflections.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Besides, if we can maintain, in general,
+that the allotments of happiness and misery
+are more equal than we imagine; if we
+can reasonably advance, that labour is preferable
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>to idleness; if we can say, with
+truth, that embarrassments and inquietudes
+often accompany wealth, and that
+contentment of mind appears to be the
+portion of the middle state of life; we
+ought to acknowledge, at the same time,
+that these axioms are only perfectly just in
+the eyes of the moralist, who considers
+man in a comprehensive point of view, and
+who makes his calculation upon a whole
+life: but, in the recurrence of our daily desires
+and hopes, it is impossible to excite to
+labour by the expectation of fortune, and
+detract, at the same time, this fortune, in
+decrying the pleasures and conveniences that
+it procures. These subtle ideas, without
+excepting those which may be defended,
+can never be applicable to real circumstances;
+and if we sometimes use with success
+such kind of reflections to alleviate unavailing
+sorrow and regret, it is when we
+have only shadows to cope with.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, when we have reduced to precept,
+all the well known reflections, on the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>apparent, but delusive advantages of rank
+and fortune, we cannot prevent uncultivated
+minds from being continually
+struck with the extreme inequality of
+the different contracts which the rich
+make with the poor; it might be said,
+in those moments, that one portion of
+mankind was formed only for the convenience
+of another; the poor man sacrifices
+his time and his strength to multiply
+round the rich gratifications of every
+kind; and he, when he gives in exchange
+the most scanty subsistence, does not deprive
+himself of any thing; since the extent
+of his physical wants is bounded by
+the laws of nature: equality then is only
+re-established by the lassitude and apathy
+which the enjoyment even of pleasure produces.
+But these disgusts compose the back
+ground in the picture of life; the people
+perceive them not; and as they have only
+been acquainted with want, they cannot
+form any idea of the langour attendant on
+satiety.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span>Will any one imprudently say, that if
+the distinctions of property are an obstacle
+to the establishment of a political system of
+morality, we ought, therefore, to labour
+to destroy them? But if in past ages, when
+the different degrees of talents and knowledge
+were not so unequal, men were
+not able to preserve a community of possessions,
+can you imagine, that these primitive
+relations could be re-established at
+a time when the superiority of rank and
+power is enforced by the immoveable
+strength of disciplined armies?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Besides, when even in the composition of
+an ideal world, we should have introduced
+the most exact division of the various possessions
+esteemed by men, it would still be
+necessary, to preserve a system of real equality,
+that every one should execute faithfully
+the duties imposed on him by universal
+morality; since this is incumbent
+on every individual, for the sacrifice that
+all the members of society have made;
+which society ought to recompense every
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>citizen in particular, for the restriction to
+which he submits himself.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is essential to observe still further, that
+it is not only personal interest, when clearly
+understood, which ought to be annexed
+to the idea of public order; it is the
+same interest when led astray by the passions,
+then a mere guide is no longer sufficient;
+a yoke must be imposed; a check
+always acting, which must be used absolutely.
+Nothing can be more chimerical
+than to pretend to restrain a man, hurried
+on by an impetuous imagination, by endeavouring
+to recal to his remembrance some
+principles and instructions, which, in the
+terms of an academic thesis<a id='r1'></a><a href='#f1' class='c012'><sup>[1]</sup></a>, ought to be
+the <em>result of analysis, of methodizing, of the
+art of dividing, of developing, and circumscribing
+ideas</em>.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>It would be, at present, a hardy enterprize,
+to attempt to conduct men by reason
+alone, since the first thing that reason discovers
+is its own weakness; but when we
+want to rest on maxims which admit of
+controversy; when we wish to oppose to
+the strong motive of personal interest, a
+moral consideration which cannot act but
+with the concurrence of profound reflection;
+we recollect the doctrine of the first
+œconomists, who, in establishing the extravagant
+principles respecting an exclusive
+right of exporting or monopolizing grain,
+put off the care of preventing popular
+commotions till they should happen.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It appears to me, that false reasoning,
+on the union of private with public interest,
+arises from applying to the present
+state of society, the principles which have
+served as the base for their formation; this
+very natural confusion is one grand source
+of error. Let us try to render clear a proposition,
+which, at first, appears difficult
+to comprehend; and in this light we will
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>suppose, for a moment the future generation
+assembled in idea, in an imaginary
+world, and ignorant before they inhabit the
+earth, who those individuals are that shall
+be born of parents loaded with the gifts of
+fortune, and those who are beset with misery
+from their cradle. They are instructed
+in the principles of civil rights,
+and the convenience of the laws of order,
+has been represented to them, and a sketch
+is drawn of the disorder, which would be
+the inevitable consequence of a continual
+variation in the division of property; then
+all those who are to compose the new
+generation, equally uncertain of the lot that
+the chance of birth reserves for them, subscribe
+unanimously to those events which
+await them; and at the very moment in
+which the relations of society exist only in
+speculation, it might be truly said, that the
+personal interest is lost in the public; but
+this identity ceases, when each, arrived on
+the earth, has taken possession of his lot;
+it is then no longer possible, that the various
+personal interests should concur to the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>maintenance of these prodigious gradations
+of rank and fortune, which are derived
+from the chance of birth; and those to
+whom cares and wants have fallen, will
+not be resigned to the inferiority of their
+condition, but by a grand religious principle
+alone, which can make them perceive
+an eternal justice, and place them in
+imagination before time, and before the
+laws.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is nothing so easy, as the establishment
+of conventions, and making
+rules to be observed, till the moment of
+the drawing of a lottery; every one then,
+at the same point of view, finds all good,
+all just, and well contrived, and peace
+reigns by common agreement; but as soon
+as the blanks and prizes are known, the
+mind changes, the temper grows sour; and
+without the check of authority, it would
+become unmanageable, envious, quarrelsome,
+and sometimes unjust and violent.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>We see, however, the consequence to be
+drawn from the preceding reflections; that
+political societies in contemplation, and in
+reality, present to our observation two different
+periods; and as these periods are not
+separated by any apparent limits, they are
+almost always confounded in the mind of
+the political moralist. He who believes in
+the union of private interest with that of
+the public, and who celebrates this harmony,
+has only considered society in its general
+and primitive plan; he who thinks,
+on the contrary, that the whole is wrong
+and discordant, because there is a great difference
+of power and fortune, has considered
+it only under its actual vicissitudes. Both
+these mistakes have received a sanction from
+celebrated writers. The man hurried away
+by a lively imagination, and strongly impressed
+by present objects, has been struck
+by the inequality of conditions; and the
+philosopher, who, transported by his abstractions
+beyond the circle of human society,
+has only perceived those relations and
+principles which led men to form the first
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>institution of civil laws. Thus, every where
+we see, that most disputes relate to mere
+difference of positions, and to the various
+points of view in which the same subject is
+considered; there are so many stations in
+the moral world, that, according to that
+which we choose, the picture changes entirely.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Hitherto we have endeavoured to understand
+the effect which we might expect
+from a system of morality, by applying this
+kind of instruction only to private interest,
+when most clearly ascertained. It remains
+now to show, that every species of education,
+which demands time and reflection,
+cannot belong, in any manner, to the class
+of men most numerous; and to be sensible
+of this truth, it is sufficient to turn our attention
+on the social state of those who are
+destitute of property, and talents which
+might supply its place; obliged to have recourse
+to hard labour, where nothing is required
+but to employ their bodily strength,
+their concurrence, and the power of riches
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>reduce the wages of this numerous class
+to what is absolutely necessary; they cannot
+without difficulty support their children,
+and they may well be impatient of
+qualifying them for useful occupations to
+relieve themselves; and this prevents their
+being sent to public schools, except during
+their infancy: thus, ignorance and poverty
+are in the midst of our societies, and the hereditary
+lot of the greater part of the citizens;
+there is only to be found an alleviation
+of this general law, in those countries
+where the constitution of the government
+encourages the high price of labour, and
+gives the poor some means of resisting the
+despotism of fortune. However, if such is
+the inevitable effect of our civil and political
+legislation, how shall we be able to bind
+men without distinction, to the maintenance
+of public order, by any instruction, I do not
+say complicated, but to which the exercise
+of long reasoning forms only a necessary introduction?
+It would not be sufficient to
+endow institutions; it would be still more
+necessary to pay the scholars for their time;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>since, for the lower class, time is, even very
+early in life, their only means of subsistence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Nevertheless, morality is not, like other
+human sciences, a knowledge, that we may
+be at liberty to acquire at our leisure; the
+quickest instruction is still too slow, since
+man has a natural power of doing evil before
+his mind is in a state to apply to reflection,
+and connect the most simple ideas.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is not then a political catechism
+which would be proper for the instruction
+of the people; it is not a course of precepts
+founded on the union of public and
+private interest, which can suit with the
+measure of their understanding; when a
+doctrine of that kind would appear as just
+as it seems to me liable to be disputed, they
+will never be able to render the principles
+of it distinct enough, to apply them to the
+purposes of instructing those whose education
+continues for so short a time. Morality,
+founded on religion, by its active influence,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>is precisely adapted to the particular
+situation of the greater number of men;
+and this agreement is so perfect, that it seems
+one of the remarkable features of universal
+harmony. Religion alone has power to
+persuade with celerity, because it excites
+passion, whilst it informs the understanding,
+because it alone has the means of
+rendering obvious what it recommends;
+because it speaks in the name of God, and
+it is easy to inspire respect for him, whose
+power is every where evident to the eyes of
+the simple and skilful, to the eyes of children,
+and men advanced to maturity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In order to attack this truth, let it not
+be said, that the idea of a God is of all
+others the most incomprehensible; and if
+it is possible to derive useful instruction
+from so metaphysical a principle, we ought
+to expect more good from precepts which
+depend on the common relations of life.
+Such an objection is a mere subtilty; the
+distinct knowledge of the essence of a God,
+the creator of the world, is, undoubtedly
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>above the comprehension of men of every
+age, and all faculties; but it is not the
+same with the vague idea of a heavenly
+power, who punishes and who rewards;
+parental authority, and the helplessness of
+infancy, prepare us early for ideas of obedience
+and command; and the world is
+such a stupendous wonder, a theatre of
+such continual prodigies, that it is easy to
+annex, at an early period, hope and fear to
+the idea of a Supreme Being. Thus, the
+infinity of a God, creator and director of
+the universe, is so far from having power to
+divert our respect and adoration, that even
+the clouds with which he invelopes himself,
+lend a new force to religious sentiments.
+A man often remains uninterested amidst:
+the discoveries of his reason; but it is always
+easy to move him, whenever we address ourselves
+to his imagination; for this faculty
+of our mind excites us continually to action,
+by presenting to our eyes a great space, and
+by keeping us always at a certain distance
+from the object we have in view. Man is
+so disposed to wonder at a power, of which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>he is ignorant of the springs; this sentiment
+is so natural to him, that what we ought to
+guard against the most in his education, is
+the inconsiderate insinuation of various terrors,
+of which he is susceptible. Thus, not
+only the true idea of the existence of an
+All-powerful God, but mere credulous faith
+in superstitious opinions, will always have
+more power over the common class of
+men, than abstract precepts, or general considerations.
+I know not even, if it might
+not be said, with truth, that the future of
+this short life, when we contemplate it, is
+further from us than the distant perspective
+offered to the mind by religion; because
+our imagination is less restrained, and the
+minutest description of reason can never
+equal in power, the lively and impulsive
+ardour of the affections of our souls.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I resume the series of my reflections, and set
+down here an important observation: which
+is, that the more the increase of taxes keeps
+the people in despondency and misery, the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>more indispensable is it to give them a religious
+education; for it is in the irritation of
+wretchedness, that we all have need of a
+powerful restraint and of daily consolations.
+The successive abuse of strength and authority,
+in overturning all the relations which
+originally existed between men, have raised,
+in the midst of them, an edifice so artificial,
+and in which there reigns so much disproportion,
+that the idea of a God is become
+more necessary than ever, to serve as a leveller
+of this confused assemblage of disparities;
+and if we can ever imagine, that a people
+should exist, subject only to the laws of
+a political morality, we should represent,
+without doubt, a rising nation, which
+would be restrained by the vigour of patriotism
+in its prime; a nation which would
+occupy a country where riches had not had
+time to accumulate; where the distance of
+the habitations from each other contributed
+to the maintenance of domestic manners;
+where agriculture, that simple and peaceful
+occupation, would be the favourite employment;
+where the work of the hands
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>would obtain a recompense proportioned to
+the scarcity of the workmen, and the extensive
+usefulness of the labour; we should represent,
+in short, a nation where the laws
+and the form of government would favour,
+during a long time, equality of rank and
+property. But in our ancient kingdoms in
+Europe, where the growth of riches continually
+augments the difference of fortunes
+and the distance of conditions;—in our
+old political bodies, where we are crowded
+together, and where misery and magnificence
+are ever mingled, it must be a morality,
+fortified by religion, that shall restrain these
+numerous spectators of so many possessions
+and objects of envy, and who, placed so
+near every thing which they call happiness,
+can yet never aspire to it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It may be asked, perhaps, in consequence
+of these reflections, whether religion, which
+strengthens every tie, and fortifies every obligation,
+is not favourable to tyranny? Such
+a conclusion would be unreasonable; but
+religion, which affords comfort under every
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>affliction, would necessarily sooth also the
+ills which arise from despotism; however,
+it is neither the origin, nor the support of
+it: religion, well understood, would not
+lend its support but to order and justice;
+and the instructions of political morality
+proposes to itself the same end. Thus, in
+both plans of education, the rights of the
+sovereign, as well as those of the citizens,
+constitute simply one of the elementary
+parts of the general system of our duties.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I shall only observe, that the insufficiency
+of political morality would appear still more
+obvious, in a country where the nation, subject
+to the authority of an absolute prince,
+would have no share in the government; for
+personal interest no longer having an habitual
+communication with the general interest,
+there would be just ground to fear, that in
+wishing to hold out the union of these two
+interests as the essential motive of virtue, the
+greater number would retain only this
+idea, that personality was admitted for
+the first principle; and consequently every
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>one ought to reserve to himself the right of
+judging of the times and circumstances when
+self-love and patriotism are to be separated, or
+united. And how many errors would not
+this produce? Public good, like all abstract
+ideas, has not a precise definition; it is
+for the greater part of mankind a sea without
+bounds, and it requires not much address
+or shrewdness to confound all our analogies.
+We may know how we would
+form, according to our taste, the alliance of
+all the moral ideas, in considering with what
+facility men know how to reconcile with
+one quality the habitual infirmities of their
+character; he who wounds without discretion,
+prides himself in his frankness and
+courage; he who is cowardly and timid in
+his sentiments and in his words, boasts of
+his caution and circumspection; and by a
+new refinement of which I have seen singular
+examples, he who asks of the sovereign
+pecuniary favours, endeavours to persuade
+him that he is impelled to this solicitation,
+only by a noble love of honourable
+distinction; every one is ingenious in fixing
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>the point of union which connects his passions
+with some virtue: would they then be
+less expert at finding some conformity between
+their own interest and that of the
+public?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I cannot, I avow, without disgust, and
+even horror, conceive the absurd notion of
+a political society, destitute of that governing
+motive afforded by religion, and restrained
+only by a pretended connexion of their private
+interest with the general. What circumscribed
+judges! What a multiplicity of opinions,
+sentiments, and wills! All would be
+in confusion, if we left to men the liberty
+of drawing their own conclusions: they
+must absolutely have a simple idea to regulate
+their conduct, especially when the application
+of this principle may be infinitely
+diversified. God in delivering his laws on
+Mount Sinai, had need but to say, <em>Thou
+shalt not steal</em>; and with the awful idea of
+that God, whom every thing recals to our
+minds, whom every thing impresses on the
+human heart, this short commandment
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>preserves, at all times, a sufficient authority;
+but when political philosophy says,
+<em>Thou shalt not steal</em>, it would be necessary
+to add to this precept a train of reasoning,
+on the laws of right, on the inequality of
+conditions, and on the various social relations;
+in order to persuade us that it comprehends
+every motive, that it answers all objections,
+and resists all attacks. It is necessary, further,
+that by the lessons of this philosophy the
+most uncultivated minds should be qualified
+to follow the different ramifications
+which unite, disunite, and reunite afresh
+the personal to the public interest: what
+an enterprize! It is, perhaps, like wishing
+to employ a course of anatomy, in order to
+direct a child in the choice of such aliments
+as are proper for it, instead of beginning
+to conduct it by the counsels and
+the authority of its mother.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The same remarks are applicable to all
+the virtues, of which the observance is essential
+to public order: what method would
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>plain reasoning take to persuade a single
+man, that he ought not to deprive a husband
+of the affections of his wife? Where
+would you assign him a distinct recompense
+for the sacrifice of his passion? What
+windings should we not be obliged to run
+over, to demonstrate to an ambitious man,
+that he ought not, in secret, to calumniate
+his rival; to the solitary miser, armed with
+indifference, that he ought not to remove
+himself from every occasion of doing good;
+to a disposition ardent and revengeful, that
+he ought not to obey those urgent impulses
+which hurry him away; to a man in
+want, that he ought not to have recourse to
+falsehood to procure attention, or to deceive
+in any other manner? And how
+many other positions would offer the same
+difficulties, and still greater? Abstract ideas,
+the best arranged, can never conquer us
+but by long arguments, since the peculiar
+nature of these ideas is to disengage our
+reasoning from the feelings, and consequently
+from striking and sudden impressions;
+besides, political morality, like every
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>thing which the mind only produces,
+would be always for us merely an opinion;
+an opinion from which we should have a
+right to appeal, at any time, to the tribunal
+of our reason. The lessons of men
+are nothing but representations of their
+judgment; and the sentiments of some
+draw not the will of others. There is not
+any principle of morality, which, under
+forms absolutely human, would not be
+susceptible of exceptions, or of some modification;
+and there is nothing so compounded
+as the idea of the connexion of
+virtue with happiness: in short, while our
+understanding has a difficulty in comprehending
+and clearly distinguishing that
+union, the objects of our passions are every
+where apparent, and all our senses are preengaged
+by them. The miser beholds gold
+and silver; the ambitious man, those honours
+which are conferred on others; the
+debauchee, the objects of his luxury; virtue
+has nothing left but reasoning; and is
+then in want of being sustained by religious
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>sentiments, and by the enlivening hopes
+which accompany them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Thus, in a government where you
+would wish to substitute political morality
+for a religious education, it would become,
+perhaps, indispensable to guard men from
+receiving any ideas calculated to exalt their
+minds; it would be necessary to divert
+them from the different competitions which
+excite self-love and ambition; they must
+withdraw themselves from the habitual society
+of women; and it would be still more
+incumbent on them to abolish the use of
+money, that attracting and confused image
+of all kinds of gratifications: in short, in
+taking from men their religious hopes, and
+depriving them thus of the encouragements
+to virtue which the imagination gives birth
+to, every exertion must be tried to prevent
+this unruly imagination from seconding
+vice, and all the passions contrary to public
+order: it was because Telemachus was accompanied
+by a Divinity, that he could,
+without danger, visit the sumptuous court
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>of Sesostris, and the enchanting abodes of
+Eucharis and Calypso.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is indeed an age the most pleasant, as
+well as the safest of our life, which we
+cannot pass without a guide; we must then,
+in order to pass with security through the
+tempestuous days of youth, have principles
+which command us, and not reflections to
+counsel us; these have not any power but
+in proportion to the vigour of the mind,
+and the mind is only formed by experience
+and a long conflict of opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Religious instructions have the peculiar
+advantage of seizing the imagination, and of
+interesting our sensibility, those two brilliant
+faculties of our early years: thus, then
+even supposing that we could establish a
+course of political morality, sufficiently
+propped by reasoning, for defending from
+vice men enlightened by maturity, I should
+still say, that a similar philosophy would not
+be suitable to youth, and that this armour is
+too heavy for them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>In short, the lessons of human wisdom,
+which cannot govern us during the ardour
+of our passions, are equally insufficient, when
+our strength being broken by disease, we are
+no longer in a state to comprehend a variety
+of relations; instead of which, such is the
+pleasing emotions that accompany the language
+of religion, that in the successive decline
+of our faculties, this language still
+keeps pace with them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Nevertheless, if we were ever to be persuaded,
+that there was on earth a more certain
+encouragement to virtue than religion,
+its powers would be immediately weakened;
+it would not be half so interesting, nor
+could reign when divided; if its sentiments
+did not overflow, as we may say, the human
+heart, all its influence would vanish.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Religious instruction, in assembling all
+the means proper to excite men to virtue,
+neglects not, it is true, to point out the relations,
+which exist between the observance
+of the laws of morality and the happiness of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>life; but it is as an accessary motive, that
+these considerations are presented; and it is
+not necessary to support them by the same
+proofs as a fundamental principle requires.
+Also, when people are taught early that
+vices and crimes lead to misery on earth,
+these doctrines make not a lasting impression
+on them, but in proportion as we succeed
+at the same time, in convincing them of the
+constant influence of a Providence over all
+the events of this world.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>One important reason still exempts religious
+professors, from attaching themselves
+to demonstrate, that the principal advantages
+which excite the envy of men, are
+an absolute consequence of the observance
+of the laws of order: it is, that sacrifices,
+supported by an idea of duty, are
+changed into real satisfactions; and the
+sentiments, which the virtuous enjoy from
+piety, compose an essential part of their
+happiness. But what consolation can a
+man have by way of return; what
+secret approbation can we grant him,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>when we know not any other authority
+than that of political morality, and when
+virtue is nothing but an opposition between
+private and public interest?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Religion certainly proposes to man his
+own happiness, as an object and ultimate
+end; but as this happiness is placed at a
+distance, religion conducts us to it by
+wholesome restrictions and temporary sacrifices;
+it regards only the sublimest part of
+us, that which disunites us from the present
+moment, in order to connect us with
+futurity; it offers us hopes, which withdraw
+us from worldly interest, so far as is
+necessary to prevent us from being immoderately
+devoted to the disorderly impressions
+of our senses, and the tyranny of our
+passions. Irreligion, on the contrary, whose
+lessons teach us, that we are only masters
+of the present moment, concentres us more
+and more within ourselves, and there is
+nothing beautiful or good in this condition;
+for grandeur, of every kind, relates
+to the extent of those relations which we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>comprehend; and, in a like acceptation,
+our sentiments submit to the same laws.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Those who represent the obligations of
+religion as indifferent, assure us, that we
+may repose safely the maintenance of morality
+on some general sentiments, which we
+have adopted; but do not consider that these
+sentiments derive their origin, and almost all
+their force, from that spirit of religion which
+they wish to weaken. Yes, even humanity,
+this emotion of a noble soul, is animated
+and fortified by the idea of a Supreme Being;
+the alliance between men holds but
+feebly from the conformity of their organization;
+nor can it be attributed to the similitude
+of their passions, that continual source
+of so much hatred; it depends essentially on
+our connexion with the same author, the
+same superintendant, the same judge; it is
+founded on the equality of our right to the
+same hopes, and on that train of duties inculcated
+by education, and rendered respectable
+by the habitual dominion of religious
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>opinions. Alas! it is a melancholy
+avowal, that men have so many infirmities,
+so much injustice, selfishness, and ingratitude,
+at least, in the eyes of those who
+have observed them collectively, that we
+never can keep them in harmony by the mere
+lessons of wisdom: it is not always because
+they are amiable that we love them;
+it is sometimes, and very often indeed, because
+we ought to love them, that we find them
+amiable. Yes, goodness and forbearance, these
+qualities the most simple, still require to be
+compared, from time to time, with an idea
+general and predominate, the band of all our
+virtues. The passions of others wound us
+in so many ways, and there is often so
+much depth and energy in our self-love,
+that we have need of some succour to be
+constantly generous in our sentiments, and
+to be really interested for all our fellow-creatures,
+in the midst of whom we are placed.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, not to dissemble, if a man once
+came to consider himself as a being that is
+the child of chance, or of blind necessity,
+and tending only to the dust from whence
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>he sprung, and to which he must return,
+he would despise himself; and far from
+seeking to rise to noble and virtuous reflections,
+he would consider this species of
+ambition as a fantastic idea, which consumes
+in a vain and illusory manner, a part of those
+fleeting minutes which he has to pass on
+earth; and all his attention being fixed on
+the shortness of life, and on the eternal
+silence which must close the scene, he would
+only think <em>how to devour this reign of a
+moment</em>.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>How dangerous then would it be, on
+this supposition, to show to men the extremity
+of the chain which unites them
+together! It is in worldly affairs this
+knowledge of having received the last favour,
+which renders them ungrateful towards
+those from whom they no longer expect
+any thing; and the same sentiment
+would weaken the power of morality if our
+lease was manifestly only for this world. It
+is then religion which ought to strengthen
+those ties, and defend the entire system of
+our duty against the stratagems of reasoning
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>and the artifices of our minds; it is necessary,
+in order to oblige all men, to consider
+with respect the laws of morality, to teach
+them early that the social virtues are an
+homage rendered to the perfections and to
+the beneficent intentions of the Sovereign
+Author of Nature, of that Infinite Being
+who is pleased with the preservation of order,
+and the private sacrifices which the accomplishment
+of this grand design requires.
+And when I see modern philosophers tracing,
+with an able hand, the general plan of
+our duties; when I see them fix with judgment
+the reciprocal obligations of citizens,
+and giving, at last, for the basis to this legislation,
+personal interest and the love of
+praise: I recollect the system of those Indian
+philosophers, who, after having studied
+the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, being
+perplexed to determine the power which
+sustained the vaulted firmament, thought
+they had freed it from difficulty, by placing
+the universe on the back of an elephant, and
+this elephant on a tortoise. We shall imitate
+these philosophers, and, like them, shall
+never proceed but by degradation, whenever,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>by endeavouring to form a chain of
+duties and moral principles, we do not place
+the last link above worldly considerations,
+and beyond the limits of our social conventions.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. II.<br> <em>The same Subject continued. A Parallel between the Influence of Religious Principles, and of Laws and Opinions.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>After having examined, as I have
+just done, in the preceding chapter,
+if it were possible to found morality on the
+connexion of private with public interest,
+it remains for me to consider, if the punishments
+inflicted by the sovereign, if the
+sceptre, which public opinion sways, have
+sufficient power to restrain men, and bind
+them to the observance of their duty.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is necessary to proceed by common
+ideas, in order to advance one degree in the
+research of truth: thus I ought at first, in
+this place, to recollect, that the penal laws
+cannot be applied but to offences known
+and proved; this consideration contracts
+their power within a very narrow circle;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>however, crimes secretly committed, are
+not the only ones which are beyond the
+cognizance of laws; we must place in this
+rank every reprehensible action, which, for
+want of a distinct character, can never be
+pointed out; the number of them is prodigious:
+the rigour of parents, ingratitude
+of children, the inhumanity of abandoning
+their nurses, treachery in friendship, the
+violation of domestic comfort, disunion
+sown in the bosoms of families, levity of
+principles in every social connexion, perfidious
+counsels, artful and slanderous insinuations,
+rigorous exercise of authority,
+favour and partiality of judges, their inattention,
+their idleness and severity, endeavours
+to obtain places of importance,
+with a consciousness of incapacity, corrupt
+flatteries addressed to sovereigns or
+ministers, statesmen indifferent to public
+good, their vile and pernicious jealousies,
+and their political dissensions, excited in
+order to render themselves necessary, wars
+instigated by ambition, intolerance under
+the cover of zeal; in short, many other fatal
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>evils which the laws cannot either
+follow or describe, and which often do
+much mischief, before they give any opportunity
+for public censure. We ought
+not even to desire that this censure pass
+certain bounds, because authority, applied
+to obscure faults, or those susceptible
+of various interpretations, easily degenerates
+into tyranny; and as there is nothing so
+transitory as thought, nothing so secret as
+our sentiments; none but an invisible power,
+whose authority seems to participate of
+the divine, has a right to enter into the secrets
+of our hearts.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is then only, at the tribunal of his
+own conscience, that a man can be interrogated
+about a number of actions and intentions
+which escape the inspection of government.
+Let us beware of overturning
+the authority of a judge so active and enlightened;
+let us beware of weakening it
+voluntarily, and let us not be so imprudent
+as to repose only on social discipline. I
+will even venture to say, that the power of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>conscience is perhaps still more necessary in
+the age we live in, than in any of the preceding;
+though society no longer presents
+us with a view of those vices and crimes
+which shock us by their deformity; yet
+licentiousness of morals, and refinement of
+manners, have almost imperceptibly blended
+good and evil, vice and decency, falsehood
+and truth, selfishness and magnanimity; it
+is more important then ever, to oppose to
+this secret depravity, an interior authority,
+which pries into the mysterious windings
+of disguise, and whose action may be as
+penetrating as our dissimulation seems artful
+and well contrived.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is, undoubtedly, because a similar authority
+appears absolutely necessary to the
+maintenance of public order, that several
+philosophic writers have endeavoured to introduce
+it as a principle of atheism. In
+such a system the whole is fictitious; they
+speak of our blushing at the recollection of
+our follies, of dreading our own secret reproaches,
+and of being afraid of the condemnation,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>which, in the calm of reflection,
+we shall pronounce against ourselves; but
+these sentiments, which have so much force
+with the idea of a God, they know not what
+to unite them with, when they would give only
+for a guide the most active personal interest,
+and when all the grand communications,
+established between men by religious opinions,
+are absolutely broken; conscience is
+then an expression void of meaning, a useless
+word in the language. We may still
+feel remorse, that is to say, regret at being
+deceived in the pursuits of ambition, in promoting
+our interest, in the choice of means
+which we employ to obtain the respect and
+praise of others; in short, in the various
+calculations of our worldly advantage: but
+such remorse is only an exaltation of our
+self-love; we deify, in some measure, our
+judgment and understanding, and we make
+at last all our actions appear before these
+false idols, to reproach us with our errors
+and weaknesses; we thus voluntarily become
+our own tormentors; but when this perfection
+is too importunate, we have it in our
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>power to command our tyrants to use more
+indulgence towards us. It is not the same
+with the reproaches of conscience; the sentiments
+which produce them have nothing
+compounded or artificial in them, we cannot
+corrupt our judge, nor enter into a compromise
+with him; that which seduces men
+never deceives him, and amidst the giddiness
+of prosperity, in the intoxication of the
+greatest success, his looks are inevitably fixed
+on us; and we cannot but with terror enjoy
+the applause and the triumphs which we
+have not merited.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We read in several modern books, that
+with good laws we should always have morality
+sufficient; but I cannot adopt this
+opinion. Man is a being so compounded, and
+his relations with his species are so various
+and so fine, that to regulate his mind, and
+direct his conduct, he has need of a multitude
+of sentiments, on which the commands
+of the sovereign have not any hold; they are
+all simple and declared duties, which the
+legislators have reduced to precepts, and this
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>rough building, termed civil laws, leaves
+vacancies throughout. The laws require
+merely a blind obedience; and as they enjoin
+and defend only actions, are absolutely indifferent
+to the private sentiments of men;
+the moral edifice which they raise is in several
+parts a mere exterior form, and it is
+at the roof, if I may say so, that they have
+begun. Religion proceeds in a manner diametrically
+opposite; it is in the heart, it is
+in the recesses of conscience, that it lays its
+first base; it appears to be acquainted with
+the grand secrets of nature; it sows in the
+earth a grain, and this grain is nourished,
+and transformed into numerous branches,
+which, without any effort, spring up, and
+extend themselves to all dimensions and in
+every kind of form.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I will suppose, nevertheless, that we believed
+it sufficient for the maintenance of
+public order, to reduce morality to the spirit
+of civil laws, it would still be out of the
+power of men to draw from this assimilation
+familiar instructions proper to form a code
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>of education; for these laws, simple in
+their commands, are not so in their principles.
+We perceive not immediately why
+revenge, the most just, is prohibited; why
+we have not the power to do ourselves justice
+by the same means a ravisher would
+use; why we have not a right to resist with
+violence the tyrannic oppressor; in short,
+why certain actions, some indifferent in
+themselves, and some hurtful to others, are
+condemned in a general and uniform manner:
+a kind of combination is necessary to
+discover, that the legislator himself is wandering
+from natural ideas, in order to prevent
+every person from being a judge in
+his own cause, and to avoid that, those exceptions
+and distinctions, of which every
+circumstance is susceptible, might never be
+determined by the judgment of individuals.
+In the same manner, from those indirect
+motives, the laws treat with more rigour an
+offence difficult to define, than a disorder
+more reprehensible in itself; but of which
+the excesses might be easily perceived: and
+they observe still the same rule with respect
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>to crimes which are surrounded by greater
+allurements, though this seduction is even
+a motive for indulgence in the eyes of
+simple justice; in short, the laws, in adopting
+a more determinate method, to constrain
+debtors to the discharge of their obligations,
+prove that they are not compassionate to
+unforeseen misfortunes, nor actuated by
+other motives of equity which merit an equal
+interest; all their attention is fixed on the relation
+of engagements with the political resources,
+which arise from commerce and its
+transactions. There exists thus a multitude of
+prohibitions of punishments, or gradations in
+the penalties, which have not any connexion
+but with the general views of the legislation,
+and agree not with the circumscribed
+good sense, which determines the judgment
+of individuals. It is then often, by considerations
+very extensive and complicated,
+that an action is criminal or reprehensible
+in the eyes of the law: thus, we know
+not how to erect, on this base alone, a system
+of morality, of which every one can
+have a clear perception; and since the legislator
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>carefully avoids submitting any thing
+to private examination, because he sacrifices
+often to this principle natural justice, how
+then can he wish, at the same time, to
+give us for a rule of conduct a political
+morality, which is all founded on reasoning?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is of consequence still to observe, that
+to the eyes of the greater number of men,
+the sense of the laws, and the decrees
+formed by those who interpret them, ought
+necessarily to be identified and blended, and
+form only one point of view; and as the
+judges are frequently exposed to error, the
+true spirit of legislation remains often in
+obscurity, and we with difficulty discern it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is, perhaps, because laws are the work
+of our understanding, that we are disposed
+to grant them a universal dominion: but I
+will avow, I am far from thinking that
+they can ever be substituted instead of the
+salutary influence of religion, and that I
+believe them insufficient even to regulate
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>the things immediately under their jurisdiction;
+thus I would request you to reflect,
+if the unfortunate errors with which
+we reproach criminal tribunals, have not
+their source in the faults committed by sovereign
+authority; when it has referred all
+the duties of the judges to the injunctions
+of the law, and when it has refused to confide
+any longer in the conscience and private
+sentiments of the magistrates.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us render this observation more clear
+by a single example chosen from a number.
+We demand at present, that the legislator
+explain himself afresh on the grand
+question, what witnesses are necessary? but
+will he not always run the risk of being
+deceived, whether he absolutely rejects a
+probable evidence, or whether he makes
+the fate of a criminal depend upon it? How
+will he determine, that the testimony of
+an honest man, identifying the person of an
+assassin, in his own cause, should not be
+reckoned any thing by the judge; and how
+can he pretend also, that a testimony of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>this nature is sufficient to determine a
+condemnation, when he who gives the
+evidence appears suspicious, either from
+the motives, which we must suppose actuate
+him, or from the improbability of
+his assertion? Reason is then placed between
+two extremes; but intermediate
+ideas not being consonant with the absolute
+language of law, we ought, in
+such circumstances, to leave much to
+the wisdom and integrity of the magistrates;
+and so far from serving innocence
+by acting otherwise, we visibly endanger
+it; because judges habituate themselves
+to render the laws responsible for every
+thing, and respectfully submit to the letter,
+instead of obeying the spirit, which is the
+earnest desire of obtaining truth. What
+then, some will say, would you wish
+that there should be no positive instructions,
+neither to serve for a guide in
+the examination of crimes, nor to determine
+the character by which these
+crimes may be distinguished? This was
+never in my mind; but I could wish,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>that in an affair of such serious importance,
+they would unite to the judgment
+which proceeded from the prudence of the
+legislator, that which may be brought by
+the wisdom of the judges; I could wish,
+that the criminal legislation prescribed to
+the magistrates, not all that they are obliged
+to do, but all from which they are not
+exempt; not all that is sufficient to
+determine their opinion, but all which
+ought to be the indispensable condition
+of a capital punishment. Guided by such
+a spirit, the commands given by the
+law, would be a safeguard against the ignorance,
+or possible prevarication of the
+judges; but as any general rule, any immutable
+principle, is not applicable to an
+infinite diversity of circumstances, I would
+give to innocence a new defender, interesting
+in a more immediate manner the morality
+of the judges to search for and examine
+the truth, and to recal continually
+all the extent of their obligations; I could
+wish, that previous to their passing a
+sentence of condemnation, raising one of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>their hands towards heaven, they pronounced
+with earnestness these words:
+“I attest, that the man accused before us,
+appears to me guilty, according to the
+law, and according to my own private
+judgment.” It is not sufficient, that we command
+a judge to examine with probity, if
+the proofs of an offence, are conformable to
+those required by the statute; it is necessary to
+inform a magistrate, that he ought to enquire
+into the truth by all the means that scrupulous
+anxiety can suggest; he should know, that,
+called to decide on the life and the honour
+of men, his understanding and his heart,
+ought to be enlisted in the cause of
+humanity, and that there are not any
+limits opposed to bound his duty; then,
+without failing in any of the enquiries ordained
+by the laws, he would force himself
+to go still further, that no evidence
+proper to make an impression on a reasonable
+man might be rejected, at the same
+time, that none might have so decisive a
+force, that the examination of circumstances
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>would ever appear useless; the judges then
+would make use of that sagacity, which
+seems to discern instinctively; they would
+not then disdain to read even the looks
+of the accuser and the accused, and they
+would not believe it a matter of indifference
+to observe with attention, all
+those emotions of nature, where sometimes
+truth is painted with so much energy;
+then, in short, innocence would be under
+the protection of something as pure as itself,
+the scrupulous conscience of a judge.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We have never, perhaps, sufficiently considered
+how much a methodical order, when
+we confine ourselves too servilely to it,
+contracts the bounds of the mind; it
+becomes then like a foot-path traced between
+two banks, which prevents our discovering
+what is not in a strait line. The
+strict observance of method diverts us also
+from consulting that light, sometimes so
+lively, of which the soul only is the focus;
+for in subjecting us to a positive course of
+things always regular, and in making us
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>find pleasure in a determined path, which
+offers continual repose to our thoughts, it incapacitates
+for thinking that delicate perception
+of natural sentiments, which has nothing
+fixed or circumscribed, but whose free flight
+often makes us approach to truth, as by a
+kind of instinct or inspiration.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I should stray too far from my subject,
+if I extended these reflections, and I hasten
+to connect them with the subject of this
+chapter, in repeating again, that if the
+laws are insufficient, even in those decisions
+submitted to their authority, and if the
+they have absolute need of the aid of religion,
+whenever they impose on their private
+expounders duties a little complicated;
+they would be still less able to supply
+the habitual and daily influence of that
+motive, the most powerful of all, and the
+only one at the same time, of which the
+action will be sufficiently penetrating to follow
+us in the mazes of our conduct, and
+in the labyrinth of our thoughts.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>I ought now to direct your attention towards
+other considerations. All that is
+required by public order, all that is of importance
+to society, some will say, is, that
+criminals may not escape the sword of
+justice, and that an attentive superintendance
+discover them under the cloud where
+they seek to conceal themselves. I will
+not here recal the various obstacles, which
+are opposed to the plenitude of this vigilance;
+every one may perceive them, or
+form an idea of them; but I hasten to
+observe, that in considering society in its
+actual state, we ought not to forget, that
+religious sentiments have greatly diminished
+the talk of government; a scene quite
+new would open, if we had for our guide
+only political morality; it would not then
+be a few men without principles, who
+would trouble the public order, more able
+actors would mix in the throng, some conducted
+by mature reflection, and others, carried
+away by seducing appearances, would be
+incessantly at war with all those, whose
+fortune excited their jealousy; and then
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>only we should know how many opportunities
+there are of doing evil, and injuring
+others. It would also happen, that
+all these enemies of public order not being
+disconcerted by the reproaches of their conscience,
+would become every day more expert
+in the art of avoiding the observation
+of justice; and the dangers to which the
+imprudent exposed themselves, would not
+discourage the ingenious.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is then, if I may be permitted so
+to express myself, because the laws find
+men in a healthy state, prepared by religious
+instruction, that they can restrain
+them; but if a system of education merely
+political was ever to prevail, new precautions
+and new chains would become absolutely
+necessary, and after having freed us from
+the mild ties of religion, the projectors of
+such a system would increase our civil
+slavery, would bend our necks under the
+hardest of all yokes, that which is imposed
+by our fellow-creatures.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>Religion, whose influence they wish us
+to reject, is better appropriated than they
+think, to the mixture of pride and weakness,
+which constitutes our nature, and for
+us, such as we are; its action is far preferable
+to that of the penal laws; it is not,
+before his equals, armed with the rod of
+vengeance, that the culprit is made to appear;
+it is not to their ignorance, or to
+their inexorable justice, that he is abandoned;
+it is at the tribunal of his own
+conscience, that religion informs against
+him; before a God, sovereign of the world,
+that it humbles, and in the name of a tender
+and merciful Father that it comforts
+him. Alas! while you at once take from
+us both our consolation and our true dignity,
+you wish to refer every thing to private
+interest and public punishment; but permit
+me to listen to those commands which
+come from on high; leave me to divert my
+attention from the menacing sceptre which
+the potentates of the earth weild in their
+hand; leave me to account with Him, before
+whom they shrink into nothing; leave me, in
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>short, to address myself to him who pardons,
+and who, at the moment I have offended,
+permits me still to love him, and rely on
+his grace!—Alas! without the idea of a
+God,—without this connexion with a Supreme
+Being, author of all nature, we
+should only listen to the vile counsels of
+selfish prudence, we should only have to
+flatter and adore the rulers of nations, and
+all those who in an absolute monarchy, are
+the numerous representatives of the authority
+of the prince; yes, talents, sentiments,
+ought to bend before these distributors of
+so much good and evil, if nothing exists
+beyond worldly interest; and when once
+every one cringes, there is no more dignity
+in the character, men become incapable of
+any great action, and unequal to any moral
+excellence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Religious opinions have the double merit
+of maintaining us in the obedience due to the
+laws and the soveriegn, and of nourishing
+in our hearts a sentiment which sustains
+our courage, and which reminds men of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>their true grandeur; teaches submission
+without meanness, and prevents, above all,
+cowardly humiliations before transitory
+idols, in showing at a distance the last period,
+when all must return to an equality
+before the Master of the World.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The idea of a God, at the same distance
+from all men, serves also to console us for
+that shocking superiority of rank and fortune
+under the oppression of which we
+live; it is necessary to transport ourselves
+to the heights religion discovers, to consider
+with a kind of calmness and indifference
+the frivolous pretentions of some,
+and the confident haughtiness of others;
+and such objects of regret, or of envy,
+which appeared a Colossus to our imagination,
+are changed into a grain of sand,
+when we contrast them with the grand
+prospects which such sublime meditations
+display to our view.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>They are then blind, or indifferent to
+our interest, who wish to substitute, instead
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>of religious instructions, political and
+worldly maxims; and in like manner, those
+are inflexible and unfeeling, who believe they
+shall be able to conduct men only by terror;
+and who, in contesting the salutary influence
+of religious opinions, expect less from them
+than the axe of the lictors, and the apparatus
+of execution. What is then this wretched
+system? For supposing even that the different
+means of securing public tranquillity
+were equal in their effect, should we not
+prefer religious principles, which prevent
+crimes, to the strict laws which punish
+them? I understand not besides, how, with
+the same hand that they repel religious sentiments,
+they wish to raise every where scaffolds,
+and multiply, without scruple, those
+frightful theatres of severity; for if men, hurried
+onwards to crimes, were only governed
+by blind necessity, alas! what do they deserve?
+And if we still determine to destroy
+them as examples, we should assist at their
+execution, as at that of beings devoted for
+the good of society, as Iphigenia was sacrificed
+at Aulis for the salvation of Greece.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>Religion is, in another respect, superior
+to the laws, which are ever armed for
+vengeance; instead of that, religion, even
+when threatening, nourishes also the hopes
+of pardon and felicity; and I believe, contrary
+to the generally received opinion,
+that man, by his nature, is more constantly
+animated by hope, than restrained
+by fear; the former of these sentiments
+compose the tenor of our life, whilst the
+latter is the effect of an extraordinary
+circumstance, or particular situation; in
+short, courage, or want of consideration,
+turns our attention from danger, whilst ideas
+of happiness are perpetually present, and
+blended, if I may use the expression, with
+our whole existence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I perceive, however, that some may say
+to me, it is not only of civil and penal laws
+that we mean to speak, when we maintain
+that good public institutions would be an efficacious
+substitute for the influence of religion;
+it would be necessary to introduce
+laws of education, proper to modify, beforehand,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>the mind and form the character.
+But they have not explained, and I am ignorant
+that there are such laws, which they
+wish to distinguish from the general doctrines
+we are acquainted with; doctrines
+susceptible, undoubtedly, of different degrees
+of perfection, which, before instructing us
+not only in the virtues simple and real, but
+in all those mixed and conventional, have
+necessarily a vague character, and could not
+separate themselves from the support that
+they borrow from the fixed and precise ideas
+of religion. They may cite the example of
+Sparta, where the state undertook the education
+of the citizens, and formed by laws
+the extraordinary manners which history
+has delineated; but that government, aided
+in this enterprize by all the influence of
+paternal authority, nevertheless proposed but
+two great  objects, the encouragement
+of martial qualities, and the maintenance of
+liberty: morality was not made interesting,
+though among us it requires so much application;
+and it was rendered less necessary,
+as every institution tended to introduce a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>perfect equality of rank and fortune, and
+opposed all kind of communication with
+foreigners. In short, it was, after all, a religious
+opinion which subjected the Spartans
+to the authority of their legislator; and
+without their confidence in the oracle of
+Delphos, Lycurgus had only been a celebrated
+philosopher.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We are still further, at present, from the
+disposition and situation which would allow
+laws of education to govern us, supported
+only by a political spirit; in order to make
+the trial, we must be divided into little associations;
+and by some means, not yet discovered,
+be able to oppose invincible obstacles
+to the enlargement of them, and to preserve
+us from the desires and voluptuousness which
+are the inevitable consequence of an augmentation
+of wealth, and the progress of
+the arts and sciences: in short, and it is a
+singular remark, at a period when man is
+become a being the most compounded, on
+account of these social modifications, he has
+need, more than ever, of a principle which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>will penetrate to the very source of his numerous
+affections; consequently it would be necessary
+suddenly to carry him back to his primitive
+simplicity, to make him agree, in some
+measure, with the limited extent of an education
+purely civil. Let me add, that a
+like education could not be adapted to the
+commonalty, as in Sparta; they must be separated
+from the citizens, and kept in servitude:
+an observation which leads me to a
+very important reflection; it is, that in a
+country where slavery would be introduced,
+where the most numerous class would be
+governed by the continual fear of the severest
+chastisement, they would be able to confide
+more in the mere ascendency of political morality;
+for this morality only having to keep in
+order the part of society represented by
+those who have property, the task would
+not be difficult; but among us, where happily
+all men, without any distinction, are
+subject to the yoke of the law, an authority
+so extensive, must necessarily be strengthened
+and seconded by the universal influence
+of religious opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>I shall conclude this part of my subject
+by one reflection more; supposing, even in
+the sovereign authority, an exertion sufficiently
+general to prevent or repress evil,
+religion would still have this great advantage,
+that it inculcates the beneficent virtues,
+which the laws cannot reach; and yet, in
+the actual state of society, it is become impossible
+to omit those virtues. It is not sufficient
+to be just, when the laws of property
+reduce to bare necessaries the most
+numerous class of men, whose weak resources
+the most trivial accident disconcerts;
+and I hesitate not to say, that such is the
+extreme inequality established by these laws,
+that we ought at present to consider the
+spirit of beneficence and forbearance, as
+constituting a part of social order; as in all
+places and times, it softens by its assistance
+the excess of wretchedness, and by an innumerable
+multitude of springs spreads itself
+as the vital juice, through forlorn beings,
+whom misery had almost exhausted.
+But if this spirit, properly intermediate between
+the rigour of civil rights, and the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>original title of humanity, did not exist, or
+should ever be extinct, we should see all the
+subordinate ties relax imperceptibly; and a
+man, loaded with the favours of fortune,
+never presenting himself to the people under
+the form of a benefactor; they would more
+forcibly feel the great extent of his privileges,
+and would accustom themselves to
+discuss them. Men must then find a way
+of moderating the despotism of fortune,
+or render homage to religion, which, by
+the sublime idea of an exchange between
+the blessings of heaven and earth, obliges
+the rich to give what the laws cannot demand.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Religion then comes continually to assist
+the civil legislation, it speaks a language
+unknown to the laws, it warms that sensibility
+which ought to advance even before
+reason; it acts like light and interior
+warmth, as it both enlightens and animates;
+and what we have not sufficiently
+observed, is, that in society its moral sentiments
+are the imperceptible tie of a number
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>of parts, which seem to be held by their own
+agreement, and which would be successively
+detached, if the chain which united them
+was ever to be broken: we shall more
+clearly perceive this truth, in the examination
+we are going to make of the connexion
+of opinion with morality.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>When we imagine we should be able to
+subject men to the observance of public order,
+and inspire them with the love of virtue,
+by motives independent of religion, we
+propose, undoubtedly, to put in action two
+powerful springs; the desire of esteem and
+praise; and the fear of contempt and shame.
+Thus, to follow my subject in all its
+branches, I ought necessarily to examine
+what is the degree of force of these different
+motives, and what is also their true application.
+I have already spoken, in other
+works of mine, of the opinion of the world,
+and of its salutary effects; but the subject I
+am now treating obliges me to consider it
+under a different point of view, and it is by
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>placing myself behind the scene, that I shall
+be able to fulfil this task.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I remark, at first, that the opinion of the
+world exercises its influence in a very confined
+space, as it is particularly called in to
+judge men, whose rank and employments
+have some splendour in the world; the opinion
+of the public is an approbation or censure,
+exercised in the name of the general
+interest; thus it ought only to be applied
+to actions and to words, which either directly
+or indirectly affect this interest. The
+private conduct of him who discharges in society
+the most important functions, is indeed
+submitted to the judgment and superintendance
+of the public at large; and we ought
+not to wonder that it should, since in similar
+circumstances the principles of an individual
+appear an earnest, or presage of his public
+virtues; but all those, whose sole occupation
+is to spend their income, those who are
+entirely devoted to dissipation, and have not
+any connexion with the grand interests of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>the community, become independent of the
+opinion of the world; or at least they do
+not experience its severity, till, by foolish
+extravagance or inconsiderate pretentions,
+they draw the attention of the public on
+their conduct. In short, a great number of
+men, who, by the obscurity of their condition
+and moderate fortune, find themselves
+lost in a crowd, will never dread a power
+that singles out of the ranks its heroes
+and victims: thus people, concealed under
+humble roofs scattered in the country, are
+as indifferent to the opinion of the world,
+as are to the rays of the sun, those unhappy
+tribes who labour at the bottom of mines,
+and pass their whole lives in a dark subterraneous
+cavern.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We cannot then form any kind of comparison
+between the peculiar ascendency of
+reputation, and the general influence of religious
+morality.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Fame only recompenses rare actions; and
+would have nothing to bestow on a nation
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>of heroes. Religion tends continually to
+render virtue common; but the universal
+success of its instructions would take away
+nothing from the value of its benefits.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In order to receive the rewards which
+fame bestows, men must appear with splendour
+on the stage of life. Religion, on the
+contrary, extends its most distinguished favours
+to those who despise praise, and who
+do good in secret.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The world almost always requires, that
+talents and knowledge should accompany
+virtue; and it is thus that the love of praise
+becomes the seed and spring of great actions.
+Religion never imposes this condition;
+its recompenses belong to the ignorant
+as well as the learned, to the humble
+spirit as well as to the exalted genius; and
+it is in animating equally all men, in exciting
+universal activity, that it effectually concurs
+to the maintenance of civil order.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The world, only judging of actions in
+their state of maturity, takes not any account
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>of efforts; and, as men do not
+seize the palm till the moment when they
+approach the goal, it is necessary, at the
+commencement of the career, that every one
+should derive from his own force his courage
+and perseverance. Religion, on the contrary,
+if I may say so, dwells with us from
+the moment that we begin to think; it
+welcomes our intentions, strengthens our
+resolutions, and supports us even in the hour
+of temptation; it is, at all times, and in all
+situations, that we experience its influence,
+as we are continually reminded of its rewards.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Fame distributing only favours, whose
+principal value arises from comparisons and
+competitions, often draws on its favourites
+the envenomed breath of slander, and then
+sometimes they doubt about their real value.
+Religion mingles no bitterness with its reward;
+it is in obscurity that it confers content;
+and as it has treasures for all the
+world, what is granted to some never impoverishes
+others.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>The world is often mistaken in its judgment,
+because in the midst of so vast a circle it
+is often difficult to distinguish true merit and
+the splendour which follows it, from the
+false colours of hypocrisy. Religion extends
+its influence to the inmost recesses of
+the heart, and places there an observer,
+who has a closer view of men than their
+actions afford, and whom they cannot
+either deceive or surprise.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, I will say it, there are moments
+when the opinion of the world loses
+its force,  and becomes enervated or governed
+by a servile spirit, it searches to find
+faults in the oppressed, and attributes grand
+intentions to powerful men, that it may,
+without shame, abandon one, and celebrate
+the other. Ah! it is in such moments we
+return with delight to the precepts of religion,
+to those independent principles, which,
+while they illustrate every thing deserving
+of esteem or contempt, enable us to follow
+the dictates of our heart, and speak
+according to our conscience!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>Thus, the opinion of the world, whose
+influence I have seen increase, which unites
+so many motives to excite men to distinguished
+actions, and to exalt them even to
+the great virtues, still ought never to be
+compared with the universal, invariable influence
+of religion, and with those sentiments
+which its precepts inspire men of all
+ages, of all conditions, and every degree of
+understanding.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Would it be straying from my subject,
+to remark here the illusion we are under,
+if we expect any important utility to arise
+from those marks of distinction lately introduced
+into France, under the name of
+public rewards for virtue? Those trivial favours
+of opinion can never be decreed but
+to a few dispersed actions; and it might
+be apprehended, that if we rendered such
+institutions permanent and general, they
+might turn the attention of the people at
+large from the grand recompense, which
+ought to be the spring and encouragement
+of all that is great and virtuous. Experienced
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>hunters, at the moment when all
+the pack is still pursuing the most noble
+ranger of the forest, would not permit
+them to turn, to run after a prey which
+darted out of a lurking hole or thicket.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The establishments on which I here fix
+my attention, have, perhaps, also the inconvenience
+of rousing a sentiment of surprise
+at the appearance of a good action,
+and announcing thus too distinctly, that
+they believe them rare, and above the common
+exertions of humanity; and if we extended
+still further these institutions, they
+would only introduce a spirit of parade, always
+ready to languish, when applause was
+distant; and it would be a great misfortune,
+if such a spirit ever took place of
+simple and modest integrity, which receives
+from itself its motives and reward: virtue
+and vanity make a bad mixture; men are
+then accustomed only to act to be seen, and
+these opportunities, at present not very numerous,
+they wish to choose. There is
+besides a class of men so ill treated by fortune,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>that we should commit a great mistake
+in habituating them to connect continually
+calculations of probable rewards
+from men, with the practice of their duty;
+they would too often be deceived.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is then, we cannot too often repeat it, it
+is respect for morality, which it is necessary
+to maintain, by strengthening religious
+principles, its most solid foundation; all
+other extraordinary helps derive their force
+from novelty; and at the period when society
+would have the greatest need of their
+succour, it would, perhaps, have arrived at
+its greatest depravity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Thus far at present, I have considered
+the influence of opinion, only in general;
+but men manifest more in a private
+manner, the idea that they have conceived
+of each other; and this sentiment,
+which takes then the simple name of esteem,
+is connected with a determinate
+knowledge of the moral character of those
+with whom we have an habitual correspondence;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>esteem under this view, has not the
+splendour of reputation; but as every one
+can pretend to it in the circle where his
+birth and occupations have placed him, the
+hope of obtaining it ought to be reckoned
+among the grand motives which excite us
+to the observance of morality. However,
+if we supposed that this esteem was entirely
+separated from religious sentiments, it would
+be like many other advantages, which every
+one would estimate by his own fancy; for
+whatever comes solely from men, can only
+have a price relative to our connexion with
+them: thus the esteem of one, or of several
+persons, would not indemnify for such a sacrifice;
+and often also this sentiment, on their
+part, would appear inferior to some other
+objects, of ambition; in a word, from the
+moment every preference, every valuation
+was brought to a standard, each would insensibly
+have his own book of rates; and the
+justness of them would depend on the degree
+of judgment and foresight of every individual.
+But how can we imagine that
+perfection in morality would ever be secure,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>when it depended on wavering and arbitrary
+comparisons, whose foundation would be
+continually changed by the various circumstances
+and situations of life? The motives
+which religion presents are absolutely different;
+it is not by confused contrasts, that it
+directs men; it is a predominate interest to
+which they are recalled; it is round a beacon,
+of which the brilliant flames are seen on all
+sides, that they are assembled; in short the
+rules which it prescribes are not uncertain,
+and the advantages which it promises do
+not admit of an equivalent.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us further observe here, that selfishness,
+after having compared the enjoyment
+of esteem with pleasures of a different kind,
+would not fail to reckon the chances which
+afford a hope of imposing on men; and in
+the midst of these perplexed calculations, the
+passion of the moment would be almost always
+victorious. Besides, we might ask,
+what is the esteem of others, to that
+numerous class which misery makes solitary?
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>And what is it but a sentiment, of
+which the effect is never obvious, to those
+whose view is limited to the present day,
+or the next, because they only live by instantaneous
+resources? All the advantages
+annexed to reputation are promisory notes,
+of which it is necessary to be able to wait
+the distant expiration; reflection and knowledge
+only acquaint us with their value;
+and the ignorance of the greater part of a
+nation would render them unequal to this
+kind of combination.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>If then, after having taken a view of the
+lowest, I observe those who compose the
+superior class, I will venture a reflection of
+a very different kind; that in a country
+where we have the hope of obtaining
+the most splendid marks of distinction,
+and where fame has power to raise heroes,
+great ministers, and men of genius in every
+profession, we do not find that the duties of
+private life are best known and the most
+respected. Men, uniting to celebrate with
+ardour great talents and actions, consider
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>with more indifference the morals and manners
+of individuals; they make an ideal
+beauty, composed of every thing which
+contributes to the celebrity of their country
+and the honour of their nation; but by accustoming
+themselves to refer every thing to
+these interests, they become extremely negligent
+with respect to common virtues, and
+sometimes they even decide, that the rare qualities
+of the mind may absolutely dispense with
+them. Besides, if fame can serve to reward
+the most assiduous labour and painful self-denial,
+it is far from being necessary, that
+moderate sentiments of esteem should indemnify
+those who obtain them for the sacrifice
+of their passions; it does not follow,
+that this sentiment should give them
+strength to resist the multiplied seductions
+that the hopes of ambition and the chances
+of fortune present to our view; and this
+consideration acquires more force in a kingdom,
+where, among the distinctions of
+which the favour of the prince is the origin,
+there are some which attract so much homage,
+that they resemble fame itself.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>In short, and what I am going to say
+comprehends, in a general manner, the various
+questions which I have just treated:
+the esteem of men, even when this sentiment
+seems the most foreign to religion, receives,
+nevertheless, from it its principal
+strength, and even origin; it is a reflection
+of great importance, and of which I will
+endeavour to demonstrate the truth.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We ought, at first, to ask what is the original
+principle of society, which gives weight
+to the various expressions of the sentiment of
+esteem: we shall find, undoubtedly, that
+it is a distinct idea of the duties of men, a
+notion of good morals, as general as firm.
+Now the duties of life cannot be fulfilled
+without the assistance of religion, since
+the connexion of private and public interest,
+the only foundation of the virtues of our
+framing, is, as we have demonstrated an
+imperfect system, and susceptible of a multitude
+of exceptions, or arbitrary interpretations.
+It is necessary then that our social
+obligations should be fixed in an authentic
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>manner, if we wish that our judgment and
+the sentiments which we adopt should be
+a real indication of the relation the conduct
+of men has with moral perfection;
+but, if this perfection was only determined
+by human conventions, if it was despoiled
+of the majesty which religion invests it
+with, reputation, and sentiments of esteem,
+which are the pledge and stamp of good
+morals, would insensibly lose their value;
+we should then recollect that coin, which
+some vainly wished to preserve the current
+value of in commerce, after having materially
+altered either the weight or the standard;
+and, in effect, to follow the simile a
+moment longer, how could we alter the
+essence of morality more, and lessen the respect
+which is due to it, than by separating
+it from the sublime motives which religion
+presents, to unite it only to political considerations.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>One objection I ought to obviate: it may
+be said, perhaps, that the influence of honour
+in the army, seems to be a proof
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>that reputation, without the aid of any other
+impulse, would have sufficient influence to
+direct the mind to the end which we propose
+to ourselves. This objection does not
+appear to me decisive: honour in armies
+preserves a great ascendency, because amongst
+men thus assembled, it is impossible to
+escape shame, and the punishment incurred
+by cowardice; it is in war that the power
+of authority and that of fame unite all their
+forces, because that they exercise their influence
+on men engaged in one action, actuated
+by the same spirit, by that singular
+subordination, termed discipline. Thus,
+when in the commencement of the Roman
+republic, the army participated more of the
+air of the city, and was not yet familiarized
+to the military yoke, it was then only
+through the sanction of an oath, supported
+by religious sentiments, that the general
+contrived to prevent the inconstancy and defection
+of those who followed him to the
+camp. Whatever then may be at present,
+the power of honour in armies, whatever at
+present may be its influence in the field
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>of battle, where the actors, spectators, and
+judges, are on the same stage, and have nothing
+else to do but to practise, remark, and
+praise a particular virtue, we should not be
+able to draw any deduction from it, applicable
+to the social relations, whose extent is
+immense, and to whose diversity there is no
+bound. Besides, military honour is very far
+from being foreign to the general principles
+of morality, and consequently to religious
+opinions, the most solid support of those
+principles; for sentiments which contain,
+in some manner, the idea of a noble sacrifice,
+would lose great part of their force,
+if the great basis of our duty was ever
+shaken.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>A perfect model is necessary to fix the admiration
+of men; and it is only by an intercourse
+more or less constant with that first
+model, that several opinions which seem, in
+appearance, to arise merely from convenience
+have consistency.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>However, there has resulted from our
+warlike customs an opinion purely social,
+which is very powerful: it is that of the
+point of honour, when we consider it in its
+singular and simple acceptation, when a man
+is ready to sacrifice his life to guard himself
+from the slightest humiliation. This opinion,
+it is true, only dictates its rules among
+equals, and the exercise of its authority extends
+to an inconsiderable part of a nation,
+which, wholly given up to worldly concerns,
+are occupied entirely with comparisons
+and distinctions; it is one of the ancient
+appendages of military honour, and in
+uniting all its force towards a single idea it
+is become a simple principle, which has been
+blindly transmitted and as blindly respected.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is by the effect of a similar habit that
+savages affix all their glory to a contempt of
+bodily pain, and to demonstrations of gaiety,
+in the midst of the most cruel torments.
+Can we doubt, that their supernatural exultation
+would not be weakened, at the very
+instant they were acquainted with our most
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>common ideas of virtue? likewise our notions
+of honour, which, in its exaggerated
+state, resembles their death songs, would
+not resist metaphysical arguments, if ever
+metaphysics became our sole guide in morality;
+for after having analyzed the motives
+of our most important obligations,
+we should analyze also our fine-spun sentiment,
+which makes us regardless of danger.
+Yes, if respect for religion was absolutely
+destroyed; if this simple opinion, which
+carries with it so many obligations, and
+serves to defend so many duties, had no
+other support, the idea of honour would
+soon be weakened; and our personal interest,
+insensibly disengaged from all the ties
+of the imagination, would take a character
+so rude, and so determined, that our habitual
+impressions, and our relation with
+others, would be absolutely changed.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Permit me then to make another reflection:
+it will be always easy to subject men
+to a governing opinion, when they themselves,
+and those who govern them, unite
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>al their efforts to attain the same end; but,
+if this governing opinion is not, like religion,
+the general principle of our conduct;
+if it cannot give us laws in the different
+situations of life, it would serve only to
+throw us out of an equilibrium, or at least
+its utility would be partial and momentary·
+Nevertheless, if, with a design of remedying
+this inconvenience, we searched to multiply
+these opinions, they would weaken
+each other; for every time we wish strongly
+to restrain the imagination, it is necessary
+that a single idea, a single authority, a single
+object of interest, should engage the attention
+of men. Perfection, in this respect, is
+the choice of a single principle, whose consequence
+extends to all; and such is the
+particular merit of religious opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We can then, in the name of reason, of
+policy, and philosophy, demand some respect
+for them; and I ought to repeat, since
+it is time for me to resume my subject, that
+esteem or contempt, honour or shame, are
+so far from being able to supply the place of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>the active influence of religion, that its sentiments
+confirm the opinion of the world,
+and, more or less, obviously direct it. It
+follows, that we should soon reason shrewdly,
+on the value which we ought to set on the esteem
+of the world, if the expression of its approbation
+was not united in our contemplation
+to something more noble than the judgment
+of mankind, and if an awful respect for
+virtue was not imbibed by means of a religious
+education. We should soon experience
+that, in wishing to found every thing
+on the calculations of worldly wisdom, these
+same calculations would destroy all; and
+morality having at once lost its grand support,
+we should try in vain to prop it by a
+scaffold of laws, and the vain efforts of an
+opinion without a guide. Hypocrisy and
+dissimulation would become immediately a
+necessary science, a legitimate defence, which
+would weary the attention of every inspector;
+and testimonies of esteem appearing
+only an ingenious encouragement granted to
+the sacrifices of selfishness, the applause decreed
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>to a generous mode of conduct would
+be insensibly discredited by those who gave
+and by those who received them, and would
+end, perhaps, in becoming a secret object of
+derision, as mere play from one to another.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Every thing is replaced and firmly established
+by religion; it surrounds, I may
+say, the whole system of morality, resembling
+that universal and mysterious force of
+physical nature, which retains the planets
+in their orbits, and subjects them to a regular
+revolution; and which, in the midst
+of the general order it maintains, escapes
+the observation of men, and appears to their
+feeble sight unconscious of its own work.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. III.<br> <em>An Objection drawn from our natural Dispositions to Goodness.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>Men, according to the opinion of
+some, have received from nature
+a secret tendency towards every thing
+just, good, and virtuous; and from this
+happy inclination, the task of the moralist
+is confined to prevent the alteration
+of our original constitution: an easy
+task, add they, and which may be fulfilled
+without any extraordinary effort, and without
+having recourse to religion.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We ought, at first, to observe, that the
+existence of this excellent innate goodness
+has been a long time a subject of debate, as
+every assertion always will be, of which we
+cannot demonstrate the truth, either by
+argument or experience. We shall never
+be able to perceive distinctly the natural
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>dispositions of men, since, to our view,
+they are never separated from the improvement,
+or the modification, which they owe
+to education and habit. One or two examples
+they produce of children arrived at
+maturity found in a forest; but we are ignorant
+at what precise age they were abandoned
+by their parents, and what might
+have been their dispositions, if, brought
+back to society, they had not been guided
+by instruction, or restrained by fear and
+subordination. It is not very probable, that
+man derived from his original nature all the
+dispositions which lead to goodness; such a
+thought agrees not with his pride or dignity,
+since the intellectual faculties with
+which he is endowed, the power he has of
+gradually tending to perfection, announce
+to him that he ought to fulfil his career
+with the assistance of reason, and that, very
+different from those beings governed by an
+invariable instinct, he should elevate himself
+as much above them, by cultivating
+the abilities entrusted to him, as by the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>granduer of the destiny to which he is permitted
+to aspire.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Reason, however, our faithful guide,
+would be insufficient to attach us to sentiments
+of order, justice, and beneficence, if
+it was not seconded by a nature proper
+to receive the impression of every noble
+sentiment; but such reflections, far from
+favouring any system of independence or
+impiety, receive from religious opinions
+their principal force. What is, in effect,
+in this respect the course of our thoughts?
+We attribute, at first, to a Supreme and
+Universal Being all the perfections which
+seem to constitute his essence; and from
+this principle we are led to presume, that
+we, his intelligent creatures, and his most
+noble work, participate, in some manner,
+of the Divine spirit, of which we are an
+emanation: but, if we could ever be persuaded,
+that our confidence in the idea of a
+God is a deceitful illusion, we should not
+have any reason to believe that the mere
+child of nature, blind and without a guide,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>would be disposed to good, rather than evil.
+We must derive our opinion of innate
+goodness from a secret sentiment, and from
+a perfect conviction of the existence of a
+power which keeps every thing in order,
+the model of all perfection: but, as we
+obtain equally from this power, the faculties
+which render us capable of acquiring
+knowledge, of improving by experience,
+of extending our views into futurity, and
+elevating our thoughts to God; we should
+not know how to distinguish these last expedients
+of ability and virtue from those
+which belong to our first instinct; and we
+have no interest in doing it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>That which we perceive most clearly is,
+that there is a correspondence, a harmony
+between all the parts of our moral nature;
+and therefore we cannot deny the existence
+of our natural inclination towards goodness,
+nor consider this inclination as a disposition
+which has not need of any religious sentiment
+to acquire strength, and become a rational
+conductor through the rough road
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>of life. The production of salutary fruits requires,
+before all things, a favourable soil;
+but this advantage would be useless without
+seed and the labour of the husbandman, and
+the fertilizing warmth of the sun: the
+Author of Nature has thought fit that a
+great number of causes should concur continually
+to renovate the productions of the
+earth; and the same intention, the same
+plan, seems to have determined the principle
+and the developement of all the gifts of
+the mind: it is necessary, in order to attach
+intelligent beings to the love of virtue,
+and respect for morality, that not only happy
+natural dispositions, but still more, a judicious
+education, good laws, and, above all, a continual
+intercourse with the Supreme Being,
+from which alone can arise firm resolutions,
+and every ardent thought, should concur;
+but men ambitious of submitting a great
+number of relations to their weak comprehension,
+would wish to confine them to a
+few causes. We shall discover, every moment,
+the truth of this observation; actuated
+by a similar motive, many wish to
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>attribute every thing to education; whilst
+others pretend, that our natural dispositions
+are the only source of our actions and intentions,
+of our vices and virtues. Perhaps,
+in fact, there is, in the universe, but
+one expedient and spring, one prolific idea,
+the root of every other: yet, as it is at the
+origin of this idea, and not in its innumerable
+developements, that its unity can be
+perceived, the first grand disposer of nature:
+only ought to be in possession of the secret;
+and we, who see, of the immense mechanism
+of the world, but a few wheels,
+become almost ridiculous, when we make
+choice sometimes of one, and sometimes of
+another, to refer to it exclusively, the
+cause of motion, and the simplest properties
+of the different parts of the natural or moral
+world.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. IV.<br> <em>An Objection drawn from the good Conduct of many irreligious Men.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>You may think, perhaps, after having
+read the preceding chapter, that I
+have taken little room to treat a question on
+which so much has been written; but if it
+be allowed that I have made some approaches
+to truth, I shall not need any excuse. The
+researches after truth resemble those circles
+which we trace sometimes one round
+another; the furthest from the centre has
+necessarily the greatest extent.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I will then endeavour, with the same
+brevity, to examine the objection which is to
+make the subject of this chapter.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Society, some say, is at present filled with
+persons, who, to borrow the expression of
+the times, are absolutely disengaged from
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>every kind of prejudice, who believe not
+even the existence of a Supreme Being; and
+yet, their conduct appears as regular as that
+of the most religious men.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Before replying to this objection I ought
+to make an important observation. The
+detractors of a religious spirit habitually
+confound, in their discourse, devotion and
+piety; they attribute besides to devotion an
+exaggerated sense, which its natural definition
+will not bear; and derive from this
+misconception a great advantage. Piety,
+simple in its sentiments and deportment,
+commonly escapes the heedless glance of a
+man of the world; and the greater part of
+those who speak of it, would have some difficulty
+to delineate it well; devotion, on
+the contrary, such as we are accustomed to
+represent, seems to attach some value to appearances;
+it displays itself, it makes a parade
+of the austerity of its principles; and
+often soured by the sacrifices, of the constraint,
+which it has imposed on itself as a
+law, it contracts a rough and inflexible spirit,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>which banishes sentiment, amiable and
+indulgent: in short, devotion is sometimes
+mixed with hypocrisy, and then it is
+only a despicable assemblage of the most
+contemptible vices. It is easy to judge,
+from these two pictures, that judicious piety,
+rational and indulgent, forms the true characteristic
+of a religious spirit, considered in
+its purity. It is then with morality, inspired
+by a like spirit, that it is necessary to compare
+those men, who are guided only by the principles
+they frame to themselves; and I believe,
+that one of these two systems of morality
+is far superior to the other; but we
+run a risk of deceiving ourselves in our observations,
+when we do not extend them
+beyond the narrow circle, known amongst
+us by the name of <em>society</em>. Men, in the circumscribed
+relations which arise from the
+communications of idleness and dissipation,
+require of each other, only qualities applicable
+to these kind of relations; their code
+of laws is very short, integrity in the commerce
+of life, constancy in friendship, or, at
+least, politeness in our intercourse, a kind of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>elevation in their discourse and manner; in
+short, probity is the grand outline; and this
+is all that is required, in order to display
+ourselves to the best advantage in the midst
+of the active scenes which surround us, where
+we sometimes form a confederacy proper
+to serve as a support of the great virtues;
+but what they wish for before every thing
+is, a grant of indulgence in favour of vices,
+which do not disturb the order or the peace
+of their pleasures, and which only render
+unhappy parents, husbands, and creditors,
+vassals and the commonalty. Far distant,
+indeed, from a like tolerance, are those collective
+obligations which morality dictates,
+obligations, of which I made a concise
+sketch, when I compared them with those
+which are imposed by civil laws. It is
+then only, after having retraced ourselves
+the entire system of our duties, it is only after
+having compared them with the conventions
+softened by fashionable society, that
+we are in a state to judge, if the conduct of
+persons, disengaged from every religious tie,
+ought to be given as an example, and if their
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>morality can suffice for all the circumstances
+of life.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But in admitting, for a moment, this supposition,
+we should not have a right to draw
+any deduction contrary to the truths, which
+I have endeavoured to establish; for all those
+who free themselves at a certain age, from
+the yoke of religion, have been at least prepared
+by it to respect virtue. Principles
+inculcated early in life, have a great influence
+on the human heart, a long time even after
+our understanding has rejected the reasoning
+which served as the basis of those principles:
+the soul, formed when the reason
+begins to dawn, to the love of order, and
+sustained in this disposition by the force
+of habit, never entirely loses this principle.
+So that, whatever be the opinions adopted
+when the judgment is formed, it is
+slowly, and by degrees, that these opinions
+act on the character and direct the conduct.
+Besides, while religion maintains amongst
+the greater number of men, a profound respect
+for morality, those who reject these
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>sentiments know, nevertheless, that probity
+leads to esteem, and to the various advantages
+which depend on it. Of course, a virtuous
+atheist merely makes us recollect, that
+he lives where virtue is respected; and it is
+not the inefficacy, but, on the contrary, the
+indirect influence of religious opinions,
+which his conduct demonstrates to me. I
+think I see, in a beautiful piece of mechanism,
+a small part broken off from the chain,
+and which maintains its place, by the force
+still subsisting of general equilibrium.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>What! would you have need of religion
+to be an honest man? Here is an interrogative,
+with which they hope to embarrass
+those who wish to preserve to morality its
+best support; and the dread that some
+have of not giving an honourable idea of
+their sentiments, induces them to reply with
+quickness, that certainly they should not
+need the check of religion, and that the dictates
+of their heart would always be sufficient
+to direct them. This answer is undoubtedly
+very respectable; but for my part,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>I avow, I should merely say, that virtue has
+so many charms, when it has been a long
+time practised, that a truly sensible man
+would continue to be just, even when every
+religious sentiment was annihilated; but
+that it is uncertain whether, with a political
+education, his principles might have been
+the same; and I should add further, that
+no one, perhaps, could be certain, that he
+would have sufficient strength to resist a revolution
+of ideas similar to those that we
+have just supposed, were he to fall at the
+same time into a state of misery and dejection,
+which would make him revolt at the
+enjoyments and the triumphs of others. It
+is always in a like situation, that it is necessary
+to place ourselves, to judge properly of
+certain questions; for all those who enjoy
+the favours of fortune, have, in consequence
+of this fortunate condition, fewer objects of
+envy, and are less subject to temptations;
+and in the midst of the different comforts,
+which peaceably surround them, it is not
+the principles of others of which they know
+the want.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>As for philosophical writers, if it were
+amongst them, that we are to search for the
+principal defenders of the new opinions,
+and if, at the same time, their moral conduct
+was cited as an example, we should
+have to observe, that a retired life, love of
+study, and a constant habit of reflection,
+ought to spread a kind of calm over their
+sentiments; besides, delivered up to abstraction,
+or preoccupied by general ideas, they
+know not all the passions, and they are
+seldom personally engaged in those ardent
+pursuits which stimulate society. They
+cannot then determine, with certainty,
+what would have been the degree of their resisting
+force, if without any other defensive
+arms than their principles, and no guide
+but convenience, they had to combat against
+the allurements of fortune and ambition,
+which present themselves in every step of
+our worldly career. They have also, like
+all the inventors and the propagators of a
+new system, vanity, which engages them to
+multiply the number of their disciples: and
+how, in fact, could they be able to flatter
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>themselves with any success, if, in attacking
+the most respectable opinions, they had
+not endeavoured to prove that their doctrines
+were not in opposition to morality.
+Besides, it is very necessary, after having
+silently sapped the foundation of our dwelling,
+that they support for some time the edifice,
+were it only while they have with us
+a common habitation; were it only during
+the interval when we should be able to
+judge in their presence, of the utility of
+their instructions: in short, very often,
+perhaps, the dupes of their own heart, they
+have been induced to believe that, because
+they were at the same time irreligious by
+system, and just by character and habit, religion
+and virtue have not a necessary
+union; and if it is true, that in the grand
+interests of life, the slightest doubt has some
+influence on our actions, would it be possible,
+that at the time when they would
+seek to shake religious opinions, even when
+they are ridiculed in conversation, that they
+would still endeavour to preserve a secret
+connexion with them, by the propriety of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>their conduct? It is thus that, in the disputes
+of princes, or in the quarrels of ministers,
+the members of the same family
+have sometimes the art of dividing themselves,
+in order, at all events, that one of
+their friends should be in each party.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>These different reflections ought necessarily
+to be taken into consideration, before
+we give ourselves up to the inferences that
+they would wish to draw from the manners
+of irreligious men; but, to discredit
+their arguments, it is sufficient to observe,
+that we cannot make any application
+of them to the most numerous class of
+men: honest atheists have never existed
+among the commonalty, religion comprehends
+all their knowledge in morality; and
+if once they were to lose this guide, their
+conduct would be absolutely dependent on
+chance and circumstances.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is still essential to observe, that, according
+to the motives to which we can attribute
+the relaxation of moral principles,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>there exists a great difference between the
+various characters which attend vicious actions:
+a depraved man, though religious,
+does wrong by accident, through weakness,
+and according to the successive transports
+of his passions; but the wicked atheist
+has not a fixed time; opportunities do not
+surprise him, he searches for them, or
+waits for them with impatience; he yields
+not through the contagion of imitation;
+but he takes pleasure in setting an example;
+he is not a corrupt fruit, he is himself the
+tree of evil.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Another objection is raised, but of a
+very different kind: they point out the
+contrast, frequently perceived, between the
+conduct and the religious sentiments of the
+greater part of men; an opposition from
+whence they would wish to conclude, that
+these sentiments are not a certain safeguard:
+and they add, to support their
+argument, that in examining the belief
+of all those, whose licentious life is
+terminated by an ignomious death, we perceive
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>that the greater number is composed
+of people blindly subject to religious opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Undoubtedly, these opinions form not, at
+all times, a complete resistance to the different
+starts of our passions; but it suffices,
+that they may be the most efficacious.
+There has been, and there ever will be, vicious
+men in the bosom of society, even
+where religion has the greatest influence;
+for it acts not on us like a mechanical force,
+by weights, levers, and springs, of which
+we can calculate exactly the power; it is
+not an arbitrary modification of our nature;
+but we are enlightened, guided, and animated,
+according to our dispositions and
+sensibility, and according to the degree of
+our own efforts in the numerous conflicts
+which we have to sustain; it would be then
+an evident piece of treachery, to attack religion,
+by drawing a picture of the vices and
+crimes, from which it has not been able to
+guard society, instead of fixing our attention
+on all the disorders which it checks or prevents.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>They would be equally wrong, who represent
+the general languor of religion,
+as a proof that it has, in our time, very
+little influence on morality; it would be
+necessary rather to remark, how great must
+have been that power, which even in the
+decline of its force is still sufficient to
+concur to the maintenance of public order;
+we should be authorized to say, how
+valuable is the whole, when we receive so
+much advantage from a part?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, the consequence that they would
+wish to draw from the opinions, and from
+the faith of wretches sinking under the
+sword of justice, in an abuse of reasoning:
+men termed religious, forming the major
+part of the populace, we must among them
+necessarily meet the greater number of
+malefactors; in the same manner that we
+are sure to find, in this class, more men of
+a particular age, stature, or complexion;
+but, if they have a right to use such an argument
+to censure a religious education,
+they might, with the same reason, contest
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>the salubrity of breast milk, alledging, that
+many sick and dying persons have received
+this nourishment. We should never confound
+a common circumstance with a general
+cause; these are two ideas absolutely
+distinct.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There are other objections which equally
+deserve to be discussed; but they will find
+a place, with more propriety, after the chapter
+where, I shall examine, under different
+heads, the influence of religious opinions on
+our happiness. You have seen, and you will
+perceive still more, in the progress of this
+work, that I do not endeavour to elude difficulties;
+for before I determined to defend,
+according to my abilities, a cause which I
+could wish to render dear to mankind, I
+carefully studied the means; and after having
+fortified myself against the systems opposite
+to my sentiments, I fear not to examine
+the motives which serve to support
+them.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. V.<br> <em>The Influence of Religious Principles on our Happiness.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>As we have shown the close connexion
+of morality with religious opinions,
+we have already pointed out the principal
+relation of these opinions with public good,
+since the repose and interior tranquillity of
+society essentially depend on the maintenance
+of civil order, and the exact observance
+of the laws of justice. But a great part of
+human happiness does not arise from the
+community: thus, the benefits religion imparts
+would be very imperfect, if they were
+not extended to our most intimate sentiments,
+if they were not useful in those secret
+conflicts of different affections which
+agitate our souls, and which pre-occupy
+our thoughts. Religion is very far
+from deserving this reproach; that which
+raises it indeed above every kind of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>legislation is, that it influences equally public
+good and private happiness. We ought
+to examine this truth; but to do it philosophically,
+we must necessarily contemplate,
+and pry into our nature, and examine, for a
+moment, into the first causes of the enjoyments
+or the anxieties of our minds.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Men, when they have advanced a few
+steps in the world, and as soon as
+their intellectual faculties begin to open,
+extend their views, and live in the future;
+sensual pleasures and bodily pain only
+detain them in the present; but in the
+long intervals which exist between the renewal
+of these sensations, it is by anticipation
+and memory that they are happy or
+miserable; and recollection is only interesting,
+as it is perceived to keep up the connexion
+between the past and future. Undoubtedly,
+the influence of the future, on
+all our moral affections, escapes often our
+notice; to cite some examples of this
+truth, we believe, that only the present
+moment produces happiness, when we receive
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>elogiums, obtain some mark of distinction,
+or are informed of an unexpected augmentation
+of our fortune; and still more,
+when we are pleased with the sport of our
+imagination, or the discoveries of our reason
+in our closet or in conversation. These enjoyments,
+and many others similar, we call
+present happiness; though there is not any
+one of them which does not owe its value,
+and even reality, to the single idea of futurity.
+In fact, respect, applause, the triumphs of
+self-love, the forerunners of fame, and even
+fame itself, are the acquisitions which education
+and habit have rendered precious, in
+exhibiting always beyond them some other
+advantage, of which these first were only
+the symbols. Often, indeed, the last object
+of our ambition is but an enjoyment of opinion,
+the confused image of some possession
+more real. Every where we see vague hopes
+hurry away our imagination; we see the expected
+good, the immediate end of our meditation,
+or the obscure motive of the estimation
+we annex to the various satisfactions,
+of which our present happiness is composed.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>Thus, indirectly, and almost unknown to
+ourselves, all is in perspective in our moral
+existence; and it is by this reasoning that,
+always deluded, we are seldom perfectly deceived.
+Subjected by long habit, it is in
+vain that we would wish to separate the
+imaginary advantages of opinion from the
+delusions of hope which surround them,
+and by which we have been seduced all our
+life.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is but a small part of the moral
+system, which we cannot make agree with
+this manner of explaining the principal cause
+of our pleasures and of our pains. I am
+very far, however, from wishing to make
+the sentiments, which unite men by the
+charm of friendship, depend on the same
+principle; and which have such an essential
+influence on their happiness. All is real
+in these affections, since they are a simple
+association of ourselves to others, and them
+to us; in this view it may be considered
+as, in some measure, prolonging our own
+existence; but this division, so intimate, of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>the good and evil of life, does not destroy
+their essence. Friendship doubles our pleasures
+and our comforts; and it is by the
+close alliance of two sympathizing souls
+that we are fortified against all events; but
+it is always with the same passions that
+it is necessary to combat; thus whether we
+remain solitary, or live in others, the future
+preserves its influence over us.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>If such is, however, our moral nature,
+that the object of our wishes will always be
+at some distance; if our thoughts, like the
+course of the waves, are ever active, and
+pressing forward; if our present enjoyments
+have a secret tie with the imaginary advantages
+of opinion, of which the last term is
+still a fleeting shadow; in short, if all is
+future in the fate of man; with what interest,
+with what love, with what respect,
+ought we not to consider this beautiful system
+of hope, of which religious opinions
+are the majestic foundation! What encouragement
+they present! What an end to all
+other ends! What a grand and precious
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>idea, by its connexion with the most intimate
+and general sentiment, the desire of
+prolonging our existence! That which men
+dread most, is the image of an eternal annihilation;
+the absolute destruction of all
+the faculties which compose their being, is
+for them the downfall of the whole universe;
+and they are anxious to seek for a
+refuge against this overwhelming thought.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Undoubtedly, it is according to nature,
+according to the degree of strength of their
+religious opinions, that men seize with
+more or less confidence the hopes which
+they give, and the recompense they promise;
+but, doubt and obscurity have a powerful
+action, while supreme happiness is the
+object; for even in the affairs of this life,
+the grandeur of the prize offered to our
+ambition excites still more our ardour, than
+the probability of success. But where
+should we fix, where attach the slightest
+hope, if even the idea of a God, this first
+prop of religion, was ever destroyed; if,
+from the infancy of men, we did not present
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>to their reflection, that worldly considerations
+are as transient as themselves; and
+if, early in life, they were humbled in their
+own eyes; if men applied themselves to
+stifle the internal sentiments, which inform
+them of the spirituality of their souls?
+Discouraged in this manner, by the first
+principles of their education, slackened in
+all the movements which carry thier reflections
+into futurity, they would often take
+retrospective views: the past recalling an irreparable
+loss, would too much captivate
+their attention; and their minds, in the
+midst of time, would no more be in a necessary
+equilibrium to enjoy the present
+moment; in short, this moment, which is
+not, in reality, but an imperceptible fraction,
+would appear almost nothing to our eyes,
+if it were not united in our contemplations,
+to the unknown number of days and years
+which are before us. It is then, because
+that there is nothing limited in the ideas of
+happiness and duration, with which religious
+sentiments impress us, that our imagination
+is not forced to recoil on itself, when
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>it is insensibly lost in the immensity of futurity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>When, in following the course of a noble
+river, a vast horizon is presented to our
+view, we turn not our observation on the
+sandy banks we are coasting: but if, changing
+our situation, or twilight narrowing this
+horizon, our attention was turned on the
+barren flat we are near; then only we
+should remark all its dryness and sterility.
+It is the same in the career of life: when
+the grand ideas of infinity elevate our
+thoughts and our hopes, we are less affected
+by the weariness and difficulties strewed in
+our path; but, if changing our principles,
+a gloomy philosophy were to obscure
+our perspective, our whole attention drawn
+back on the surrounding objects, we should
+then very distinctly discover the void and
+illusion of the satisfactions of which our
+moral nature is susceptible.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us recollect, then, all the happiness
+which we owe to religious sentiments and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span>obvious reflections, which, in attracting us
+continually towards the future, seem willing
+to save from the present moment the purest
+part of ourselves; these are, without our perceiving
+it, the enchantments of the moral
+world; if it were possible that, by cold reasoning,
+we at length destroyed them, a sad
+melancholy would ally itself to most of our
+reflections; and it would seem as if a winding-sheet
+had taken place of that transparent
+veil, through which the prospects of
+life are embellished. Undoubtedly, there
+would be still some charm in the days of
+youth, when the pleasures of the senses
+press on us, and fill a considerable time;
+but when the passions are tempered by age,
+when our strength has been broken by
+years, or prematurely attacked by sickness;
+in short, when the time is arrived, when
+men are constrained to seek, in the principles
+of morality, the chief support of their
+happiness; what would become of them, if
+those hopes and opinions were dissipated,
+which afford solid comfort and encouragement;
+and if an imagination, thus active, were
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>weakened, which enlivens all the objects
+that anticipation can reach?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Reflect, then, with attention, on the different
+consequences which would be the
+fatal train of the annihilation of religious
+opinions; it is not a single idea, a single
+view, that men would lose; it would be,
+besides, the interest and the charm of all
+their desires and ambition. There is nothing
+indifferent, when our actions and designs
+can be in any respect attached to a
+duty; there is nothing indifferent, when the
+exercise and the improvement of our faculties
+appear the commencement of an existence,
+whose termination is unknown: but,
+when this period offers itself on all sides to
+our view, when we approach it every moment,
+what strong illusion would be sufficient
+to defend us from a sad despondency?
+Strictly circumscribed in the space of life, its
+limits would be in such a manner present to
+our mind, to every sentiment and enterprize
+perhaps, that we should be tempted to examine,
+what it is which can merit, on our
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>part, an assiduous research; what it is
+which deserves close and painful application.
+Indeed, fame itself, which is called
+immortal, would no more hurry us on in
+the same manner, if we had a secret conviction,
+that it cannot grow, rise, subsist,
+but in such portions of space, and such
+durations of time, as our imagination cannot
+conceive. It is necessary, that the uncertain
+future be still our country, in order
+that we should be able to feel that unquiet
+love of a long celebrity, and those ardent
+impulses towards great things which is the
+salutary effect of it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We deceive ourselves then, I think, when
+we accuse religion of necessarily rendering
+the business and the pleasures of the world
+uninteresting; its chief pleasures, on the
+contrary, are derived from religion, from
+those ideas of eternity, which it presents to
+our mind, which serve to sustain the enchantments
+of hope, and the sense of those
+duties of which our moral nature is ingeniously
+composed.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>Religious opinions are perfectly adapted
+to our nature, to our weaknesses and perfections;
+they come to our succour in our
+real difficulties, and in those which the abuse
+of our foresight creates. But in what is
+grand and elevated in our nature, it sympathizes
+most: for, if men are animated by
+noble thoughts; if they respect their intelligence,
+their chief ornament; if they are
+interested about the dignity of their nature,
+they will fly, with transport, to bow before
+religion, which ennobles their faculties,
+preserves their strength of mind, and which,
+through its sentiments, unites them to Him,
+whose power astonishes their understanding.
+It is then that, considering themselves as
+an emanation of the Infinite Being, the
+commencement of all things, they will not
+let themselves be drawn aside by a philosophy,
+whose sad lessons tend to persuade
+us, that reason, liberty, all this immaterial
+essence of ourselves, is the mere result of a
+fortuitous combination, and an harmony
+without intelligence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>We have never perhaps observed, with
+sufficient attention, the different kinds of
+happiness which would be destroyed, or at
+least sensibly weakened, if this discouraging
+doctrine was ever propagated.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>What would then become of the most
+sublime of all sentiments, that of admiration,
+if, instead of the grand view of the universe,
+far from reviving the idea of a Supreme
+Being, we retraced only a vast existence,
+but without design, cause, or destination;
+and if the astonishment of our minds was
+itself but one of the spontaneous accidents of
+blind matter?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>What would become of the pleasure
+which we find in the developement, exercise,
+and progress of our faculties, if this intelligence,
+of which we love to glory, was
+only the result of chance, and if all our ideas
+were but a mere obedience to the eternal law
+of motion; if our liberty was but a fiction,
+and if we had not, if I may say so, any possession
+of ourselves?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>What would become then of that active
+spirit of curiosity, whose charm excites us to
+observe continually the wonders with which
+we are surrounded, and which inspires, at the
+same time, the desire of penetrating, in some
+measure, into the mystery of our existence,
+and the secret of our origin? Certainly it
+would little avail us to study the course of
+nature, if this science could only teach us to
+comprehend the afflicting particulars of our
+mechanical slavery: a prisoner cannot be
+pleased to draw the form of his fetters, or
+reckon the links of his chains.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But how beautiful is the world, when it
+is represented to us as the result of a single
+and grand thought, and when we find every
+where the stamp of an eternal intelligence;
+and how pleasing to live with the sentiments
+of astonishment and adoration deeply
+impressed on our hearts!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But what a subject of glory are the endowments
+of the mind, when we can consider
+them as a participation of a sublime
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>nature, of which God alone is the perfect
+model. And how delightful then to yield
+to the ambition of elevating ourselves still
+more, by exercising our thoughts and improving
+all our faculties!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, how many charms has the observation
+of nature, when, at every new discovery,
+we believe we advance a step towards
+an acquaintance with that exalted
+wisdom which has prescribed laws to the
+universe, and maintains it in harmony! It
+is then, and only then, that the study is
+truly interesting, and the progress of knowledge
+becomes an increase of happiness. Yes,
+under the influence of opinions, arising from
+the notions of materialists, all is languishing
+in our curiosity, all is mere instinct in our
+admiration, all is fictitious in the sentiments
+which we have of ourselves; but with the idea
+of a God, all is lively, all is reasonable and
+true: in short, this happy and prolific idea
+appears as necessary to the moral nature of
+man, as heat is to plants and to all the vegetable
+world. You may think, perhaps, that
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>in examining the influence of religion on
+happiness, I have dwelt on several considerations,
+which are not of equal importance to
+all men; there are, indeed, some more particularly
+adapted to that part of society,
+whose minds are improved by education;
+but I am very far from wishing to divert a
+moment my attention from the numerous
+class of the inhabitants of the earth, whose
+happiness and misery arises from a simple
+idea, proportioned to the extent of their interests
+and reflections.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Those who seem to have a more pressing
+and constant need of the assistance of religion,
+have been left by the misfortunes of
+their parents to the wide world, devoid of
+property, and deprived also of those resources
+which depend on education. This
+class of men, condemned to hard labour,
+are, as it were, confined in a rough and uniformly
+barren path, where every day resembles
+the last, where they have not any confused
+expectations, or flattering illusion to
+divert them: they know that there is a wall
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>of separation between them and fortune; and
+if they carried their views in life forward,
+they would only discover the dreadful state any
+infirmity would reduce them to; and the deplorable
+situation to which they might be exposed,
+by the cruel neglect which attends old
+age. With what transport, in this situation,
+would they not catch at the comfortable hopes
+which religion presents! With what satisfaction
+would they not learn, that after this probationary
+state, where so much disproportion
+overwhelmed them, there would come a
+time of equality! What would be their
+complaints, if they were to renounce a sentiment
+which still conforms itself, for their
+advantage, to a general idea, the only one,
+in short, of which they can make use in all
+events and circumstances of life. It is
+God’s will, they say to themselves, and this
+first thought supports their resignation:
+God will recompense you, God will return
+it to you, say they to others, when they receive
+alms; and these words remind them,
+that the God of the rich and powerful is
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>also theirs; and that far from being indifferent
+to their fate, He deigns Himself to
+discharge their obligations.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>How many other popular expressions
+continually recal the same sentiment of confidence
+and consolation. It is this continual
+relation of the poor with the Deity which
+raises them in their own eyes, and which
+prevents their sinking under the weight of
+contempt with which they are oppressed,
+and gives them sometimes courage to resist
+the pride of earthly greatness. What grander
+effect could be produced by an idea so simple?
+Thus, among the different things
+which characterise religion, I remark, above
+all, what seems more particularly the seal of
+a divine hand; it is, that the moral advantages,
+of which religion is the source, resembling
+the grand blessings of nature, belong
+equally to all men; and as the sun, in
+the distribution of its rays, observes neither
+rank nor fortune, in the same way those
+comforting sentiments, which are connected
+with the conception of a Supreme Being,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>and the hopes united to it, become the property
+of the poor as well as the rich, of the
+weak as well as the powerful, and can be
+as securely enjoyed under the lowly roof of
+a cottage, as in a superb palace. It is civil
+laws which increase, or give a sanction to
+the inequality of possessions; and it is religion
+which sweetens the bitterness of this
+hard disproportion.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We could not avoid feeling a compassion
+as painful as well founded, if, in considering
+attentively the fate of the greater number
+of men, we supposed them all at one
+stroke deprived of the only thought which
+supported their courage; they would no
+more have a God to confide their sorrows
+with; they would no more attend his ordinances
+to search for the sentiments of resignation
+and tranquillity; they would have no
+motive for raising their looks to heaven;
+their eyes would be cast down, fixed for ever
+on this abode of grief, of death, and eternal
+silence. Then despair would even stifle
+their groans, and all their reflections preying
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>on themselves, would only serve to corrode
+their hearts; then those tears which they have
+a satisfaction in shedding, and which are attracted
+by the tender persuasion, that there
+exists some where commiseration and goodness,
+these consoling tears would no more
+moisten their eyes.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Who has not seen, sometimes, those veteran
+soldiers, who are prostrate here and
+there on the pavement of a sanctuary, erected
+in the midst of their august retreat? Their
+hair, which time has whitened; their forehead
+marked with honourable scars; that tottering
+step, which age only could impress on
+them, all inspire at first respect; but by
+what sentiments are we not affected, when
+we see them lift up and join with difficulty
+their weak hands, to invoke the God of the
+universe, of their heart and mind; when
+we see them forget, in this interesting devotion,
+their present pains and past griefs;
+when we see them rise with a countenance
+more serene, and expressive of the tranquillity
+and hope devotion has infused through
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>their souls. Complain not in those moments,
+you who judge of the happiness of
+this world only from its enjoyments; their
+looks are humbled, their body trembles,
+and death awaits their steps; but this inevitable
+end, whose image only terrifies us,
+they see coming without alarm; they,
+through religion, have approached Him who
+is good, who can do every thing, whom none
+ever loved without receiving comfort.
+Come and contemplate this sight, you who
+despise religion, you who term yourselves
+superior; come and see the real value of
+your pretended knowledge for promoting
+happiness. Change the fate of men, and
+give them all, if you can, some portion of
+the enjoyments of life, or respect a sentiment
+which serves them to repulse the injuries
+of fortune; and since even the policy
+of tyrants has never dared to destroy it,
+since their power would be insufficient to
+enable them to succeed in the savage attempt,
+you, to whom nature has given superior
+endowments, be not more cruel,
+more inexorable than they; or if, by a pitiless
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>doctrine, you wish to deprive the old,
+the sick, and the indigent, of the only idea
+of happiness which they can apply to, go
+from prison to prison, and to those dreary
+cells, where the wretched prisoners struggle
+with their chains, and shut with your
+own hands, if you have the heart to do it,
+the only aperture through which any ray
+of light can reach them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is not, however, a single class of society
+which derives an habitual assistance
+from religion, it is all those who have to
+complain of the abuse of authority, of
+public injustice, and the different vicissitudes
+of their fate; it is the innocent man
+who is condemned, the virtuous man who
+is slandered, the man who has once acted
+inconsistently, and been censured with too
+much rigour; all those, in short, who,
+convinced of the purity of their own conscience,
+seek for, above all, a secret witness
+of their intentions, and an enlightened
+judge of their conduct.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>A man of an exalted character, endowed
+with sensibility of heart, experiences
+also the necessity of forming to himself an
+image of an unknown Being, to which he
+can unite all the ideas of perfection which
+fill his imagination; it is to Him that he
+refers those different sentiments, which are
+useless amidst the corruptions which surround
+him; it is in God alone that he can
+find an inexhaustible subject of astonishment
+and adoration; and with Him alone
+can he renew and purify his sentiments,
+when he is wearied with the sight of the
+vices of the world, and the habitual return
+of the same passions. In short, at every
+instant the happy idea of a God softens and
+embellishes our path through life, and by it
+we associate ourselves with delight to all the
+beauties of nature; by it every thing animated
+enters into communication with us;
+yes, the noise of the wind, the murmurs of
+the water, the peaceable agitation of plants,
+all serves to support, or melt our souls,
+provided that our thoughts can rise to a
+universal cause, provided we can discover
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>every where the works of Him whom we
+love, provided we can distinguish the vestiges
+of His footsteps and the traces of His
+intentions; and, above all, if we can suppose,
+that we ourselves contribute to the
+display of His power, and the splendour of
+His goodness.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But it is principally over the enjoyments
+of friendship that piety spreads a new charm;
+bounds, limits, cannot agree with the sentiment
+which is as infinite as thought, it
+would not subsist, at least would be troubled
+with continual anxiety; we should not
+consider without terror the revolution of
+years and the rapid course of time, if those
+benevolent opinions, which enlarge for us
+the future, did not come to our assistance.
+Thus, when we find ourselves separated
+from the objects of our affection, lonely
+meditations bring them back to aid the general
+idea of happiness, which, more or
+less, distinctly terminates our view; then
+the tender melancholy, in which one
+is lost, is changed into pleasing emotions:
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>and you have, above all, need of those precious
+opinions, you, who, timid in a bustling
+world, or discouraged by disappointments,
+find yourself a solitary wanderer on
+the earth, because you partake not of the
+passions which agitate the greater part of
+mankind! You want a friend, and you only
+see pecuniary associations; you want a
+comforter, and you only see the ambitious,
+strangers to all those who have not power
+or a distinguished reputation; a tender confident
+is at least necessary, and the active
+scenes of society disperses the affections and
+diminishes every interest. In short, when
+you have this friend, this confident, this
+comforter; when you have acquired it by
+the most tender union; when you live in a
+son, a husband, or a cherished wife, what
+other idea, but that of a God, can come
+to your relief, when the frightful image of a
+separation presents itself to your thoughts?
+It is, indeed, in such moments that we
+embrace with transport all those opinions
+which tend to foster the idea of continuity
+and duration? How gladly then we lend an
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>ear to those words of comfort which are so
+perfectly consonant with the desires and the
+wants of our soul! What association of
+ideas, so frightful as that of the eternal annihilation
+of life and love? How can we
+unite to that soft division of interests and of
+sentiments, to that charm of our days;
+how can we unite to so much of existence
+and happiness, the internal persuasion and
+habitual image of a death without hope, a
+destruction without return? How can we
+offer only the idea of oblivion to those affectionate
+minds, who have centred all their
+self-love, all their ambition in the object of
+their esteem and tenderness; and who, after
+having renounced themselves, are, as it
+were, deposited entirely in the bosom of
+another, to subsist there by the same breath
+of life and the same destiny? In short, near
+the tomb, which, perhaps, they will one
+day bedew with their tears, how can they
+pronounce the overwhelming words, forever!—forever!—Oh!
+horrors of horrors,
+both for the mind and feelings! and if it be
+necessary that the contemplations of a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>man of feeling approach a moment to the
+frightful confines, let a benevolent cloud at
+least cover the dark abyss! Tears and sorrow
+still afford some comfort, when we
+give them to a beloved shade, when we can
+mix with our griefs the name of a God,
+and when this name appears to you the cement
+of all nature: but if in the universe
+all was deaf to our voice; if no echoes
+were to repeat our plaints; if the shades of
+eternal darkness had hid from us the object of
+our love, and if they were advancing to
+drag us into the same night; if he is the
+most unhappy being, he who survives, and
+cannot even hope, that what death has severed
+will again be united; if, when his
+whole soul was filled with the recollection
+of a loved object, he could not say, he is
+in some place, his heart so affectionate, his
+soul so pure and heavenly waits for me, and
+calls me perhaps to be near that unknown
+Being, whom we have, with common consent,
+adored; and if, instead of a thought
+so dear, it was necessary, without any doubt,
+to consider the earth as a sepulchre forever
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>shut—my heart dies within me—unable to
+contend with the dreadful images, the universe
+itself seems to dissolve, and overwhelm
+us in its downfall. O source of so many
+hopes, sublime idea of a God! abandon
+not the man who has sensibility; Thou art
+his courage, Thou art his futurity, Thou
+art his life; leave him not desolate, and,
+above all, defend him from the ascendency
+of a barren and fatal philosophy, which
+would afflict his heart by pretending to comfort
+it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Well, I make another effort, and I address
+myself to you, who boast of being enlightened
+by a fresh ray of wisdom. I am
+lost in the most profound grief; a father, a
+mother, who guided me by their counsels,
+and watched over me by their tenderness,
+these protecting parents have just been taken
+from me; a son, a daughter, both my comfort
+and pride, have been cut off in the
+prime of youth; a faithful companion,
+whose words, sentiments, and actions, were
+the support of my life, has vanished from
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>my arms;—a moment of strength remains
+with me, I come to you, ye philosophers;
+what have you to say?—“Seek for dissipation,
+turn your thoughts to some other
+object, an abyss not to be fathomed separates
+thee for ever from the objects of
+thy tenderness; and these recollections,
+which pierce thee through with so many
+sorrows, they are only a form of vegetation,
+the last play of organized matter.”
+Alas! have you ever loved, and can you
+pronounce tranquilly these cruel words!
+Banish far from me such consolations, I
+dread them more than my anguish. And
+thou, O daughter of heaven, lovely and
+mild religion, what wouldst thou say?
+Hope, hope; “what God gave thee—He
+can again restore.” What a difference
+between these two languages! One abases,
+the other exalts us! It is left to men to
+choose, amongst their different guides, or
+rather to determine, whether they prefer
+darkness to light, death to life; whether
+they prefer blighting winds to refreshing
+dews; the frost of winter to the charms of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>spring; and the insensible stone to the most
+brilliant gifts of animated nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I will say it: the world, without the
+idea of a God, would be only a desert, embellished
+by a few delusions;—yet man, disenchanted
+by the light of reason, would find
+nothing throughout but subjects of sadness.
+I have seen them, the dreams of ambition,
+the allurements of fame, and the vain shews
+of grandeur; and even when the illusion
+was most dazzling, my heart always retired
+into itself, and was attracted to an idea more
+grand, to a consolation more substantial; I
+have experienced, that the idea of the existence
+of a Supreme Being threw a charm
+over every circumstance of life; I have
+found, that this sentiment alone was able to
+inspire men with true dignity: for every
+thing which is merely personal is of little
+value, all that places some an inch high
+above others; it is necessary, in order to
+have any reason to glory, that, at the same
+time we exalt ourselves, we elevate human
+nature; we must refer it to that sublime intelligence,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>which seems to have dignified it
+with some of its attributes. We then hardly
+perceive those trivial distinctions which
+are attached to transitory things, on which
+vanity exercises her sway; it is then that
+we leave to this queen of the world her rattle
+and toys, and that we search elsewhere
+another portion; it is then also that virtue,
+exalted sentiments, and grand views, appear
+the only glory of which man ought to be
+jealous.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. VI.<br> <em>The same Subject continued. The Influence of Virtue on Happiness.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>It is not sufficient to have demonstrated,
+that religion, so necessary to feeling
+minds, agrees perfectly with the moral nature
+of men; it is still necessary to observe,
+that the habitual exercise of virtue, enjoined
+as a duty in the name of God, is not in opposition
+with happiness; and after having
+considered a truth so important, I will
+prove, that it is not contrary to what has
+been said in the first chapter of this work,
+on the impossibility of making men attentive
+to public order, only by the motive of
+personal interest.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We cannot deny, that virtue often
+obliges us to conquer our appetites, and
+struggle with our passions; but if these
+conflicts, and the victory which attends
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>them, lead to more solid and durable satisfactions,
+than those which folly and vice
+portrays the image of, they would misconceive
+the restrictions of morality, who perpetually
+united the idea of self-denial with
+that of a sacrifice.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We cannot fix our attention on the various
+objects of desire which occupy the
+thoughts of men, without seeing clearly,
+that if they abandoned themselves, unrestrained,
+to all their wild propensities, they would
+often stray far from the state of happiness
+which forms the object of their wishes.
+Any of the blessings, strewed here and there
+in our path, cannot fill the void of life. Are
+they the gratifications of the senses which
+captivate us? Their duration is determined
+by our weakness; and we cannot break loose
+from the immutable limits opposed by nature.
+Are they the advantages dependent
+on opinion that we look for, such as honour
+and praise; or the exterior splendour, which
+fortune gives? You will soon perceive, that
+quickly after they are obtained the charm is
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>flown; they resemble Proteus in the fable, who
+only appeared a God at a distance. Men then
+have more need than is supposed of an interest
+independent of their senses and imagination;
+and this interest we find in the duties
+morality inculcates and establishes.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In all times, in all circumstances, we have
+a choice between good and evil: thus, virtue
+may be continually in a state of action,
+and we may find the application of it even
+in the most apparently indifferent relations of
+life, because virtue only has the privilege
+of connecting little things to a great object;
+and that it can only be encouraged by conscience,
+which, in accompanying all our actions
+and meditations, seems to augment our
+existence, and procure those satisfactions
+which are not known to the crowd who do
+not act from principle.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Sensual pleasures, the desires of vanity,
+the longings of ambition, would soon extinguish
+themselves, if they were not fed
+by the continual activity of society, which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>produces new scenes, and displays every moment
+some changes of decoration. Virtue,
+satisfied with its views, has not need of a
+succession of similar desires; its paths are
+varied, but the end is ever the same.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We cannot search for the enjoyments of
+life in the imaginary advantages of opinion,
+without allowing others to construct the
+laws on which our happiness is founded;
+and of course discord must result, which leaves
+us a prey to every kind of emotion. Virtue
+has not any associates in her counsels, she
+judges herself of all that is good; and in this
+respect a virtuous man is the most independent
+of all beings, for it is from himself
+alone that he receives commands, and expects
+approbation. Yes, the obscure man,
+who does good in secret, is more master of
+his destiny, than the being ever will be who
+seems loaded with all the favours of fortune,
+and has need, that fashion and transient
+gratifications come to determine his taste,
+and give laws to his vanity, to enable him
+to enjoy them</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>The little passions of the world, trying to
+render us happy, lead us on from one illusion
+to another, and the last boundary always
+appears at a distance. Virtue, very different,
+has its recompenses within itself: it is not
+in events nor in uncertain success that it
+places contentment; it is even in our resolution,
+in the calmness which accompanies
+it, and the secret sentiment which precedes it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Recollection ever composes the principal
+happiness of virtue, whilst worldly vanity is
+tormented by the remembrance of what is
+gone for ever; and with regard to the passions
+in general, the past is but a gloomy
+shadow, out of which proceed, from time
+to time, sorrow and remorse.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The intervals which occur between the
+starts of violent passions, are almost always
+filled by sadness and apathy; we all know,
+according to the laws of nature, that lively
+and ardent sensations produce languor the
+moment the tumult is over. Virtue, in the
+enjoyment of those pleasures peculiar to itself,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>knows nothing of those irregular emotions,
+because all its principles are firm, and it
+acts round its own centre; besides, it also
+invites us continually to set a just value on
+that happiness which is most proper for us;
+it dictates its first laws in the bosom of domestic
+life, and employs all its strength to
+sustain, by the ties of duty, our most rational
+and simple affections.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Virtue, which is the offspring of religion,
+is of the greatest use in delivering men
+from the tormenting solicitude of doubt, by
+presenting a general system of conduct; and
+above all, by marking fixed points to direct
+them, by telling them what to love, choose,
+and do. Thus, whilst men, carried away
+by their imagination, continually allow that
+they are deceived by phantoms, and lend
+the most glowing colours to those which
+have just escaped them, virtue sets no value
+but on what it possesses, and knows not regret.
+It would seem, at the first glance,
+that the desires and caprices of the imagination
+cannot agree with any kind of restraint;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>however, it is not less true, that these trifling
+forerunners of our will have need of a
+guide, and often of a master; our first inclinations
+and sentiments are frequently uncertain,
+weak, and wavering; it is of consequence
+to our happiness, that this trembling
+stalk should be fixed and supported;
+and such is the service virtue renders to the
+human mind.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We see not any uniformity in the conduct
+of those who are not influenced by motives
+of duty; they have too many things to regulate,
+too many to decide about every instant,
+when convenience is their only guide:
+to simplify the management of ourselves, we
+should submit to the government of a principle,
+which may be easily applied to most
+of our deliberations.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, virtue has this great advantage,
+that it finds its happiness in a kind of respect
+for the rights and claims of the different
+members of the community, and that
+all its sentiments seem to unite themselves
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>to the general harmony. The passions, on
+the contrary, are almost always hostile; the
+vain man desires that others should grace his
+triumphs; the proud wishes them to feel
+their inferiority; the ambitious, that they
+keep clear of his pursuit; the imperious,
+that they bend to him. It is the same of
+the different competitions, which an excessive
+love of praise, high reputation, or
+fortune, gives birth to; in the path they
+choose every one would wish to go alone,
+or advance before all the rest, and occupied
+about their own interest, they clash inconsiderately
+with those of others. Virtue, very
+different in following its course, fears neither
+rivals nor competitors; it does not
+jostle with any one, the road is spacious,
+and all may walk at their ease; it is an orderly
+alliance, of which morality is the
+knot, drawing together, by the same motives
+and hopes held in common, that chain of
+duties and sentiments which unite the virtues
+of men to the ideal model of all perfection.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>Virtue, which guards us from the snares
+of our senses, and checks our blind desires, is
+besides the basis of the most precious wisdom;
+but it is not the interest of a day,
+or the pleasures of a moment, that it protects,
+it is the whole of life, that it takes
+under its superintendency; it is, to speak
+metaphorically, the vindicator of futurity,
+the representative of duration, and becomes,
+to the feelings, what foresight is to the
+mind. We must then, with respect to private
+manners, consider virtue as a prudent
+friend, taught by the experience of all ages,
+who directs our steps, and never lets the
+flambeau waver, whose salutary light ought
+to guide them. Our tumultuous passions
+dispute the honour of partaking the government:
+it is necessary a master should
+assign to each its proper limits, one
+who can keep in peace all these petty domestic
+tyrants; which reminds us of the
+image of Ulysses, arriving suddenly in the
+midst of the hundred kings who had taken
+possession of his palace.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>Virtue, some will say, severe in its judgments,
+and austere in its forms, would it
+not deprive us of the greatest happiness, the
+pleasure of being beloved? I reply, that
+virtue, in its most improved state, has not
+this character; I represent it to myself as
+a just sentiment of order, far from banishing
+all other comforts, it leads to them:
+thus, benevolence and forbearance, which
+agree so well with human weakness; the
+social spirit so consistent with our nature;
+urbanity in discourse and manner; that
+amiable expression of a heart, which
+seeks to unite itself with others; all these
+qualities, very far from being strangers
+to virtue, are its attendants and brightest
+ornament.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Virtue allies itself to all the ideas which
+can give extent to our mind, and early in life
+accustoms us to discern relations, and to
+sacrifice frequently our present affections to
+distant considerations; it is, of all our sentiments,
+that which carries us farthest out
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>of ourselves, and consequently has the nearest
+resemblance with abstract thinking. It
+is then, through the assistance of virtue,
+that a man acquires all his knowledge of
+his strength and all his grandeur. Vice, on
+the contrary, concentres us in a little space;
+it seems to be conscious of its own deformity,
+and fears all that surrounds it; it endeavours
+to fix on a single object, on a single
+moment, and would wish to have power to
+draw into a point our whole existence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I must still add, that virtue, by uniting a
+motive to all our actions, and by directing
+towards an end all our sentiments, habituates
+our mind to order, and justness of
+conception; and prevents our wandering
+in too great a space: thus I have often
+thought, that it was not only by his vices,
+that an immoral man is dangerous in the
+administration of public affairs; we ought
+to fear him also as unable to comprehend
+a whole, and for his want of capacity
+to rally all his thoughts and direct them
+towards any general principle: every kind
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>of harmony is unknown to him, every rule
+is become a burthen; he is busy, but only
+by starts; and it is by accident that a man,
+always versatile, stumbles on what is right.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It may then truly be said, that morality
+serves as ballast to our sentiments, its aid
+enables us to go on without being agitated
+continually by the caprices of our imagination,
+without being obliged to turn back at
+the first appearance of an obstacle.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Virtue then enlarges the mind, gives dignity
+to the character, and invests it with
+every thing becoming. Of all the qualities
+of men, the most rare, the most apt to
+create respect, is, that elevation of thought,
+sentiment, and manners; that majestic consistency
+of character which truth alone can
+preserve, but which the least exaggeration,
+the most trivial affectation, would disconcert
+or banish. This resembles not pride,
+and still less vanity, as one of its ornaments
+is, that it never seeks for the homage
+of others: the man endowed with real dignity,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>is placed above even his judges; he
+accounts not with them, he lives under the
+government of his conscience, and, proud
+of such a noble ruler, he does not wish for
+any other dependence: but as this grandeur
+is entirely within himself, it ceases to exist,
+when he dictates to others what he expects
+from them; it can only be restrained in its
+just limits by virtues which do not pretend
+to dazzle.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is to the same principle, that men owe
+that noble respect for virtue, the most
+graceful ornament of a great soul; they owe
+to it also that simplicity in thinking and
+speaking, that happy habit of a conscience
+not in want of being on its guard. A man
+truly honest considers disguise as a detractor,
+and desires to appear as he really is; it is
+not his interest to conceal his weaknesses, for
+in a generous heart they are almost always
+united to something good; and perhaps
+frankness would have become the policy of
+his mind, if it had not been one of the qualities
+of his character.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>There is, in every virtue, a kind of beauty
+which charms us without reflection: our
+moral sense, when it is improved by education,
+is pleased with that social harmony
+which the sentiments of justice preserves.
+These enjoyments are unknown to men,
+whose selfishness renders them insensible to
+every kind of concord, and they appear to
+me to deserve our contempt in one essential
+point; it is, that they profit by the respect
+others have for order, without being willing
+to subject themselves to the same rules,
+and without declaring publicly their intention;
+it seems to me, that, in this view,
+a defect of morality is indeed a breach of
+the laws of hospitality.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, talents, those faculties of the
+mind which belong more immediately to
+nature, can never be applied to great things
+without the aid of morality; there is no
+other way of uniting the interest of men,
+and of attaining their love and respect. Honesty
+resembles the ancient idioms, according
+to which you must know how to speak, when
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>you wish to be understood by the generality;
+and a language is never well known,
+but by constant practice. The understanding
+is sometimes sufficient to acquire
+an ascendency in circumscribed relations;
+you there take men one by one; and you
+often engage them by proportioning yourself
+to their depth: but on a vast theatre,
+and principally in public administration,
+where we have need of captivating men in
+a body, it is necessary to search for a band
+which will embrace all; and it is only by a
+union of talents and virtue that this chain
+can be formed. And when I see the homage
+paid by a nation to virtuous characters;
+when I remark the almost instinctive
+judgment which assists in discerning
+them; when I see that they praise and
+love only what they can connect to pure
+virtue, and noble intention, I return to my
+favourite sentiment, and believe I recognize
+in these emotions the stamp of a hand
+divine.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>After having tried to give a feeble sketch
+of the various recompenses and different
+satisfactions which seem to appertain to regularity
+of principles, and propriety of conduct,
+you will perhaps ask, if you have not
+a right to conclude from these reflections,
+that we can attach men to morality by the
+mere motive of personal interest; I have
+already mentioned, that I intended to answer
+such an objection, and now is the time
+to do it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Virtue, in its most improved state; virtue,
+such as we have just represented, is
+not the work of a moment; it is necessary
+that it should be called forth and strengthened
+by degrees; but it would be nipped when
+it first begins to unfold itself, if we destroyed
+the simple opinions which serve to
+educate it, if we overturned the only end
+which can be perceived by all minds; and
+if we weakened the sentiments which connect
+it with those who respect the laws of
+morality, and who promote this cultivation
+by their commendations and esteem.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>Besides, it is not virtue only, but virtue
+united to different motives, which contributes
+to our happiness. This observation
+is very important, and with great facility
+you may be made to feel the full force
+of it. Employment is generally reckoned
+the surest source of agreeable impressions
+of which we are susceptible; but its
+charm would vanish, if it did not lead to
+some recompense, if it did not show, in
+perspective, an increase of wealth, an enjoyment
+for our self-love, a chance for fame,
+or some other advantages of which we are
+desirous. Vainly, say some, that the exercise
+of our faculties is of itself a pleasure;
+certainly, because that it offers to our view
+a train of prospects which succeed each
+other. But there must always be a strong
+motive to direct us to the right road, and
+make us set off; our bark must be driven
+by the wind; in short, every kind of labour
+requires encouragement, although this
+labour, proportioned to our strength, may
+be more favourable to happiness then sloth
+and idleness; and this truth would strike
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>us still more, if we had ability to analyze a
+sentiment with sufficient attention, to distinguish
+clearly the happiness which is annexed
+to action and employment, from that
+which necessarily relates to the end and to
+the motive of that action.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The reflections, which I have just
+made, may be applied to virtue; we can
+easily, in studying its different effects, perceive,
+that it is an excellent guide in the
+course of life; but we discover, at the same
+time, that it has need, as well as employment,
+of a spur, a simple encouragement on
+a par with our understanding: it is in religion
+that virtue finds this encouragement,
+and we shall not be able to separate it from
+the motives and hopes it presents, without
+disconcerting every connexion it has with
+human happiness.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It will be easy to perceive the great
+benefit which must arise from morality;
+but at the same time it must be remarked,
+that to follow its dictates with
+confidence and firmness, knowledge and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>strong powers of reflection are necessarily
+required in the study of so compounded
+a truth: we are then in want of a
+motive to excite our first effort, which
+subjects us to self-denial, and determines us
+to struggle with courage against the dominion
+of the present moment.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, even when, by the art of sophistry,
+some philosophers have, at length,
+thrown into confusion the true principles
+of order and happiness; when, by the force
+of address, they have led us to doubt about
+the kind and degree of power which it is
+necessary to assign to religion, it should not,
+however, be the legislators of the nation
+who ought to lend an ear to their subtle
+distinctions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Metaphysical sentiments and ideas are
+not proper for statesman, but in their own
+defence; to assist them to guard themselves
+from the ascendency of brilliant errors, and
+to confirm the respect due to useful truths:
+but when they have to guide minds, when
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>they wish to excite activity, it is always, if
+they are wise, the most simple idea that
+they will make use of; and they will be
+very careful not to despise those habitual
+principles, to which time, still more then
+knowledge, has given a sanction. These
+are so many lessons, which long experience
+seems to have gradually disengaged from
+every thing foreign to natural morality and
+the secret sentiments of men.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. VII.<br> <em>On Religious Opinions, in their Relation with Sovereigns.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>Many nations, either by choice, or
+necessity, have deposited their wills
+in the hands of an individual; and have
+thus erected a perpetual monument to the
+spirit of discord, and injustice, which has
+so frequently reigned amongst men. It is
+true, that from time to time they have
+wished to recollect that they were capable
+of knowing themselves their true interest;
+but monarchs mistrusting their inconstancy,
+have taken care to fortify the springs of
+authority, by surrounding themselves with
+standing armies; and they have only left
+them the power of being disgusted with
+slavery: soldiers and taxes have supported
+each other; and through the assistance of
+this corresponding action, they have become
+masters and directors of every thing. How
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>much good and evil depend on them? We
+then necessarily wish them to possess a vigorous
+morality, proportioned to their immense
+duties; but what force will your morality
+have, if they perceive at last, that it is not
+supported by a divine sanction; if they
+consider it as a human institution, which
+they have power to break, and which they
+are in the habit of modifying? At least they
+will have the liberty, like other men, to
+examine if their private interest agrees with
+that of the public, and their conduct will
+depend on the result of this calculation.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I will acknowledge, that at the point of
+elevation, where kings find themselves
+placed, they ought not to be acquainted
+with those passions which proceed from our
+petty competitions; but how many other
+sentiments have they not to repress? And
+with what celerity it is necessary to do it;
+since they do not experience any contradiction,
+they are not, like us, obliged to reflect
+and consider! Besides, though sovereigns are
+supposed to be sheltered by their situation,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>from the irritations of self-love, and from
+the desires of fortune and advancement,
+they are not, however, disengaged from
+every passion of this kind; it is towards
+other princes that they feel them; and envy,
+ambition, and revenge, become often very
+dangerous, as they associate with these passions
+those of the nation they govern, by
+means of a war. It is then that, freed from
+religious ties, and sure of not accounting
+with any body, they would find morality a
+very ingenious invention, to render the
+maintenance of public order more easy, and
+to preserve the subordination which secures
+their power; but, would not acknowledge
+such a master for themselves, and would dispense
+with bowing to its dictates.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>You will say, undoubtedly, that a virtuous
+king would be recompensed by the
+applause of his subjects: but I have already
+shown, that the influence of public
+opinion would be very weak, if the principles
+of morality, which serve to guide this
+opinion, were not supported by religion.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>We should also observe, that elogiums and
+applause, homage so encouraging to private
+men, have not an equal power over princes,
+who cannot, like individuals, consider this
+suffrage as an earnest, or forerunner of exaltation;
+it is by the continual view of the
+advantages and triumphs of others, that
+the desire of respect and distinction is continually
+kept alive; and it may, perhaps,
+proceed a little from the stimulation of
+envy, or at least from those jarring pretentions,
+and from those struggles of self-love,
+of which society alone is the theatre.
+Princes without rivals are not subject to the
+same impressions; and the flattery they
+have so early imbibed, and the praises
+which are lavished on them from the simple
+motive of hope, all serve to render them
+less sensible to deserved applause; in short,
+this exaggerated praise soon becomes a dull
+monotony, which extinguishes, by its uniformity,
+that emulation which a just homage
+sometimes inspires. There would be
+then great danger in reposing too much on
+the power of public opinion, if we were to
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>consider it as a check able to replace with
+princes the compressing force of religion.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I must now make an essential remark:
+those who surround a monarch, often mislead
+his judgment by the nature and the
+application of the elogiums which they lavish
+on him. The praise of men, in a
+monarchy, always has a taint of slavery:
+thus, in such countries, a look, a word from
+the prince, which seems to efface, for an instant,
+the distance that separates him from
+his subjects, delights them; and their enthusiasm
+in those moments serves to persuade
+the monarch, that it is sufficient for
+him to smile, to render his people happy:
+dangerous illusion, sad effect of servility:
+in short, in consequence of the character
+which is impressed by an habitual
+yoke, men are pleased with exalting the
+power of him to whom they are obliged to
+submit; they love to see their servile companions
+multiplied; and as the greater part
+of them have seldom any access to the
+prince, vanity persuades them, that in affecting
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>to partake of the royal grandeur,
+they contract a kind of familiarity with it;
+therefore, without reflecting whether it will
+be more in the power of the sovereign to
+make them happy, when, by enlarging his
+dominions, he shall have more subjects, and
+of course more duties to fulfil, they celebrate,
+above all, the conquering warrior,
+and thus invite princes to prefer the pursuit
+of military glory to every other; and, as
+the multitude can quickly comprehend this
+kind of merit; as the gaining of a battle
+is a simple idea, easily conceived by men of
+every condition and turn of mind, it happens,
+by this reasoning, that these triumphs
+are the most highly extolled; and even that
+men, on account of them, can excuse every
+other failure, broken treaties, violated oaths,
+alliances abandoned—In short, such is the
+mad folly of our praise, that the tranquillity
+of the state, the repose of the people, the
+mild benefits of peace, appear no more than
+the last consequence of the labours and the
+success of a monarch; and even history frequently
+represents this fortunate time, as
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>the days of obscurity in which heroes
+of blood and carnage are educated; kings,
+discontented with their destiny, are warriors
+through ambition, and happy by the victories,
+to which we annex our first honours,
+and the most noble wreaths of
+fame.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is thus, however, that the prevailing
+opinion, and the rumour of renown, can
+sometimes deceive princes, though inconsistent
+with the instructions of morality
+and the legislation of yore, which
+point out the true interest of the people
+as the first object of a sovereign’s anxious
+solicitude; and instead of a sounding name,
+and dazzling qualities, enforce those requisite
+to form the guardian and protector of the felicity
+of the public; duties of a vast extent,
+and which are discharged by the secret labours
+of paternal vigilance, still more than
+by the noise of the drum and the instruments
+of destruction.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>Let us consider, however, the influence
+the opinion of the world will have on sovereigns,
+in directing only our views towards
+the interior functions of administration.
+An essential observation presents itself at
+first to the mind: it is, that the thirst
+for glory is especially felt when a great
+abuse is to be reformed, and when we can
+hope to make regularity succeed to confusion;
+but when this task is fulfilled, and
+that it is only necessary to preserve and support
+what is good, the love of renown has
+not sufficient aliment, and it is then that
+the virtue of princes becomes the only faithful
+guardian of the public interest. A
+reign, such as we have formed an idea of,
+would carry away from the following ones
+every subject of dazzling splendour; and it
+would be necessary that new troubles and
+fears re-animated the sentiment of admiration,
+to give it its ancient ascendency and
+original force.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We should be able also, and this picture
+would be very different, to figure
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>to ourselves a period, when, by the successive
+degradation of character, the opinion
+of the public would no longer indicate
+the way to fame, nor resound to
+excite ambition; the recompenses it offers
+would not be a motive sufficiently powerful
+to influence men. Thus, in a country, in
+a metropolis, where covetousness seemed triumphant,
+where every body would appear
+to pursue that fortune which is only acquired
+by intrigue, and the vices of those
+who bestow it, respect for the real interest
+of the people, and attention to lighten their
+burthens, would no longer purchase renown.
+In like manner, in a country where despotism
+reigns, and the people are accustomed
+to prostrate themselves before power, they
+would acknowledge no other idol; we should
+not there be able to acquire a contemporary
+fame by elevation of character, by tempering
+with wisdom the exercise of authority,
+and allowing the citizens to enjoy that degree
+of freedom, which does not degenerate
+into licentiousness. It is then morality,
+and morality alone, which comes at
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>all times, and in all circumstances, to resist
+the revolutions of habit and opinion, of
+which history furnishes examples, and of
+which men are ever susceptible.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I ought not to neglect another very important
+consideration: princes, by the elevation
+of their rank, and influence on the national
+manners, find that they are in that singular
+situation, where one is more called to direct
+the reigning opinion, than to receive instruction
+and encouragement from it: thus
+we are impelled to wish, that a monarch
+should have principles which flow from his
+heart, and which depend on his reflections,
+from which he may be able to derive, at all
+times, a force properly his own, a natural
+courage. It is necessary for a prince to investigate
+and decide on his own conduct;
+and a sublime morality should nourish in
+his heart an ideal model of perfection, with
+which he can continually compare the opinions
+of the world and the private judgment
+of his conscience.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>In short, and this last reflection which I
+have made will apply, in a general manner,
+to the preceding remarks; the opinion of
+the public, the just complaints of the people,
+are sometimes a long while in reaching
+the prince; they ring in the kingdom before
+he hears the rumour; they wander
+round the palace, but the whispers do not
+reach him; vanity, pride, and every vice
+excludes them; the old courtiers sneer, and
+the insignificant pursuers of credit or favour
+amuse themselves by indulging their
+turn for ridicule. The ministers, who
+are followed by the clamour, are often importuned
+by it; and when it reaches their
+master, find some method to weaken its
+impression, attributing these commotions to
+private passions, and giving the name of
+cabal to a just indignation against vice.
+Yes, such is the unhappy fate of princes,
+that the peace of a state is often tottering,
+before the opinion of the world reaches
+them, and discovers the truth; a new consideration,
+very proper to convince us, that
+the power of opinion can never equal in
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>utility those grand principles of morality,
+which, by the aid of religion, are fixed,
+in the hearts of men, to give them laws,
+without distinction of birth, rank, or dignity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But if, from sovereigns, we carry our
+views to those who share their confidence,
+we shall perceive still more the absolute
+necessity of an active and governing morality.
+Ministers, without virtue, are more
+to be feared than sovereigns indifferent to
+public good; newly come out of the crowd
+they know better than the monarch the selfish
+use that they can make of all the passions
+and vices; and as they are connected
+with society, as they have a continual relation
+with the different orders of the state,
+their corruptions are propagated, and their
+dangerous influence spreads to a great distance.
+Attacked, nevertheless, by the public,
+they become still more mischievous in
+their means of warding off danger, for despairing
+of disguise before the attentive eyes
+of a whole people, they turn their address
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>against the prince; they study, they pry
+into his weaknesses, and artfully encourage
+those which may protect or cover the defects
+of their character; they apply themselves,
+at the same time, to adorn immorality
+with every grace which can render it
+amiable, and they endeavour to make virtue
+hateful, by delineating it as austere, imperious,
+unsociable, and almost incompatible
+with our morals and manners: it is thus
+that ministers, not restrained by principles,
+occasion not only the misery of a country
+whilst their influence lasts, but they poison
+the source of public felicity, by weakening
+in the monarch his sentiments of duty, diverting
+his good dispositions, and discouraging,
+if I may say so, his natural virtues.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, the picture which I have just
+drawn will produce another important observation:
+the prince, after having wandered out
+of the path of true glory, may return, when
+he pleases, to the love of virtue and greatness;
+all the avenues are open to him, all
+hearts ready to welcome him, we have an
+inclination to love him, and desire to
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>esteem him, whom fate has placed at the
+head of the nation; and who, invested with
+the majesty which he borrows from a long
+train of ancestors, exhibits himself surrounded
+by all the enchantments of a diadem;
+we adopt with pleasure any interpretation
+which can excuse his conduct; we
+impute to ill counsels the faults which he
+has committed; and we are eager to enter
+with him into a new contract of esteem and
+hope. It is not the same with ministers;
+a like indulgence is not due to them, because
+they cannot throw the blame on
+others, and all their actions proceed from
+themselves; when they have once lost the
+opinion of the public, their depravity will
+increase daily; because, to maintain their
+post they are obliged to redouble their intrigues
+and dissimulation.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I have maturely reflected: the religion
+of princes, of ministers, of government in
+general, is the first source of the happiness
+of the people; we despise it, because it is
+not our invention, and we often give the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>preference to those artifices of the mind,
+which seduce us as being our own work;
+and perhaps they are wanted, after having
+lost sight of this sure and faithful guide,
+this companion of true genius, which,
+like it, prefers easy and simple means. Yes,
+this exalted virtue, resembling superior abilities,
+rejects equally those weak resources
+and inventions, which derive not their origin
+from an elevated sentiment or grand
+thought; and, whilst one obliges a statesman
+to respect honour, justice, and truth,
+the other discovers the union of these principles
+with the just means which strengthen
+authority, and with the true glory and durable
+success of politics; in short, whilst
+one renders him anxious about the happiness
+of the people, the other shows how,
+from the bosom of this happiness, they
+would see rise insensibly an agreement of
+interests and of wills, of whose extensive use
+we are still ignorant.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>If we wish to dwell a moment on the
+private happiness of princes, we shall readily
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>perceive, that they have a real want of
+the encouragement religion affords. Their
+distinguished authority appears, indeed, to
+their mind, a singular privilege; they believe
+this power should extend to every
+thing, and they indiscretly endeavour to
+accelerate the moments of enjoyment; but
+as they cannot change the law of nature, it
+happens, that in delivering themselves up
+to every thing which seduces their imagination,
+they experience as quickly the sad
+langour of indifference, and the oppression
+of apathy.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Kings, in the exercise of their intellectual
+faculties are exposed to the same extremes;
+providence having placed them on the pinnacle
+of fortune, they consequently have not
+been led from one view to another, and know
+not those gradations which actuate their
+subjects in the name of vanity, self-love, or
+fortune.—Alas! we obey so quickly, and their
+desires are so soon gratified, that their taste
+and inclinations cannot be renewed with
+the quickness necessary to enable them to
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>fill the irksome void which so frequently
+occurs. If the magnificent end which
+religion offers were to be obscured, and
+if, henceforth, we were to consider it
+as a fallacious illusion, unworthy of
+our attention, kings would soon attain to
+that term when the future would appear
+to their mind a barren uniformity, a
+space without colour or form.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The numerous duties of princes, undoubtedly,
+afford a continual source of satisfaction;
+but it is necessary that they
+should be able to connect all their obligations
+to a grand idea, the only one which
+can constantly animate their actions and
+thoughts, who have need of neither favour
+nor advancement from their fellow-creatures.
+And how much would it contribute
+to their happiness sometimes, to imagine
+themselves between this world, in which
+they are weary of their own power, and
+that magnificent future; the sublime contemplation
+of which would carry them,
+with a new charm, to the exercise of their
+authority! What pleasure then would flow
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>from this authority, the source of so much
+good!—What pleasure would they not find
+in more closely imitating the divine beneficence,
+the most comfortable of all ideas, and
+what a moment for him, when particularly
+conscious of the presence of the exalted friend
+of the whole human race, he should be able
+to reflect, in the morning, on the people
+he was going to make happy; and in the
+evening, on those he had actually done good
+to. What a difference between these delicious
+moments, whose influence the nation feels,
+and those insignificant levees, only known
+to courtiers, in which the monarch is
+the spectacle, and tastes the sad pleasure of
+seeing so many men cringing before his
+own image. What a difference, even between
+these rapturous sensations, and those
+raised by flattery, or the dazzling parade
+which surrounds him, in the midst of
+which he cannot discern himself, whether
+he is a great man, or only a king.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, we ought to acknowledge, that
+the more extensive the horizon, which opens
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span>before sovereigns, the greater is the number
+of duties presented to their reflections, the
+more they must feel the want of that
+sustaining power so infinitely superior to
+their own strength: they are conscious of
+the disproportion which exists between the
+extent of their authority and the means entrusted
+to human nature; and it is only by
+supporting themselves against that mysterious
+pillar, erected by religion, that they
+can be firm, and consider without affright,
+that Providence has called them to regulate
+and direct the destiny of a whole empire.
+It was when profoundly meditating on the
+existence of a God; reflecting on the influence
+and various relations of such a grand
+thought, that Marcus Aurelius discovered
+all the extent of his duties, and felt, at the
+same time, the courage and the will to fulfil
+them. The happy and constant agreement
+of his actions and principles made
+his reign an illustrious example of wisdom
+and morality.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We must confess, that it is to virtue,
+supported by every sentiment which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>it imprints on the human heart, that we
+should wish to confide the sacred deposit
+of public happiness; this alone is
+always faithful and vigilant, surpasses the
+spur of praise, and, by the ascendency
+of a great example, leads men to the
+knowledge of every thing they ought to
+admire.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. VIII.<br> <em>An Objection drawn from the Wars and from the Commotions which Religion has given Rise to.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>I shall present, at first, this objection
+in all its force, or rather I will not seek
+to weaken it; it would be needless to recal
+to the memory of men all the evils that
+have happened during a long series of years,
+with which we have reason to reproach the
+blind and savage zeal of religious fanaticism.
+Every one has present to his mind those
+multiplied acts of intolerance which have
+sullied the annals of history; every one
+knows the scenes of discord, of war, and
+fury, which theological controversies have
+caused amongst men; they have been informed
+of the fatal consequences which
+these enterprizes have brought in their
+train, and which the rare virtues of a great
+king have not been able to justify. In
+short, to maintain, in all ages, a remembrance
+of the fatal abuses which have been
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>committed in the name of the God of
+Peace, it would be sufficient to describe
+those direful days, when some different tenet
+produced a sentence of proscription, and
+the frightful signal of the most cruel frenzies.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is thus then, that in all times, by an
+absurd tyranny, or by a ferocious enthusiasm,
+triumphs have been contrived for the eager
+detractors of religion. Let us examine,
+however, if the deductions that they wish
+to draw from these errors of the human
+mind, are founded on reason and justice.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I shall not stop to observe, that religion
+has oftener been the pretext, than the
+true motive, of the unhappy convulsions of
+which it appears at present the sole origin;
+or stop to recal the various political
+advantages, which could only arise from
+such a grand principle of action; those august
+testimonies are commemorated in history:
+I shall only borrow the support of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>reason, and shall bound my discussion to a
+few simple reflections.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Do you think, that by relating the different
+abuses of authority we could prove
+the advantage of anarchy? Could we decry
+every species of jurisprudence, by recounting
+all the ills which have been produced by
+chicane? Should we be able to throw an
+odium on the sciences, by recalling all the
+fatal discoveries which are owing to our
+researches? Would it be proper to stifle
+every kind of self-love and activity, by reciting
+the different crimes which covetousness,
+pride, and ambition have given rise
+to? And ought we, then, to desire to annihilate
+religion, because fanaticism has made
+an instrument of it to distress the human
+species? All these questions are similar, and
+all should be resolved in the same manner:
+thus we may say with respect to them, that
+in all our interests and passions, it is by acquired
+knowledge, and the light of reason,
+that right is separated from wrong; but we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>ought never to confound their proximity
+with a real identity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Fanaticism and religion have not any
+connection, though very often these ideas
+are found united. It is not the worship of
+the common Father of men; it is not the
+morality of the gospel, whose precepts lead
+to goodness and forbearance, which inspires
+the spirit of persecution; we should attribute
+it to a blind madness, resembling all
+those wild errors and crimes which dishonour
+humanity. But since, at present, the
+excesses to which men abandon themselves
+do not induce us to condemn, as a misfortune,
+all the sentiments of which the criminal
+passions are only the extreme, why
+do we wish to refuse religion the gratitude
+which is its due, because sometimes it has
+given birth to hatred and unhappy divisions?
+It would be necessary rather to remark,
+that intolerant zeal is, of all the errors
+of the human mind, that on which the progress
+of our knowledge appears to have had
+most influence. In fact, whilst fanaticism,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span>gradually weakened, seems to be now verging
+to its decline, the disorders connected
+with the common passions of ambition, love
+of wealth, and thirst of pleasure, remain in
+all their force. However, what sentiment,
+what predominant idea, has a greater claim
+to pardon for its mistakes than devotion?
+By what an infinite number of benefits the
+pure spirit of religion makes amends for the
+abuses which spring from the false interpretation
+of its precepts. It is to this spirit,
+as we have shown, that men owe the stability
+of public order and the firm principles
+of justice: it procures the indigent the succours
+of charity, and virtue its encouragement;
+oppressed innocence its only refuge,
+and sensibility its dearest hopes. Yes, the
+pure spirit of religion surrounds us on every
+side, it makes the charm, of solitude, the
+band of society, the invigorater of intimate
+affections; and can we calumniate it and
+wish to destroy it, on recollecting the tyrannic
+opinions of some priests and sovereigns,
+whose principles and conduct we now
+detest?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>I shall further remark, and ask why men
+denounce a sentence of reprobation against
+religion, and give as the motive, the ancient
+wars of which it has been the origin;
+whilst they never contest the importance of
+commerce, though rivers of blood have been
+continually shed for the smallest advantage
+on this account? Can they be so mistaken
+in their judgment, as to compare a few
+pecuniary advantages, which one political
+state never enjoys, but at the expence of
+another, with those, as precious as they are
+universal, of which religion is the origin and
+support?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, among the various arguments
+that are employed to attack these opinions,
+the most frivolous, undoubtedly, is that
+which derives all its force from the errors
+and faults of which the present times do not
+furnish any example. What should we say
+if, at the moment when a superb edifice was
+firm on its foundation, we should be exhorted
+to level it with the ground, by a relation
+of all the accidents its erection occasioned?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>Throwing then a painful retrospect on
+the period of history, when religion was
+made the pretext of wars and cruelty; let
+us oppose to the return of those sanguinary
+scenes, let us oppose to the spirit of intolerance
+all the force of wisdom, and the instructions
+of that religion which they pretend
+to serve by a blind zeal. But far from
+freeing us from the respect which we owe
+to such salutary opinions, which men have
+abused, let us take advantage of experience,
+as a new defence against the wanderings of
+our imaginations, and the surprises of our
+passions<a id='r2'></a><a href='#f2' class='c012'><sup>[2]</sup></a>.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. IX.<br> <em>Another Objection examined. The Sabbath.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>I do not intend to place among the objections
+I ought to discuss, nor in the
+number of arguments, that it is important
+to examine, the various opinions on such
+and such parts of religious worship, nor the
+difficulties raised against the adoption of
+some dogmatic notion, thought essential by
+some, and considered with indifference by
+others: it is not a treatise of controversial
+theology which I wish to compose; and it
+is still less the doctrines of one particular
+church, which I would oppose to that of
+another; all of them connect morality to
+the commands of a Supreme Being; they
+all of them see in the public worship the
+respectful expression of a sentiment of love
+and gratitude towards the Author of Nature.
+Thus, those who might think they
+perceived some imperfections in the system,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>or in the forms of worship, adopted in a
+nation, should not use this objection to dispute
+the utility of religion, since the reflections,
+which have been just made on its
+importance, may be applied equally to the
+doctrines of all countries, and the principles
+of every sect.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I shall dwell then on the only difficulty
+which interests, without distinction, the different
+religions of Europe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The establishment of public worship, and
+the necessity of consecrating at least one day in
+every week, occasions, say some, a suspension
+of labour too frequent; and this suspension
+injures the state, and diminishes the resources
+of the people.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I may at first observe, that such objections
+would appear very weak, if compared
+with the great advantages which men owe
+to religion! An increase of wealth can
+never outweigh order, morality, and happiness.
+But I must go further to prove,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>that a day of rest, devoted amongst us to
+public worship, cannot injure the political
+strength; and that so far from being contrary
+to the interests of the people, it protects
+and favours them; and as I invariably prefer
+such interests to all others, I shall begin
+by demonstrating, in a few words, the justness
+of this proposition.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We should be mistaken if we thought,
+that in a given space of time, men forced, by
+the inequality of conditions, to live by their
+labour, would, by observing the precepts of
+religion, better their situation, if they were
+not obliged to rest from labour one day in
+every week.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is necessary, in order to perceive this
+truth, to examine, first, what is now the
+measure of wages; it is not an exact proportion
+between labour and its reward. In
+fact, if we consulted only the light of reason
+and equity, no one, I believe, would
+dare to decide, that the most scanty necessaries
+is the just price of fatiguing and painful
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>labour, which commences at the dawn,
+and does not finish till the setting of the
+sun: we should not be able to maintain,
+that in the midst of his enjoyments, and in
+the bosom of luxurious idleness, the rich
+ought not to grant any other retribution to
+those who sacrifice their time and strength
+to increase their revenue and multiply their
+enjoyments. It is not then by the principles
+of common sense or reflection, that
+the wages of the generality have been fixed;
+it is a compact established by power, a yoke
+to which the weak must submit. The
+possessor of a vast domain would see all his
+riches vanish, if numerous labourers did not
+come to cultivate his estate, and carry into
+his store-house the fruit of their toil; but,
+as the number of men without property is
+immense, their concurrence, and the pressing
+need that they have to labour for a
+subsistence, obliges them to receive the law
+from him who can, in the bosom of ease,
+wait quietly for their services; and it results
+from this habitual relation between
+the rich and poor, that the wages for hard
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>labour are constantly reduced to the most
+scanty allowance, that is to say, to what is
+only sufficient to satisfy their daily and indispensable
+wants.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>This system once settled, if it were possible,
+that, by a revolution in our nature,
+men could live and preserve their strength
+without allotting every day some hours to
+repose and sleep, it is beyond doubt, that
+the work of twenty hours would be required
+for the same wages now granted for
+twelve.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Or, by an assimilation, agreeing with
+the hypothesis I have just mentioned, suppose
+that a moral revolution permitted <a id='t200'></a>labourers
+to work the seventh day, they would
+consequently, in a short time, require of
+them the extraordinary labour at the former
+rate; and this levelling would take place
+through the gradual diminution of the
+price of labour. The class of society,
+which, in exerting its power, has regulated
+the present wages, not according to reason and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>equity, but according to the necessities of
+the labourers, would quickly discern its own
+interest; and that when a day more was
+paid for, the people could bear a diminution
+of the seventh part of their wages, and
+be in their old state. Thus, though before
+the change had thoroughly taken place, all
+those who live by labour would think that
+they had acquired a new resource; yet
+they would soon be brought to their former
+condition; for it is the same with social
+order as with the law of equilibrium in
+nature, which combines ranks and places,
+every thing according to the immutable law
+of the proportion of force.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Men, devoid of property, after having
+been some time deceived, would only get an
+increase of work by the abolition of the Sabbath;
+and as this truth does not present
+itself naturally to the mind, we ought to
+consider, as an essential service of religion,
+its having secured the greater number of men
+from a degree of oppression, to which they
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>would have run blindly, if they had been
+at liberty to make a choice.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The daily labour of one class of society
+surpasses the reasonable measure of its
+strength, and hastens the days of decripitude;
+it was then absolutely necessary that
+the customary course of these labours should
+be, for a time, suspended; but as the people,
+pressed by wants of every kind, are exposed
+to be seduced by the slightest appearance
+of advantage, it was further necessary
+to their happiness, that the interruption
+of thier fatigues, fixed by a religious
+duty, appeared not to them the voluntary sacrifice
+of fortune, and did not leave in them
+any regret. In short, they are pleased when
+they think of those days of rest, which produce
+a little alteration in their manner of
+living; and they require that alteration, not
+to be depressed by a continual train and repetition
+of the same occupations. Thus,
+were you to assert artfully, that the people
+are not as comfortable of a Sunday, as during
+the week, it would be at least true,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>that one is softened by the expectation of the
+other; there are people so very wretched,
+and probably, on that account, so bounded
+are their desires, that the most trifling variety
+is a substitute for hope. It seems to
+me, that the hearts of the common people
+may be sometimes cheered with the thought
+of being once a week dressed like their superiors;
+when they are absolute masters of
+their time, and can say,—and I also—I am
+free<a id='r3'></a><a href='#f3' class='c012'><sup>[3]</sup></a>.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>I must now examine the second proposition
+which I have mentioned.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>You have made obvious, some will say,
+that an augmentation of the days of labour
+would occasion a reduction of the wages
+allowed for it, we may then reasonably ask,
+if this result would not favour commerce,
+and contribute, in some respect, to increase
+the political strength? Undoubtedly you
+may consider under this point of view, the
+diminution of the reward of industry; but
+the political strength being always a relative
+idea, and derived from comparisons
+with other states, this strength can
+never be augmented or diminished by a circumstance
+common to all the countries of
+Europe. Were a barbarous ambition to
+abolish in one state the Sabbath, the abolition
+would probably procure it a degree of
+superiority, if it was the only one that
+adopted such a change; but as soon as
+others followed their example, the advantage
+would disappear. However, the same
+arguments ought to serve to convince us,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>that those countries, where the intervals of
+inaction occur oftener, have necessarily a
+political disadvantage, with regard to others,
+where Sunday and a few solemn feasts are the
+only days of rest prescribed by government.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We may conclude from these observations,
+that so far from finding fault with religion for
+appointing a day of rest, devoted every week
+to public worship, we ought to acknowledge
+with pleasure, that such an institution
+is a benevolent act, extended to the most
+numerous class of the inhabitants of the
+earth, the most deserving our consideration
+and protection; from which we require so
+much, and return so little: towards that
+unfortunate class, whose youth and maturity
+the rich profit by, and abandon them
+when the hour is come, when they have no
+more strength left but to enable them to
+pray and weep.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. X.<br> <em>An Observation on a particular Circumstance of public Worship.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>It is not sufficient, that sovereigns are persuaded
+of the influence of religion on the
+morality and happiness of men; they ought
+to make use of proper means to maintain
+this salutary action; and, of course,
+every part of public worship becomes of
+the greatest importance. Educated in a religion,
+thought by some to approach nearer
+the first ideas of christianity, yet as it has
+adopted several principles by no means consonant
+with the Catholic faith, it would be
+unwise in me to discuss any of the questions
+which divide the two churches; and I
+should do it without any good accruing
+from it, so much are we disposed to refer
+to early prejudices, the ideas which are
+most intimately blended with the sentiments
+and feeling of a man; we like to take a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>general view, and this method agrees with
+our indolence; but it leads us often astray.
+I think, however, that the minds of the
+people are now sufficiently enlightened, to
+permit me to advise the superiors of both
+church and state, to examine attentively, if
+it is not full time to make more use of the
+vulgar tongue, and if we are not warned, by
+the present depravity of morals, to alter the
+manner of performing divine service in this
+respect.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is only during an interval of the grand
+mass that the priest addresses to country people
+some words of exhortation in their own
+language; it was natural to consider this
+moment as the most proper to dispose the
+mind to respect and attention; but perhaps,
+even the pomp of an august ceremony,
+by attracting strongly the imagination,
+withdraws the generality from the importance
+of the other parts of divine worship;
+and it frequently happens in country places,
+that many people go out of the church
+during the sermon, and return at the moment
+of consecration.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>I think also, that public prayers should
+always be in the vulgar tongue, and they
+might easily be made interesting and affecting,
+as there are not any religious discourses
+which sympathize more with human
+weakness; and as our wants and anxieties
+may be made use of to raise us towards the
+Supreme Being, the best of all bands might
+be chosen to win the multitude.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I must observe besides, that part of the
+country people, especially in harvest time,
+and other seasons, when the husbandman is
+particularly busy, assist only at early mass,
+and then they see but a part of  the religious
+ceremonies<a id='r4'></a><a href='#f4' class='c012'><sup>[4]</sup></a>. And, if the practice
+and liberty of working on a Sunday was
+more extended, the inhabitants of the
+country, still more confined to the first mass,
+would hear neither prayers nor instructive
+discourses in their own language during the
+whole year.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Certainly there must be something altered
+in these religious institutions in order
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>to make them more efficaciously serve to
+support morality, and comfort the most
+numerous class of the human race. Country
+people, whose labour produces our
+wealth, ought to be taken care of with
+paternal anxiety; and since they are not exposed
+to those disorderly passions which find
+nourishment in a metropolis; since mild
+and prudent means still suffice to maintain
+them in the habit of duty; both the superiors
+in church and state have to answer,
+in some measure, for the corruption of their
+manners and dispositions.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XI.<br> <em>That the single Idea of a God is a sufficient Support of Morality.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>After having shown that morality
+has need of a supernatural support,
+you have reason to expect, that I should
+explain the intimate and immediate relation
+which unites religion to the love of virtue,
+and the observance of order. I will endeavour,
+then, to discuss this important
+question; and in order to arrive at the
+truth, I shall follow first the course of those
+simple sentiments and natural thoughts,
+which guide the mind and the heart of
+man, in every climate and country under
+heaven.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is easy to unite all the moral legislation,
+and the entire system of our duties, by means
+only of the idea of a God.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>The universe, notwithstanding its magnificence
+and its immensity, would be a
+mere nothing, if its Supreme Author had
+not peopled it with intelligent beings, capable
+of contemplating so many wonders,
+and of receiving happiness from them; but
+the faculties with which we are endowed,
+consciousness of possessing them, and the
+liberty to act, all announce to us that we
+are united to a grand combination, that we
+have a part to take on the vast stage of the
+world.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The most simple reason, that which resembles
+instinct, would have been sufficient
+to enable us to take care of the body, and
+to have concentred us in ourselves; more
+would not have been necessary for those
+who have so little to do. Thus, when I
+see that the mind is susceptible of continual
+improvement, when I see that men enjoy
+the power of assisting each other, and of
+communicating their ideas, in a manner so
+much superior to other animals; when I
+fix my attention on our social dispositions,
+and on all the relative qualities which compose
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>our nature, I cannot avoid thinking,
+that we have a plan of conduct to follow
+towards others, and that in our pilgrimage
+on earth we must be circumspect, having
+obstacles to conquer, sacrifices to make, and
+obligations to fulfil.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Men then appear to be led to religion by
+the most excellent gifts of nature, and by
+all that they have in them of the sublime;
+but we ought to remark, as a singular resemblance,
+that their wants also, and their
+extreme weakness, lead them to the same
+object.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Whatever may be my emotions, when
+I reflect on the present imperious laws to
+which I am obliged to submit, and when I
+recal to mind the grandeur and magnificence
+which I have been a witness of, I
+raise continually my soul towards the Sovereign
+Director of events, and am led by
+instinct, as well as by a rational sentiment,
+to address my prayers to Him. It appears
+to the unfortunate, when they view so
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>many wonders which their understanding
+cannot grasp, that so little is wanting to
+guard them from the dangers which threaten
+them, they implore the commiseration of
+Him whose formidable power bursts from
+all sides. But, while they admire and adore,
+they must imitate His perfections, and not
+expect mercy when they show none. Purity
+of heart only can render an intercourse
+with the Supreme Being interesting; and
+prayers are merely a solemn kind of mockery,
+when they do not produce virtue and forbearance,
+when they do not render us kindly
+affected to each other; our very state of
+dependence, our wants and weaknesses,
+should bind us to those beings who equally
+share the blessings so liberally bestowed,
+and have the same evils to endure. Thus
+discontent, the fear of futurity, the anxiety
+caused by misfortunes, all the sentiments,
+which engage men to disturb social
+order, take another character, or are
+at least sensibly modified; when, from
+their first suffering, they can elevate
+their wishes to God, but dare not do
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>it, with a heart sullied by criminal intentions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is not only prayer which leads us to
+religion; another communication with the
+Supreme Being, gratitude, produces the same
+effect. A man, persuaded of the existence of
+a sovereign power, and who gladly connects
+with the divine protection his success and
+happiness, feels, at the same time, a desire
+to express his gratitude; and not being able
+to do any thing for him who bestows all,
+he seeks to form an idea of the perfections
+of that Supreme Being, in order to comprehend
+the system of conduct most conformable
+to his attributes. At first, what
+reflections possess our mind, what emotions
+agitate our souls, when we contemplate the
+universe? When we respectfully admire
+that magnificent harmony, which is the
+incomprehensible result of an innumerable
+multitude of different powers: struck with
+this vast whole, where we discover an
+agreement so perfect, how is it possible for
+us to avoid considering order as a distinct
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>mark of the wisdom and of the design of
+Omnipotence? And how is it possible for
+us not to think, that we render him the
+most worthy homage, at the time we make
+use of the free intelligence which he has
+endowed us with. Then in the composition
+of a social structure, a work which
+has been entrusted to us, we shall try to
+penetrate the ideas of wisdom and order, of
+which all nature presents such a grand example;
+then, in establishing the relations
+which unite men, we shall carefully study
+the laws of moral order, and we shall find
+them all founded on the reciprocation of
+duties, which submit to a regular movement
+different jarring personal interests.
+In short, the idea of a God, Creator, Regenerator,
+and Preserver of the Universe, by
+invariable laws, and by a train of the same
+causes and the same effects, seems to call
+us to the conception of a universal morality,
+which, in imitation of the unknown springs
+of the natural world, may be as the necessary
+tie of this succession of intelligent beings,
+who always, with the same passions,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>come to pass and repass on the earth, to
+seek, or to fly, to assist, or to hurt each
+other, according to the strength or the
+weakness of the knot which unites them,
+and according to the wisdom or inconsistency
+of the principles which direct their
+opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The attentive study of man and of his
+nature ought to contribute to confirm in
+us the idea which we have just pointed
+out. We cannot, in fact, consider the
+prodigious difference which exists between
+the minds and characters of men; we
+cannot fix our attention on the length
+to which this difference may be carried,
+by the perfectibility of which they are
+susceptible; we cannot, in short, reflect
+on a like constitution, without being induced
+to think, that the counterpoise of
+these extraordinary means of force and
+usurpation must proceed from reason, from
+that singular authority which only can establish,
+between men, relations of justice
+and convenience, proper to maintain an
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>equilibrium and harmony in the midst of
+so many disparities: it is thus, that respect
+for morality seems evidently to make a part
+of the general view and primitive idea of
+the Supreme Disposer of the universe. And
+what pleasure shall we not find in the persuasion,
+that the cultivation of virtue, that
+the observance of order, offers us the means
+of pleasing our Divine Benefactor! It is by
+that alone that we can hope to concur,
+however feebly, in the execution of his
+grand designs; and in the centre of so
+many blessings, surrounded by so many
+signs of a particular protection, how highly
+ought we to value this means of communication
+with the Author of our existence?
+Thus, then, the homage of adoration
+and gratitude which we render to
+the Deity, leads us to a sentiment of respect
+for the laws of morality; and this sentiment,
+in its turn, serves continually to
+maintain in us the idea of a Supreme Being.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Independent of the reflections which we
+have just presented, morality, considered in
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>all its extent, has need of being strengthened
+by this disposition of the soul, which
+makes us interested in the happiness of
+others; and it is besides, in one of the most
+glorious perfections of the Deity, that we
+find the first model of this precious sentiment.
+Yes, we cannot deny it: either our
+existence proceeds from no cause, or we
+owe it to the goodness of the Supreme Being.
+Life, some will say, undoubtedly is
+a mixture of pains and pleasures: but, if
+we are candid we shall confess, that those
+moments, when it ceases to appear to us a
+benefit, do not often occur in life: in youth,
+existence is thought the greatest blessing,
+and the other seasons of life offer pleasures
+less animated, certainly, but which agree
+better with the progress of our understanding,
+and the increase of our experience.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is true, that in order to free ourselves
+from a sentiment of gratitude, we often think
+that we would not accept of a renewal of
+life, on condition of our running over a second
+time our career, and returning step by
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>step in the same track. But we should consider,
+that we do not fix a just value on the
+benefits which we have received; for when
+we take a retrospective view of life, we see
+it stripped of its two principal ornaments,
+curiosity and hope; and it is not in this
+state that it was given to us, and that we
+have enjoyed it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is, perhaps, not in our power to replace
+ourselves, by contemplation, in the
+situation where the imagination made our
+chief pleasure, a slight breath has easily
+effaced it from our memory: it is evident
+that we enjoy life, because we look forward
+with affright to the moment when
+we shall be forced to renounce it; but, as
+this happiness is composed of present pleasures,
+and those which we anticipate, we
+cease to be good judges of the value of life,
+when this future prospect is not presented
+to our eyes, but under the form of the past;
+for we know not how to appreciate, with a
+languishing recollection, that which we have
+loved in the moment of hope.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>Physical evils are not either the end or
+the condition of our nature, they are its accidents:
+the happiness of infancy, which
+shows in its primitive purity the works of
+the Deity, visibly point out the goodness of
+the Supreme Being; and how can we avoid
+believing, that we owe our origin to a benevolent
+design, since it is a desire of happiness,
+which has been given to serve as the
+motive of all our actions? We should indeed
+speak well of life, if we had not corrupted
+its comforts by artificial sentiments,
+which we have substituted instead of nature;
+if we had not submitted so many realities
+to pride and vanity; if, instead of assisting
+each other to be happy, we had not employed
+our thoughts to make others submit to us.
+Undoubtedly there are some sufferings annexed
+to our existence, as in the natural
+world there are apparent defects. Let us
+employ our minds on the most exalted subjects,
+and we shall no longer be a prey to
+envy and discontent.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is on the consideration of detached events;
+it is in some particular circumstances, that
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>we raise doubts about the goodness of
+God; but we immediately discern it when
+we compare particulars which wound us,
+with the great whole of which they make
+a part; we discover then, that the misfortunes
+which we are so quickly offended with
+are a simple appendage of a general system,
+where all the characters of a beneficent intelligence
+are evidently traced. It is necessary
+then to view the whole of life to
+discover the intention of the author of nature;
+and in meditating in this manner, we
+shall return always to a sentiment of respect
+and gratitude. This simple idea is very extensive
+in its application; it seems to me,
+above all, that it serves to console us under
+the ills of life; the man who is penetrated
+by it can say to himself, the transitory evil
+to which I am subject, is perhaps one of
+the inevitable effects of this universal harmony,
+the most noble and the most extensive
+of all conceptions. Thus, in the
+moments when I bemoan my fate, I ought
+not to think myself forsaken, I ought
+not to accuse Him, whose infinite wisdom
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>is present to my view, Him whose general
+laws have so often appeared to me a visible
+expression of real goodness.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is in vain, some will say, it is in vain
+that you would wish to make us attend to
+these considerations; we only remark, that
+our earthly happiness is at least inferior to
+that which our imagination so readily forms
+the picture of; and we do not perceive, in
+such a disposition, the union of perfections
+which ought to be ascribed to the Supreme
+Being.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>This objection is presented under different
+forms in the writings of all the enemies to
+religion; and they have drawn consequences,
+sometimes against the goodness of God, his
+power, his wisdom, and justice. It is necessary,
+clearly to explain this difficulty, to
+be in a state to form to ourselves an idea of
+the perfection of an Infinite Being; but in
+all our attempts, we only carry to the extreme
+every quality which we conceive;
+instead of that, perfection in the works of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>the Creator, probably consists in a kind of
+gradation and harmony, the secret of which
+we cannot either embrace, or penetrate;
+and we ought still more to be on our guard,
+when we form any conception of the essence
+of the Deity, as by confining ourselves solely
+to reconcile his sovereign power with his
+perfect goodness, we should never fix the
+boundary when these two properties will
+be in an equilibrium: for after having exhausted
+every supposition, we might still
+ask, why the number of rational beings is
+not more extended? We might ask, why
+every grain of sand is not one of those beings?
+why there is not a number equal to
+that infinite divisibility of which we form
+the idea? In short, from extreme to extreme,
+and always in arguing on the sovereign
+power, the least inanimate atom, the
+least void in nature, would appear a boundary
+to the goodness of the Supreme Being.
+We see then to what a point we may wander,
+when we abandon common sense for
+the vague excursions of a metaphysical
+spirit.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>I think, if no other proofs could be
+found, the power of God would be sufficient
+to demonstrate his goodness; for this power
+informs us every instant, that if the Supreme
+Ruler of the World had intended the misery
+of rational beings, he would have had, to
+fulfil this intention, means as rapid as numerous.
+He needed not have created worlds;
+nor have made them so convenient and
+beautiful; a terrific gulph, and eternal darkness
+might have been sufficient to collect together
+those unfortunate beings, and make
+them feel their misery. Let us not dwell
+on these gloomy subjects, let us follow a
+just emotion of gratitude; we shall be eager
+then to render homage to that indelible character
+of love and goodness which we see
+stamped on all nature. An unknown power
+opens our eyes to the light, and permits us
+to view the wonders of the universe: it
+awakens in us those enchanting sensations
+which first point out the charms of life; it
+enriches us with that intellectual gift which
+re-assembles round us past ages, and the
+time to come; it confers, in an early hour,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>an empire, by endowing us with those two
+sublime faculties, will and liberty; in short,
+it renders us sensible to the real pleasure of
+loving and being beloved; and when, by
+the effect of a general plan, of which we
+have but an imperfect conception, it spreads
+here and there some difficulties in the road
+of life; it seems to wish to soften them, by
+showing us always the future through the
+enchanting medium of the imagination.
+Could it be then without any interest or
+goodness, that this magnificent system was
+conceived, and preserved by so many superb
+demonstrations of wisdom and power? What
+should we be in the sight of the Eternal,
+if he did not love us? We do not adorn his
+majestic universe, or lend to the dawn its
+magnificent colours; neither have we covered
+the earth with a verdant carpet, or
+bid the celestial bodies revolve in the immense
+expanse; he asked not counsel of us—we
+should be nothing in his eyes, if he
+was indifferent to our gratitude, and if he
+took not any pleasure in the happiness of
+his creatures.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>In short, were we to turn our attention from
+so many striking proofs of the goodness of
+God; were they to be effaced from our memory,
+we should still find, in the recesses of
+our heart, a sufficient evidence of this comfortable
+truth, we should perceive that we
+are good and affectionate, when not perverted
+by passion; and we should be led to
+think, that such an inclination in beings
+who have received every thing, must necessarily
+be the seal of their Divine Author. In
+order to exalt this sentiment, we must refer
+it continually to the idea of a Supreme Being;
+for there is, we doubt not, a correspondence
+of instinct and reflection between our
+virtue and the perfections of him who is the
+origin of all things; and provided we do
+not resist our natural emotions, we shall
+perceive from those very perfections all that
+is sufficient to excite our worship and adoration;
+above all, whatever is necessary to
+serve as an example for our conduct, and to
+afford principles of morality.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>I ought now to examine some important
+objections; for why should I fear to present
+them? a love for systems and opinions ought
+not to exist, in treating a subject on which so
+many have expatiated, and which belongs
+equally to all men. Though we are
+allowed, when seeking truth eagerly, to wish
+to find it united to the sentiments which
+form our happiness, and the principles
+which are the foundation of public order.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We admit, say some, that there are many
+perfections peculiar to the Supreme Being,
+the study and knowledge of which ought
+to serve to sustain the laws of morality;
+but one of the essential properties of the
+divine essence oversets the whole structure,
+it is prescience: for, as God knows beforehand
+what we are to do, it follows, that
+all our actions are irrevocably determined;
+and thus man is not free. And, if such
+is his condition, he deserves neither praise
+nor censure; he has no means of pleasing
+or displeasing the Supreme Being, and the
+ideas of good and evil, of virtue and vice,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>are absolutely chimerical. I shall, at first,
+make a very simple reply to this objection,
+but a very decisive one: it is that, if against
+appearances you should happen to persuade
+me, that there now exists an absolute contradiction
+between the liberty of man and
+the prescience of the Deity, it is on the
+nature and extent of this prescience that I
+shall raise my doubts; for, forced to choose,
+I should rather mistrust the judgment of
+my own mind, than that of an internal
+persuasion. It is by these same considerations,
+that it will always be impossible to
+prove to men that they are not free: we
+could only succeed with the assistance of
+reasoning, and reasoning being already a
+beginning of art, a kind of exterior combination
+of reflections, this means, in some
+measure out of us, would not have power
+to eradicate a sentiment which seems the
+first that we are conscious of.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We soon discover the limits of our faculties,
+in the efforts which we make to
+acquire a just idea of the divine prescience:
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>we can very well suppose, that God foresees
+with certainty what we only conjecture
+about, and in extending without end the
+bounds which occur to our mind, we shall
+proportion in our imagination, the knowledge
+of the Creator to the immensity of
+space, and to the infinity of time; but beyond
+these vague ideas we shall err in all
+our speculations. How is it possible, that
+men, who know not even the nature of
+their own souls, should be able to determine
+the nature of prescience? How is it possible,
+that they can know whether this
+prescience is the effect of a rapid calculation
+of him, who embraces at one glance the
+relation and effects of every moral and
+natural cause? how can they discern, whether
+this prescience, in an Infinite Being,
+is distinct from simple knowledge? How
+can they know whether that Being, by a
+property beyond our conception, does not
+exist before and after events, whether he is
+not, in some manner, the intellectual time,
+and whether our divisions of years and ages,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>would not disappear before his immoveable
+existence and eternal duration.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It results, however, from these considerations,
+that on account of our extreme
+ignorance we cannot accurately define prescience;
+but we are reduced to examine
+whether this prescience, considered in a
+general manner, is incompatible with the
+liberty of man.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>This opinion, I think, should not be
+adopted. Prescience does not determine future
+events, for the mere knowledge of the
+future makes not the future. It is not prescience
+which necessitates the actions of
+men, because it does not change the
+natural order of things; but all future
+events are fixed, whether foreseen or not;
+for constraint and liberty conduct equally to
+a positive term: thus, all that will happen
+is as immutable as that which is past, since
+the present was the future of yesterday, and
+will be to morrow the past. It is then
+abstractedly certain, that an event, either
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>foreseen or not, will take place some time;
+but if liberty is not contrary to this inevitable
+certainty, how would it be more so,
+because their exists a Being who is acquainted
+previously with the precise nature
+of events? We may then say, with truth,
+that the knowledge of the future is no
+more an obstacle to liberty, than the remembrance
+of the past; and prophecies,
+like histories, are only recitals, whose place
+is not the same in the order of time; but
+not having any influence on events, do not
+constrain the will, cannot enslave the sentiments,
+or subject men to the law of necessity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We will confess, however, that if prescience
+was founded on the possibility of
+calculating the actions of men, like the
+movements of an organized machine, liberty
+could not exist; but then it would
+not be prescience which opposed this liberty,
+it would be because we are automatons;
+for with such a constitution we should be
+without liberty, were even the Supreme
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span>Being not to have any knowledge of futurity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is in vain, in order to convince us
+we are not free, that some would represent
+us as necessarily submitting to the impulse
+of various exterior objects; comprehending,
+among those objects, every thing that is
+subtle in moral ideas, and uniting them
+under the general name of motives, and
+giving afterwards to these motives a physical
+force which we are bound to obey;
+but to be free, is it necessary that we act
+without motives? then man would be indeed
+evidently a piece of mechanism. It
+is certain, that we are, in all our actions,
+determined by reason, taste, or a cause of
+preference; but it is our mind which comprehends
+these various considerations, which
+weighs, compares, and modifies; it is our
+mind which listens to the counsels of virtue,
+and which replies to the language of our
+passions; it is in order to enlighten itself
+that it borrows from the memory the succours
+of experience; it is then our mind
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>which prepares, composes, and improves
+every thing which we term motives, and
+it is after this intellectual labour that we
+act. There is too much order, unity, and
+harmony in our thoughts, to allow us to
+suppose them the mere effect of exterior
+objects; which, under the form of ideas,
+come without order to impress themselves
+on our brain; and until we are made acquainted
+with the works of chaos, we shall
+believe with reason that every where there
+is that unity, that order; that there is a
+faculty capable of re-assembling every thing
+that is scattered, and uniting to one end
+all that is mixed without design.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>As soon as we are impelled to believe, that
+there is a master of all our perceptions, and
+that we feel this master act, how is it possible
+not to be certain that it is our mind
+which acts? It is then, in breaking loose
+from its operations, that we are stripped of
+our liberty, and that we at length suppose
+that our will is the necessary consequence
+of all exterior objects, as if it were the colours,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>and not the painter, which produced
+a picture. However, if we secure our mind
+from that dependence to which some wish
+to reduce it, our actions will not obey these
+irresistible emotions; for if they grant that
+we have liberty of thought, we have free
+will.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We ought to consider our senses as messengers,
+which bring to our mind new subjects
+of reflection; but they are in such a
+manner subordinate to the sublime part of
+ourselves, that they act only under direction;
+sometimes the ruling principle commands
+them to bring representations of the
+beauties of nature, to examine assiduously
+the registers of the human mind, to take
+the rule and the compass, and render an exact
+account of that which it desires to know
+with precision; sometimes they are taught
+to acquire more power, and when the soul
+wishes to communicate with men, when it
+wishes to address posterity, it orders them
+to perpetuate in indelible characters all that
+it has maturely combined, all that it has
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>discovered, and all it hopes to add to the
+treasures of our knowledge. Is it not the
+master rather than the slave of our senses, or
+the blind play of their caprice?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is besides another observation,
+which seems to contrast with the absolute
+empire, that some are willing to grant to
+exterior objects over the powers of our soul;
+for it is in the silence of meditation that the
+action of our mind is not interrupted: we
+experience that we have the power of recalling
+past ideas, and that we can connect
+those ideas with the prospect of the future,
+and to various imaginary circumstances of
+which we compose this picture; our reflection
+is then the result, but not the work of
+those exterior objects we are acquainted
+with. These two words, work and result,
+which in some acceptations have a great resemblance,
+have here very different meanings;
+and it is only in confounding them,
+that the objection against the existence of
+our liberty is favoured. We cannot form
+any judgment, without previously discussing
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>every argument proper to throw a light on
+the subject; and the result of such enquiries
+determines our will; but these enquiries are
+themselves the work of our mind.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, all the degrees which lead to
+the end of our intellectual researches, are
+simple antecedents, and not absolute motives:
+there is, in the operations of our
+mind, as in every thing which is not immoveable,
+a train of causes and effects; but
+this train does not characterize necessity
+more than liberty.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In restoring thus to our soul its original
+dignity, do you not perceive, that we approach
+nearer to nature, than in adopting
+those systems and explications which assimilate
+our intellectual faculties to the regular
+vibrations of a pendulum? or would
+you like better still to compare them to
+those little balls which go out of their
+niches to strike our brain, which by various
+ramifications, produce that shock
+which impels our will? I see, in all this,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>only childish figures, put in the place of
+those names which indicate at least, by their
+abstraction, the indefinite extent of the ideas
+which they represent, and the respect they
+merit. It is easy to call a motive a little
+moving ball; it is easy to call uncertainty
+or repentance the combat of two of these
+balls, till the arrival of a third forms a determination;
+and the concurrence of many
+to the same point excites, in us, an impetuous
+passion: but who sees not that,
+after having endeavoured to debase the functions
+of the mind by these wretched comparisons,
+the difficulty remains undiminished?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, if the meditations and the researches
+of our minds, on the existence and
+the nature of our liberty, presents us only
+impenetrable clouds and obscurity, is it not
+singular, that in the midst of this darkness
+we should reject all the information of our
+instinctive sentiments, which only can
+clearly explain every thing that we in
+vain search for by other means? What
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>would you say of a man born blind, who
+would not be directed by the voice? We
+are assuredly better instructed in the constitution
+of our nature by our feelings, than by
+metaphysical arguments! they compose an
+internal part of the essence of our soul; and
+we ought to consider them, in some measure,
+as a sally of the incomprehensible formation,
+whose mysteries we cannot penetrate.
+Such a doctrine, which came to us
+from a divine hand, is more deserving of
+confidence than the interpretations of men.
+There are secrets which philosophers try in
+vain to explain, all their efforts are useless
+to represent by comparison, that which is
+alone and without resemblance.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>One would think, that nature, guessing
+the false reasoning which would mislead us,
+has purposely bestowed an inward conviction
+of the existence of our free will, in
+composing our natural life of two movements
+very distinct: one depends on a necessity,
+whose laws we are not acquainted
+with, and do not govern; whilst the other
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>is entirely submitted to the government of
+our reason. Such a comparison would be
+sufficient to convince us, if we sought
+merely for the truth.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>When Spinosa desired to throw contempt
+on our instinctive perceptions, he said, it is
+the same as if a weather-cock, at the very
+moment it was the plaything of the winds,
+believed itself to be the cause, and consequently
+that it had free will. What signifies
+such an argument, unless it is to prove,
+that it is possible to suppose a fiction so perfect,
+that it would apparently be equivalent
+to a reality? But I would ask, by what
+foolish design of an intelligent being, or even
+by what fortuitous assemblage of blind nature,
+is it that man should have every moment
+a will precisely conformable to his
+actions, if there is not a real correspondence
+between every part?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We could oppose to the hypothesis of
+Spinosa another argument, which would
+lead to a conclusion absolutely contrary;
+that is, if the most apparent liberty may be
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>only a fiction, by a particular concurrence
+of our will with an action ordained; it is
+also incontestible, that were we to suppose
+the existence, or simple possibility of a free-will,
+we could not have a different idea of
+it, than that which we have already; and
+the liberty of God himself would not appear
+to our thoughts under any other form. It
+is very essential to remark, that when we
+reflect about our faculties, we with ease
+imagine a superior degree of intelligence, of
+knowledge, of memory, of foresight, and of
+every other property of our understanding;
+liberty is the only part of ourselves to which
+our imagination cannot add any thing.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I shall not pursue other subtle arguments,
+which have been produced, to corroborate
+my opinion; it is not to some men, but to
+all, that I desire to speak, because I wish to
+be universally useful: I shall then always
+dwell on the principal reflections, whenever
+they appear to me sufficient to influence the
+opinion of sound minds, and to fix them on
+those important truths which are the surest
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>foundation of public happiness. Self-love
+might induce many to follow a question as
+far as it would go, and vainly glory in
+spinning it out; but self-love, applied to
+profound meditations, is itself a great
+subtilty.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us examine other arguments used to
+combat principles which we have established.
+It is in vain, some will say, to endeavour
+to prove the existence of a God, as a
+real support of the laws of morality; all
+this system will fall to pieces, if we are not
+informed, at the same time, in what manner
+this God rewards and punishes.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I shall observe, at first, that such an objection
+cannot make a very deep impression,
+but when it is connected in our minds with
+some doubt of the existence of a Supreme
+Being: a question that I shall not yet treat;
+for supposing an internal conviction of this
+last truth, supposing, in all its force, the
+idea of a God present to our thoughts; I
+ask, whether in order to please Him, we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>should not have need of knowing precisely
+the period when we could perceive distinct
+signs of his approbation and beneficence?
+I ask, again, whether, to avoid incurring
+His displeasure, it would be equally necessary
+for us to know how, and in what
+manner, He would punish us? Undoubtedly
+not: for in taking a comprehensive view of
+the rewards and punishments which may
+proceed from a Supreme Being, struck
+with His grandeur, and astonished by His
+power, the vague idea of infinity would
+obtrude; and this idea, so awful, would
+suffice to govern our sentiments, and fix
+our principles of conduct. We should be
+careful not to propose conditions to Him
+who has drawn us out of nothing, and we
+should wait with respect for the moment,
+when, in His profound wisdom, He may
+think proper to make us better acquainted
+with His attributes. Men may say to each
+other, secure my wages, I want them on such
+a day, I demand them on such an hour; they
+barter things of equal value, and during a
+short space of time; but in the intercourse of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>man with the Deity, what a difference!—The
+creature and the Creator—the child of
+dust and the source of life—a fleeting moment
+and eternity—an imperceptible atom
+and the Infinite Being!—our understanding
+is struck by the contrast! How then should
+we adapt to such disproportions the rules
+and notions which we have introduced into
+our trivial transactions? You require that in
+order to feel the desire of pleasing the Supreme
+Being, He should every moment
+bestow gifts on those, who, by their sentiments
+and actions, appear worthy of his
+goodness; and, to inspire the fear of
+offending Him, you wish that, without
+delay, He would let His vengeance crush
+the wicked. Certainly you would be scrupulous
+observers of His will on such conditions,
+for less stable hopes and fears detain
+you servilely near a monarch; and I
+may venture to say, that you would be
+equally attentive to the Ruler of the World,
+if, in order to reward or punish you, he
+was to alter the laws of nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>But do we not, you may add, see that
+God does not interfere in any manner to
+direct things here below: you do not perceive
+Him; but do you more clearly discover
+the power which gives life and motion?
+It is not because He does not exist,
+but because He is above the flight of your
+mind. We do not know what to say to a
+man who rejects the opinion of the existence
+of a God; for without that guide all
+our ideas are wandering, and have not any
+other connexion but that of the wildest
+imagination; but if you grant that the
+world had an origin, if you suppose a God,
+creator and preserver, what arguments would
+you use to induce us to believe that this
+God has no relation to us; that He does
+not take any notice of us, and that He is
+thus separated from the offspring of His
+intelligence and love? You add, vice is
+every where triumphant, an honest man
+often languishes in despondency and obscurity;
+and you cannot reconcile this injustice
+with the idea of a Divine Providence!
+One may at first deny the assertion
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>which forms the basis of this reproach,
+or dispute at least the consequences that are
+drawn from it: these ideas of triumph and
+abasement, of splendour and obscurity, are
+sometimes very foreign to the internal sentiments,
+which only constitute happiness and
+misery; and for my part, I am persuaded,
+that if we take for a rule of comparison,
+not some particular situation, or some, scattered
+events, but the whole of life, and the
+generality of men; we shall then find,
+that the most constant satisfactions attend
+those minds which are filled with a mild
+piety, firm and rational, such as the pure
+idea of the Deity ought to inspire; and I
+am equally persuaded, that virtue, united
+to this piety, which knows how to soften
+every sacrifice, is the safest guide in the
+path of life. Perhaps, ignorant as we are
+of our nature and destination, it is not our
+interest that uninterrupted rewards should excite
+us to virtue; for if this virtue were our
+title and hope with God for the present, and
+the time to come, we ought not to desire that
+it should degenerate into an evident calculation,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>into a sentiment bordering on selfishness.
+It would then be very difficult to
+give a proper definition of liberty, if, by
+the effect of rapid justice, a constant proportion
+of good and evil, accompanied
+every determination of our mind; we should
+then, morally as well as physically, be
+impelled by an imperious instinct, and the
+merit of our actions would be absolutely
+destroyed.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I mean by all this to ask, what would be
+our merit or demerit, if our life is only for
+an instant, and if nothing is to follow? The
+persuasion of the existence of a God, without
+a certainty of the immortality of our
+soul, cannot impose any obligation; but the
+real connexion between these two ideas is
+too frequently overlooked.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Undoubtedly, left to our understanding,
+this word certainty is not made for us, or at
+least it is not applicable to our relation with
+the Deity, and to the judgment we form
+of his designs and will. We are too far
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>removed from the High and lofty One,
+who inhabiteth eternity, to pretend to measure
+His thoughts by our bounded views.
+They are covered with a veil, and we always
+obscurely discern that which is hid in
+the depths of His wisdom: but the more
+this God, whom we adore, escapes by His
+immensity from our conceptions, the less
+have we a right to limit His perfections, in
+order to refuse Him the power of transporting
+our existence beyond the narrow
+circle submitted to our view; and I know
+not how it would be possible to persuade
+us, that this action of the Deity would
+surpass in grandeur the creation of the world,
+or the formation of animated beings: the
+habit of observing a great wonder may
+weaken our astonishment, but should not
+eradicate our admiration.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We cannot reach, but by reflection, to
+those events of which the future is still the
+depository; but if every thing which surrounds
+us attests the grandeur of the Supreme
+Being; if the mind, in its meditations,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>without terror, approaches the confines
+of infinity, why mistrust that he can perform
+in favour of men, a magnificent union
+of Omnipotence and perfect goodness? Why
+reject, as an absurd confidence, the idea of
+another existence? We see, without astonishment,
+the feeble chrysalis force its way
+from the tomb it wove for itself, and appear
+under a new form. We cannot be anticipated
+witnesses of the perpetuity of our intelligence;
+but its vast extent would appear
+to us, were we not familiarized with it, a
+greater phœnomenon than duration.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, why do I resist an idea of a
+continuation of existence, since I am forced
+to give credit to my birth? There is a
+greater distance from nothing to life, than
+from life to its sequel, or renewal under a
+new form: I am clearly acquainted with
+the commencement of existence, I know
+death only by conjecture. We now enjoy
+the light and blessings brought to us by a
+beneficent heavenly Teacher; could it be,
+that he alone would be a stranger to his
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>own glory and virtues? I cannot say, why
+this contrast makes an impression on me; but
+it is among the number of superficial ideas
+which occur to my mind, when I reflect on
+this subject.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>A comforting thought still strikes me,
+the natural order of the universe appears to
+me a finished system: we perceive a perfect
+regularity between the revolution of the
+heavenly bodies, an invariable succession in
+vegetable life, an almost incredible precision
+in that immense quantity of volatile particles
+submitted to the laws of affinity; and
+think every thing in its right place, and
+that all fulfil exactly their destination in the
+grand and complete system of nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But if we turn afterwards our attention
+on the multitude of beings inferior to men,
+we shall discover also, that their action is as
+complete and conformable in every respect
+to the faculties they are endowed with,
+since they are governed by an imperious instinct.
+Full of these ideas, struck with
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>astonishment at the appearance of an harmony
+so general, have we not just grounds
+to presume, that man, transported into infinite
+space by his intelligence; that man,
+susceptible of improvement, and continually
+combatting obstacles; that man, in short,
+this most noble work of nature, only commences
+in this sublunary world his race?
+And, since all which composes the material
+order of the universe appears to us in
+an harmony so admirable, ought we not
+then to conclude, that the moral order in
+which we perceive some things vague and
+not determinate; that the moral order
+is connected with another life more sublime
+and more astonishing than the other
+parts of creation, and will one day be ultimately
+developed? This singular disproportion
+between the harmony of the physical
+and apparent confusion of the moral
+world, seems to announce a time of equilibrium
+and completion; a time when we
+shall all know its relation with the wisdom
+of the Creator, as we already perceive the
+wisdom of His designs, in the perfect agreement
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>of the innumerable blessings on sature
+with the present wants of man, and
+every other animated creature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The grandeur of the human mind is indeed
+a vast subject of reflection; this marvellous
+constitution seems to remind us perpetually
+of a design proportioned to such a
+noble conception; it seems almost unnecessary
+that God should have endowed the soul
+with such noble faculties for such a short
+life as ours, to fulfil its limited plans and
+trivial pursuits: thus every thing authorizes
+us to carry our views further; were I to see
+such men as Columbus, Vesputius, Vasco
+de Gama, in a ship, I should not suppose
+that they were mere coasters.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Some try to destroy our hopes, by endeavouring
+to prove, that the soul is material,
+and that it ought to be assimilated to every
+thing which perishes before us; but the
+forms only change, the vivifying force does
+not perish; perhaps the soul resembles it,
+but with this difference, that as it is composed
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>of memory, reflection, and foresight,
+it exists only by a series of consequences,
+which forms the distinct attributes and particular
+character of its essence: it follows
+then, that it cannot be generalized like the
+blind force which animates in a universal
+manner vegetation; but that every soul is
+in some measure a world to itself, and that
+it ought to preserve separately an identity
+of interest, and consciousness of preceding
+thoughts. Thus, in this system, the corporeal
+body, which distinguishes us to the
+eyes of others, is only the transitory habitation
+of that soul which is not to die; of that
+soul susceptible of continual improvement,
+and which, by degrees we can have no
+idea of, will probably approach insensibly
+to that magnificent period, when it will be
+thought worthy of knowing more intimately
+the Author of Nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>How can we conceive the action of the
+soul on our senses, without a point of contact?
+and how conceive that contact,
+without the idea of matter? For it is only
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>by experience we are acquainted with the
+necessity of it to occasion a motion; and
+without that previous knowledge, the rapidity
+with which one body sometimes
+strikes another, could only have been represented
+by the length of time necessary
+for its approach to it: however, if we had
+not any metaphysical knowledge of the
+cause of motion, and if experience only
+guided our judgment in this respect, why
+resist an idea that there is within us a faculty
+which acts of itself? the intimate feeling
+which we have of it, is certainly an argument
+for its existence. We cannot, besides,
+maintain, that a like property may be opposite
+to the nature of things; since if we
+adopt the system of the creation of the
+world, this property may proceed, like all
+others, from the Divine Power; and if we
+admit, on the contrary, the irreligious opinion
+of the eternity of the universe, there
+must have been from eternity a general
+movement without impulsion, without exterior
+contact, or any cause out of itself;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>and the action of our souls might be subject
+to the same laws.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The idea of the necessity of a contact, to
+effect a movement, would never have occurred,
+if we had bounded our observations
+to the influence of our ideas on our determinations,
+and the influence of those determinations
+on our physical being. In short,
+the laws of attraction and repulsion are subject
+to great exceptions; which exceptions
+may serve to support the system of the
+spirituality of the soul. We may be allowed
+to say, that there exists a vacuum in
+the universe, since, without this vacuum,
+there could not have been any motion? It
+is known that this motion depends on the
+laws of attraction but how can attraction
+act through a vacuum, unless it is by a
+spiritual force, which acts without contact,
+and notwithstanding the absolute interruption
+of matter? It is then this force, or
+its equivalent, that I may adopt to define
+the cause of the impressions of which our
+souls are susceptible.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>Let others explain, in their turn, by
+what material communication, the sight of
+a few immoveable characters, traced on insensible
+marble, disturbs my soul. It is
+very easy to comprehend by what mechanism
+the eye distinguishes these characters;
+but there ends the physical action, for we
+cannot attribute to that action, the general
+power of producing sensations in the mind,
+since, perhaps, many other men may consider
+the same characters, without receiving
+any impression.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is very possible, that our intellectual
+preceptions have not any connection with
+motion, such as we conceive it. Our interior
+nature, which we distinguish by the
+name of immaterial, is probably subject to
+laws very different from those which govern
+nature in general; but as we are obliged to apply
+to the mysteries of our souls, those expressions
+which serve to delineate or to interpret
+the phœnomena submitted to our inspection;
+these expressions, and their continual
+use, have insensibly habituated us to certain
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>opinions, about the causes and developement
+of our intellectual faculties. It is
+thus that, after having used the words motion,
+rest, agitation, and action, to discriminate
+different affections of our souls, of
+which we know very little, we have afterwards
+assimilated them, foolishly, to our
+moral nature, to all the ideas which were
+represented by these denominations; and
+even death itself, of which we have not any
+clear knowledge, but by the dissolution of
+our physical being; death, an image borrowed
+from things which are under the inspection
+of our senses, has not, perhaps,
+either relation or analogy with the nature
+and essence of our spirit; all these are incomprehensible
+secrets, not mixt with any
+thing we are acquainted with.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We act, in this respect, like men born
+deaf, who apply to sounds those terms
+which they were accustomed to use, to
+express the sensations the other senses produced.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>I shall only add another observation to
+the ideas on which I have just dwelt: perhaps
+we should never have thought of applying
+the words which express action and
+motion, to all the operations of our souls,
+if we had not at first divided our spiritual
+being into a great number of dependencies,
+such as attention, reflection, thought, judgment,
+imagination, memory, and foresight;
+and if afterwards, in order to render intelligible
+the variable relations of these abstract
+parts of our mind (these parts of a
+unit which we have taken to pieces, though
+it composed that single being ourself) we
+had not been obliged to have recourse to
+some plain expressions, like those of action,
+motion, attraction, and repulsion; but this
+familiar use of these expressions, in order to
+explain the accidents of our intellectual system,
+very much resembles the use which
+we make of X in Algebra, to express unknown
+terms.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, were we to submit the action
+of our souls to the laws of a particular
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>movement, forming one of the dependencies
+of the great one, we should still have to
+explain the cause of the consciousness that
+we have of this action, which Atheists
+refuse to nature itself, at the very moment
+they make it the God of the Universe.
+Were reasoning able to subject all the operations
+of our mind to the impressions of
+external objects, we could not rank under the
+same laws, that consciousness which we
+have of our existence, and of the different
+faculties of the soul. This consciousness is
+not an effect, or the production of any
+known force, since it has been always in us
+independent of any external object, consequently
+we cannot investigate it. The conception
+of the existence of our souls, is as
+incomprehensible to us as that of eternity;
+what a profound thought, which even our
+imagination cannot embrace!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us admit, however, for a moment,
+that all the operations of our souls are determined
+by some impulsion, whatever it may
+be, we shall still be struck with the absolute
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>difference which exists, according to
+our knowledge between the regular movements
+of matter, and the almost infinite and
+unaccountable emotions of our hearts and
+minds; so variable and so differently modified,
+that the attention is lost in the examination
+of them. And after having vainly
+endeavoured to conceive the union established
+between our thoughts and exterior
+objects, we have still to form an idea of the
+actions of these thoughts on themselves,
+their progression and connection; our mind
+led astray, lost in such a meditation, leaves
+us only a consciousness of our weakness,
+and we feel, that there is an intellectual altitude
+which the human faculties can never
+reach.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We distinguish, in a single character
+which our judgment can decypher, an absolute
+difference between soul and matter:
+we cannot avoid representing the latter as
+infinitely divisible, whilst, on the contrary,
+all the efforts of our imagination could
+never divide that indivisible unit which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>composes the soul, and which is the sovereign
+over our will, thoughts, and all our
+faculties<a id='r5'></a><a href='#f5' class='c012'><sup>[5]</sup></a>.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But if we examine again, under another
+appearance, the properties of matter, we
+know not how to assimilate to them the
+emotions of our soul; for we distinctly feel
+those emotions, let their number be ever so
+numerous, when even they act together and
+terminate in the same center, which is that
+Indivisible Being before alluded to; whereas
+matter, by an essential property, cannot, in
+the same instant be pressed or struck in several
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>manners, unless it is in parts which
+have a tendency to different centres.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is not then any resemblance between
+the impressions that our souls receive,
+and the various effects which may be attributed
+to the action of all the material substances
+of which we can form any conception:
+they are always connected with
+the idea of space and extent; but that centre,
+where all our perceptions meet, that
+Judge, who dictates laws in the internal
+empire, whose revolutions we only know,
+that last Director of our will, this Indivisible
+Being, at the same time our friend and
+master, is not to be found in any compounded
+idea; and this unity so simple,
+ought necessarily to convince us, that nothing
+which is submitted to the dominion of
+our senses, can serve as a type of the idea
+which we are to form of the soul.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We discover the traces of this truth,
+when we fix our attention on the comparisons
+with which our spiritual unit,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>our identical self, is continually occupied:
+we imagine it seated on a throne, listening,
+and examining the various reasons which
+ought to determine its action; we see it,
+like Nero, yielding sometimes to Narcissus,
+and sometimes to Burrhus; but at the same
+time we distinctly perceive all the counsellors,
+all the flatterers, all the enemies
+which surround it; we never remark but
+a single master in the midst of the tumult
+and the intrigues of this court.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Whilst our soul then is thrown into motion
+by contemplation, and by the imperceptible
+modification of a fugitive idea, as
+well as by every thing which is opposed to
+material action, why should we not suppose
+that it is purely intelligent and spiritual? It
+must be confessed, that sometimes our corporeal
+infirmities influence our minds; but
+this relation is not a proof of identity, since
+our body may be an instrument entrusted to
+our soul, one of the organs which it is to
+make a transitory use of. The continuity
+of existence, considered abstractedly, certainly
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>is in the universe a simple and natural state;
+and the temporary existence is perhaps the
+only one which is heterogeneous and accidental;
+the soul seems too noble to be assimilated
+to the latter state, it may exist in a
+different manner when joined to a material
+substance, but that connection does not
+make it lose its original essence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is to be acknowledged, that it is
+through the medium of our senses we know
+all the force of our existence; and that they
+are those parts of our mixt being which
+strike us most during a little while; and it
+is perhaps by a law of the same kind that
+we see men, engrossed by a great passion,
+entirely strangers to every other moral affection;
+but, why should it be contrary to
+the nature of things, that the soul, once
+stripped of its terrestrial cloathing, should
+be acquainted with the nature of its existence,
+and at the same time perceive those
+truths which now are obscured by clouds.
+An innate fire languishes a long time unknown
+in a rough stone, that stone is
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>struck, and we see issue out a splendid light;
+this is perhaps a faint picture of the state in
+which our soul is when death breaks its
+fetters.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, in a matter so obscure every
+supposition is admissable, which assures us
+that the soul is not on earth in a state
+of enchantment, or in a kind of interruption
+of its ordinary existence. All that we
+see of the universe is an assemblage of incomprehensible
+phœnomena; and when we
+wish to discover the conclusion, through the
+aid of the ideas most on a level with our
+intelligence, we wander perhaps from truth;
+since, according to appearances, it is in the
+depths of infinity that it reposes.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I doubt, whether we can allow the authority
+of those metaphysical arguments
+which are made use of to defend the spirituality
+of the soul to be decisive; but they
+are sufficient to repulse the different attacks
+of materialists. The most evident opinion
+to me is, that we are too weak to comprehend
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>the secret we search for. We have,
+according to our petty knowledge, divided
+the universe into two parts, spirit and matter;
+but this division serves only to distinguish
+the little we know from that which
+we have no knowledge of; there is perhaps
+an infinite gradation between the different
+properties which compose motion and life,
+instinct and intelligence; we can only express
+the ideas conceived by our understandings,
+and the general words which
+we make use of, serve only to detect the vain
+ambition of our mind; but with respect to
+the universe, in considering its immensity,
+we shall find, that there is sufficient space
+for all the shades and modifications we have
+no idea of. We confess, that it is the connection
+between our physical powers and
+intellectual faculties, and the action that
+they seem to have on each other, which
+nourishes our doubts and anxieties; but
+without this relation, without the appearance
+of our fall, all would be distinct in the
+fate of man, all would be manifest. It is
+then, because that there is a shade in the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>midst of the picture, which continually
+catches our attention, that we have need to
+collect the light of the mind and the
+feelings, in order to see in perspective our
+destiny; and it is from this motive that we
+find it necessary, above all, to be penetrated
+with the idea of a God, and to search for,
+in his power and goodness, the last explication
+which we want.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is, in the judgments of men, a
+contrast which I have often been struck
+with. Those people, who, at the sight of
+the immensity of the universe, at the view
+of the wonders in the midst of which they
+are placed, fear not to attribute to our intellectual
+faculties the power of interpreting
+and understanding every thing, and even the
+capacity of attaining almost to the hidden
+secrets of our nature; these same people are
+nevertheless most eager to strip the soul of
+its true dignity, and the most obstinate in
+refusing it spirituality and duration, and
+every thing else which can exalt it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>But happily, these refusals or concessions
+fix not our fate: the nature of the soul will
+always be as unknown as the essence of the
+Supreme Being; and it is one of the proofs
+of its grandeur, to be wrapped up in the
+same mysteries which hide from us the universal
+spirit. But there are simple ideas and
+sentiments, which seem to bring along with
+them more comfort and hope than metaphysical
+arguments.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We cannot profoundly meditate on the
+marvellous attributes of thought; we cannot
+attentively contemplate the vast empire
+which has been submitted to it, or reflect on
+the faculty with which it is endowed, of
+fixing the past, approaching the future, and
+bringing into a small compass the expanded
+views of nature, and of containing, if I may
+use the phrase, in one point the infinity of
+space, and the immensity of time; we cannot
+consider such a wonder, without continually
+uniting a sentiment of admiration to the idea
+of an end worthy of such a grand conception,
+worthy of Him whose wisdom we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>adore. Shall we, however, be able to discover
+this end, in the passing breath, in the
+fleeting moments which compose life? Shall
+we be able to discover it in a succession of
+phantoms, which seem destined only to
+trace the progress of time? Shall we, above
+all, perceive it in this general system of destruction?
+and ought we to annihilate in the
+same manner the insensible plant, which perishes
+without having known life; and the
+intelligent man, who every day explores the
+charms of existence? Let us not thus degrade
+our fate and nature; and let us judge
+and hope better of that which is unknown.
+Life, which is a means of improvement,
+should not lead to an eternal death; the
+mind, that prolific source of knowledge,
+should not be lost in the dark shades of forgetfulness;
+sensibility and all its mild and
+pure emotions, which so tenderly unite us
+to others, and enliven our days, ought not
+to be dissipated as if it were the vapour of a
+dream; conscience, that severe judge was
+not intended to deceive us; and piety and
+virtue are not vainly to elevate our views
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>towards that model of affection, the object
+of our love and adoration. The Supreme
+Being, to whom all times belong, seems already
+to have sealed our union with futurity
+by endowing us with foresight, and placing
+in the recesses of our heart the passionate
+desire of a longer duration, and the confused
+sentiment which it gives of obtaining it.
+There are some relations still obscure, some
+connections between our moral nature and
+futurity; and perhaps our wishes, our hopes,
+are a sixth sense, a faint sense, if I may be
+allowed to express myself so, of which we
+shall one day experience the satisfaction.
+Sometimes also I imagine, that love, the
+most noble ornament of our nature, love,
+sublime enchantment, is a mysterious pledge
+of the truth of these hopes; for in disengaging
+us from ourselves, transporting us
+beyond the limits of our being, it seems the
+first step towards an immortal nature; and
+in presenting to us the idea, in offering to
+us the example of an existence out of ourselves,
+it seems to interpret by our feelings
+that which our minds cannot comprehend.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>In short, and this reflection is the most
+awful of all, when I see the mind of man
+grasp at the knowledge of a God; when I see
+him, at least, draw near to such a grand idea;
+such a sublime degree of elevation prepares
+me, in some manner, for the high destiny
+of the soul; I search for a proportion between
+this immense thought and all the interests
+of the world, and I discover none;
+I search for a proportion between these
+boundless meditations and the narrow picture
+of life, and I perceive none: there
+is then, I doubt not, some magnificent
+secret beyond all that we can discern;
+some astonishing wonder behind this curtain
+still unfurled; on all sides we discover
+the commencement of it. How imagine,
+how resolve the thought, that all
+which affects and animates us, all which
+guides and captivates us, is a series of
+enchantments, an assemblage of illusions?
+The universe and its majestic pomp would
+then have been only destined to serve as the
+theater of a vain representation; and such
+a grand idea, so magnificent a conception
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span>would have had for an object a mere dazzling
+chimera. What would then have
+signified that mixture of real beauties and
+false appearances? What had signified that
+concourse of phantoms, which, without
+design or end, would be less admirable than
+a ray of light, destined to enlighten our
+abode? In short, what had signified in men
+that union of sublime thoughts and deceitful
+hopes? Guard us from giving credit to
+such a supposition! Is it to Him then, whose
+power has not any limits, that we dare to
+attribute the artifices of weakness? Should
+we have seen every where order, design, and
+exactness, as far as our understanding can
+reach, and as soon as we are arrived at the utmost
+boundary of our faculties, should we
+stop the views of the Supreme Intelligence,
+and imagine that all is finished, because futurity
+is unknown? Alas! we endure but
+a moment, and we presume to know the
+past and the future! But grant us only the
+idea of a God; do not deprive us of our
+confidence in Him; it is in relying on that
+grand truth, that we shall be able to guard
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>our hopes against all the metaphysical arguments
+which we are not immediately
+prepared to answer.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Would you object, that hope is not sufficient
+to determine men to the observance of
+morality, and to subject them to the sacrifices
+which the practice of virtue seems to
+impose? What then attracts them, in all
+the bustle of life, unless it is hope; what
+is it that renders them greedy of honour
+and of fortune, unless it is expectation?
+And when they obtain the object of their
+wishes, they have frequently only the imaginary
+advantages hope created. Why then
+would you ask for a demonstrated certainty,
+in order to devote yourself to all the researches
+which the human mind can conceive
+to be the most grand, the most worthy
+of an ardent pursuit? On the contrary,
+the most trifling degree of expectation should
+become a motive of encouragement. And
+what is it, of all our interests, which could
+be put in competition with the most fugitive
+idea, with the slightest hope of pleasing
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>the Master of the World, and maintaining
+the intercourse which seems to be indicated
+by our natural sentiments, and by the first
+perceptions of our minds?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I would wish to go still further, and I
+would demand, not of all men, but of some
+at least, if, were even this life to be their
+only heritage, they would think themselves
+freed from the desire of pleasing the Sovereign
+Author of Nature. The moment
+that is given us to know and admire
+Him, would it not still be a blessing? We
+celebrate the memory of those princes who
+have done good to men; are we not to do
+the same with Him to whom we are indebted
+for our existence; to Him who has
+contrived, if I may be allowed to say so,
+the various enjoyments we are so unwilling
+to detach ourselves from? Shall we
+dare, weak and ignorant as we are, to
+measure the wisdom, and calculate the
+power of our Benefactor, and rashly reproach
+him for not having done more
+for us? This would be the language
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>of ingratitude. But, as I have shown, our
+sentiments have not been put to this test;
+and it is on more liberal terms that we have
+been admitted to treat with the Supreme
+Being: He has surrounded us with every
+thing that can encourage our expectations;
+He allows us, by contemplation, to attain
+almost a knowledge of his perfections; He
+lets us read them in that collection of glory
+and magnificence which the universe displays;
+He permits us to perceive his power
+and goodness, infinity and happiness; and
+by that succession of ideas he has guided
+our wishes and our hopes. How grand is
+the contemplation of the Eternal, they who
+have sensibility can tell! But this idea
+should be very early implanted in the human
+heart, it is necessary that it should be
+connected with our first feelings, that it
+should rise by degrees, in order to gain
+strength before men are thrown into
+the midst of that world which boasts of
+being freed from childish prejudices; left,
+hurried along by its levity, they follow every
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>day a new master, and render themselves
+the slaves of pleasure and vanity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>And that which is to maintain, amongst
+men, the principles first inculcated, is public
+worship, an idea as beautiful as simple, and
+the most proper to vivify all that is vague and
+abstract in reasoning and instruction: public
+worship, in assembling men, and in turning
+them without public shame to their weaknesses,
+and in equalising every individual before
+the Master of the world, will be, in
+this point of view a grand lesson of morality;
+but this worship, besides, habitually
+reminds some of their duty, and is for others
+a constant source of consolation; in short,
+almost all men, astonished and overwhelmed
+by the ideas of grandeur and infinity, which
+the appearance of the universe, and the exercise
+of their own thoughts, present to
+them, aspire to find repose in the sentiment
+of adoration which unites them in a
+more intimate manner to God, than the
+developement of their reason ever will.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>We should guard ourselves carefully from
+despising the emotions of piety, which
+cannot be separated from its advantages;
+and philosophers themselves know not how
+far they would go, when they try to reduce
+the interests of men to the narrow circle
+of demonstrated truths: that which we
+perceive confusedly, is more precious than
+all we have a certain knowledge of; that
+which we anticipate, is of more value than
+the blessings scattered round us. Thus, we
+should be miserably impoverished, if they
+could retrench from the various comforts
+which we shall never possess, but
+through the aid of the imagination. However,
+if we take this imagination as a guide
+and encouragement, when we are engaged
+in the pursuits of fortune and ambition,
+and if the wise themselves find that to be good
+which serves to nourish our passions, why
+would you reject it, when, simply more
+grand and more sublime in its object, it becomes
+the support of our weaknesses, the
+safeguard of our principles, and the source
+of our most interesting consolations?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span>It is the part of legislators to study
+these truths, and to direct towards them the
+spirit of laws, and the uncertain course of
+opinions. How honourable is it for them
+to be called to form the august alliance
+which is to unite happiness with morality,
+and morality with the existence of a God!</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XII.<br> <em>That there is a God.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>That there is a God! How is it possible
+to avoid being penetrated with
+an awful respect in uttering these words?
+How reflect on them without the deepest
+humility, and even an emotion of surprise,
+that man, this weak creature, this atom dispersed
+in the immensity of space, undertakes
+to add some weight to a truth, of
+which all nature is the splendid witness?
+However, if this truth is our supreme good,
+if we are nothing without it, how can we
+banish it from our minds? Does it not constrain
+us to dwell continually on the subject?
+Compared with it, all other thoughts
+are insignificant and uninteresting; it gives
+birth to, and sustains all the sentiments on
+which the happiness of an intelligent creature
+depends. I confess I tremblingly discussed
+the different objections which are
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>employed to destroy our confidence in the
+existence of a Supreme Being; I dreaded
+the melancholy which those arguments
+produced; I was afraid to feel the impression
+of it myself, and thus to hazard the
+opinion most dear to my heart, and most
+essential to my happiness; it appeared to
+me, that a few general ideas, supported by
+lively feelings, would have been sufficient
+for my tranquillity; and without an interest
+more extended, without the desire
+of opposing, according to my powers, a
+spirit of indifference and false philosophy,
+which is every day gaining ground, I should
+never have stepped beyond my circle. But,
+I am far from regretting the part I have
+taken: I have ran over, without much
+trouble, those books where the most pernicious
+doctrines are ingeniously disseminated;
+and have thought that a person, endowed
+with common sense, on whom metaphysical
+subtleties were obtruded, would
+resemble those savages who are brought
+sometimes amongst us, and who, from
+the depraved refinement of our morals and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>manners, have often recalled us, by some
+natural reflections, to those simple principles
+which we have abandoned, to those ancient
+truths whose vestiges are lost.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The whole structure of religion would be
+overturned, if, by the strength or artifices
+of reasoning, men could destroy our confidence
+in the existence of a Supreme Being:
+morality, being detached from the opinions
+which sustain it, would remain a wavering,
+unsupported notion, only defended by a policy,
+whose power time would insensibly
+weaken. A fatal languor invading every
+mind, where would be that universal interest,
+that sentiment felt by all men, and
+proper to form a general alliance between
+them? Then those, who, with pure intentions,
+can only be guided and sustained by
+an intimate persuasion, would retire sad,
+and leave to others the care of supporting
+moral order by fictions and falsehoods; they
+would pity that dismayed race, called to appear
+and pass away like flowers, which
+bloom but for a day; they would despise
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>those animated phantoms which only come
+to make a buz with their vanity and trivial
+passions, and fall in a little while into eternal
+oblivion. All that appears beautiful in
+the universe, and excites our enthusiasm, would
+soon lose its splendour and enchantment, if
+we perceived nothing in this brilliant scene
+but the play of some atoms, and the uniform
+walk of blind necessity; for it is always
+because a thing may be otherwise,
+that it acquires a claim to our admiration:
+in short, that soul, that spirit, which vivifies
+man, that faculty of thought which surprises
+and confounds those who reflect,
+would only appear a vain movement, if nothing
+was before, or was to follow, if some
+unknown breath, or general intelligence,
+did not animate nature. But we have dwelt
+too long on those gloomy thoughts; reassume
+your light and life, admirable works
+of God; come and confound the pride of
+some, and comfort others; come and take
+possession of our souls, and direct our affections
+towards Him whom we ought to love,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>towards Him who is the eternal model of
+perfect wisdom, and unlimitted goodness!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I shall not endeavour to prove that there
+is a God, by reciting all the wonders the
+works of nature display to our eyes; several
+celebrated writers have already done it, and
+have missed their aim. Infinity can only
+be represented by astonishment and respect,
+which overwhelms all our thoughts: and
+when we labour to explain the successive
+and varied picture of the wonders of nature,
+this change of objects is more calculated to
+relax our admiration than to increase it;
+for any change eases our mind, by affording
+those relaxations which our weakness has
+need of; and if we were to investigate only
+one phœnomenon, we should soon discover
+the utmost extent of our faculties. We
+find the limits of our understanding in the
+examination of the organization of the
+smallest insect, as well as in observing the faculties
+of the soul; and the mysteries of the
+simplest vegetation is as far above the reach
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>of our intelligence, as the principal agent
+of the universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is then as a hymn of praise to the
+Supreme Being, and not as necessary instruction
+that I freely follow the course of
+my thoughts. I shall begin by throwing a
+rapid glance on the principal characters of
+wisdom and grandeur, which we are all
+equally struck with, when we contemplate
+the wonder of the universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>What a sight is that of the world!
+What a magnificent picture for those who
+can be roused out of the state of indifference,
+in which habit has thrown them.
+We know not where to begin, or stop,
+when we expatiate on so many wonders;
+and the most noble of all is, the faculty
+which has been bestowed on us of admiring
+and conceiving them. What an astonishing
+and sublime relation is that of the innumerable
+beauties of nature, with the intelligence
+which permits us to enjoy, and to be
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>made happy by them! What relation
+so surprising, as that of the order and
+harmony of the universe, with the moral
+intelligence which enables us to anticipate
+the enjoyments of wisdom and unclouded
+knowledge! Nature is immense, and all
+that it contains, all that it spreads with so
+much splendour, seems within the reach of
+our sensibility, or the powers of our mind;
+and these faculties, invisible and incomprehensible,
+unite to form, that wonder of
+wonders, which we call felicity. Let not
+these plain words turn our attention from
+the magical ideas which they represent. It
+is because the grand phœnomena of our existence
+cannot either be defined or expressed
+many ways, that they are so much more
+wonderful; and those words, used by
+common consent, soul, mind, sensation,
+life, happiness, and many others besides,
+which we pronounce so slightly, confound
+not less our understanding, when we wish
+to discuss the essence of the properties of
+which they are the sign. It is for this
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>reason, among several others, that the
+admiration of particulars, in the works
+of nature, is always insufficient for those
+who have sensibility, as such admiration
+is necessarily placed between two ideas
+susceptible of being known; ideas which
+we connect through the aid of our own
+knowledge; but the charm of our relation
+with the wonders which surround
+us, arises from experiencing every instant
+the impression of an infinite grandeur; and
+feeling the necessity of flying to that mild
+refuge of ignorance and weakness, the sublime
+idea of a God. We are continually
+carried towards this idea by the vain efforts
+which we make, in order to penetrate the
+secrets of our own nature; and when I fix my
+attention on those astonishing mysteries,
+which seem to terminate, in some manner,
+the power of our thoughts, I represent
+them with emotion, as the only barrier
+which separates us from the infinite spirit,
+the source of all knowledge.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>Men endowed with the greatest genius,
+perceive quickly the bounds of their faculties
+when they wish to go very far in the
+study of abstract metaphysical truths; but
+the simplest and least exercised mind, can
+distinguish the proofs of that order, which
+announces with so much splendour the end
+and design of sovereign wisdom. It seems,
+that all the knowledge proper to interest
+men has been placed within their reach.
+The learned astronomer, observing the
+course of our globe round the sun, perceives
+the cause of that regular succession
+of repose and vegetation, which secures the
+earth its fecundity, and adorns every season
+with renewed beauties; but the simple cultivator,
+who sees the treasurers of the earth
+renovated every year, and answer, with
+singular precision, to the wants of animated
+beings, is not less a witness of a phœnomenon
+which is sufficient to excite his admiration
+and gratitude! Newton analyzed
+light, and calculated the swiftness with
+which it runs over the immensity of space;
+but the ignorant herdsman, who sees, when
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span>he wakes, his hut enlightened by the same
+rays which animate all nature, is equally
+benefitted by them. The indefatigable
+anatomist attains a just idea of our inimitable
+structure, and the ingenious texture of
+our different organs; but the man most
+devoid of instruction, who reflects an instant
+on the pleasures, and the variety of
+the sensations, which we find ourselves susceptible
+of, partakes the blessing equally.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The transcendent knowledge of some
+people, is a degree of superiority which disappears
+when contrasted with the incomprehensible
+grandeur of nature; when we
+contemplate infinity, those talents which
+exalt one man above another are no more
+seen; and probably it is beyond the limits
+of our intelligence that the greatest wonders
+of nature begin. The knowledge of all
+ages has not explained what is the imperious
+authority of our will over our actions,
+nor how our thoughts could reach the most
+remote ages, how our souls could investigate
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>that innumerable multitude of present objects,
+of recollections and anticipations;
+neither has it informed us how all those
+excellencies of the mind, sometimes remain
+unknown to itself, nor how they
+are sometimes at its command, issuing
+out of their long obscurity, and succeeding
+each other with method, or are profusely
+poured forth. At the sight of these astonishing
+phœnomena, we think man presumptuous,
+when, puffed up with pride,
+he mistakes the measure of his strength and
+wishes to penetrate into the secrets, whose
+confines are shut by an invisible hand. He
+should be content to know, that his existence
+is united to so many wonders; he
+should be satisfied with being the principal
+object of the liberality of nature, and he
+should adore with reverential respect that
+powerful Sovereign, who bestows so many
+blessings on him, and who has made him
+to sympathize with all the powers of heaven
+and earth.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>The globe on which we live runs over
+every year a space of two hundred millions
+of leagues; and in this immense course,
+its distance from the sun, determined by
+immutable laws, is exactly proportioned to
+the degree of the temperature necessary to
+our feeble nature, and to the successive return
+of that precious vegetation, without
+which no animated being could subsist.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>That celestial body, which fertilizes the
+seeds of life shut up in the bosom of the
+earth, is, at the same time, the source of
+that light which opens to our view the
+glorious sight of the universe. The rays
+of the sun run over in eight minutes about
+thirty millions of leagues: such an impetuous
+motion would be sufficient to pulverize
+the largest masses of matter; but, by an
+admirable combination, such is the incomprehensible
+tenuity of these rays, that they
+strike the most tender of our organs, not
+only without wounding it; but with a measure
+so delicate and precise, that they excite
+in us those extatic sensations, which are the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>origin and the indispensable condition of
+our greatest enjoyments.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Man, in immensity, is only an imperceptible
+point; and yet, by his senses and
+intelligence, he seems in communication
+with the whole universe; but how pleasant
+and peaceable is this communication! It is
+almost that of a prince with his subjects:
+all is animated round man, all relates to his
+desires and wants; the action of the elements,
+every thing on earth, like the rays
+of light, seems to be proportioned to his
+faculties and strength; and whilst the celestial
+bodies move with a rapidity which
+terrifies our imagination, and whilst they
+hurry along in their course our dwelling,
+we are tranquil in the bosom of an asylum,
+and under the protecting shelter allotted
+us; we enjoy there in peace a
+multitude of blessings, which, by another
+wonderful affinity, ally themselves to our
+taste, and all the sentiments we are endowed
+with.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>In short, and it is another favour, man
+is permitted to be, in some things, the contriver
+of his own happiness, by his will and
+ingenuity; he has embellished his habitation,
+and united several ornaments to the
+simple beauties of nature; he has improved,
+by his care, the salutary plants; and even in
+those which seemed the most dangerous he
+has discovered some wholesome property,
+and carefully separated it from the envenomed
+parts which surrounded it; he can
+soften metals, and make them serve to augment
+his strength; he obliges the marble
+to obey him, and assume what form
+he desires; he gives laws to the elements,
+or circumscribes their empire; he
+stops the invasion of the sea; he restrains
+the rivers in their natural bed, and sometimes
+obliges them to take a different
+course, in order to spread their benign influence;
+he erects a shelter against the fury
+of the winds, and by an ingenious contrivance,
+makes use of that impetuous force,
+which he could not at first dream of defending
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>himself from; even the fire, whose
+terrible action seems to presage destruction,
+he subjugates, and renders it, if I may so
+express myself, the confident of his industry,
+and the companion of his labours.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>What a source of reflections is this dominion
+of the mind over the most dreadful
+effects of the movement of blind matter.
+It seems as if the Supreme Being, in submitting
+thus to the intelligence of men
+the most powerful elements, chose to give
+us an anticipation of the empire which
+His sovereign wisdom has over the universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>However, it is in the influence of our
+spiritual faculties on themselves, that we
+observe, above all, their admirable nature;
+we see, with astonishment, the perfections
+which they acquire by their own action.
+Intelligence, considered in a general manner,
+undoubtedly is a great phœnomenon; but
+it is a still greater wonder, to see the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>thoughts of a man reach, by the most ingenious
+means, the knowledge of others,
+and form an alliance between the past and
+present productions of the mind. It is by
+such an alliance that the sciences have been
+improved, and that the mind of man has
+been acquainted with all its strength. The
+mighty of the earth cannot break this association,
+nor subject to their tyrannic divisions
+the noble heritage of knowledge; this
+gift, so precious, preserves the stamp of a
+divine hand;—and no one has yet been able
+to say it is mine.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The most noble use that has ever been
+made of the admirable union of so many
+talents, and so much knowledge, was to demonstrate
+how every thing in nature relates
+to the idea of a first cause; which forcibly
+announces a design full of wisdom, and a
+beneficent intention; but now, unhappily,
+these proofs of the existence of a God are
+not sufficient; imperious philosophers have
+laboured to subvert every thing founded on
+the connection and wonderful harmony of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>the system of nature; it is not sufficient to
+oppose to these new opinions the mere authority
+of final causes; they do not contest
+that there is a perfect conformity between
+our desires and wants, between our senses
+and the bounties of nature; they do not
+contest, from the cedar to the hyssop, from
+the insect to man, that there is a beauty of
+proportion in the whole, which is to be
+found equally in the relation that objects
+have with each other, as well as in their
+different parts; but this admirable harmony,
+in which the pious man, the man of
+feeling, perceives with delight the stamp of
+an eternal intelligence; others less fortunate,
+undoubtedly, obstinately present it to us as a
+fortuitous collision, as a play of atoms agitated
+by a blind movement, or as nature itself,
+existing thus from all eternity. What
+trouble they take to invent and defend these
+systems destructive of our happiness and
+hopes! I prefer my feelings to all this philosophy;
+but, to avoid an encounter would be
+to favour their presumption, and give additional
+strength to their opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>Thus I shall treat the most important
+question that man can consider. I shall
+endeavour first to show, that the different
+conjectures on the origin of the
+world all centre in the single opinion of
+the eternal and necessary existence of every
+thing which is; and I shall afterwards
+compare the basis of that system with the
+reason of that happy and simple belief
+which unites the idea of a Supreme Being
+with all we see and know; in short, to the
+universe, the most unlimitted of our conceptions.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XIII.<br> <em>The same Subject continued.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>When we see the authors of the
+different systems, concerning the
+formation of the world, reject the idea of a
+God, under the pretext, that this idea is
+foreign to the nature of our perceptions,
+should we not have a right to expect some
+better substitute for it? But, far from answering
+our expectations, they abandon
+themselves to all the wanderings of the
+most fantastic imagination. In fact, whether
+we refer the origin of the universe to
+the effect of hazard, the fortuitous concourse
+of atoms, or whether we establish another
+hypothesis derived from the same principle,
+it is necessary at least to suppose the eternal
+existence of an innumerable multitude of
+little particles of matter, placed without order
+in the immensity of space; and to suppose,
+afterwards, that these atoms, disseminated
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>to infinity, attracted each other, and
+corresponded by the inherent properties of
+their nature; and that there resulted, from
+their adhesion, not only organized, but intelligent
+faculties; it is necessary, in short,
+to suppose, that all those incomprehensible
+atoms have been settled with admirable order
+through the effect of a blind motion,
+and by the result of some of the possible
+chances in the infinity of accidental combinations.
+Indeed, after so many suppositions
+without example or foundation, that of an
+Intelligent Being, soul and director of the
+universe, had been more analogous and more
+consonant with our knowledge.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us return to the hypothesis we have
+just mentioned. We shall then recognize
+the trifling habit of the mind; it is accustomed
+to proceed from simple to compound
+ideas, every time it meditates, invents, or
+executes: thus, by an inverse method, the
+composers of systems have thought, that,
+in order to connect the universe to its origin,
+it was sufficient to detach, by the exercise
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>of thinking, all its parts, and to break
+and subdivide them afterwards to infinity;
+but whatever may be the tenuity of these
+atoms, their existence, having organized and
+intellectual properties, which we should be
+obliged to grant them, would be a wonder
+almost equal to those phœnomena which
+surround us.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>When we see a plant grow, embellished
+with different colours, we only think of the
+period when its vegetation may be perceived
+by our senses; but the seed of this plant,
+or if you like better, the organized atoms,
+the first principle of this seed, would have
+offered also a grand subject of admiration,
+if we had been endowed with the faculties
+necessary to penetrate into the occult secrets
+of nature. But perhaps, in transforming
+into an imperceptible powder all the
+parts of matter, which have been collected
+to compose the world, we have only before
+our eyes a fugitive vapour, to which even
+our imagination cannot reach; and those
+who unfortunately love and defend this admiration,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>find besides, in the system of divisible
+atoms, means to defer, according to
+their fancy, the moment of their astonishment.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>All these fantastic combinations serve
+only to lead us astray in our researches;
+and I do not think it a matter of indifference
+to make a general observation.
+The study of the first elements, of all
+the sciences which we acquire, such as
+geometry, languages, civil legislation, and
+several others, appear to us the simplest
+parts of our instruction. It is not the
+same, when we seek to know the laws
+of the physical world; for the works of nature
+never appear more simple than in their
+compounded state; they are then, to our
+mind, that which harmony is to the ear;
+it is the agreement of all parts which forms
+a union perfectly proportioned to our intelligence.
+Thus, man, for example, that
+wonderful alliance of so many different faculties,
+does not astonish our understanding,
+but appears to us in one point of view,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>a simple idea; but we are troubled, and,
+as it were, dismayed, when we try to analyze
+him, or mount to the elements of his
+liberty, will, thought, and all the other
+properties of his nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We only advance towards infinity, and
+consequently towards the most profound
+darkness, when we destroy the world in order
+to divide it into atoms, out of the midst
+of which we make it issue afresh, after having
+rallied all we have dispersed.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us admit, for a moment, that there
+exists organized and intelligent atoms, and
+that they are such, either by their nature,
+or by their adhesion to other atoms. We
+are now, of all these scattered atoms, to
+compose the universe, that master-piece of
+harmony, and perfect assemblage of every
+beauty and variety, that inexhaustible source
+of every sentiment of admiration; and in
+rejecting the idea of a God, creator and preserver,
+we must have recourse to the power
+of chance, that is to say, to the effects of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span>an unknown continual motion, which,
+without any rule, produces, in a limited
+time, all the combinations imaginable; but,
+in order to effect an infinite variety of combinations,
+it is not only necessary to admit
+a continual motion, but besides, to suppose
+this continual motion changes its direction
+in all the parts of space subject to its influence.
+The existence of such a change,
+and a similar diversity in the laws of motion,
+is a new supposition which may be ranked
+with the other wild ones.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>However, after these chimerical systems
+have been granted, we are not freed
+from the difficulties which the notion of the
+formation of the world by a fortuitous concourse
+of atoms produces.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is difficult to comprehend how particles
+of matter, agitated in every manner,
+and susceptible, as has been supposed, of an
+infinity of different adhesions, should not
+have formed such a mixture, such a contexture,
+as would have rendered, the harmonious
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>composition of the universe in all
+its parts, impossible.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>When we represent to ourselves, abstractedly,
+the unlimmitted number of chances
+that may be attributed to a blind movement,
+the imagination, unable to conceive,
+is left to guess how an infinite number of
+atoms, endowed with a property of uniting
+themselves, under an infinite diversity of
+movements, could compose the heavenly bodies;
+but, as long before that period, when
+such an accidental throw would become probable;
+these same atoms might have formed
+an innumerable multitude of partial combinations;
+if one of these combinations had
+been incompatible with the harmony and
+composition of a world, that world could
+not have been formed.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The same considerations may be applied
+to animated beings: chance might have
+produced men susceptible of life, and the
+transmission of it, long before chance gave
+them all the faculties which they enjoy;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>and if they had been formed with only
+four senses, they could not have acquired a
+fifth; for the same reason that we do not
+see a new one spring up. Besides, the chance
+which might have produced living beings,
+must have always preceded the chance
+which afforded those beings every thing
+necessary for their subsistence and preservation.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It may indeed be supposed, that atoms
+assembled in a manner incompatible with the
+disposition of the universe, have been separated
+by the continuation of the motion
+introduced into the immensity of space;
+but this continual motion, sufficient to sever
+that which it has joined, would it not have
+destroyed that harmony which has been the
+result of one of the fortuitous chances to
+which the formation of the world has been
+attributed?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Will some object, that all the parts of
+matter, once united in the masses and proportions
+which constitute the heavenly bodies,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>have been maintained by the impression
+of a predominant force at the same
+time invariable? But how is it possible to
+reconcile the existence and dominion of such
+a force with that continual motion, which
+was requisite for the composition of the
+universe?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It may be also demonstrated, that the formation
+of worlds, by the chances of a blind
+motion, and their regular continuity of existence,
+are two propositions which disagree.
+Let us explain this idea. The play of atoms,
+necessary in order to produce the unformed
+masses of the heavenly bodies, being infinitely
+less complicated than that which is
+necessary to produce them, inhabited as they
+are with intelligent beings, must have happened
+long before the other. Thus, in
+the system of the composition of the universe,
+by the fortuitous concourse of atoms,
+it is necessary to suppose, that these atoms,
+after having been united to form the heavenly
+bodies, have been severed, and united
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>again, as many times as was necessary, to produce
+a planet inhabited by intelligent beings.
+Since beings thus endowed add nothing to the
+stability of the world, since they do not contribute
+to the grand coalition of all its parts;
+why the same blind motion which has united,
+dissolved, and assembled so often every part
+of the earth, before it was composed, such
+as it is; why does it not produce some alteration
+now? It should again reduce to
+powder our world, or at least, let us perceive
+the commencement of some new
+form.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is not only to a world inhabited by
+intelligent beings, that the arguments, just
+mentioned, may be applicable; for we
+perceive around us an innumerable multitude
+of beauties and features of harmony,
+which were not necessary to the
+preservation of our world, and which,
+according to every rule of probability,
+would never have existed, unless we
+supposed, that the earth has been formed,
+dissolved, and reproduced, an infinity of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>times, before having been composed such
+as we see it; but then I would ask, why
+there are no vestiges of those alterations,
+and why that motion has stopped?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It would be possible, however, by the
+assistance of a new supposition, to resolve
+the difficulty I have just mentioned; some
+may say, that the union, and the successive
+dispersion of the universal atoms, are executed
+in a space of time, so slow and insensible,
+that our observations, and all those
+which we have from tradition, cannot inform
+us whether there will not be a separation
+of all the parts of the universe,
+by the same causes which have occasioned
+their adhesion.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is obvious, that transporting us into
+infinity and admitting such a series of arbitrary
+suppositions, they are not indeed exposed
+to any rational attacks; but, making
+equally free with infinity, in order to oppose
+nonsense to nonsense, why may I not
+be allowed to suppose, that in the infinite
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>combinations arising from perpetual motion,
+men have been created, destroyed, and again
+called into being, with the same faculties,
+remembrances, thoughts, relations, and circumstances;
+and why each of us separated
+from our former existence, only by a sleep,
+whose duration is imperceptible, should
+not be in our own eyes immortal beings?
+Infinity permits the supposition of this absurd
+hypothesis, as it authorises every flight
+of the imagination in which time is reckoned
+for nothing. We see, however, how
+we risk running into error, when with our
+limited faculties we wish to subject the incomprehensible
+idea of infinity, and boldly
+adjust it to the combinations of finite
+beings.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us produce, however, another objection.
+It may be said, that our planet is
+the result of chance; but is not this chance
+improbable, if we suppose that there existed
+in the infinity of space, an infinite
+number of other assembled atoms, equally
+produced by the first throw of the dice,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>which represent all the possible forms, and
+imaginable proportions? And I would also
+ask, by what laws, all these irregular bodies,
+necessarily subject, by reason of their
+number and masses, to an infinity of movements,
+have not disconcerted the planetary
+system formed, at the same time as they
+were, by chance?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I ought to observe, above all, that the
+order which we are acquainted with, is a
+proof of universal order; for, in immensity,
+where one part is nothing compared with
+the whole, no part, without exception,
+could be preserved, unless it was in equilibrium
+with every other.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Thus, whether <em>an infinite succession of
+chances</em> be supposed, to which the entire
+mass of atoms has been uniformly subject,
+or whether the first general throw is
+thought sufficient, but divided <em>into an
+infinity of different sections</em>, our reason opposes
+invincible difficulties to the result
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>which some want to draw from these various
+systems.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, we must observe, that in order
+to understand the accidental formation of a
+world, such as we are at liberty to suppose,
+the eternal existence of every kind of organized
+and intelligent atoms, must have
+preceded the formation of that world. I
+must again observe, that when they are
+obliged to such wonderful first principles,
+and to admit, in the beginning, a nature
+so astonishing, we can scarcely conceive
+how they can make it act suddenly a foolish
+part, in order to finish the work of the
+universe: a more exalted supposition, would
+have prevented their drawing a conclusion,
+so absurd.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It seems to me, that notwithstanding the
+immensity which has given rise to so many
+ridiculous notions about the formation of
+the world, they have such a resemblance to
+each other, that we can scarcely discern any
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>difference; and considering the little circle
+which the imagination runs over, when it
+applies its force to deep conceptions, we
+think we discover something supernatural in
+its singular weakness: the authors of these
+systems seem to have a slavish turn of thinking,
+and the marks of their chains are very
+visible; it is always atoms, and atoms that
+they make play together, either at different
+times, or all at once, in infinite space; but
+when some want to form ideas of liberty
+and will, as they do not know in what manner
+to analyze these properties, they suppose
+them pre-existing in the elementary parts,
+which they made use of to create their universe;
+and they prudently take care not to
+grant any action to liberty and will, in order
+to prevent any resistance to those notions on
+which they build their universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>They would not render either more simple
+or credible, the blind production of
+worlds, by supposing not only innumerable
+multitude of organized atoms, but, even an
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>infinite diversity of molds to hold the atoms,
+and of which force chemical analogy gives us
+an idea. Such a system, which might serve
+to explain a few secondary causes of our
+known nature, is not applicable to the first
+formation of beings; for with such an assemblage
+of molds and atoms, all the great difficulties
+would still subsist. In fact, how
+should the different molds have classed themselves
+properly, in order to form the most
+simple whole, but which beside required a
+fixed measure and gradation of ranks? The
+mold destined for the organized atoms, of
+which the crystalline is to be composed,
+how is it possible it should have placed
+itself in the centre of that mold which is to
+form the pupil of the eye, and this last on
+that one which is to form the whole, and so
+on, by an exact gradation, whose divisions
+and subdivisions are innumerable?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Were they to suppose an infinite succession
+of molds, of which the largest attracted
+the smallest, in the same manner as
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>the molds attracted the atoms; this supposition,
+less ridiculous than any other,
+is not sufficient to model, even in imagination,
+the most unimportant phœnomena of
+nature; it is necessary, besides, that by the
+direction of a wise and powerful force, the
+molds, and the atoms which belong to
+them, set themselves in motion, without
+confusion; it is necessary that those destined
+to compose the exterior fibres should not
+obstruct the passage of those molds calculated
+to form the interior organs; in short,
+that every one of those in its course and expansion,
+should artfully observe those delicate
+shades which blend or separate all the
+parts of the simplest of nature’s works.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We are already acquainted with a force
+which acts in all directions, which disposes
+every thing in due order, tends towards an
+end, stops, begins again, and finishes, every
+moment, a complicated work; and this is
+the intelligent will, and certainly we have
+reason to be astonished, that the only faculty
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>we have an intimate consciousness of, is
+the one philosopher’s turn from, when
+they investigate the admirable order of the
+universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I allow, that they may, at the same
+time they reject the idea of a God, admit,
+as a principle, the eternal existence of
+a mechanical force, which, by an incomprehensible
+necessity, directed, towards a
+wise end, every thing that was at first
+confusedly scattered in the immensity of
+space; but this new supposition would
+form an hypothesis similar to the system
+of the eternal existence of the universe; in
+fact, the eternal existence of all the elements,
+of all substances, forces, and properties
+which were necessary to produce a
+certain order of things, would be a phœnomenon
+as incomprehensible as the existence
+of that order itself.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We must add, that these two phœnomena
+would be separated in our thoughts
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span>only by an indivisible instant, an instant that
+we can neither describe nor imagine in the
+extent of the time represented by eternity;
+for any chosen period would be still too
+late by an infinity of ages. The necessary
+effect of an eternal cause has not, like that
+cause, any period to which we can fix its
+commencement.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We thus perceive, under another point
+of view, how vain and ridiculous are the
+fantastic operations, they imagine, before
+the existence of the world, and which are
+attributed sometimes to the disordered
+movements of chance, and sometimes to the
+regular laws of blind necessity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is then but one hypothesis to be
+opposed to the idea of a God: it is the system
+of the eternal existence of the universe.
+Such an atheistical system will always be
+more easily defended than any other, because
+that being founded on a supposition without
+bounds, it does not require to be embraced
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>by reasoning, like all the hypothetical ideas,
+by which men make nature act according
+to an order of their own invention. We
+will, in the next chapter, consider this system,
+and discuss it by every means in our
+power.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XIV.<br> <em>The same Subject continued.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>Those who maintain that the world
+subsists of itself, and that there is not a
+God, say, in favour of their opinion, that if
+the eternal existence of the universe overwhelms
+our understanding, the eternal existence
+of a God is a still more inconceivable
+idea; and that such a supposition is only
+another difficulty, since, according to a common
+mode of judging, a work the most wonderful
+appears a phœnomenon less astonishing
+than the knowledge of which it is the result.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us first fix our attention on this argument.
+It is useless to ask, what is meant
+by another difficulty in infinity; those ideas
+which are represented by familiar expressions,
+necessarily derived from comparison,
+are only admissable in the narrow circle of
+our knowledge; out of it, those ideas have
+not any application, and we cannot fix any
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span>degrees in the immensity which exceeds the
+bounds of our views, and in those unfathomable
+depths which are out of the reach
+of our intellectual powers.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Undoubtedly, our mind is equally lost,
+both in trying to form a distinct idea of a
+God, and in endeavouring to describe the
+eternal existence of the world, without any
+cause out of itself: however, when we try
+to glance our thoughts towards the first
+traces of time; when we try to rise almost
+to the beginning of beginnings, we feel distinctly
+that, far from considering the eternal
+existence of an intelligent cause as increasing
+the difficulty, we only find repose in that
+opinion; and instead of forcing our mind
+to adopt such an opinion, and thinking we
+wander in an imaginary space, we find it,
+on the contrary, more congenial with our
+nature; whilst order unites itself to the idea
+of a design, and a multiplicity of combinations
+to the idea of an intelligence. Thus
+we rise from little to great things, and reasoning
+by analogy, we shall more easily
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>conceive the existence of a Being endowed
+with various unlimitted properties, which
+we in part partake; we shall, I say, more
+easily conceive such an existence, than that
+of a universe, where all would be intelligent,
+except the first mover. The workman,
+undoubtedly, is superior to the work:
+but according to our manner of feeling and
+judging, an intelligent combination, formed
+without intelligence, will always be the
+most extraordinary, as well as the most incomprehensible
+phœnomenon.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is not indifferent to observe, that according
+to the system I combat, the more
+the world would appear to us the admirable
+result of wisdom, the less power should we
+have to draw any deduction favourable to
+the existence of a God, since the author of
+a perfect work is not so easily traced as the
+feeble re-iterated labours of mediocrity.
+Thus, all those who particularized the
+beauties of nature, would stupidly injure
+the cause of religion, and weaken our belief
+in the existence of a Supreme Being.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span>It seems to me, that it is easy to perceive
+what an ill-founded argument that must
+be which leads us to a conclusion so
+absurd.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The attentive view of the universe should
+make us mistrust the judgment, which we
+form, of that which is the most simple in
+the order of things; for all the general operations
+of nature arise from a movement more
+noble and complicated than we can easily
+form an idea of. We should surely find,
+contrary to a perfect simplicity of means,
+that a circuit of two hundred millions of
+leagues, which our globe makes every year,
+is necessary, in order to produce the successive
+changes of seasons, and to assure the
+reproduction of the necessary fruits; we
+should find, that the distance of thirty-four
+millions of leagues, between the sun and
+the earth, was necessary to proportion the
+rays of light to the delicacy of our organs.
+However, if even in the narrow circle we
+traverse, we do not discover any constant
+application of that simple order, of which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span>we form an idea, how could such a principle
+serve to guide our opinions, at the moment
+when we elevate our meditations to
+the first link of the vast chain of beings;
+when we undertake to examine, whether,
+throughout the immensity of the universe,
+there exists, or not, an intelligent cause?
+What would become, in that immensity, of
+the insignificant phrase, <em>it is one difficulty
+more</em>? The buzzing fly would be less ridiculous,
+if capable of perceiving the order
+and magnificence of a palace, it asserted,
+that the architect never existed.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Every thing indicates, that, according to
+our different degrees of sense and knowledge,
+what is simple, and what is easy,
+have a very different application; we may
+continually observe, that these expressions
+are not interpreted in the same manner, by
+a man of moderate abilities and a man of
+genius; however, the distance which separates
+the various degrees of intelligence with
+which we are acquainted, is probably very trifling
+in the universal scale of beings. All our
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span>reflections would lead us then to presume,
+that beyond the limits of the human mind,
+the simple is compounded, the easy our
+wonderful, and the evident our inconceivable.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>After having examined the principal arguments
+of the partisans of athiestical systems,
+which we now attack; let us change
+the scene, and in the midst of the labyrinth,
+in which we are placed, try to find
+a clue for our meditations.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We are witnesses of the existence of the
+world, and intimately acquainted with our
+own; thus, either God or matter must
+have been eternal; and by a natural consequence,
+an eternal existence, which is an
+idea the most incomprehensible, is, however,
+the most incontestible truth. Obliged
+now, in order, to fix our opinion, to chuse
+between two eternal existences, the one intelligent
+and free, the other blind, and void of
+all consciousness, why not prefer the first? An
+eternal existence is an idea so astonishing, so
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span>much above our comprehension, that we
+decorate it with every thing sublime and
+beautiful, and nothing deserves more those
+decorations than thought.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Would it not be strange, that in our sysmatic
+divisions, it was only to thought,
+and consequently to all that was most admirable
+in our nature, that we refuse eternity,
+whilst we grant it to matter and its
+blind combinations? What a subversion of
+all proportion! that we should believe in
+the eternal existence of matter, because it
+is present to our eyes, and yet not admit the
+eternal existence of an intelligence; whilst
+that which we are endowed with becomes
+the source of our judgment, and even the
+guide of our senses!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>And by what other singularity we should
+grant the faculty and the consciousness of
+intelligence, only to that small part of the
+world which is represented by animated
+beings? Thus, the whole of nature would
+be below a part; and if no spirit animated
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span>the universe, man would appear to have
+reached his ultimate perfection; though we
+see in him but a faint sketch, a weak shadow
+of something more complete and admirable;
+we perceive that he is, to speak
+thus, at the commencement of thinking;
+and all his cares, all his efforts, to extend
+the empire of that faculty, only inform him,
+that he tends continually towards an end,
+from which he is always distant; in short,
+in his greatest exertions he feels his weakness;
+he studies, but he cannot know himself;
+he makes a few petty discoveries, sees
+some trifling wheels, whilst the main spring
+escapes his search: he is fallen into the
+world, like a grain of sand thrown by the
+winds; he has neither a consciousness of his
+origin, nor a foresight of his end; we perceive
+in him all the timidity and mistrust
+of a dependent being; he is constrained, by
+instinct, to raise to heaven his wishes and
+contemplations; and, when he is not led
+astray by an intoxicating reason, he fears,
+seeks to adore a god, and rejects with disdain
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span>the rank which audacious philosophers
+assign him in the order of nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I must also add, that the sentiment of
+admiration, which I cannot stifle, when I
+turn my attention on the spiritual qualities
+we are endowed with, would be insensibly
+weakened, if I was reduced to consider man
+himself as a simple growth of blind matter;
+for the most astonishing production would
+only inspire me with a transitory emotion,
+unless I can refer it to an intelligent cause:
+I must discover a design, a combination,
+before I admire; as I have need to perceive
+feeling and affection, before I love.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But as soon as I see in the human mind
+the stamp of Omnipotence; and it appears
+to me one of the results of a grand thought;
+it reasumes its dignity, and all the faculties
+of my soul are prostrate before such a wonderful
+conception.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is then united with the idea of a God,
+that the spiritual faculties of man attract
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span>my homage and captivate my imagination;
+in reflecting on these sublime faculties,
+studying their admirable essence,
+I am confirmed in the opinion that
+there exists a sovereign intelligence, soul of
+nature, and that nature itself is subject to
+its laws: yes, we find in the mind of man
+the first evidence, a faint shadow of the
+perfection which we must attribute to the
+Creator of the Universe. What a wonder
+indeed is our thinking faculty, capable of
+so many things yet ignorant of its own nature!
+I am equally astonished, by the extent
+and limits of thinking; an immense
+space is open to its researches, and at the
+same time it cannot comprehend the secrets
+which appear most proximate with it; as
+the grand motive of action, the principle of
+intellectual force, ever remains concealed.
+Man is then informed, every instant, of his
+grandeur and dependence; and these thoughts
+must  naturally lead to the idea of Omnipotence.
+There are, in those limits of our
+knowledge and ignorance, in that confused
+and conditional light, all the evidence of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span>design; and it seems to me, sometimes,
+that I hear this command given to the
+human soul by the God of the universe:
+go to admire a portion of my universe,
+to search for happiness and to learn to love
+me; but do not try to raise the veil, with
+which I have covered the secret of thy existence;
+I have composed thy nature of
+some of the attributes which constitute my
+own essence, thou wouldst be too near me, if
+I should permit thee to penetrate the mysteries
+of it; wait for the moment destined
+by my wisdom; till then, thou canst only
+reach me by reverence and gratitude.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Not only the wonderful faculty of thinking
+connects us with the universal intelligence;
+but all those inconceivable properties,
+known by the name of liberty, judgment,
+will, memory, and foresight; it is,
+in short, the august and sublime assemblage
+of all our intellectual faculties. Are we,
+in fact, after the contemplation of such a
+grand phœnomenon, far from conceiving a
+God? No, undoubtedly, we have within
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span>us a feeble image of that infinite power we
+seek to discover; man is himself a universe,
+governed by a sovereign; and we are much
+nearer the Supreme Intelligence, by our nature,
+than by any notion of the primitive
+properties of matter; properties, from
+which some wish to make the system of the
+world and its admirable harmony flow.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It seems to me, that our thinking faculty
+is too slightly treated in the greater
+number of philosophic systems; and some
+have been so afraid of honouring it, that
+they will not admit it to be a simple
+and particular principle, when the subject
+of the question is the immortality of the
+soul; nor will they consider it as a universal
+principle, when they discuss the opinion of
+the existence of a God.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is equally singular, that they wish to
+compose of matter a soul endowed with the
+most sublime qualities; and they pretend, at
+the same time, that the world, in which we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span>see intelligent beings, had not for a contriver
+and principal any being of the same nature:
+this supposition, however, would be as reasonable
+as the other is weak; but it seems
+to me, that they like better to attribute
+order to confusion, than to order itself.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We seek to penetrate the secret of the
+existence of the universe; and when we reflect
+on the causes of that vast and magnificent
+disposition, we can only attribute it
+to what seems the most marvellous and analogous
+to such a composition, thought, intention,
+and will. Why then should we
+retrench from the formation of the world
+all those sublime properties? Are we to act
+sparingly in an hypothesis in which all the
+wonders of nature are concentred? It is by
+the spiritual faculties with which man is
+endowed, that he remains master of the
+earth, that he has subdued the ferocious
+animals, conquered the elements, and found
+a shelter from their impetuosity: it is by
+these faculties that man has constructed society,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span>given laws to his own passions, and
+that he has improved all his means of happiness;
+in short, nothing has ever been
+done, but by the aid of his mind; and in
+his speculations on the formation of the
+world, and on the admirable relations of
+all the parts of the universe, that which
+he wishes not to admit, and will dare to reject
+is the intelligent powers and action of
+thinking. It seems like men disputing
+about the means which has been made use
+of to erect a pyramid, who name all the
+instruments, except those that they found
+at the foot of the edifice.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Habit only turns our attention from the
+union of wonders which compose the soul;
+and it is thus, unfortunately, that admiration,
+lively light of the mind and feelings,
+does not afford us any more instruction. We
+should be very differently affected, if, for
+the first time, we contemplated the meanest
+part of this admirable whole! But even
+then, in a little time, the strong conviction
+of the existence of a God would be worn
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>away, and become what it is at present.
+But, let me be permitted, in order to render
+this truth more striking, to have recourse,
+for a moment, to fiction. Let us imagine
+men, as immoveable as plants, but endowed
+with some one of our senses, enjoying the
+faculty of reflection, and enabled to communicate
+their thoughts. I hear these animated
+trees discourse about the origin of the
+world, and the first cause of all things; they
+advance, like us, different hypothesis on the
+fortuitous movement of atoms, the laws of
+fate and blind necessity; and among the different
+arguments, employed by some, to
+contest the existence of a God, creator
+of the universe, that which makes the
+greatest impression is, that it is impossible
+to conceive how an idea should become
+a reality; of how the design of disposing
+the parts should influence the execution,
+since the will being a simple wish, a thought
+without force has not any means to metamorphose
+itself into action: but in vain
+would these immoveable spectators of the
+universe wish to change their situation, to
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>raise a shelter against the impetuosity of the
+winds, or the scorching heat of the sun;
+yet then it would be evidently absurd to
+imagine the existence of a faculty essentially
+contrary to the immutable nature of things.
+Let however, in the midst of this conversation,
+a supernatural power appear,
+and say to them, what would you think
+then, if this wonder, whose existence you
+regard as impossible, should be executed
+before your eyes; and if the faculty of
+acting, according to your own will, was
+to be suddenly given you? Seized with
+astonishment, they would prostrate themselves
+with fear and respect; and from
+that instant, without the slightest doubt,
+would believe they had discovered the secret
+of the system of the world; and they
+would adore the infinite power of intelligence,
+and it is to a like cause we should
+attribute the disposition of the universe.
+However, the same phœnomenon which
+would appear above belief, and out of the
+limits of possibility, to those who have
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span>never been a witness of it, that wonder exists
+in our world; we see it, we experience
+it every instant; though the force of habit
+weakens the impression and eradicates our
+admiration.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The hypothesis I have just mentioned,
+might even be applied to the sudden acquisition
+of all the means proper to communicate
+ideas; and to the prompt discoveries
+of the other properties of our mind; but
+several of these properties constitute, in such
+an essential manner, the essence of the soul,
+that we cannot, even in imagination, separate
+them, any more than we can detach action
+from will, and will from thought. There
+are some spiritual faculties, and those the
+most wonderful, which we cannot define,
+and which we should not have even supposed
+to exist had we not possessed them;
+and if it had been possible to have known
+them before we were endowed with them,
+the inventors of systems would have pointed
+out this astonishing means, as the only one
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_333'>333</span>applicable to the composition of the admirable
+harmony of the universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We shall be led to the same reflections,
+when ceasing to expatiate on the
+greatest wonders of our nature, we bound
+ourselves to consider the human mind at
+the moment when its action may be perceived.
+To render this observation clearer,
+let us follow a man of genius in the
+course of his labours, and we shall see him
+at once embrace a multitude of ideas, compare
+them, notwithstanding their distance,
+and form from such a mixture a distinct result
+proper to direct his public or private
+conduct; let us consider him extending and
+multiplying these first combinations, and
+connecting them, by an invisible web, to
+some scattered points which his imagination
+has fixed in the vast regions of futurity;
+with the assistance of these magic succours
+we see him approaching the time which
+does not yet exist; but we see him, in his
+career, aided by accumulated knowledge,
+more subtle than the rays of the sun
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_334'>334</span>and yet separated, with an admirable order;
+more fleet and dispersed than the light vapours
+of the morning, and still subject to
+the will of that inconceivable power,
+which, under the name of memory, heaps
+up the acquisitions of the mind, in order to
+assist it afterwards in its new acquirements:
+but let us examine still further this man of
+genius, when he deposits, by means of writing,
+his different reflections; and let us ask,
+how he knows quickly, that an idea is new,
+and that a style has an original turn? Let
+us again enquire, how, in order to form
+such a judgment, he makes with celerity a
+recapitulation of the thoughts and images
+employed by others, to illustrate the subjects
+they have treated, whilst years and ages
+were rolling away; in short, let every one,
+according to his strength, try to penetrate
+into these mysterious beauties of the human
+understanding; and let him enquire afterwards
+about the impression which he receives
+from a like meditation. There is,
+perhaps, as great a difference, if I may be
+allowed to say so, between the most perfect
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_335'>335</span>vegetable and the human mind, as between
+it and the Deity: to extend this idea, we
+have only to suppose, that in the immensity
+which surrounds us, there exists a gradation
+equal to that we have perceived in the little
+space we are permitted to inspect.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The author of a celebrated work accuses
+men of presumption, because, when they
+endeavour to trace the first principle of
+things, by comparing their own faculties
+with it, they seem to think that they approach
+it. But, what other part should we
+be able to take, when we are called to reason
+and to judge? It is not sufficient that the
+idea of the Supreme Being may be metaphysical;
+it is necessary further, some will argue,
+that we even try to render it abstract,
+by removing it out of our imagination, and
+that we seek for, in our judgment and opinions,
+a support which may be in a manner
+absent from ourselves, and absolutely foreign
+to our nature. All this cannot be understood:
+we confess that we have not sufficient
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_336'>336</span>strength to know the essence and perfection
+of God, but giving way to abstraction,
+we extinguish our natural light, and
+deprive ourselves of the few means we have
+to obtain this knowledge; we can only be
+acquainted with unknown things by the
+help of those we know: we shall be led
+astray, if we are obliged to take another road;
+and modern philosophers often seek to attack
+intimate sentiments by arbitrary ideas,
+of which an imagination the most capricious
+is the only foundation.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It will then always be surprizing, that
+in our contemplations and habits of thinking,
+the wisdom of the design, the harmony
+of the whole, and the perfection of parts,
+are manifest traces of intelligence; and yet
+that we should renounce, suddenly, this
+manner of feeling and judging, in order
+to attribute the formation of the universe to
+the effect of chance, or the eternal laws of
+blind necessity; and is it possible, that we
+can deduce the same consequences from an
+admirable order, as from wild confusion?
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_337'>337</span>Facts so different, principles so contrary,
+should not lead to the same conclusion; the
+magnificent system of the universe ought to
+have some weight, when we conjecture
+about its origin; and it would be difficult
+to persuade us, that in investigating the
+most exalted truths, we ought to consider
+all the knowledge we acquire by the view
+of nature as merely indifferent. Men are
+carried very far, when they reject the arguments
+drawn from final causes; it is not
+only a single thought they would destroy,
+it is the source of all our knowledge they
+would dry up.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Men insensibly cease to perceive a connexion
+between the existence of a God, and
+the different miracles with which we are
+surrounded; but all would be changed, if
+God exhibited the numerous acts of his
+power successively, instead of displaying
+them all at once; our imagination, animated
+by such a movement, would rise to
+the idea of a Supreme Being; it is then,
+because an accumulation of wonders aggrandizes
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_338'>338</span>the universe; it is because a harmony,
+not to be equalled, seems to convert
+an infinity of parts into an admirable whole;
+and that profound wisdom maintains it in an
+immutable equilibrium; it is, in short, because
+insensible gradations and delicate shades
+render still more perfect the wonders of nature,
+that men are less struck with astonishment,
+or lost in adoration.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We want, say you, new phœnomena to
+determine our persuasion: do you forget,
+that all which is offered to our view already
+surpasses our understanding? If the
+least miracle was to be effected before you,
+you would be ready to bend your proud
+reason; but because the most grand and
+wonderful, which the imagination itself can
+form an idea of, has preceded your existence,
+you receive no impression from it,
+all appears simple to you, all necessary.
+But, the reality of the wonders of the universe
+has nothing to do with the instant
+you are allowed to contemplate them:
+your pilgrimage on earth, is it not a period
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_339'>339</span>imperceptible in the midst of eternity?
+admiration, surprise, and all the affections
+of which man is susceptible, do not change
+the nature of the phœnomena which surround
+him; and his intelligence reflects but
+a very small part of the wonders of the
+universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We have no need of a revolution
+in the order of nature, to discover the
+power of its author; the fibres of a blade
+of grass confound our intelligence, and
+when we have grown old in study and observation,
+we continually discover new objects,
+which we have not investigated, and
+perceive new relations; we are ever in the
+midst of unknown things and incomprehensible
+secrets.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>However, supposing, for a moment, the
+existence of extraordinary miracles which
+we should be impressed with; it is easy to
+conceive, that these miracles would not have
+on men the influence we presume; for if
+they were frequent, and if they happened
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_340'>340</span>only at regular periods, their first impression,
+would slowly be weakened, and, at
+last, men would range them in the class of
+the successive movements of eternal matter.
+But if, on the contrary, there was a long
+interval between these miracles, the generations
+who succeeded the actual witnesses
+of them would accuse their ancestors of
+credulity, or contest the truth of those traditions,
+which transmitted the account of
+a revolution contrary to the common course
+of nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Some may still say, that, in order to render
+manifest the existence of the Supreme
+Being, it would be necessary that men were
+punctually answered, when they address their
+prayers; but the influence of our wishes
+upon events, if this influence was habitual
+and general, would it be sufficient to change
+the opinion of those who see, with indifference,
+that innumerable multitude of actions
+which are so miraculously subject to our will?
+Would they not still find some reason for
+considering such an increase of power, as
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_341'>341</span>the necessary result of the eternal system of
+the universe? Thus, whatever might be
+the measure of intelligence, added to that
+we now enjoy, in short, though a number of
+new wonders were accumulated, men could
+still oppose to that union of miracles the
+same objections, and the same doubts they
+do not now fear to raise against the wonders
+we are daily witnesses of. It is difficult, it
+is impossible, to make a constant or profound
+impression on men who are only susceptible
+of astonishment in the short transition
+from the known to the unknown;
+they have but a moment to feel this emotion,
+and it is from the slowness of their
+comprehension, or the continual succession of
+the phœnomena submitted to their inspection,
+that the duration of their admiration
+depends. And, perhaps, our faculties and
+powers would excite more surprise, if,
+in order to subject our movements to our
+will, it were necessary to give our orders, and
+to pronounce them with a loud voice, as a
+captain does to his soldiers; however, such
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_342'>342</span>a constitution would be a degree less wonderful
+than that we possess.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I will anticipate another objection; we
+advance gradually, some will say, in discovering
+the secrets of nature; the power of attraction,
+that grand physical faculty, has only
+been known about a century, and observations
+on the effects of electricity are still
+more recent; every age, every year, adds
+to the treasure of our knowledge, and the
+time will arrive, perhaps, when, without
+having recourse to any mysterious opinions,
+we shall have explained all the phœnomena
+which still astonish us.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is not at first conceivable, how our
+past discoveries, and all those which may in
+future enrich the human mind, would ever
+free us from the necessity of placing a first
+cause at the termination of our reflections;
+for, the more we perceive of new links in
+the vast disposition of the universe, the more
+we extend the magnificence of the work,
+and the power of the Creator. A series of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_343'>343</span>successful exertions may reveal, perhaps, the
+secret of some physical properties, superior in
+force to those we have experienced: but, even
+then, all the movements of nature would be
+subordinate to a few general laws; and
+when we should distinguish these laws, the
+result of our researches would demonstrate
+simply the existence of a greater unity in
+the system of the world; and this character
+of perfection would be impressed, if it was
+possible, still more on us; for, in a work,
+such as the universe, it is the simple and regular
+relations which announce, above all,
+the wisdom and power of the Disposer;
+because our admiration could never be excited
+by an assemblage of incoherent ideas,
+whose chain would every instant be broken.
+But, I know not by what habit or blindness it
+is, that when men have discovered a principle
+uniform in its action, and have given to that
+principle a denomination, they believe that
+their astonishment ought to cease: in fact,
+attraction and electricity are not so much
+now subjects of surprise, as a means to free
+us from the admiration due to the magnificent
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_344'>344</span>result of those singular properties; in
+short, we are habituated to consider, with
+indifference, every general effect, of which
+we acquire a conception, as if even this
+conception was not one of the most noble
+of the phœnomena of nature. Some will say,
+that men, by degrees, becoming familiarized
+with their own minds, despise all they can
+easily understand; their competitions are
+then the only origin of their vanity; for
+when they examine themselves individually,
+or when they judge of men in general, they
+have such a mean opinion of themselves, that
+they do not highly value their discoveries.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We ought to place, amongst the number
+of ideas the most extensive and general,
+that of Buffon on the formation of the
+earth; but this idea, supposing it as just as
+it is beautiful, only explains to us one of the
+gradations of this superb work. I see the
+earth formed by an emanation of the sun;
+I see it animated and become fertile, when
+it has received, by slow degree, its temperature;
+and I see, beside, issue out of its lap
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_345'>345</span>all the beauties of nature; and that which
+surprises me still more, all the beings endowed
+with instinct or intelligence; but if
+the elements of these incomprehensible productions
+had been prepared or simply disposed
+in the fiery body which animates our
+system, I transfer to it my astonishment,
+and equally have to seek for the author of
+so many wonders.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I must now fix my attention, for a few
+moments, on the most metaphysical part
+of this work. We can, perhaps, form an
+idea of a world existing without a beginning,
+and by the laws of blind necessity,
+provided that world was immoveable and invariable
+in all its parts; but how apply the
+idea of eternity to a continual succession;
+as such a nature is necessarily composed of
+a beginning and end, we cannot otherwise
+define the idea of succession; thus, we are
+constrained to elevate ourselves to a first
+Being existing by himself, when we have
+before our eyes a constant revolution of
+causes and effects, of destruction and life.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_346'>346</span>It is impossible to have any idea of motion
+without that of a beginning.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The difficulty would not be removed, by
+saying, that the whole of the universe is
+immutable, and the parts only subject to
+change; for a whole of this kind, without
+any relation whatever, either real or
+imaginary, a like whole has only an ideal
+circumscription, which, in fact, is not susceptible
+of an alteration; but such a circumscription
+only presents us an assemblage
+of positive things contained in its circle;
+and it is not in studying those, nor in examining
+the different parts of the unknown
+whole, which we call the universe, that we
+are allowed to draw consequences, or to
+form a judgment. Thus, seeing only a
+succession, we rationally feel the necessity
+of a first cause.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But, some will say, you are entangled in
+the same difficulty, when you suppose the
+eternity of a God; for a series of designs
+in an intelligent being should lead to the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_347'>347</span>idea of a commencement, as well as the successions
+of the physical world.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>This proposition, undoubtedly, is not
+easily cleared up, like all those whose solution
+appears to be united to the knowledge
+of infinity. We cannot, however, hinder
+ourselves from perceiving, that the physical
+generations lead us, in a manner simple and
+manifest, to the necessity of a first principle;
+and we ought to search for this principle
+out of ourselves, since our nature does not
+furnish any idea of it; whereas, the successive
+combinations of the mind may relate to
+an origin, of which we have not any conception,
+and which seems united, in some
+manner, to these same combinations. In
+fact, we can easily form a distinct idea of a
+faculty of thought, antecedent to the action
+of thinking, and which might even be separated
+by such intervals as the imagination
+could conceive. It is the same with liberty,
+that intellectual power of which we have
+the consciousness, at the same time that it
+remains absolutely idle.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_348'>348</span>I shall add, that, even in the narrow circle
+of our thoughts, it is true, the operations
+of the mind appear to us often dependant
+on each other; yet, sometimes their
+chain is so broken, that our ideas seem really
+to issue out of nothing; instead of which,
+in every other production, we know, there
+is always a visible tie between that which
+is, and that which was. We must not
+forget, that at the very time our ideas appear
+to us connected, that succession is to
+be attributed to our weakness and ignorance,
+rather than to the mind, considered in a
+general manner. Circumscribed in all our
+means, we are obliged to go continually
+from the known to the unknown, from
+probability to certainty, from experience of
+the past, to conjectures about the future;
+but this gradation, this course, ought to be
+absolutely foreign to an intelligence without
+bounds, which knows and which sees all at
+the same time; and perhaps we are in the
+way of this truth, when we perceive,
+amongst us, the claim of true genius, and
+the turbulent whirlpool of folly.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_349'>349</span>In short, it is not men persuaded of the
+existence of a God, that we need require to
+transport themselves beyond, if I may say
+so, the domain of thought, in order to
+search for proofs of their opinion; atheists
+alone want such an effort, since they alone
+resist the influence of the simplest sentiments
+and most natural arguments; since they alone
+bid us mistrust that distinct connexion
+which we perceive between the Supreme
+Intelligence and the perfection of order; that
+train of causes and effects, between the idea
+of a God and all the propensities of the
+soul; it is these considerations, intelligible
+to all, which give new force to our opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Directed by these reflections, and wishing
+to investigate in a useful manner the subject
+I have undertaken, I shall not engage in
+the arguments which turn on the creation
+of the world. It is sufficient for me to
+have perceived, that the idea of the creation
+of the universe is not more inconceivable
+than the idea of its eternity; I am not indeed
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_350'>350</span>obliged, with those who adopt the
+last system, to suppose something growing
+out of nothing; but substituting the idea
+of an eternal existence, instead of that of
+nothing, is a thought which equally terrifies
+my imagination; for my mind knows
+not where to place that eternity and in order
+to comprehend it still surrounds it with
+a vacuum. In the system of a created universe,
+I see something coming out of nothing,
+by the will of a Being whom I can
+form an idea of; but in the system of the
+eternity of matter, my faculties are absorbed
+in endeavouring to embrace it; in short,
+both of these modes of existence appear to
+me in the midst of a vague infinity, which
+no human power can conceive; and if
+sometimes the eternal existence of the universe
+seems less incomprehensible than its
+creation, it is only because such an idea
+eludes examination and precludes reasoning.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The idea of a Creator is undoubtedly
+equally above our comprehension, but we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_351'>351</span>are led to it by all our feelings and
+thoughts; and if we are stopped in the efforts
+which we make to reach the cause we
+seek, it is by obstacles which we can even
+attribute to the will of that power we are
+searching to discover; instead of that, contemplating
+the uniform and insipid rotation
+of an eternal existence, we are almost driven
+to despair, that is to say, we feel the impossibility
+of conceiving the nature of things,
+and the certainty, nevertheless, that there
+exists not any veil designedly placed between
+that nature and our understandings.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I must still make some further observations;
+we see a resemblance of creation in
+the continual reproduction of all the bounties
+of the earth; and our moral system
+offers a still more striking one, in the formation
+of ideas which did not exist antecedently.
+Our feelings appear another proof
+of the same truth; for they have not any
+evident connexion with the cause that we
+assign them: thus, without habit we might
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_352'>352</span>see as great a difference between certain exterior
+emotions and the various affections of
+our souls, as we can conceive between the
+existence of the world and the idea of a
+Creator.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We perceive also, that the universe has
+all the characters of a production; characters
+which consist in the union of a
+multitude of parts, whose relations are
+fixed by a single thought. In short, even
+the succession of time announces intelligence;
+for we know not how to place
+that succession in the midst of an eternal
+existence. We cannot conceive any different
+periods in an extent in which there is
+not a beginning; for before we arrive at
+any of these periods, there must have been
+always an infinite space; besides, there
+being no beginning, considered abstractedly,
+annihilates the idea of intervals,
+since they could not have two fixed points:
+thus, the introduction of the past, the
+present, and the future, into the midst
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_353'>353</span>of eternity, seems due to an intelligent
+power, who has modelled this immense
+uniformity, and governs the nature of
+things.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I ought not to dwell long on these reflections;
+to give a basis to religious opinions,
+it is not necessary to conceive of
+creation in its metaphysical essence; it
+is sufficient, to believe the existence of a
+Supreme Being, creator and preserver of
+nature, the model of wisdom and goodness,
+the protector of rational beings, whose
+providence governs the world. We lose
+all our strength when extending too far
+our meditations, we aspire to know and
+explain the secrets of infinity; we then
+only exhibit to the adversaries of religion
+the faint stretch of our opinions,
+and the last struggles of a reason weakened
+by its own efforts; it is much better
+to use those arguments which sense
+and feeling are able to defend. We
+should candidly confess, that our noblest
+faculties have immutable limits; one degree
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_354'>354</span>more would perhaps diffuse a sudden light
+on the questions, whose examination disconcerts
+us. There is not perhaps any
+mind accustomed to meditation, which has
+not had several times pre-sentiments of this
+truth; for the first glimmering of a new
+perception seems to out-run thinking, and
+such is its proximity that we imagine one step
+more would enable us to catch it; but our
+hope is dissipated, we cannot grasp the
+fleeting shadow, and fall back again into
+the sad conviction of our impotence. Alas!
+in that infinite space which our intellectual
+powers try to run over, there are only immense
+deserts, where the mind cannot find
+repose, or the thoughts meet any asylum;
+these are the regions whose entrance seems
+to have been desolated, in order that the
+most unbounded imagination might not obtain
+any knowledge of them; but will you
+dare to say, that there stops all intelligence,
+there finishes the mysteries of nature?
+would you expect to possess the secrets
+of time in attributing an eternal existence
+to all we know? Certainly, we are too insignificant
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_355'>355</span>to promulge such decrees, we
+enjoy too small a portion of eternity to determine
+what belongs to it.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The most probable thought is, that our
+reason is insufficient to reach the explanations
+we wish to unfold; the chain of beings
+above us every instant reminds us of
+this truth; and it appears singular, that
+perceiving so distinctly the bounds of our
+senses, we should not be induced to think,
+that our intelligence, apparently so extended,
+may nevertheless run over a very circumscribed
+space. Our imagination goes much
+farther than our knowledge, but its domain
+is perhaps only a point in what is yet unexplored;
+and it is necessary to penetrate
+those unknown regions, to discover the
+truths which illustrate the mysteries that
+surround us; but there is a Being who
+knows them, Omniscience is at the summit
+of those gradations of intelligence which
+we trace. We know nothing, we do not
+discover any result but through the assistance
+of experience and observation; and we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_356'>356</span>only know the world by the little front
+scene which meets our view: is it rational
+to suppose, that only this kind of knowledge
+exists in the universe? Men, in the
+slow progress of their judgment, resemble
+children; but even this condition recals the
+idea of a father and a tutor. Every thing
+however shows us, that the phœnomena of
+nature relate to a grand whole; we see that
+its dispersed productions are united to some
+general cause; it is the same with human
+knowledge; more admirable than the rays
+of light spread through immensity, it is
+an emanation from the most perfect light.
+In short, if space, if time itself, those two
+existences without bounds, are subject to
+division, why should we not be induced to
+think, that the degrees of knowledge we
+experience and conceive, are also only a part
+of a universal intelligence?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Of all the objections against the idea of
+a God, the weakest, in my opinion, is that
+drawn from the mixture of troubles and
+pleasures to which human life is exposed.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_357'>357</span>A God, some will say, ought to unite every
+perfection, and we cannot believe in his existence,
+when we perceive limits in his
+power or goodness.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>This is a flimsy argument; for, if men
+do not admit as a proof of the existence of
+a God, all that we discover of wisdom, harmony,
+and intelligence in the universe, what
+right have they to use an apparent contrast
+between sovereign power and goodness, in
+order to attribute the formation of the world
+to chance. Would it be just, that the defects
+of a work should be brought as a proof
+against the existence of a workman, whilst
+the beauty of the same work was not allowed
+to support a contrary opinion? We
+should reason in a different manner; disorder
+and imperfection merely point out to us
+a negation of certain qualities; we must, in
+general terms, throw an odium on the
+whole, in order to banish the idea of an intelligent
+hand; whereas, to strengthen the
+other opinion, it is sufficient that particular
+parts announce art and genius. Thus,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_358'>358</span>when we enter a palace, if we find there
+distinct marks of talents, we attribute its
+erection to an architect, even though in a
+part of the edifice we should not distinguish
+any traces of invention.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I have already had occasion to show how
+we are led to these incomprehensible extremes,
+when we endeavour exactly to proportion
+the wisdom and power of an Infinite
+Being, and I shall not again dwell on
+this argument: or repeat that from any
+imaginable hypothesis, we might draw this
+deduction, that Omnipotence could have
+produced more happiness.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There are ideas which appear contrary
+to reason, only because we cannot perceive
+them in one point of view; and we discover
+this truth, not only in considering things
+which are foreign to our nature, but when
+we turn our attention on the events which
+come daily under our inspection. Why do
+we then suppose, that we can comprehend the
+most grand and noble thoughts? Is it consistent
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_359'>359</span>with the idea of an Infinite Power that
+we refuse to credit the existence of infinite
+goodness? Is it consistent with the idea of Infinite
+Wisdom that we will not admit the existence
+of Omnipotence? Nay more, is it consistent
+with the idea of infinite chances that
+we imagine the absurd systems concerning
+the formation of the world? We use infinity
+for every thing, except to place above us an
+intelligence, whose properties and essence
+our reason cannot determine.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We are lost in a boundless uncertainty,
+when we try to go beyond the limits of human
+powers. Thus, after having collected
+all the forces of our souls, to enable us to
+penetrate the existence of a God, we ought
+not to exhaust ourselves in subtleties, vainly
+endeavouring to conceive in a just acceptation,
+and under evident relations, various
+attributes of an Infinite Being, who has
+chosen to make himself known to us in a
+certain measure, and under certain forms;
+and it is too much to require of the worshippers
+of God, to defend themselves
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_360'>360</span>against those who contest his existence, and
+dispute about the nature of his perfections.
+I am far from supposing any obstacle to the
+execution of his will; but I should be full
+of the same religious sentiments, if I knew
+that there existed order and laws in the nature
+of things, which the Divine Power
+has a faculty of modifying, and that it cannot
+entirely destroy. I should not less adore
+the Supreme Being, if, at the same time,
+his various attributes were in constant
+union, it was nevertheless, by degrees, that
+he produced happiness; I should silently
+respect the secrets which would escape my
+penetration, and wait with respectful submission,
+till the clouds were dissipated
+which still surrounded me. What then!
+always in ignorance and obscurity? Yes, always:
+such is the condition of men, when
+they wish to go beyond the limits traced by
+the immutable laws of nature; but the
+grand truths which we can easily perceive
+are sufficient to regulate our conduct, and
+afford us comfort. That there is a God,
+every thing indicates and loudly announces;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_361'>361</span>but I cannot discover either the mysteries of
+his essence, or the intimate connection of his
+various perfections. I plainly see in a crowd
+the monarch encircled by his guards; I
+know his laws, I enjoy the order he has
+prescribed; but I assist not at his councils,
+and am a stranger to his deliberations. I
+even perceive, that an impenetrable veil separates
+me from the designs of the Supreme
+Being, and I do not undertake to trace
+them; I commit myself with confidence to
+the protection of that Being whom I believe
+good and great, as I would rely on the
+guidance of a friend during a dark night;
+and whilst I have my foot in the abyss,
+I will depend on Him to snatch me from
+the danger and calm my terrors.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>If we might be allowed the comparison, we
+should say, that God is like the sun, which we
+cannot stedfastly gaze at; but throwing our
+eyes down, we perceive its rays and the beauties
+it spreads around. However, men who,
+either through a mistrust of their understanding,
+or the nature of it, have only by
+their reverence an intercourse with God, feel
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_362'>362</span>most forcibly the impression of his grandeur;
+as it is at the extremity of the lever that we
+strongly experience its power.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We consider the general assent of nations
+and ages, in the opinion of the existence of
+a God, as a remarkable presumption in favour
+of that opinion; but such a proof
+would lose part of its force, if we, in time,
+regarded as a kind of moral phœnomenon,
+the relation which all men may have with
+an idea so sublime, notwithstanding the visible
+disparity which exists between their
+different degrees of understanding and knowledge;
+and this observation should lead to a
+thought, that in the midst of the clouds,
+which obscure the idea of a God, sensibility
+becomes our best guide: it seems the most
+innate part of ourselves, and in this respect
+to communicate, in the most intimate manner,
+with the Author of our Nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The sight advances before our other
+senses, the imagination goes beyond it; but
+as it is obliged to trace its own path, sensibility,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_363'>363</span>which bounds over all, goes still
+further.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The reasoner, in his efforts to attain to
+profound metaphysical truths, forms a chain
+whose links rather follow each other, than
+are joined: the mind of man not being sufficiently
+subtle, and extended, cannot always
+unite exactly that infinite multitude of ideas
+which crowd at the determination of our
+meditations; sensibility is then the best calculated
+to conceive the sublime truth, which
+not being composed of parts, is not susceptible
+of section, and can only be comprehended
+in its unity. Thus, whilst the
+mind often wanders in vain speculations,
+and loses itself in metaphysical labyrinths,
+the idea of a Supreme Being is impressed,
+without effort, in a simple heart, which is
+still under the influence of nature: thus,
+the man of feeling, as well as the intelligent
+man, announces a Supreme Being, whom
+we cannot discover without loving; and
+this union of all the faculties of the soul
+towards the same idea, this emotion, which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_364'>364</span>resembles a kind of instinct, ought to be
+connected with a first cause; as there is for
+every thing a first model.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is, perhaps, also the confused sentiment
+of that first model, which leads us to religion,
+when we see a virtuous man. Men,
+with their fatal systems, would alter and annihilate
+every thing, but the comfortable
+hopes and thoughts which arise from a profound
+and rational admiration, will still
+resist that destruction. They vainly wish
+to make us consider such a sentiment as the
+simple play of blind matter, whilst all within
+us seems to invite us to search for a more
+noble origin. And how can we avoid seeing,
+in these great qualities of men, nobleness of
+soul, elevation of genius, expansion of heart,
+love of order, and interesting goodness; how
+avoid seeing, in this rich picture, the reflection
+of a celestial light, and concluding from
+it, that there is somewhere a first intelligence.
+Do rays exist without a centre of
+light? I know not, but hurried away by
+these reflections, I sometimes think, innate
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_365'>365</span>goodness, which we admire as the first rank
+in the scale of intelligent beings, in a more
+immediate manner, leads to the knowledge
+of the Author of nature; and when this
+innate morality is found united in some
+persons with a presentiment of the Divine
+Nature, there is, in this agreement, a charm
+which impresses us; a kind of unknown character
+which attracts our respect: as every
+tender and sublime thought is roused by
+the idea which we form of the souls of
+Socrates and Fenelon.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>At the same time, actuated by similar
+sentiments we experience a painful emotion,
+when we are informed, that there exist
+men, enemies to all these ideas; men, who
+had rather debase themselves and humanity,
+by attributing their origin to chance,
+than resolve to consider the spiritual faculties
+which they enjoy as a faint sketch of
+the sovereign intelligence. Thus, instead
+of employing their minds to lend some force
+to these comfortable truths, or, at least probabilities
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_366'>366</span>so dear, they, on the contrary,
+dispute their realty, and seek to embarrass
+by sophistry, the doctrines which
+tend to fortify the first dispositions of
+our nature: we see the materialists, rather
+then elevate themselves, drag us with
+them from happiness and hope; they only
+grant eternity to the dust, out of which,
+they say, we sprung. What honour, however,
+can they derive from those more enlightened
+views which they boast of, if they are only
+the result of a growth similar to that of
+plants; and if our spiritual faculties, so far
+from being lost, in some measure, in the infinite
+intelligence, so far from being united to
+a grand destiny, are only associated to this
+frail structure, which is every day, every
+hour, exposed to various dangers. What
+credit should we derive from these faculties,
+if they only enabled us to describe, with
+precision, the almost imperceptible circle of
+time, in which we live and die: if they only
+served to raise us above our equals during
+that short moment of life, which is hastening
+to lose itself in endless ages, as a light
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_367'>367</span>vapour in the immensity of air? How can
+you speak with delight of fame and promotion,
+when you voluntarily renounce the
+grandeur arising from the most noble origin?
+You are proud of the celebrity of your country,
+the renown of your families, and the
+only glory you desire not partake, is that
+which ennobles the whole human race!</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, I would ask, by what strange
+error of the imagination it is, that in meditating
+on the existence of a God, men do
+not go further than to doubt it; since to
+support, to guide our judgment, we have
+only an understanding whose weakness we
+continually experience; since it is capable
+of gradual improvement, as knowledge
+is perpetually accumulating? There exists
+not any proportion between the measure of
+our knowledge and the unbounded extent
+which is displayed before us; there is not
+any between the union of all our powers
+and the profound mysteries of nature: how
+then shall we dare to say, that men are
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_368'>368</span>arrived at the pinnacle of knowledge, and
+that in the endless ages to come, there
+will never break forth a more penetrating
+faculty than our weak reason?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>However, were men even to lose the
+hope of advancing one step in metaphysical
+researches; and persisted to declare insufficient
+and imperfect the various proofs of
+the existence of a God; it is not to be contested,
+that all other systems are surrounded
+with still greater obscurity, and they would
+only have a doubt as the result of their reasoning.
+But have they ever reflected on the
+influence a simple doubt has, when that
+doubt is applied to an idea, whose relations
+are without bounds? Let us try to represent
+an equal probability in a circumstance
+which only concerns the interests of
+this transitory life, and we shall soon see what
+force the same degree of probability would
+have in the immensurable relations of the
+finite to the infinite. Thus, not only an
+uncertainty, but the slightest presumption
+of the existence of a God, would, in the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_369'>369</span>estimation of sound reason, be a sufficient
+foundation for religion and morality. Yes, we
+might thus humbly pray, though depressed
+by doubt:—O Thou God who art unknown!
+sovereign goodness whose image is
+stamped on our hearts—if Thou existest, if
+Thou art Lord of this magnificent universe,
+deign to accept our love and humble
+homage.——</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Undoubtedly, these thoughts are sufficient
+to inspire with respect and fear beings
+ignorant of their origin, who have so little
+to sacrifice and so much to desire, who, on
+account of their extreme weakness, cannot
+relinquish some hopes, and must attach
+themselves to a fixed and predominate idea,
+which may serve as an anchor in the midst
+of the inconsistencies and agitations of their
+minds.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is, perhaps, because the time when
+every thing will be explained, is still far
+distant, that many exaggerate their doubts,
+and often confound them with a decided
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_370'>370</span>incredulity. I form to my imagination, a
+solemn period, when the inhabitants of the
+earth will be instructed in the mysteries of
+their nature and the secrets of futurity; and
+that some signal phœnomenon will mark
+the awful day proper to fix our attention;
+and I am intimately persuaded, that, in such
+a moment, the men most indifferent about
+religion will appear dismayed, and even recognize
+that what they took for conviction,
+was but a wavering opinion, only supported
+by self-love and a desire of distinction.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>At the same time that I form this judgment
+of the pretended incredulity of several persons,
+I will venture a reflection of a different
+kind: it is, that superficial faith in
+the existence of God, and the opinions
+which depend on it, is not equivalent in
+effect to doubt retained in proper bounds;
+and perhaps, if these bounds were determined,
+the belief of one class of society
+would be less wavering.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_371'>371</span>I anticipate another objection; those
+doubts, some may say, those doubts which
+so many men cannot smother, are they not
+an argument against the existence of a
+God? for a Powerful Being, such as we
+suppose Him, could have inspired a general
+confidence in that noble truth; He needed
+not to have recourse to supernatural means;
+His will was sufficient. I confess, that we
+can easily add, in imagination, several degrees
+to our knowledge and happiness; but
+that condition of our nature, of which the
+cause is unknown, can never be contrary
+to the idea of the existence of a God:
+all is limited in our physical properties
+and in our moral faculties; but within
+these confines we see the work of a Supreme
+Intelligence, and we discover every
+instant the traces of a divine hand, sufficiently
+obvious to direct our opinions. Unstable
+reasoning, concerning what we should
+be, can never weaken the distinct consequences
+which arise from what we are.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_372'>372</span>When the Laplander, in his cave, hears
+by chance the distant echo of thunder, he
+says, that <em>God still lives on the high mountain</em>;
+and, is it in the very bosom of munificent
+blessings, with the light of philosophy,
+that men would wish to reject the
+idea of the existence of a Supreme Being?
+What an abuse of reason! Infinity ought
+to overwhelm the most vigorous and
+enlightened understanding, make the wise
+man timid in his judgment, and inform
+him what he is; can man do better
+than give way to the admiration the
+view of so many incomprehensible wonders
+must necessarily inspire, and with fervour
+seize that chain of miracles which
+seem to promise to lead to the knowledge
+of the Creator of them? Can he be more
+nobly employed, than in tracing an opinion,
+not only the most probable, but the most
+grand and interesting? Alas! if we should
+ever lose it—the idea is not to be endured;
+clouds and thick darkness would, overwhelm
+the feelings which seem to dart before
+our reason, to explore the unknown
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_373'>373</span>country we pant after, and a melancholy
+and eternal silence would appear to surround
+all nature: we should call for a comforter,
+implore protection—but where is it to be
+found? We should search for hope, but it
+is for ever fled—Alas! this is not all, a
+terrific thought strikes me, I hesitate a moment
+to communicate it; yet, it seems to
+me, that we lend new force to religious
+opinions, when we demonstrate, by various
+ways, that the principles which destroy
+those opinions lead to a result contrary to
+our nature. I will then conclude this chapter
+by a reflection of serious importance.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>If there is not a God, if this world and
+the whole universe was only the production
+of chance or nature itself, subsisting from
+all eternity; and if this nature, void of consciousness,
+had not any guide or superior;
+in short, if all its movements were the necessary
+effect of a property ever concealed in
+its essence, a terrible thought would alarm
+our imagination: we should not only renounce
+the hopes which enliven life, we
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_374'>374</span>should not only see continually advancing
+towards us the image of death and annihilation,
+these dreadful anticipations would
+not be all—an uncertain cause of fear would
+trouble the mind. In fact, the revolutions
+of a blind nature being more obscure than
+the designs of an Intelligent Being, it would
+be impossible to discover on what base, in
+the universe, reposed the destiny of men;
+impossible to foresee whether, by some one
+of the laws of that imperious nature, intelligent
+beings are devoted to perish irrevocably,
+or revive under some other form; if
+they are to stumble on new pleasures, or
+suffer eternally: life and death, happiness
+and misery, may belong indifferently to a
+nature whose movements are not directed by
+any intelligence, are not connected by any
+moral idea, but solely dependent on a blind
+property, which is represented by that
+word, terrible and inexplicable <em>necessity</em>.
+A like nature would resemble the rocks to
+which Prometheus was bound, that were
+equally insensible to the agonizing groans of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_375'>375</span>the wretch, and to the joy of the vultures
+who preyed on his vitals.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Thus, in a like system, nothing would
+be able to fix our opinion with respect to
+futurity, and guard the sensible part of ourselves
+from yielding to some unknown force:
+in short, can we reply without trembling?
+nothing,—and of course eternal torments
+might accidentally become our portion.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The momentary experience of life might,
+perhaps, inspire us with a kind of tranquillity;
+but what is that in immensity, but
+calculations founded on the observance of a
+short interval? What is that hope which
+only a fleeting moment gives weight to? It
+is as if the fluttering insect, which lives but a
+day, should consider it as a representation of
+the eternal condition of the universe. The
+mixture of pains and pleasures, to which
+men are subject on earth, is not a certain
+proof of what may happen in other times
+and places; for unity, equality, and analogy,
+all those sources of probability, and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_376'>376</span>principles to judge from, are connected
+with general ideas of order and harmony,
+but those ideas are not applicable to a nature
+subject to necessity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We have some difficulty to assure ourselves
+of the designs of a Supreme Being:
+however, by a kind of analogy we shall be
+able to form an idea of the divine will; and
+our minds, our feelings, and virtues, all aid us
+in the search; but were we sprung from an
+insensible nature, we should not have any connection
+with the different parts of its immense
+extent, and the attentive study of
+our moral constitution would not throw a
+light on the various revolutions of which
+the material world is susceptible. We
+should only discover, that there would be
+much less reason to oppose, in imagination,
+limits to the varied movements of a nature
+without a guide, than to circumscribe, in
+some manner, the actions of an Omnipotent
+Being, whose other attributes are also
+infinite; for the ideas of order, justice, and
+goodness, which arise from a knowledge of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_377'>377</span>His perfections, seem to trace a circle in
+the midst of infinity, which the mind of
+man may perceive. Yes, these ideas subject
+a great space to our contemplations;
+but what advantage is there in trying to be
+acquainted with the mysteries of an insensible
+nature, or to penetrate the secret of
+the motion impressed by blind necessity?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let me repeat it then, as a termination
+to these reflections; all would be obscure,
+all mere chance in the fate of man, if we
+did not attribute the disposition and preservation
+of the world to the omnipotent will
+of an Intelligent Being, whose perfections
+our feelings and thoughts faintly represent.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, when even in the system of
+the eternity of nature, men were assured
+that death destroys individuality, and were
+they even able to drive away the idea of
+the continuation or renewal of it, by any
+sentiment or remembrance; would it be
+evident, that we should be absolutely indifferent
+about the torments rational beings
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_378'>378</span>may endure in that space which is
+represented by the idea of infinity and eternity?
+The metaphysical idea, which determines
+us to place our consciousness on that
+imperceptible and mysterious point, which
+unites our present thoughts to the past, and
+our actual sentiments to our hopes and fears;
+this thought is not sufficient to make us regardless
+of our fate, or render us indifferent
+to the unknown effects which may result
+from the revolutions of a nature, which we
+are not acquainted with: the anxieties and
+troubles of the beings who are to live in the
+ages yet unborn, do not interest us as belonging
+to any particular person; however,
+we have, for those abstract misfortunes, in
+this instance, a sympathy which escapes
+reasoning.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I agree, that in the system of undirected
+nature, happiness or misery, transitory or
+without end, have the same degree of probability:
+but what a terrifying resemblance!
+Can we undismayed consider such a chance?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_379'>379</span>How happens it then, that some pretend,
+that atheism frees us from every kind of
+terror about futurity? I cannot perceive,
+that such a conclusion flows from this fatal
+system. A God, such as my heart delineates,
+encourages and moderates all my
+feelings; I say to myself, He is good and
+indulgent, He knows our weakness, He
+loves to produce happiness; and I see the
+advances of death without terror, and often
+with hope. But every fear would become
+reasonable, if I lived under the dominion of
+an insensible nature, whose laws and revolutions
+are unknown: I seek for some means
+to escape from its power;—but even
+death cannot afford me a retreat, or space
+an asylum. I reflect, if it is possible,
+to find compassion and goodness; but
+here is no prime intelligence, no first
+cause, a blind nature surrounds us, and
+governs imperiously. I in vain demand,
+what is to be done with me? it is
+deaf to my voice. Devoid of will,
+thought, and feeling, it is governed by
+an irresistible force, whose motion is a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_380'>380</span>mystery never to be unfolded. What a
+view for the human mind, to anticipate the
+destruction of all our primitive ideas of order,
+justice, and goodness! Shall I further
+say, when even, in every system, the entrance
+of the future was unknown, I should
+be less unhappy and forlorn, if it was to a
+father, a benefactor, that I committed
+the deposit of life which I held from him;
+this last communication with the Master of
+the World would mitigate my pains; my
+eyes, when closing, would perceive His
+power; that I should not lose all, I
+might still hope that God remained with
+those I loved, and find some comfort in the
+thought, that my destiny was united to His
+will, that my existence and the employments
+I devoted myself to, formed one of the indelible
+points of His eternal remembrance; and that
+the incomprehensible darkness I was going to
+plunge into, is equally a part of His empire.
+But when a feeling and elevated soul, which
+sometimes enjoys a sentiment of its own
+grandeur, should certainly know, that dragged
+by a blind motion, it was going to be
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_381'>381</span>dissipated, to be scattered in that dreary
+waste, where all that is most vile on earth
+is indifferently precipitated; such a thought
+would blight the noblest actions, and be a
+continual source of sadness and despondency.
+Save us from these dreadful reflections, sublime
+and cherished belief of a God! afford
+us the courage and comfort we need, and
+guard our minds, as from fatal phantoms,
+from all those vain suppositions, those errors
+of reasoning and metaphysical subtleties,
+which interpose between man and his Creator!
+And we, full of confidence in the first
+lesson of nature, will take for a guide that
+interior sentiment which is not thought, but
+something more, which neither reasons nor
+conjectures; but perhaps forms the closest
+connexion and most certain communication
+with those grand truths which the understanding
+alone can never reach.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_382'>382</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XV.<br> <em>On the Respect that is due from true Philosophy to Religion.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>The view of the universe, the reflections
+of our minds, and the inclinations
+of our hearts, all concur to strengthen
+the thought, that there exists a God; and
+without power to comprehend this Infinite
+Being, to form a just idea of His essence
+and perfections, the confused sentiment of
+his grandeur, and the continual experience
+of their own weakness, are so many imperious
+motives, which, in all ages and countries,
+have impelled men to worship a God.
+Those natural ideas have acquired new force
+by the light of revelation; but it is not in
+a metaphysical work that the authenticity
+of the Christian religion ought to be discussed;
+nor could we add much to the doctrines
+contained in books composed at different
+periods on this important subject.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_383'>383</span>All discussions which are allied to truths,
+whose authenticity depends on facts, are necessarily
+confined within certain bounds; and
+we are obliged to pursue a beaten track,
+and run over the same circle, when we
+enter on such a well-known subject. I
+shall then confine myself to some general
+reflections, and make choice of those which
+are best adapted to the particular genius
+of the present age, and the modifications
+which our sentiments receive from predominate
+opinions; for our judgments, like
+our impressions, vary with the change which
+happens insensibly in habits and manners:
+one age is that of intolerance and bigotry;
+another of relaxation and indifference, or a
+contempt of all ancient customs: every century,
+every generation is distinguished by a
+general character, a character which we
+take sometimes for new ideas; whilst it is
+nothing but the natural effect of exaggeration
+in our preceding opinions. Men are
+subject to moral laws, similar in several respects
+to mechanical rules; and with all
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_384'>384</span>their knowledge and pride, they remind us
+of those children, who, placed at the extremity
+of a long balance, rise and fall successively.
+They can only be fixed by moderate
+sentiments, which are sustained by
+their own force; any other has a borrowed
+action, and this action is never in perfect
+equilibrium with truth.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is in the nature of revelation to appear
+less evident to the mind, in proportion as
+the proofs of its authenticity are distant;
+and if, among the dogmas united to a religious
+doctrine, some one contains a mystic
+sense; if, among the forms of worship
+adopted, some one is not consonant with
+the simple and majestic idea which we
+ought to have of the Master of the World;
+it would not be extraordinary that this religious
+institution, considered in its different
+parts, should give birth to controversies;
+and we should not be exasperated against
+those, who, after having faithfully examined,
+still have some doubts. It is in proportion
+to the extent of our understanding that God
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_385'>385</span>has thought fit to manifest Himself to us;
+thus, the exertion of those faculties of the
+mind cannot be displeasing to Him. But
+reason left to itself, and even when improved
+by philosophy, should, by no
+means, lead men to any kind of contempt
+for religious worship in general, or
+any of the particular opinions of which
+Christianity is the support. Any doctrine
+which leads to the adoration of the God of
+the universe is worthy of the respect of His
+creatures: thus, persons most disposed to
+contest the authenticity of the sacred books,
+ought still to love precepts which seem to
+come to the aid of the human mind, in order
+to assist men in the last efforts which
+they make to know more of God; as the
+friendly bark, offered to the forlorn wretch
+struggling on the surface of the immense
+waste of waters, on which his feeble hands
+have vainly endeavoured to support him.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We cannot but have discovered, that the
+sentiments of gratitude and respect which
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_386'>386</span>inspire men, the most capable of reflection,
+with the idea of a God, are intimately connected
+with the Christian doctrines, such as
+we find them in the New Testament; and
+in those moments, when, with the desire of
+happiness, and the timidity which belongs
+to our nature, we seek to unite our littleness
+to supreme grandeur, and our extreme weakness
+to Omnipotence, the divine perfections
+which the gospel delineates encourage our
+hopes and dissipate our fears; religion
+shows us all that we have need of in our
+miserable condition, a sovereign goodness,
+an inexhaustible compassion: thus then, the
+last link of the Christian faith, like the termination
+of the deepest meditations, reaches
+the same conclusion; and religion agrees
+with philosophy, in the moment when it is
+most elevated.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>However, the Christian and the Deist
+unite, in some manner, in the ultimate tendency
+of their thoughts; they meet when
+they throw their attention on civil society,
+and when they seek to determine the duties
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_387'>387</span>of men; for a wise man must ever pay homage
+to the morality of the gospel, and the
+philosopher could not have imagined a more
+reasonable system, or one more conformable
+to our situation<a id='r6'></a><a href='#f6' class='c012'><sup>[6]</sup></a>. If it is then true, that
+opinions, in appearance opposite, approach,
+at their extremities; and if it is true, that
+the adoration of a God, and respect for
+morality, form by uniting, the circle of
+evangelical doctrines, it very little concerns
+the reasonable philosopher, that the Christian
+faith is placed between those two grand
+ideas; if he thinks he can himself explore
+the space which separates man from his
+Creator, for what reason would he condemn
+with bitterness the sentiments of those who
+are attached to the comfortable system of
+intercession and redemption, of which
+Christianity has laid the foundation?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, were they even not to agree in
+every opinion with the interpreters of the
+Christian doctrine, this would not be a sufficient
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_388'>388</span>reason for breaking the religious alliance
+which ought to subsist amongst men;
+an alliance represented and rendered authentic,
+in every nation, by the public worship
+which has been made choice of by the
+government. What idea then should we
+have of the genius or the abilities of a philosopher,
+who, at the sight of the ceremonies
+of the public worship which disgust him,
+could not rise above them, so as to consider
+them, in some measure, as the atmosphere
+of religious opinions, which turning his attention
+from the importance of those opinions,
+could not preserve, at least, some
+respect for all the dependencies of the most
+sublime and salutary thought? It is easy,
+however, to perceive, that, for the generality
+of men, the duties of morality, religion,
+and all the exterior homage rendered
+to the Deity, compose a whole so
+closely connected, that the basis is in danger
+when the outworks are attacked. The
+imagination of the vulgar cannot be guided
+in the same manner as that of the solitary
+thinker; and it would be committing a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_389'>389</span>great error, to try to influence the opinions
+of the generality by the same considerations
+which are sufficient for the man who profoundly
+reflects: there is a system proportionate
+to the different faculties of intelligent
+beings, as there is one applicable to
+the varied forces of their physical nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I know nothing more dangerous, than
+the inconsiderate censures of those religious
+ceremonies received and respected in the
+country we live in: some do not think that
+they are acting wrong when they speak
+slightingly of the various symbols of public
+worship; yet, if they attentively observed
+the kind of minds, and the first habits of
+the greater part of those to whom they address
+such discourses, they would know
+how easy it is to wound them in the sentiment
+which is the source of all their tranquility,
+and the safeguard of their moral
+conduct. The deliverer of Switzerland struck
+off with one of his arrows an apple placed
+on the head of his only son; but every one
+cannot expect to be so fortunate.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_390'>390</span>Some would contradict these assertions,
+by saying, that celebrated men have occasioned
+rapid changes in the church of Rome
+without weakening religion. The origin,
+the circumstances, and the result of a revolution
+so marked in history, has not any
+connexion with the present question; the
+reformers of the sixteenth century, preaching
+a new doctrine, openly professed religious
+zeal and a fervent piety: thus, at the
+same time that they disapproved of a part
+of the established worship, they more rigidly
+recommended all the fundamental opinions
+of Christianity, and sought to introduce
+a severity of manners which even extended
+to the proscription of several indulgences
+that had not been before condemned:
+and, in fact, if the new doctrines had not
+been united to the greatest respect for the
+essential principles of the Christian religion,
+they never would have had so many followers.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>They cannot then establish any kind of
+comparison between the censures poured
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_391'>391</span>forth by the reformers, and the ridicule or
+contempt of those who now insult our most
+respectable opinions; those men, who at
+present abound, are sometimes excited by a
+libertinism of mind and conduct, by self-love
+or the enthusiasm of false philosophy,
+and some of them are seduced by an air
+of superiority, attached to the principles
+which they themselves institute. There
+is a great difference between the grave and
+serious course of the reformers, and the various
+evolutions of the active opponents of
+religion: the latter do not take care to stop
+at clearing up a point of doctrine, or a disputed
+interpretation of some dogma; it is
+religion itself that they wish to attack, and
+if they begin with the outworks, it is in order
+to undermine it; they take skilfully their
+post, and know when to have recourse to a
+tone of pleasantry; which is very dangerous,
+as it gives an air of confidence to those who
+employ it, and they obtain a kind of ascendency
+in avoiding every idea of an equal
+combat: one is disposed to think, that it is
+by disdain that they glance slightly over the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_392'>392</span>subject; we cowardly submit to the appearance
+of their superiority; and that
+which is in them weakness or impotence
+gives consequence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Men, in order to express their gratitude
+to the sovereign Master of the World, must
+borrow from their imaginations every thing
+grand and majestic: thus, when they detach
+from those reverential signs the ideas that
+they represented and preserve, they only display
+a vain gravity, a chimerical pomp;
+and it is easy to make a similar contrast a
+subject of ridicule; but in acting thus, far
+from making us applaud their talents, they
+insult, without any sense, the habit most
+men have acquired of venerating, on the
+whole, every system of worship paid the
+Supreme Being.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Nevertheless, the bold and frivolous discourses
+which are permitted against religion
+in general, have made such a progress,
+that at present the persons who most
+respect these opinions, without ostentation
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_393'>393</span>or severity, find themselves obliged to conceal
+or moderate their sentiments, lest they
+should be exposed to a kind of contemptuous
+pity, or run the risk of being suspected
+of hypocrisy. We are at liberty to speak on
+every subject, except the most grand and
+interesting which can occupy men. What
+strange authority gave rise to this imperious
+legislation, which is termed fashionable?
+What a miserable conspiracy, that of weakness
+against Omnipotence! Men are proud
+of knowing at what hour the king wakes,
+goes to the chace, or returns; they are very
+eager to be informed of the vile intrigues
+which successively debase or exalt his courtiers;
+they pass, in short, their whole lives
+in panting after objects of vanity and badges
+of slavery; they are continually brought
+into conversation; and they proscribe, under
+the dreadful name of vulgarity, the most
+remote expression, which would recal the
+idea of the harmonious universe, and the
+Being who has bestowed on us all the gifts
+of the mind; what is most excellent in our
+nature we overlook, to dwell only on the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_394'>394</span>inflations of vanity. Ungrateful that we
+are! Our intelligence, our will, all our
+senses, are the seal of an unknown power;
+and, is it the name of our Master and Benefactor
+that we dare not pronounce? it is
+from your modern philosophers that this
+false shame arises; you, who spread derision
+over the most respectable sentiments, and
+employing in the dispute the frivolous shafts
+of ridicule, have given confidence to the
+most insignificant of men; you have, for
+your followers, a numerous race, which is
+taken promiscuously from every rank and
+age.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We now reckon, amongst those who oppose
+a contemptuous smile to religious opinions,
+a multitude of young people, often
+incapable of supporting the most trivial arguments,
+and who, perhaps, could not connect
+two or three abstract propositions. These
+pretended philosophers artfully, and almost
+perfidiously, take advantage of the first flight
+of self-love, to persuade beginners, that they
+are able to judge at a glance, of the serious
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_395'>395</span>questions which have eluded the penetration
+of the most exercised thinkers: in
+short, such is in general the decisive tone of
+the irreligious men of our age, that in hearing
+them so boldly murmur about the disorders
+of the universe, and the mistakes of
+Providence; we are only surprised to see
+how much they differ in stature from those
+rebellious giants mentioned in the heathen
+mythology.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I believe, however, that if contempt for
+religious opinions did not produce a striking
+contrast, those who profess to feel this
+contempt would quickly adopt other sentiments;
+they only superficially attend to
+the pernicious tendency of their maxims,
+whilst they believe themselves still in the opposition;
+but if they ever obtained a majority,
+not having then the spur of self-love,
+they would soon discover the absurdity
+of their principles, and hastily throw them
+aside.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_396'>396</span>There are, undoubtedly, a great number
+of estimable persons, who highly value the
+truths and precepts of religion, yet are a
+prey to doubt and uncertainty, and who become
+the first victims of the inconsistencies
+of their minds; but men of such a character
+do not aim at dominion, on the contrary,
+they rather wish to be confirmed by
+the example of those whose confidence is
+more assured; they would consider with
+interest the sentiments that unfortunately
+have made too slight an impression on
+them; and they would endeavour to
+strengthen their weak hopes, till they
+reached the courageous persuasion which
+inspires the Christian:——yes, even the
+enthusiasm of piety excites their envy, as it
+is more delightful to yield to the emotions
+of a lively imagination, than to struggle
+with apathy against the opinions calculated
+to diffuse happiness. Thus, if amongst the
+number of persons that I have just delineated,
+there were some to whom nature
+had granted superior talents, wit or eloquence,
+they would carefully avoid exerting
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_397'>397</span>them to disturb the repose of those peaceable
+souls who calmly rely on religion, and
+receive all their consolation from that source.
+A wise man never permits himself to spread
+sadness and discouragement, in order to
+gratify the ridiculous vanity of exalting
+himself a little above common opinions, or
+to show his abilities by making some ingenious
+distinctions concerning particular
+parts of the established religion; in the same
+manner, as it would be the height of folly
+to stop an army during its march, to discriminate
+systematically the perfect justness
+of the different tones of the warlike instruments
+of music. The bold and frivolous
+opinions of several philosophers, have appeared
+to me to be weak, where they most
+wish to rise; I mean, in the extent and
+loftiness of their views.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I need not speak to those who deny even
+the existence of a God. Alas! if they are
+so unhappy as to shut their eyes, and not
+to admit this resplendant light; if they
+have a soul so insensible, as not to be affected
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_398'>398</span>with the comfortable truths which
+flow from such a noble thought; if they
+are become deaf to the interesting voice of
+nature; if they trust more to their weak
+reasoning, than the warnings of conscience
+and sensibility; at least, let them not spread
+their disastrous doctrine, which, like the
+head of Medusa, would transform every
+thing into stone. Let them remove from
+us that frightful monster, or let his hoarse
+hissing be only heard in the dreary solitude,
+of which their heart presents the idea;
+let them spare the human race, and have
+pity on the distress into which they would
+be plunged, if the mild light, which serves
+to guide them, were ever to be obscured:
+in short, if they really believe that morality
+can agree with atheism, let them give the
+first proof of it, by remaining silent; but if
+they cannot abstain from publishing their
+opinions, let a remnant of generosity induce
+them to inform us of their dangerous tendency,
+by placing in the frontispiece of their
+works this terrible inscription of Dante’s:
+<i><span lang="co">Lasciat’ ogni speranza voi ch’ entrate</span></i>.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_399'>399</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XVI.<br> <em>The same Subject continued. Reflections on Intolerance.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>The surface of the earth represents to
+us about the two hundred and fortieth
+part of the surperfice of the different
+opaque bodies which revolve round the sun.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The fixed stars are so many suns, which,
+according to all appearance, serve equally
+to enlighten and fertilize planets similar to
+those we are acquainted with.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>A famous astronomer<a id='r7'></a><a href='#f7' class='c012'><sup>[7]</sup></a> has lately discovered
+fifty thousand new stars in a zone
+fifteen degrees in length and two in breadth,
+a space which corresponds with the thirteen
+hundred and sixty-fourth part of the celestial
+sphere.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_400'>400</span>Thus, supposing that we perceive an
+equal number of stars in every other parallel
+section of the firmament, the quantity we
+should be acquainted with would rise to
+near sixty-nine millions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>And if each of these stars were the centre
+of a planetary system, resembling the one
+we inhabit, we should have an idea of the
+existence of a number of habitable globes,
+whose extent would be sixteen or seventeen
+millions of times more considerable than the
+surface of the earth<a id='r8'></a><a href='#f8' class='c012'><sup>[8]</sup></a>.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_401'>401</span>However, the ingenious invention which
+assists us to explore the vaulted firmament
+is susceptible of new improvement; and
+even at the period when it may arrive at the
+greatest perfection, the space which our
+astronomic knowledge may have taken possession
+of, will only be a point in the vast
+extent which our imagination can conceive.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>This imagination itself, like all our intellectual
+faculties, is perhaps only a simple
+degree of infinite powers; and the images
+that it presents are but an imperfect sketch
+of universal existence.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>What then becomes of our earth, in the
+midst of that immensity which the human
+mind vainly tries to grasp? What is it even
+now, compared with that number of terrestrial
+bodies we can calculate or suppose?</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Is it then the inhabitants of this grain
+of sand, is it only a few of them, that have
+discovered the true mode of worshipping the
+Creator of so many wonders? Their dwelling
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_402'>402</span>is a point in infinite space; the life
+which they enjoy is but one of the moments
+which compose eternity; they pass
+away like a flash of lightning in that course
+of ages, in which generations after generations
+are lost. How then dare any of them
+announce to the present age, and to those to
+come, that men cannot escape the vengeance
+of Heaven if they alter one tittle of the Ritual?
+What an idea they give of the relation
+established between the God of the
+universe and the atoms dispersed throughout
+nature? Let them then raise one of the extremities
+of that veil which covers so many
+mysteries, let them consider a moment the
+wonders on every side, the starry firmament,
+and the inconceivably dreary immensity
+which their imagination cannot embrace;
+and let them judge, if it is by the
+exterior form of their adoration, the vain
+pomp of their ceremonies, that this Omnipotent
+God can distinguish their homage.
+Is it then, by the pride of our opinions, that
+we think to reach the Supreme Being? It
+is more comfortable, more reasonable to believe,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_403'>403</span>that all the inhabitants of the earth
+have access to His throne, and that we are
+permitted to raise ourselves to it by a profound
+sentiment of love and gratitude, as
+the most sure and intimate relation between
+man and his Creator.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Undoubtedly it is necessary that public
+worship should be constantly regulated, and
+that distinct symbols should be respected,
+whose essential character ought not to vary,
+that the sentiments of the generality, so
+promptly affected by exterior objects, may
+not be exposed to any alteration; it is necessary
+that weak minds easily find their
+way, and that they are not embarrassed with
+doubt and uncertainty; in short, it is to be
+desired, that the citizens, united by the same
+laws and political interests, should be so by
+the same worship, in order that the sacred band
+of religion may take them all in; and that
+principles of education should be maintained
+and fortified by example. But as morality
+is the first law of princes, and that always
+clear and distinct in its motives and instructions,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_404'>404</span>it ought to precede the uncertain
+combinations of the politician. A government
+is never permitted to aim at any end
+by unjust means, let it be ever so desirable;
+and I believe that this rule is equally adapted
+to the opinions of men and their rights. It
+would be possible to conceive a system of
+distribution, with respect to the fortunes of
+men, more convenient than any other for
+the increase of public wealth and the power
+of the state; but though this knowledge
+should influence the general conduct of government,
+it receives no right from its discernment,
+to arrange according to its will,
+the situation of every citizen. The same
+principle has greater force applied to opinions:
+it is reasonable to seek to direct their
+course by slow and mild means; but the
+system of unity, which is certainly most
+conducive to the happiness of a state, would
+cease to be good, if, in order to establish
+that system, violence, or merely constraint,
+was had recourse to: liberty of thought is
+the first of rights, and the most respectable
+dominion is that of conscience.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_405'>405</span>Some now talk of the union of civil tolerance
+and religious intolerance; the one protects
+Protestants in Catholic countries, and
+Catholics in Protestant countries; and the
+other would forbid every kind of worship
+which is not conformable to the institutions
+of the predominant religion: but upon this
+plan, if the number of Dissenters was to become
+considerable, an important part of the
+nation would be without worship; and the
+government should not appear indifferent
+to this, since it is of great importance to
+mankind to maintain carefully every support
+of morality.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is nothing more to be said on intolerance
+when we consider it in its excess.
+We all now know what we ought to think
+of the severities and persecutions which
+history has transmitted an account of, and
+we know the opinion we should form of
+many acts of intolerance and inhumanity
+which some have for a long time gloried in;
+and we cannot stifle our indignation at the
+sight of the faggots that are still lighted
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_406'>406</span>round those unhappy wretches scattered
+over the face of the earth, of whom
+Jesus Christ himself said, with so much
+goodness, in the midst of his agonies; <em>Father
+forgive them, for they know not what
+they do</em>. It is time to abolish for ever those
+dreadful customs, ignominious remembrance
+of our ancient phrensies! O God, are
+these Thy creatures that they dare to torment
+in Thy name! Is it the work of Thy hand
+that they sacrifice to Thy glory?—Petty tyrants!
+ferocious inquisitors! do you expect
+to obtain the favour of Heaven, with a
+heart hardened, after mutilating the members
+and tearing the bosoms of those whom
+you can only draw to you by a sentiment
+of pity? whose emotions you are not acquainted
+with? The God of goodness
+rejects such offerings—He cannot away
+with them. Who then will pardon errors,
+if not men who are continually deceived!
+Alas! if exactness of judgment, or the
+perfection of reason, were the only title to
+divine benevolence, there is not any one who
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_407'>407</span>might not cast down his eyes devoid of all
+hope.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Those who proudly flatter themselves,
+that they alone know the worship agreeable
+to the Supreme Being, lose all their claim
+to our confidence, when, guided by a spirit
+of intolerance, they depart so visibly from
+the character which ought to inspire the
+idea of a God, protector of human weakness.
+But the absurd attempt to inspire
+faith by acts of rigour and severity, has
+been so often and so ably combated, that I
+shall not dwell on a principle, the truth
+of which common sense will discover. I
+shall only make one observation sufficient
+to intimidate the conscience of inquisitors,
+and all those who adopt their maxims.
+The operations of the mind can only be
+influenced by reasoning, all the designs
+formed to attain this end by violence are
+attempts to subvert the belief of the spirituality
+of the soul, and indirect associations
+with materialists; for we must believe in
+the identity of matter and thought to have
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_408'>408</span>a right of presuming, that the empire exercised
+on us by rigorous treatment can
+have an influence on our opinions; and
+then we must consider man as a being governed
+by mechanical laws, to be able to
+imagine, that with instruments of torture
+we can excite a sensation, which, by an
+unknown conduit, might act instead of
+judgment and the sentiment of persuasion.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is because, the indignant emotions
+of a worthy heart are more powerful than
+the cool arguments of offended reason, that
+we rise with warmth against intolerance;
+for without this motive it would only deserve
+our contempt, as indicating a singular
+littleness of soul. Who can remember
+without pity, those dissensions so long maintained,
+in which men, both weak and blind,
+united in the name of devotion, actuated by
+self-love, unintelligible decrees, to some important
+controversy? All these disputes appear
+foolish when we coolly examine them; and
+we have only to consider, abstractedly,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_409'>409</span>those quarrels, to discover all their absurdity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But as it is only by spreading knowledge
+and diffusing wholesome precepts that we
+can hope to cure enthusiasm and intolerance;
+we ought to be on our guard against
+the dangerous spirit of indifference, otherwise
+one evil will be removed only to
+introduce another equally fatal; when trying
+to divert men from fanaticism, we
+destroy the ideas which served as a
+foundation for religion. There could
+not subsist any sound opinion or estimable
+principle, if the different errors which
+creep round them were torn away by an
+awkward or violent hand; and is the evil,
+which continually mixes with the good,
+became the subject of blind proscription.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us loudly acknowledge the benefits
+which we have received from distinguished
+writers, who have defended with zeal and
+energy the cause of toleration; it is an obligation,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_410'>410</span>added to many others, which it is
+just to acknowledge, that we have received
+from genius and talents united: but permit
+us also to observe, that several of those
+writers have lost a part of the applause due
+to them, by seeking to depress religion, in
+order to succeed in their attempt; such a
+proceeding was unworthy of enlightened
+philosophers, who more than others ought
+to assign limits to reason, and never despair
+of its influence. What should we think,
+if, amongst those who justly attack the
+tyranny exercised over conscience, there
+were some intolerant in the defence of toleration;
+and if we had reason to reproach
+them with despising, and sometimes hating
+those who do not concur with them; and
+by an inconsiderate imputation of pusillanimity
+or hypocrisy, make the characters
+and intentions of those who do not
+adopt their sentiments appear suspicious?
+What a strange inconsistency, in a different
+way, do they not exhibit; forgetting, sometimes,
+their own opinions, and contradicting,
+without thinking, their acknowledged
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_411'>411</span>incredulity, they raise a clamour about the
+miseries to which mankind are subject, and
+display the pretended disorders of the universe,
+in order, afterwards, to throw an
+odium on the God whose existence they contest,
+to ridicule a Providence they do not
+rely on! One would think, that after having
+overturned the empire of the Deity,
+that they might remain the only legislators
+of the world; they regretted not having
+any longer a rival, and wished to rebuild
+the temple they have destroyed, to have
+again a vain idol to insult. Another inconsistency
+appears in their asperity against
+those who resist their dogmas, whilst, in
+the system of fate, reason does not preserve
+its empire, and the master, as well as the
+disciple, are equally subject to the laws of
+necessity.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>To exercise an authority over the mind
+by the power of eloquence is a great advantage;
+for such an authority is not confined
+to any place or time; but to have a right
+to such an extensive reign, we must renounce
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_412'>412</span>fashionable opinions, the counsels
+of vanity and the instigations of self-love;
+and be only actuated by that universal and
+durable interest, the happiness of mankind.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I would not wish to prohibit the wise
+man or philosopher from treating any subject
+proper to direct our judgment; for there
+are abuses and prejudices every where, which
+we cannot destroy without making a step
+towards reason and truth; but as there is a
+philosophy for the thoughts, there is one
+also for the actions. I indeed wish that
+men of an enlarged turn of mind, who perceive
+at a glance the moral order of things,
+would attack with more caution and moderation,
+and at a proper season, that which
+directly relates to the opinions most essential
+to our happiness; and that a respect for
+these opinions should be manifest, even
+when they censure fanaticism and superstition.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Such a wish is far from being realized;
+and I cannot help lamenting, when I consider
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_413'>413</span>the design of the greater part, who
+have written for some time past on religious
+subjects: some seek artfully to destroy, or,
+at least, relax the band which unites men
+to the idea of a Supreme Being; and others
+shut up in some mystic idea, as in a dark
+den, blindly level their anathemas against
+every kind of doubt and uncertainty; and
+confound, in their rigorous censures, the
+accessary ideas with the principal opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>However, in taking a course so opposite,
+they unfortunately have an equal interest in
+ranking the essential principles of religion
+with the most insignificant symbols: but
+influenced by very different motives; the
+former act with a view of making religious
+zeal serve to defend every part of the
+worship of which they are the ministers;
+the latter, guided by a motive of self-love,
+readily admit confusion, that they may
+have an opportunity of undermining religion
+when they attack its outworks.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_414'>414</span>We have need, more than ever, to be
+directed to religion by wise and moderate
+discourses, by a happy mixture of reason
+and sensibility, the true characteristic of
+evangelical morality. It is only by these
+means that the authority of salutary
+truths can be strengthened: we are easily
+hurried beyond the just line, when the human
+mind is not in a state to mark any limits;
+but the daily progress of knowledge
+obliges us to use more exactness: it is necessary
+then to rein in the imagination, and
+to allow reason to take place of it: yet it
+is still allowed us to animate reason, and even
+useful to do so, but we must absolutely avoid
+disguising it. False notions only have need of
+the assistance of exaggeration; it seems that
+some are very fond of extremes, that common
+sense may not investigate them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I will make another observation. Those
+who, to free us from superstition, endeavour
+to relax religious restrictions; and
+those who, to strengthen them, have recourse
+to intolerance, equally miss their
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_415'>415</span>aim. The hatred so naturally excited by
+every kind of violence and constraint, in
+matters of opinion, creates a repugnance in
+those persons to religion who are insensibly
+led to consider this excellent system as the
+motive or excuse for a blind spirit of persecution.
+And the direct attacks against religious
+opinions engage well-disposed minds
+to adhere more strenuously to every custom
+which appears a form of respect or adoration;
+as we redouble our zeal for a friend
+in the midst of those who neglect or slight
+him.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us unite, and it is certainly time, to
+render to the Supreme Being sincere worship;
+and let that worship always be worthy
+of the dignity of our Creator: let us
+banish severity and superstition; but let us
+equally dread that culpable indifference, the
+cause of so many misfortunes; and when
+we shall have strengthened the influence of
+sound reason, let us adhere more closely to
+the useful opinions which have been refined
+from errors, and with all our force repulse
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_416'>416</span>those who wish us to bury our hopes to free
+ourselves from the wanderings of the imagination.
+Yes, a religion, disengaged from
+the passions of men, in its native beauty,
+ought to dwell with us; public order and
+private happiness equally claim it, and all
+our reflections lead us to elevate our hearts
+towards an Omnipotent Being, of whose
+existence all nature reminds us: religion
+well understood, far from being the necessary
+principle of rigour or violence, should
+be the foundation of every social virtue,
+and of every mild and indulgent sentiment.
+We are not called to tyrannize over the opinions
+of others, or to give despotic laws to
+the mind; we must observe, that a moderate
+and rational religion only will guide
+us to the path of happiness and virtue, by
+addressing equally our hearts and minds.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_417'>417</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XVII.<br> <em>Reflections on the Morality of the Christian Religion.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>I will venture a few reflections on a
+subject which has often been treated;
+the course of my subject naturally leads to it:
+but in order to avoid, as much as possible,
+what is generally known, I shall confine
+myself to consider the morality of the gospel,
+under a point of view which seems to
+me to distinguish its sublime instructions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The most distinct characteristic of christianity
+is the spirit of charity and forbearance
+which pervades all its precepts. The
+ancients, undoubtedly, respected the beneficent
+virtues; but the precept which commends
+the poor and the weak, to the
+protection of the opulent, belongs essentially
+to our religion. With what care,
+with what love, the Christian legislator
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_418'>418</span>returns continually to the same sentiment
+and interest! the tenderest pity lent to his
+words a persuasive unction; but I admire,
+above all, the awful lesson he has given, in
+explaining the close union established between
+our sentiments towards the Supreme
+Being and our duties towards men. Thus,
+after having termed the love of God, <em>the
+first commandment of the law</em>, the Evangelist
+adds; <em>and the second, which is like unto
+it, is to love thy neighbour as thyself</em>. The
+second, which is like unto it! what simplicity,
+what extent in that expression! Can any
+thing be more interesting and sublime, than
+to offer continually to our mind the idea of a
+God taking on himself the gratitude of the
+unfortunate? Where find any principle of
+morality, of which the influence can ever equal
+such a grand thought? The poor, the miserable,
+however abject their state, appear
+surrounded with the symbol of glory, when
+the love of humanity becomes an expression
+of the sentiments which elevate us to God;
+and the mind ceases to be lost in the immensity
+of His perfections, when we hope
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_419'>419</span>to maintain an habitual intercourse with the
+Supreme Being, by the services which we
+render to men; it is thus that a single
+thought spreads a new light on our duty,
+and gives to metaphysical ideas a substance
+conformable to our organs.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Justice, respect for the laws, and duty to
+ourselves, may be united, in some manner,
+to human wisdom; goodness alone, among
+all the virtues, presents another character;
+there is in its essence something vague and
+undeterminate which claims our respect; it
+seems to have a relation with that intention,
+that first idea which we must attribute to
+the Creator of the world, when we wish to
+discover the cause of its existence. Goodness
+then is the virtue, or to express myself
+with more propriety, the primitive beauty,
+that which has preceded time. Thus the
+pressing exhortations to benevolence and
+charity, which we find running through
+the gospel, should elevate our thoughts, and
+penetrate us with profound respect; it recals
+us, it unites us, to a sentiment more
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_420'>420</span>ancient than the world, to a sentiment, by
+which we have received existence, and the
+hopes which compose our present happiness<a id='r9'></a><a href='#f9' class='c012'><sup>[9]</sup></a>.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But if, from these elevated contemplations,
+we, for a moment, descend to the political
+principles which have the greatest extent,
+we shall find there the influence of a
+truth on which I have already had occasion
+to dwell; but I shall now treat it in a different
+manner. The unequal division of
+property has introduced amongst men an authority
+very like that of a master over his
+slaves; we may even justly say, that in
+many respects the empire of the rich is still
+more independent; for they are not bound
+constantly to protect those from whom they
+require services: the taste and caprice of these
+favourites of fortune fix the terms of their
+convention with men, whose only patrimony
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_421'>421</span>is their time and strength; and as soon
+as this convention is interrupted, the poor
+man, absolutely separated from the rich,
+remains again abandoned to accidents; he
+is obliged then to offer his labours with
+precipitation to other dispensers of subsistence;
+and thus he may experience, several
+times in the year, all the inquietudes that must
+necessarily arise from uncertain recourses.
+Undoubtedly, in giving the support of the
+laws to a similar constitution, it has been
+reasonably supposed, that in the midst of
+the multiplied relations of social life, there
+would be a kind of balance and equality
+between the wants which oblige the poor to
+solicit wages, and the desires of the rich
+which engage them to accept their services;
+but this equilibrium, so essentially necessary,
+can never be established in an exact and
+constant manner, since it is the result of a
+blind concourse of combinations, and the
+uncertain effect of an infinite multitude of
+movements, not one of which is subject to
+a positive direction. However, since to
+maintain the distinction of property they
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_422'>422</span>were obliged to leave to chance the fate of
+the greater number of men, it was indispensably
+necessary to find some salutary opinion,
+proper to temper the abuses inseparable
+from the free exercise of the rights of
+property; and that happy and restoring idea
+could only have been discerned in an obligation
+of benevolence imposed on the will,
+and a spirit of general charity recommended
+to all men: these sentiments and duties, the
+last resource offered to the unfortunate, can
+alone mitigate a system, in which the fate of
+the most numerous part of a nation rests, on
+the doubtful agreement of the conveniences
+of rich with the wants of the poor.
+Yes, without the aid, without the intervention
+of the most estimable of virtues, the
+generality would have just reason to regret
+the social institutions, which, at the price
+of their independance, left to the master the
+care of their subsistence; and it is thus that
+charity, respectable under so many different
+views, becomes still an intelligent and political
+idea, which serves to blend personal
+liberty and the imperious laws of property.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_423'>423</span>I know not if ever the christian precepts
+have been considered under this point of
+view; but reflecting a little on this subject,
+we perceive more than ever of what importance
+the salutary institutions are, which
+place in the first rank of our duties the beneficent
+spirit of charity, and which lends
+to the most essential virtue all the force and
+constancy which religion gives birth to.
+Thus, at the same time that the doctrines
+of the gospel elevate our thoughts, its sublime
+morality accompanies, in some measure,
+our laws and institutions, to sustain
+those which are really conformable to reason,
+and to remedy the inconveniences inseparable
+from the imperfections of human
+wisdom.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is not, however, only to pecuniary
+sacrifices, that the gospel applies its precepts
+respecting charity; it extends to those
+generous acts of self-denial, that religion
+alone can render supportable; and which
+makes some descend with a firm step into
+the dreary abodes, in which the culprit is a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_424'>424</span>prey to the remorse that tears his heart;
+and when his very relations have abandoned
+him, he still beholds a comforter, whom
+religion conducts to pour consolation into
+his afflicted soul. The same motives
+and thoughts induce some to renounce
+the world and its hopes, to consecrate
+themselves entirely to the service of the
+sick, and to fulfil those sad functions with
+an assiduity and a constancy, that the most
+splendid reward could never excite. O
+rare and disinterested virtue, perfection of
+piety!  what a tribute of admiration is due
+to the sublime sentiment which inspires
+such painful self-denial! Men are only stimulated
+by notions of right and justice; it
+belongs to christianity to impose duties,
+whose base is placed beyond the narrow
+circle of our terrestrial interests. I know
+not, but it seems to me, that, notwithstanding
+a diversity of opinions, we cannot
+help being affected, when we contemplate
+the sketch of the last day which the gospel
+delineates: it exhibits a terrific and sublime
+picture of that day, in which all actions
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_425'>425</span>are to be revealed, and the most secret
+thoughts have the universe for a witness,
+and God as a judge; and at the moment
+when we wait to see the retinue of virtues
+and vices which have rendered men
+celebrated, it is a single quality, a virtue
+without splendour, which is chosen by the
+Divine Arbiter of our fate, to derive an
+immortality of happiness from, and He
+pronounces these memorable words, which
+contain in a small compass our whole duty:—<em>I
+was hungry, and ye gave me meat;
+thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a prisoner
+and ye visited me. Come ye blessed of my
+father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you</em>,
+&#38;c. Men love to contemplate the triumphs
+of goodness—love to exalt it under
+different forms. We have so many wants,
+are so weak, and we are able to do so little
+for ourselves, that this interesting virtue appears
+our safeguard and the mysterious tie
+of all nature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The spirit of charity, so essential in its
+exact interpretation, may be applied to the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_426'>426</span>regard and delicate attention that different
+degrees of talents, render necessary: society,
+under this relation, has also its rich and
+poor; and we know the extent of charity
+and the secrets of our moral nature, when
+we practice that general benevolence, which
+preserves others from feeling a painful
+sentiment of inferiority, and which
+makes it a duty to respect the veil, that a
+beneficent hand has designedly placed between
+the light of truth and those imperfections
+which we cannot entirely correct.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>It is always about the generality of men that
+the author of christianity seems to be interested;
+the gospel takes cognizance of their private
+sentiments, condemning pride, and recommending
+modesty; and it applies itself to
+level those distances which appear to us so
+important, when we only view the little
+points of gradation which compose our scale
+of vanity. Religion enables us to discern
+that haughtiness and contempt, only display
+our ignorance and folly: <em>what hast
+thou, that thou didst not receive? now if
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_427'>427</span>thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory?</em>—What
+is the pride that does not melt away before
+these awful words? Religion seems ever to
+tend towards the same end, and by continually
+reminding us of the brevity of life, to prevent
+strong illusions from engrossing our
+thoughts.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The greater part of ancient moral instructions
+were in general addressed, either
+to man considered as an individual occupied
+with the care of his destiny, or to the citizen
+connected by his duties to his country,
+and none of them had sufficient extent: it
+is necessary, when giving counsel to a solitary
+individual, only to try to free him from
+those passions which would destroy his repose
+and happiness; and the obligations that are
+imposed on the different members of a political
+state, necessarily participate of a jealous spirit,
+which the will of the government may
+turn into hatred. The Christian religion,
+more universal in its views, turns its attention
+from the contrariety of interests which divide
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_428'>428</span>men when they belong to different governments;
+it considers us indistinctly as
+citizens of a great society, united by the
+same origin, nature, and dependencies, and
+by the same sentiment of happiness. Recommending
+the reciprocal duties of benevolence,
+the gospel does not make any difference
+between the inhabitant of Jerusalem and
+Samaria; it takes man in the most simple
+of his relations, and the most honourable,
+those which arise from his intercourse with
+the Supreme Being; and under this point
+of view, all the hostile divisions of kingdom
+against kingdom, absolutely disappear;
+it is the whole human race which has a
+right to the protection and the beneficence
+of the Author of Nature, and it is in the
+name of every intelligent being that we credit
+the alliance which unites heaven to earth.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The rich and powerful made the first
+laws, or, at least, directed the spirit of
+them; it was especially to defend their possessions
+and privileges that they extolled justice:
+the legislator of our religion, speaking
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_429'>429</span>of this virtue, has shown, that the interests
+of all men were equally present to his
+thoughts; we might even say, that he made
+an old obligation a new duty, by the manner
+in which he prescribed it: <em>Whatsoever ye
+would that men should do to you, do ye even so to
+them</em>, is a maxim ever remarkable, if we consider
+the extent of the precept which it contains:
+there are so many acts of severity and
+oppression, so much tyranny, which escapes
+the reach of the law, and the superintendency
+of opinion, that we cannot too
+highly value its importance; Christianity
+indeed affords a simple guide and measure
+for all our actions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Religion, beside, in order to fix our
+determinations, strengthens the authority of
+conscience: she saw, that every one of us has
+within himself a judge, the most severe and
+clear-sighted, and that it is sufficient to submit
+to its laws to be instructed in our duty;
+for it is our hidden thoughts that this judge
+examines, and nothing is excused, no subterfuge
+admitted.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_430'>430</span>It is not the same with those censures
+which we exercise towards others, the simple
+actions only strike us; and the different
+motives they result from, the emotions, the
+conflicts which accompany them, and the
+regret, the repentance, which follow them,
+all these essential characteristics escape our
+penetration: thus religion, always wise, always
+benevolent in its counsels, forbids our
+forming hasty and precipitate judgments;
+and we cannot read, without emotion, that
+lesson of indulgence so mildly addressed to
+the crowd which surrounded the woman
+taken in adultery, <em>he that is without sin among
+you, let him first cast a stone at her</em>. But how
+resist being affected by admiration, when we
+see religion so warmly employed about the
+fate of those whom the suspicions or false
+accusations of men have dragged before
+their tribunals? by declaring that it is
+better to let a hundred culprits escape punishment,
+than run the risk of condemning
+a single person unjustly. This tender anxiety
+corresponds with every sentiment of our
+hearts. Innocence delivered to infamy, innocence
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_431'>431</span>encompassed with all the horrors of
+an execution, is the most dreadful sight that
+the imagination can present; and we are so
+struck by it, that we should be almost disposed
+to think, that before the Supreme
+Being the whole human race is responsible
+for such a crime: yes, it is under Thy protection,
+O my God, that unknown virtue
+and injured innocence take shelter; men
+turn towards Thee for comfort when pursued
+by men, and it is not in vain that
+they trust in that awful day when all shall
+be judged before Thee.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I wish only to dwell on the particular
+character of the Christian religion, as it
+proportions the merit of our actions, not to
+the grandeur or importance of them; but
+to the relation that they have with our
+abilities, it is an idea absolutely new: this
+system, which presents the same motives
+and rewards to the weak and strong, remarked
+the widow’s mite, as well as the
+generous sacrifices of opulence; this system,
+as just as rational, animates, in some measure,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_432'>432</span>our whole moral nature, and seems to
+inform us, that a vast circle of good actions
+and social virtues are submitted to the same
+rules, as the immense domain of physical
+nature, in which the simplest flower, or
+the most insignificant plant, concurs to
+perfect the designs of the Supreme Being,
+and composes one part of the harmonious
+universe.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The superintendance of the Christian religion
+extends still further than I can point
+out; and guided by a spirit not to be equalled,
+it estimates our intentions, obscure dispositions,
+and internal determinations, often
+separated from action by different obstacles:
+it directs men, in some measure, from their
+first sentiments and designs; it continually
+reminds them of the presence of God; warns
+them to watch over themselves, when their
+inclinations are but dawning, before they
+have gained strength; in short, at an early
+hour it forms the mind to the exercise of
+virtue, by discriminating virtue and vice,
+and reminding us to cultivate a love of order
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_433'>433</span>and propriety before the active scenes of
+life force those sentiments to appear conspicuously
+displayed in actions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>But the more the methods of meriting
+the divine approbation are multiplied, the
+more essential is it that our confidence should
+not be depressed, every instant, by the sentiment
+which arises from the experience of
+our errors; it is necessary, that at the moments,
+too frequent, when the chain which
+unites us to the Supreme Being would escape
+from our grasp, the hope of again seizing
+it should remain with us: it is then to succour
+our weak faith, that we see in the
+gospel that idea at once so excellent and
+new, that of repentance and the promises
+which are annexed to it. This noble idea,
+absolutely belonging to Christianity, prevents
+our relation with the Deity from being
+destroyed as soon as it is perceived; the
+culprit may still hope for the favour of God,
+and after contrition confide in Him. Human
+nature, that singular connexion of the
+spirit with matter, of strength with weakness,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_434'>434</span>of reason with the imagination, persuasion
+with doubt, and will with uncertainty,
+necessarily requires a legislation appropriated
+to a constitution so extraordinary:
+man, in his most improved state, resembles
+an infant, who attempts to walk, and falls,
+rises and falls again; and he would soon be
+lost to morality, if, after his first fault, he
+had not any hope of repairing it; under
+a similar point of view, the idea of repentance
+is one of the most philosophical which
+the gospel contains.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>That pressing recommendation to do
+good in secret, without ostentation, is the
+result of a salutary and profound thought:
+the legislator of our religion undoubtedly
+had perceived that the praises of men was
+not a basis sufficiently steady to serve for the
+support of morality; and he discerned,
+that vanity, allowed to enjoy these kind of
+triumphs, was too dissipated to be a faithful
+guide; but the most important part of that
+precept is, that morality would be very circumscribed,
+if men only adhered to those
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_435'>435</span>just actions which all the world might see;
+there are not many opportunities to do good
+in public, and the whole of life may be
+filled by unseen virtues: in short, from that
+continual relation with our conscience, a relation
+instituted by religion, there results an
+inestimable benefit; for it is easy to perceive,
+that if we have within us a clear-sighted
+and severe judge, this same judge
+turns consoler and friend every time that
+we are unjustly condemned, or when events
+do not answer according to the purity of our
+intentions; and we believe then that we
+have almost two souls, one aiding and sustaining
+the other on every occasion in which
+virtue unites them.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The severe censure of superstition, which
+we find throughout the gospel, is derived from
+an idea as reasonable as enlightened; men
+are too much disposed to make their
+religion consist of little exterior practices,
+always easier than the conflicts with and
+triumphs over the passions: our minds
+seize with avidity every extraordinary idea;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_436'>436</span>when they are in part of our own creating,
+they aid our self-love to subjugate our imagination;
+man is not at the age of maturity
+terrified by those phantoms which annoy his
+infancy; but mysteries, occult causes, extraordinary
+appearances, continue to make an
+impression on his mind; and like the wonders
+of nature, form too large a circle round
+his thoughts; it is by ideas more proportioned
+to his strength, by mere superstition,
+that he permits himself often to be
+led captive: we love trivial commands, observances,
+and scruples, because we are little
+ourselves, and that in our weakness we
+would wish to know every instant the limits
+of our obligations.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Sometimes, persons terrified by their
+imaginations, or by the confused picture
+which they form of the duties of religion,
+attach themselves to superstitious practices
+as a safeguard near at hand which may
+quickly guard them from the different anxieties
+of their minds. The precepts of the
+gospel are designed to destroy these dispositions;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_437'>437</span>for on one side, they facilitate the
+study of morality, by reducing to simple
+principles the entire system of our duties;
+and on the other, they seek to render our
+intercourse with the Supreme Being more
+easy, by teaching us that we may unite ourselves
+to Him by the expansion of a pure
+mind; by informing us, that it is not either
+on Mount Sion or Gerizim that we
+are to raise an altar; but that every honest
+heart is a temple, where the eternal is adored
+<em>in spirit and in truth</em>. The Christian religion
+is the only one which, discarding
+ceremonies and superstitious opinions, leads
+us to the worship more consonant to our
+nature: Christianity indeed, in that grand
+thought, has pointed out the dictates of
+our conscience as most worthy of respect;
+benevolence, as the worship most agreeable
+to the Supreme Being, and all our
+moral conduct as the most certain prognostic
+of our future state. There reigns
+a profound philosophy in the doctrines of
+the gospel, men have only added a vain pageantry,
+a more sounding tone.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_438'>438</span>Let us render homage to Christianity, for
+that sacred tie which it has formed, in
+uniting not for a moment, but for the whole
+of life, the fate of two beings, one having
+need of support, and the other of comfort:
+it is religion which refines this alliance by
+rendering it immutable, and obliges men
+not to sacrifice to the caprices of their
+imaginations the unity and confidence
+which secures the repose of families, order in
+the disposition of fortunes, the peaceable
+education of the succeeding generation, and
+which, in giving to children, for an example,
+a union formed by fidelity and duty,
+implants in their hearts the seeds of the
+most important virtues; religion has taught
+us, that the friendships of a world, in
+which selfishness reigns, have need of being
+cemented by that community of interests
+and honours which marriage only
+gives us an idea of; holy union, alliance
+without equal, which renders still more
+valuable all the blessings of life, which
+seems to augment our hopes, and fortify in
+us the comfortable thoughts and mild confidence
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_439'>439</span>which piety gives birth to: the engagements
+entered into between men, which
+being, for the most part, sounded on reciprocal
+services, a time might come,
+when our weakness would be so great,
+others having no more interest to associate
+with us, it might be necessary to find a
+support in that friendship which time has
+matured, and of which a sentiment of duty
+repairs the breaches, and which acquires a
+kind of sanctity from the habit and the remembrance
+of a long and happy union: it
+is religion in, short, which has ordained,
+that the delicate virtue, the most excellent
+ornament of a weak and timid sex, should
+only be subject to the ascendency of the
+most generous and faithful sentiment.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>These principles, indeed, are not formed for
+corrupt hearts; but the service which religion
+renders, the end which it proposes, is
+to assist us to combat our depraved dispositions;
+it is to point out the errors and the
+snares of vice; it is to preserve, amongst us,
+the sacred deposit of principles, which are the
+foundation of public order, and still maintain
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_440'>440</span>some light to illuminate the path of
+wisdom and true happiness.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Religion recals us continually to those
+universal duties which we describe under
+the name of good morals; duties that
+men would often inconsiderately wish to separate
+from public interest, but which,
+however, are bound to it by so many almost
+imperceptible and secret ties. Every act of
+wisdom and virtue is not of immediate
+importance to society; but morality must
+be cultivated by degrees, and fortified by
+habit, as it is like those delicate plants
+which we rear with a kind of fondness
+to preserve their beauty; if we make
+a distinction between personal, domestic,
+and public manners, in order to neglect,
+as we find convenient, one part of our
+duty, we shall lose the charm of it, and
+every day virtue will appear more difficult.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>There is, I think, a connexion, more or
+less apparent, between every thing good and
+worthy of esteem; and it seems to me, that
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_441'>441</span>this idea has something amiable, which
+confusedly satisfies our most generous dispositions
+and most comfortable hopes: and
+if, to sustain a truth so important, I was permitted
+to interrogate the young man, whose
+virtues and talents are the most remarkable
+in Europe, I should ask him, if he did
+not experience that his filial tenderness, the
+regularity of his domestic life, the purity of
+his thoughts, and all his rare private qualities,
+are not united to the noble sentiments
+which make him appear with so much
+splendour as a statesman? But without
+dwelling on such instances, who has not
+been sometimes struck with the beauty attached
+to that simplicity and modesty of
+manners which we often find in an obscure
+situation? We then manifestly discover, that
+there exists a kind of agreement and dignity,
+I could almost say, a kind of grandeur, independent
+of refined language, polished
+manners, and all those advantages due to
+birth, to rank, and fortune.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'><span class='pageno' id='Page_442'>442</span>I have only glanced over the benefits arising
+from the Christian religion; but I
+cannot avoid observing, that we owe to it a
+consoling idea, that of the felicity reserved
+for innocent babes; interesting and precious
+hope for those tender mothers, who see slip
+from their embraces the objects of their
+love, at an age when they have not acquired
+any merit before the Supreme Being, whom
+they cannot have any relation with, but
+through His infinite goodness. I feel that
+I involuntarily mix with the elogiums of
+Christianity a sentiment of gratitude for the
+mild and paternal ideas which are disseminated
+with its instructions; and there is something
+remarkable in those instructions, that
+they are continually animated by every thing
+which can captivate our imagination, and
+associate with our natural inclinations. Sensibility,
+happiness, and hope, are the strongest
+ties of a heart still pure; and all the
+emotions which elevate towards the idea of
+a God exalt in our minds the doctrine of
+morality, which recals us continually to the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_443'>443</span>sublime perfections of Him who was its
+author.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>In short, we cannot avoid admiring the
+spirit of moderation, which forms one of
+the distinct characteristics of the gospel;
+we do not always find, it is true, the same
+spirit in the interpreters of the Christian
+doctrines; several constrained by a false zeal,
+and more disposed to speak in the name of a
+threatening master, than in that of a God,
+full of wisdom and goodness, have frequently
+exaggerated and multiplied the duties
+of men; and to support their system,
+they have often obscured the natural sense,
+or the general import of the precepts contained
+in the scriptures; and sometimes also,
+collecting a few scattered words, they have
+formed a body of divinity, foreign in several
+respects to the intention of the apostles and first
+Christians. Servants always go further than
+their masters; and as the first thought does
+not belong to them, they only act by adding
+something heterogeneous: the spirit of moderation
+consists, beside, in a kind of proportion,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_444'>444</span>which mere imitators have only
+an imperfect knowledge of; fortitude is
+even necessary to impose limits on virtue
+itself; and to determine the precise and
+exact measure of the multiplied duties of
+men requires a profound and sublime intelligence.
+It was by his sublime precepts
+that the institutor of a universal morality
+shewed himself superior to that age of ignorance
+in which extremes reigned; when
+piety was changed into superstition, justice
+into rigour, indulgence into weakness; and
+when, in the exaggeration of every sentiment,
+a kind of merit was sought for incompatible
+with the immutable laws of
+wisdom: it was by those sublime precepts,
+in short, that a legislator rose above transitory
+opinions to command all times and ages,
+and that he appears to have been desirous to
+adapt his instructions, not to the instantaneous
+humour of a people, but to the nature of man.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>We shall, beside, find easily in the gospel
+several characteristics proper, essentially
+to distinguish it from philosophic doctrines;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_445'>445</span>but in an examination so serious and important
+I avoid every observation which might
+appear to the greater number a simple research
+of the understanding; it is the grand
+features only which belong to grand things,
+and any other manner would not agree with
+a subject so worthy of our respect. I must
+say, however, that when I am left alone to
+reflect with attention on the different parts
+of the gospel, I have experienced, that, independent
+of general ideas and particular
+precepts which lead us every instant to profound
+admiration, there reigns, beside, in
+the whole of that sublime morality, a spirit
+of goodness, of truth, and wisdom, of
+which all the characters can only be perceived
+by our sensibility, by that faculty
+of our nature which does not separate objects,
+which does not wait to define; but
+which penetrates, as by a kind of instinct,
+almost to that love, the origin of every
+thing, and that indefinite model from which
+every generous intention and grand thought
+has taken its first form.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_446'>446</span>
+  <h2 class='c004'>CHAP. XVIII.<br> <em>Conclusion.</em></h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_0_6 c009'>What a time have I chosen to entertain
+the world with morality and
+religion! and what a theatre is this for such
+an undertaking! Only to conceive it is a
+great proof of courage; every one is employed
+about his harvest; lives in his affairs;
+is lost in the present instant, all the rest appears
+chimerical. When I was formerly
+engrossed by cares for the public welfare,
+and writing on my favourite subject, I could
+draw the attention of men by a series of reflections
+on their own fortunes and on the
+power of their country; it was in the name
+of their most ardent passions that I engaged
+them to listen to me; but in treating the
+subject I have now made choice of, it is
+their natural dispositions, now almost effaced,
+that I must address: thus I feel the
+necessity of re-animating the sentiments
+which I wish to direct, and giving birth to
+the interest I desire to enlighten. And
+when I fix my attention on the actual course
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_447'>447</span>of opinions, I fear to have for judges, either
+men who are indifferent to the subject, or
+who are too severe in their censurers; but
+the reflections of vanity are trivial to
+the motives which have guided me; and
+provided any of my thoughts have agreed
+with the inclinations of feeling minds, and
+added something to their happiness, I shall
+enjoy the sweetest reward. Such a wish I
+formed, when, with a weak hand, I ventured
+to trace some reflections on the importance
+of religious opinions.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>The more we know of the world, its phantoms,
+and vain enchantments, the more do we
+feel the want of a grand idea to elevate the soul
+above discouraging events which continually
+occur. When we run after honours, fame,
+and gratitude, we find every where illusions
+and mistakes; and it is our lot to experience
+those disappointments which proceed
+from the infirmities or the passions of men.
+If we leave our vessel in the harbour, the
+success of others dazzles and disturbs us;
+if we spread our sails, we are the plaything
+of the winds: activity in action, ardour,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_448'>448</span>and indifference, all have their cares and difficulties;
+no person is sheltered from the caprices
+of fortune, and when we have reached
+the summit of our wishes, when we have
+by chance attained the object of our ambition,
+sadness and languor are preparing to frustrate
+our hopes, and dissipate the enchantment:
+nothing is perfect except for a moment;
+nothing is durable but change; it is necessary
+then to have interest in with those immutable
+ideas which are not the work of
+man, which do not depend on a transient
+opinion: they are offered to all, and are
+equally useful in the moment of triumph
+and the day of defeat; they are, as we need
+them, our consolation, our encouragement,
+and our guide. What strength, what splendour,
+those ideas would soon have, if, considered
+as the best support of order and
+morality, men would try to render them
+more efficacious, in the same manner as we
+see the citizens of a political society concur,
+in proportion to their faculties, to promote
+the welfare of the state. A new scene
+would open before us; men of learning, far
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_449'>449</span>from following the counsels of vanity, far
+from searching to destroy the most salutary
+belief of men, would, on the contrary, allot
+for their defence a portion of their noblest
+powers; we should see the penetrating
+metaphysician eager to refer to the common
+treasure of our hopes, the light which
+he perceives through the continuity of his
+meditations, and the perspicacity of his
+mind: we should see the attentive observer
+of nature occupied with the same idea, animated
+by the same interest; we should see
+him, in the midst of his labours, seize with
+avidity every thing which could add any
+support to the first principle of all religions;
+we should see him detach from his discoveries,
+appropriate, with a kind of love, all that tended
+to strengthen the happiest persuasion and
+most sublime of thoughts. The profound moralist,
+the philosophic legislator, would concur
+in the same design; and in such a grand
+enterprize, men, merely endowed with an
+ardent imagination, would be like those
+wanderers, who, when they return home,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_450'>450</span>talk of some unknown riches. There are
+ways in the moral, as well as in the physical
+world, which lead to unknown secrets;
+and the harvest which may be gathered
+in the vast empire of nature is as extensive
+as diversified. How excellent would
+be the union of every mind towards this
+magnificent end! In this view, I represent
+sometimes to myself, with respect, a
+society of men distinguished by their character
+and genius, only employed to receive
+and place in order the ideas proper
+to augment our confidence in the
+most precious opinion. There are thoughts
+conceived by solitary men which are lost to
+mankind, because they have not had the talent
+to connect a system; and if those
+thoughts were to be united to some other
+knowledge, if they were to come like a grain
+of sand, to strengthen the banks raised on
+our shore, the following generations would
+transmit a richer heritage. We sometimes register
+with pomp a new word, introduced into
+the language, and men of the most exalted
+genius of the age are called to be present at
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_451'>451</span>that ceremony: would it not be a more
+noble enterprize to examine, to choose, and
+consecrate the ideas or observations proper to
+enlighten us in our most essential researches?
+One of those researches would better deserve
+a wreath, than any work of eloquence or
+literature.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>Let us suppose, for a moment, that in
+the most ancient empire of the world there
+might have been priests, from time immemorial,
+who guarded the deposit of all
+the original ideas which served to support
+the opinion of the existence of a God,
+and the sentiment of the immortality of
+the soul; and that, from time to time,
+every new discovery, calculated to increase
+the confidence due to these most necessary
+truths, was inscribed in a religious testament,
+called the book of happiness and
+hope; how highly should we value it, and
+how eagerly desire to be acquainted with
+it; and with what respect should we approach
+the ancient temple, in which those
+superb archives were deposited. But, on
+the contrary, could we imagine another retreat,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_452'>452</span>where subtle arguments and artificial
+discourses were collected, by which some
+endeavour to destroy or shake those holy
+opinions which unite the universe to an intelligent
+thought, to a sublime wisdom; and
+the fate of men to infinite goodness, who
+amongst us would wish to enter into that
+dark abode? who would wish to explore
+that fatal register? Let us learn to know
+our nature better, and through the delirium
+of our blind passions discover its wants: it
+is a God we feel the want of, a God, such as
+religion presents; a God, powerful and
+good, the first source of happiness, and who
+only can secure it to the human race: let
+us open all our faculties to that splendid
+light, that our hearts and minds may welcome
+it, and find pleasure in widely diffusing
+it. Let us be penetrated in our
+youth, by the only idea ever necessary to
+our peace: let us strengthen it when
+in our full vigour, that it may support
+us in the decline of life. Ravishing
+beauties of the universe, what would ye be
+to us without this thought? Majestic power
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_453'>453</span>of the human mind, astonishing wonders of
+the thinking faculty, what could it represent
+if we separated it from its noble origin?
+Souls affectionate and impassioned,
+what would become of you without hope?
+Pardon, O Master of the world, if not sufficiently
+sensible of my own weakness, and
+abandoning myself only to the emotions of
+my heart, I have undertaken to speak to
+men of Thy existence, Thy grandeur, and
+Thy goodness! Pardon me if, lately agitated
+by the tumultuous waves of passion, I dare
+to raise my thoughts to the realms of eternal
+peace, where Thou more particularly exhibits
+Thy glory and sovereign power. Ah!
+I know more than ever that we must love
+Thee, we must serve Thee. The powerful
+of the earth exalt and depress their favourites
+capriciously; there is no relying on them;
+after profiting by the talents devoted to
+them, they forsake the victim, or crush him
+like a reed. There is in the universe but
+one immutable justice, but one perfect
+goodness and consolatory thought: yet we
+go continually towards other coasts, where
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_454'>454</span>we call for happiness, but it is not to be
+found: there are phantoms accustomed to
+deceive men, who answer when they call:
+we run towards them, and pursue them,
+and we leave far behind religious opinions,
+which only can lead us back to nature,
+and elevate us to its author. The blind
+passions of the world, and the devouring
+desires of fame and fortune, only serve to
+harden us; every thing is selfish and hostile
+in them. Ambitious men, who only
+wish for a vain name, a childish triumph,
+acknowledge your features in this sketch;
+a single object engrosses you, a single end
+fixes your views: the heavens may be obscured;
+the earth covered with darkness; and
+the future annihilated before you; and
+you are satisfied if a weak taper still permits
+you to discern the homage of those who
+surround you; but how is it possible to expect
+thus to pass a whole life? how be able
+to retain that homage which appears so necessary
+to your dream of happiness? how
+can you make stationary what so many
+concur to demand? We have a more rational
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_455'>455</span>certainty of happiness, when a sentiment
+of piety, enlightened in its principle
+and action, softens all our passions, and
+bends them, in some measure, to the laws
+of our destiny. Piety, such as I form an idea
+of, may be properly represented as a vigilant
+friend, tender and rational. It lets us see
+the various blessings of life; but it recals
+us to the idea of gratitude, in order to augment
+our happiness, by referring it to the
+most generous of all benefactors: it allows
+us to exercise our faculties and talents; but
+recals us to the idea of morality and virtue,
+in order to assure our steps, and shield us
+from regret: it allows us to run the race
+of glory or ambition; but recals us to the
+idea of inconstancy and instability, to preserve
+us from a fatal intoxication: it is always
+with us, not to disturb our felicity, not
+to impose useless privations, but to blend itself
+with our thoughts, and to unite to all
+our projects those mild and peaceable ideas
+which attend wisdom and moderation: in
+short, in the day of adversity, when our
+strength is broken, in which we have placed
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_456'>456</span>our confidence, piety comes to succour and
+console us; it shows us the nothingness of
+vanity and worldly illusions; it calms the
+remorse of our souls, by reminding us of a
+particular providence; it softens our regrets,
+by presenting more worthy hopes than any
+earthly object can afford, in order to engage
+our interest and fix our attention.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>I am not led to these reflections by a temporary
+melancholy; I should be afraid of it, if I
+had not always had the same thoughts, and
+if the various circumstances of a life, often
+perturbed, had not led me to think of the
+necessity of attaching myself to some principle
+independent of men and events. Almost
+entirely alone at this instant, and
+thrown into solitude by an unforeseen accident,
+I experience, it is true<a id='r10'></a><a href='#f10' class='c012'><sup>[10]</sup></a>, more than
+ever, the want of those rational ideas, the
+representations of all that is great, and I
+approach with renewed interest the truths
+which I always loved; grand and sublime
+truths, which I have recommended to men
+at the moment when I see them more than
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_457'>457</span>ever inclined to neglect them. How mistaken
+are they in their calculations, they
+trust to-day in the strength of their minds,
+to-morrow they will find their weakness;
+they imagine, that in turning their views
+from the termination of life they remove the
+fatal boundary; but already the hand trembles
+on the dial to give the signal of their
+last moment. What a dire sacrifice we
+should make, if we gave up those consoling
+truths which still present to us a future,
+when all the bustle of life is over! We
+should again demand them, search for them
+with the most diligent anxiety, if ever the
+traces of them were unfortunately effaced.</p>
+
+<p class='c010'>All these ideas, some may say, are vague,
+and do not agree with the humour of the
+age; but at a certain distance from the field
+of ambition and vanity, is there any thing
+to every one of us more vague than the
+passions of others? Are men employed about
+our interest? do they dream of our happiness?
+No, they are like ourselves; they seek
+for precedency; now and then indeed they
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_458'>458</span>pronounce the name of public good; but
+it is only a watch word which they have
+stolen, to be able to run over our ranks
+without danger. Where shall we find then
+a real tie? Where shall we find a universal
+rendezvous, if not in those unalterable ideas
+which are so consonant to our nature, which
+should equally interest us all, being suited
+to all without distinction; and which are
+ready to welcome us when we see the folly
+of earthly pursuits? They may not, indeed,
+gratify the childish wishes of the moment;
+but they relieve our anxiety about to-morrow,
+they are allied to objects of meditation
+which belong to our whole life, and
+above all, they unite us to that spirit which
+constitutes our true grandeur, to that sublime
+spirit, a few of whose relations only are yet
+discovered by us, and the full extent of
+whose power and goodness can be but faintly
+guessed at by finite beings.</p>
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+<div class='nf-center c003'>
+    <div>FINIS.</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c013'><span class='pageno' id='Page_459'>459</span><em>I was engrossed by the last Cares which
+the Publication of this Book occasioned, when
+M. de</em> <span class='sc'>Calonne’s</span> <em>Second Memorial made
+its Appearance. I have read it; and I
+here publicly engage to answer this new
+Attack, and fully to support the Credit
+which is justly due to the Account I presented
+to the King in 1781.</em></p>
+
+<div class='lg-container-r c014'>
+  <div class='linegroup'>
+    <div class='group'>
+      <div class='line'>NECKER.</div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class='c015'>
+<div class='footnote' id='f1'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r1'>1</a>. Thesis proposed by the French Academy, with
+a prize, for the best Catechism of Morals, the instructions
+of which were to be founded on the principles of
+natural right only.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f2'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r2'>2</a>. I should have enlarged this chapter, if I did not
+intend to make some general reflections on intolerance
+in another part of this work.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f3'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r3'>3</a>. These various reflections are very necessary in the
+place where I live; since, for a short time, labourers
+have been permitted to work, at Paris, of a Sunday.
+We see this publicly done at the new bridge, which is
+building over the Seine, as if a work of mere convenience
+was in such haste, that the laws should be dispensed
+with to accelerate its execution. The labourers,
+some will say, are glad to gain a day every week.
+Undoubtedly, because they see only the present instant,
+they have reason to think so; but it is the duty of government
+to consider, in a more comprehensive point of
+view, the interest of the people, of that part of society,
+which is so blind, or so limited in its calculation; and
+the church should examine also, if the sudden alteration
+of a practice so ancient, may not give rise to an idea,
+that the spirit of religion is grown feeble. For the nations
+where this spirit is best preserved, have the greatest
+respect for the Sabbath.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f4'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r4'>4</a>. This mass is commonly called a low mass.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f5'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r5'>5</a>. Some say, in order to weaken this argument, that
+we may attribute to the indivisible unit all the qualities
+of matter, that a round body is really divisible, but that
+roundness and impenetrability are not. Such an objection
+is evidently not just. Roundness and impenetrability
+are only qualities, and these qualities, when
+merely abstract, are necessarily invariable: thus, it is
+as impossible to divide it, as it is to multiply and increase
+it; but my soul, my thoughts, the consciousness
+that I have of my own existence, forms a particular
+and personal being; and if it were of the same nature
+as matter, ought to be equally divisible.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f6'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r6'>6</a>. I shall present some reflections on this truth in
+another Chapter.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f7'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r7'>7</a>. Dr. Herschel.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f8'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r8'>8</a>. It may be said, that the fifty thousand new stars
+perceived by Dr. Herschel, being the result of observation
+directed to the milky-way, we are not to expect
+to discover as great a number in other parts of the
+heavens of a like extent; but independent of these
+stars which Dr. H. clearly distinguished, he imagined
+that there were twice as many more of which he had
+only an instantaneous glance. See the Philosophical
+Transactions of the Royal Society, 1774. Dr. H.
+has probably, since that time, made new discoveries;
+but they have not reached me: I find, in the Transactions
+of the Royal Society, of which he is a member,
+that he considers the new telescope as being still <em>in its infancy</em>;
+these are his own words.</p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f9'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r9'>9</a>. I think I perceive the traces of these philosophical
+ideas in the censure Jesus passed upon one of his disciples,
+who called him <em>good master</em>. <em>Why callest thou me
+good? there is none good but one.</em></p>
+</div>
+<div class='footnote' id='f10'>
+<p class='c010'><a href='#r10'>10</a>. For I had begun this chapter during my exile.</p>
+</div>
+
+<div class='pbb'>
+ <hr class='pb c002'>
+</div>
+<div class='tnotes x-ebookmaker'>
+
+<div class='chapter ph2'>
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+<div class='nf-center c011'>
+    <div>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+</div>
+
+<table class='table0'>
+  <tr>
+    <th class='c016'>Page</th>
+    <th class='c016'>Changed from</th>
+    <th class='c017'>Changed to</th>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c018'><a href='#t200'>200</a></td>
+    <td class='c019'>that a moral revolution permitted laboures</td>
+    <td class='c020'>that a moral revolution permitted labourers</td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+  <ul  class='ul_1'>
+    <li>Standardized spelling.
+
+    </li>
+    <li>Retained dialect.
+    </li>
+  </ul>
+
+</div>
+
+<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 76773 ***</div>
+  </body>
+  <!-- created with ppgen.py 3.57e (with regex) on 2025-08-31 13:45:26 GMT -->
+</html>
+
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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for eBook #76773
+(https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76773)