thoughts on man-第53章

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be　assisted　by　telescopes。　　But　they　relate　only　to　the　sun　and　the　planets。　　We　are　bound　to　ascertain；　as　nearly　as　possible；　the　orbits　described　by　the　different　bodies　in　the　solar　system：　　but　this　has　still　nothing　to　do；　strictly　speaking；　with　their　magnitudes　or　distances。　　It　is　required　that　we　should　know　them　in　their　relations　to　each　other；　but　it　is　no　preliminary　of　just；　of　practical；　it　might　almost　be　said；　of　liberal　science；　that　we　should　know　any　thing　of　them　absolutely。

The　unlimited　ambition　of　the　nature　of　man　has　discovered　itself　in　nothing　more　than　this；　the　amazing　superstructure　which　the　votaries　of　contemplation　within　the　last　two　hundred　years　have　built　upon　the　simple　astronomy　of　the　ancients。　　Having　begun　to　compute　the　distances　of　miles　by　millions；　it　appears　clearly　that　nothing　can　arrest　the　more　than　eagle…flight　of　the　human　mind。　　The　distance　of　the　nearest　fixed　star　from　the　earth；　we　are　informed；　is　at　least　7；000；000；000；000　miles；　and　of　another　which　the　astronomers　name；　not　less　than　38　millions　of　millions　of　miles。　　The　particles　of　light　are　said　to　travel　193；940　miles　in　every　second；　which　is　above　a　million　times　swifter　than　the　progress　of　a　cannon…ball＇67＇。　　And　Herschel　has　concluded；　that　the　light　issuing　from　the　faintest　nebulae　he　has　discovered；　must　have　been　at　this　rate　two　millions　of　years　in　reaching　the　Barth＇68＇。

＇67＇　Ferguson；　Section　216。　　〃Light　moves；〃　says　Brewster；　Optics；　p。　2；　〃from　one　pole　of　the　earth　to　the　other　in　the　24th　part　of　a　second：　　a　velocity　which　surpasses　all　comprehension。

＇68＇　Brinkley；　Astronomy；　p。　130。


SECTION　III。

The　next　process　of　the　modern　astronomer　is　to　affirm　the　innumerable　orbs　around　us；　discovered　with　the　naked　eye；　or　with　which　we　are　made　acquainted　by　the　aid　of　telescopes；　to　be　all　stocked　with　rational　inhabitants。　　The　argument　for　this　is；　that　an　all…wise　and　omnipotent　creator　could　never　have　produced　such　immense　bodies；　dispersed　through　infinite　space；　for　any　meaner　purpose；　than　that　of　peopling　them　with　〃intelligent　beings；　formed　for　endless　progression　in　perfection　and　felicity＇69＇。〃

＇69＇　See　above；　Essay　XXI。


Now　it　appears　to　me；　that；　in　these　assertions；　the　modern　astronomers　are　taking　upon　themselves　somewhat　too　boldly；　to　expound　the　counsels　of　that　mysterious　power；　to　which　the　universe　is　indebted　for　its　arrangement　and　order。

We　know　nothing　of　God　but　from　his　works。　　Certain　speculative　men　have　adventured　to　reason　upon　the　source　of　all　the　system　and　the　wonders　that　we　behold；　a　priori；　and；　having　found　that　the　creator　is　all　powerful；　all　wise；　and　of　infinite　goodness；　according　to　their　ideas　of　power；　wisdom　and　goodness；　have　from　thence　proceeded　to　draw　their　inferences；　and　to　shew　us　in　what　manner　the　works　of　his　hands　are　arranged　and　conducted　by　him。　　This　no　doubt　they　have　done　with　the　purest　intentions　in　the　world；　but　it　is　not　certain；　that　their　discretion　has　equalled　the　boldness　of　their　undertaking。

The　world　that　we　inhabit；　this　little　globe　of　earth；　is　to　us　an　infinite　mystery。　　Human　imagination　is　unable　to　conceive　any　thing　more　consummate　than　the　great　outline　of　things　below。　　The　trees　and　the　skies；　the　mountains　and　the　seas；　the　rivers　and　the　springs；　appear　as　if　the　design　had　been　to　realise　the　idea　of　paradise。　　The　freshness　of　the　air；　the　silvery　light　of　day；　the　magnificence　of　the　clouds；　the　gorgeous　and　soothing　colouring　of　the　world；　the　profusion　and　exquisiteness　of　the　fruits　and　flowers　of　the　earth；　are　as　if　nothing　but　joy　and　delicious　sensations　had　been　intended　for　us。　　When　we　ascend　to　the　animal　creation；　the　scene　is　still　more　admirable　and　transporting。　　The　birds　and　the　beasts；　the　insects　that　skim　the　air；　and　the　fishes　that　live　in　the　great　deep；　are　a　magazine　of　wonders；　that　we　may　study　for　ever；　without　fear　of　arriving　at　the　end　of　their　excellence。　　Last　of　all；　comes　the　crown　of　the　creation；　man；　formed　with　looks　erect；　to　commerce　with　the　skies。　　What　a　masterpiece　of　workmanship　is　his　form；　while　the　beauty　and　intelligence　of　Gods　seems　to　manifest　itself　in　his　countenance！　　Look　at　that　most　consummate　of　all　implements；　the　human　hand；　think　of　his　understanding；　how　composed　and　penetrating；　of　the　wealth　of　his　imagination；　of　the　resplendent　virtues　he　is　qualified　to　display！　　〃How　wonderful　are　thy　works；　Oh　God；　in　wisdom　hast　thou　created　them　all！〃

But　there　are　other　parts　of　the　system　in　which　we　live；　which　do　not　seem　to　correspond　with　those　already　enumerated。　　Before　we　proceed　to　people　infinite　space；　it　would　be　as　well；　if　we　surveyed　the　surface　of　the　earth　we　inhabit。　　What　vast　deserts　do　we　find　in　it；　what　immense　tracks　of　burning　sands！　　One　half　of　the　globe　is　perhaps　irreclaimable　to　the　use　of　man。　　Then　let　us　think　of　earthquakes　and　tempests；　of　wasting　hurricanes；　and　the　number　of　vessels；　freighted　with　human　beings；　that　are　yearly　buried　in　the　caverns　o？the　ocean。　　Let　us　call　to　mind　in　man；　the　prime　ornament　of　the　creation；　all　the　diseases　to　which　his　frame　is　subject；

　　Convulsions；　epilepsies；　fierce　catarrhs；　　　Intestine　stone　and　ulcer；　colic　pangs；　　　Demoniac　frenzy；　moping　melancholy；　　　And　moon…struck　madness；　pining　atrophy；　　　Marasmus；　and　wide…wasting　pestilence；　　　Dropsies；　and　asthmas；　and　joint…racking　rheums。

The　very　idea　of　our　killing；　and　subsisting　upon　the　flesh　of　animals；　surely　somewhat　jars　with　our　conceptions　of　infinite　benevolence。

But；　when　we　look　at　the　political　history　of　man；　the　case　is　infinitely　worse。　　This　too　often　seems　one　tissue　of　misery　and　vice。　　War；　conquest；　oppression；　tyranny；　slavery；　insurrections；　massacres；　cruel　punishments；　degrading　corporal　infliction；　and　the　extinction　of　life　under　the　forms　of　law；　are　to　be　found　in　almost　every　page。　　It　is　as　if　an　evil　demon　were　let　loose　upon　us；　and　whole　nations；　from　one　decad　of　years　to　another；　were　struck　with　the　most　pernicious　madness。　　Certain　reasoners　tell　us　that　this　is　owing　to　the　freedom　of　will；　without　which　man　could　not　exist。　　But　here　we　are　presented　with　an　alternative；　from　which　it　is　impossible　for　human　understanding　to　escape。　　Either　God；　according　to　our　ideas　of　benevolence；　would　remove　evil　out　of　the　world；　and　cannot；　or　he　can；　and　will　not。　　If　he　has　the　will　and　not　the　power；　this　argues　weakness；　if　he　has　the　power　and　not　the　will；　this　seems　to　be　malevolence。

Let　us　descend　from　the　great　stage　of　the　nations；　and　look　into　the　obscurities　of　private　misery。　　Which　of　us　is　happy？　　What　bitter　springs　of　misery　overflow　the　human　heart；　and　are　borne　by　us　in　silence！　　What　cruel　disappointments　beset　us！　　To　what　struggles　are　we　doomed；　while　we　struggle　often　in　vain！　　The　human　heart　seems　framed；　as　if　to　be　the　capacious　receptacle　of　all　imaginable　sorrows。　　The　human　frame　seems　constructed；　as　if　all　its　fibres　were　prepared　to　sustain　varieties　of　torment。　　〃In　the　sweat　of　thy　brow　shalt　thou　eat　bread；　till　thou　return　to　the　earth。〃　But　how　often　does　that　sweat　prove　ineffective！　There　are　men　of　whom　sorrow　seems　to　be　the　destiny；　from　which　they　can　never　escape。　　There　are　hearts；　into　which　by　their　constitution　it　appears　as　if　serenity　and　content　could　never　enter；　but　which　are　given　up　to　all　the　furious　passions；　or　are　for　ever　the　prey　of　repining　and　depression。　　　　　　　Ah；　little　think　the　gay；　licentious　proud；　　　Whom　pleasure；　power　and　affluence　surround；　　　How　many　pine　in　want！　　How　many　shrink　　　Into　the　sordid　hut；　how　many　drink　　　The　cup　of　grief；　and　eat　the　bitter　bread　　　Of　misery！

And；　which　aggravates　the　evil；　almost　all　the　worst　vices；　the　most　unprincipled　acts；　and　the　darkest　passions　of　the　human　mind；　are　bred　out　of　poverty　and　distress。　　Satan；　in　the　Book　of　Job；　says　to　the　Almighty；　〃Thou　hast　blessed　the　work　of　thy　servant；　and　his　substance　is　increased　in　the　land。　　But　put　forth　thy　hand　now；　and　take　away　all　that　he　hath；　and　he　will　curse　thee　to　thy　face。〃　The　prayer　of　Agar　runs；　〃Feed　me　with　food　convenient　for　me；　lest　I　be　poor；　and　steal；　and　take　the　name　of　my　God　in　vain。〃

It　is　with　a　deep　knowledge　of　the　scenes　of　life；　that　the　prophet　pronounces；　〃My　thoughts　are　not　your　thoughts；　neither　are　your　ways　my　ways；　saith　the　Lord。〃

All　reflecting　persons；　who　have　surveyed　the　state　of　the　world　in　which　we　live；　have　been　struck　with　the　contrarieties　of　sublunary　things；　and　many　hypotheses　have　been　invented　to　solve　the　enigma。　　Some　have　maintained　the　doctrine　of　two　principles；　Oromasdes　and　Arimanius；　the　genius　of　good　and　of　evil；　who　are　perpetually　contending　with　each　other　which　shall　have　the　greatest　sway　in　the　fortunes　of　the　world；　and　each　alternately　acquiring　the　upper　hand。　　Others　have　inculcated　the　theory　of　the　fall　of　man；　that　God　at　first　made　all　things　beautiful　and　good；　but　that　man　has　incurred　his　displeasure；　and　been　turned　out　of　the　paradise　for　which　he　was　destined。　　Hence；　they　say；　has　arisen　the　corruption　of　our　nature。　　〃There　is　none　that　cloth　good；　no；　not　one。　　That　every　mouth　may　be　stopped；　and　all　the　world　become　guilty　before　God。〃　　But　the　solution　that　has　been　most　generally　adopted；　particularly　in　later　days；　is　that　of　a　future　state　of　retribution；　in　which　all　the　inequalities　of　our　present　condition　shall　be　removed；　the　tears　of　the　unfortunate　and　the　sufferer　shall　be　wiped　from　their　eyes；　and　their　agonies　and　miseries　compensated。　　This；　in　other　words；　independently　of　the　light　of　revelation；　is　to　infer　infinite　wisdom　and　benevolence　from　what　we　see；　and　then；　finding　the　actual　phenomena　not　to　correspond　with　our　theories；　to　invent　something　of　which　we　have　no　knowledge；　to　supply　the　deficiency。

The　astronomer　however　proceeds　from　what　we　see　of　the　globe　of　earth；　to　fashion　other　worlds　of　which　we　have　no　direct　knowledge。　　Finding　that　there　is　no　part　of　the　soil　of　the　earth　into　which　our　wanderings　can　penetrate；　that　is　not　turned　to　the　account　of　rational　and　happy　beings；　creatures　capable　of　knowing　and　adoring　their　creator；　that　nature　does　nothing　in　vain；　and　that　the　world　is　full　of　the　evidences　of　his　unmingled　beneficence；　according　to　our　narrow　and　imperfect　ideas　of　beneficence；　（for　such　ought　to　be　our　premises）　we　proceed　to　construct　millions　of　worlds　upon　the　plan　we　have　imagined。　　The　earth　is　a　globe；　the　planets　are　globes；　and　several　of　them　larger　than　our　earth：　　the　earth　has　a　moon；　several　of　the　planets　have　satellites：　　the　globe　we　dwell　in　moves　in　an　orbit　round　the　sun；　so　do　the　planets：　　upon　these　premises；　and　no　more；　we　hold　ourselves　authorised　to　affirm　that　they　contain　〃myriads　of　intelligent　beings；　formed　for　endless　progression　in　perfection　and　felicity。〃　　Having　gone　thus　far；　we　next　find　that　the　fixed　stars　bear　a　certain　resemblance　to　the　sun；　and；　as　the　sun　has　a　number　of　planets　attendant　on　him；　so；　we　say；　has　each　of　the　fixed　stars；　composing　all　together　〃ten　thousand　times　ten　thousand〃　habitable　worlds。

All　this　is　well；　so　long　as　we　view　it　as　a　bold　and　ingenious　conjecture。　　On