thoughts on man-第59部分

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〃　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　any　other　subject　it　would　be　so　regarded；　and　we　should　consider　it　as　reserved　for　the　amusement　and　gratification　of　a　fanciful　visionary　in　the　hour；　when　he　gives　up　the　reins　to　his　imagination。　　But；　backed　as　it　is　by　a　complexity　of　geometrical　right　lines　and　curves；　and　handed　forth　to　us　in　large　quartos；　stuffed　with　calculations；　it　experiences　a　very　different　fortune。　　We　are　told　that；　〃by　the　knowledge　we　derive　from　astronomy；　our　faculties　are　enlarged；　our　minds　exalted；　and　our　understandings　clearly　convinced；　and　affected　with　the　conviction；　of　the　existence；　wisdom；　power；　goodness；　immutability　and　superintendency　of　the　supreme　being；　so　that；　without　an　hyperbole；　'an　undevout　astronomer　is　mad＇e＇＇70＇。'〃

＇70＇　Ferguson；　Astronomy；　Section　I。


It　is　singular；　how　deeply　I　was　impressed　with　this　representation；　while　I　was　a　schoolboy；　and　was　so　led　to　propose　a　difficulty　to　the　wife　of　the　master。　　I　said；　〃I　find　that　we　have　millions　of　worlds　round　us　peopled　with　rational　creatures。　　I　know　not　that　we　have　any　decisive　reason　for　supposing　these　creatures　more　exalted；　than　the　wonderful　species　of　which　we　are　individuals。　　We　are　imperfect；　they　are　imperfect。　　We　fell；　it　is　reasonable　to　suppose　that　they　have　fallen　also。　　It　became　necessary　for　the　second　person　in　the　trinity　to　take　upon　him　our　nature；　and　by　suffering　for　our　sins　to　appease　the　wrath　of　his　father。　　I　am　unwilling　to　believe　that　he　has　less　commiseration　for　the　inhabitants　of　other　planets。　　But　in　that　case　it　may　be　supposed　that　since　the　creation　he　has　been　making　a　circuit　of　the　planets；　and　dying　on　the　cross　for　the　sins　of　rational　creatures　in　uninterrupted　succession。〃　　The　lady　was　wiser　than　I；　admonished　me　of　the　danger　of　being　over…inquisitive；　and　said　we　should　act　more　discreetly　in　leaving　those　questions　to　the　judgment　of　the　Almighty。

But　thus　far　we　have　reasoned　only　on　one　side　of　the　question。　　Our　pious　sentiments　have　led　us　to　magnify　the　Lord　in　all　his　works；　and；　however　imperfect　the　analogy；　and　however　obscure　the　conception　we　can　form　of　the　myriads　of　rational　creatures；　all　of　them　no　doubt　infinitely　varied　in　their　nature；　their　structure　and　faculties；　yet　to　view　the　whole　scheme　with　an　undoubting　persuasion　of　its　truth。　　It　is　however　somewhat　in　opposition　　to　the　ideas　of　piety　formed　by　our　less　adventurous　ancestors；　that　we　should　usurp　the　throne　of　God；

　　　　　Snatch　from　his　hand　the　balance　and　the　rod；

and；　by　means　of　our　telescopes　and　our　calculations；　penetrate　into　mysteries　not　originally　intended　for　us。　　According　to　the　received　Mosaic　chronology　we　are　now　in　the　five　thousand　eight　hundred　and　thirty…fifth　year　from　the　creation：　　the　Samaritan　version　adds　to　this　date。　　It　is　therefore　scarcely　in　the　spirit　of　a　Christian；　that　Herschel　talks　to　us　of　a　light；　which　must　have　been　two　millions　of　years　in　reaching　the　earth。

Moses　describes　the　operations　of　the　Almighty；　in　one　of　the　six　days　devoted　to　the　work　of　creation；　as　being　to　place　〃lights　in　the　firmament　of　heaven；　to　divide　the　day　from　the　night；　to　be　for　signs　and　for　seasons；　and　for　days　and　years；　and　to　give　light　upon　the　earth；　two　great　lights；　the　greater　to　rule　the　day；　and　the　lesser　the　night；　and　the　stars　also。〃　　And　Christ；　prophesying　what　is　to　happen　in　the　latter　days；　says；　〃The　sun　shall　be　darkened；　and　the　moon　shall　not　give　her　light；　and　the　stars　shall　fall　from　heaven。〃　　Whatever　therefore　be　the　piety　of　the　persons；　who　talk　to　us　of　〃ten　thousand　times　ten　thousand　worlds；　all　peopled　with　rational　creatures；〃　it　certainly　is　not　a　piety　in　precise　accordance　with　the　Christian　scriptures。


SECTION　IV。

It　is　also　no　more　than　just；　that　we　should　bear　in　mind　the　apparent　fitness　or　otherwise；　of　these　bodies；　so　far　as　we　are　acquainted　with　them；　for　the　dwelling…place　of　rational　creatures。　　Not　to　mention　the　probable　extreme　coldness　of　Jupiter　and　Saturn；　the　heat　of　the　sunbeams　in　the　planet　Mercury　is　understood　to　be　such　as　that　water　would　unavoidably　boil　and　be　carried　away＇71＇；　and　we　can　scarcely　imagine　any　living　substance　that　would　not　be　dissolved　and　dispersed　in　such　an　atmosphere。　　The　moon；　of　which；　as　being　so　much　nearer　to　us；　we　may　naturally　be　supposed　to　know　most；　we　are　told　by　the　astronomers　has　no　water　and　no　atmosphere；　or；　if　any；　such　an　atmosphere　as　would　not　sustain　clouds　and　ascending　vapour。　　To　our　eye；　as　seen　through　the　telescope；　it　appears　like　a　metallic　substance；　which　has　been　burned　by　fire；　and　so　reduced　into　the　ruined　and　ragged　condition　in　which　we　seem　to　behold　it。　　The　sun　appears　to　be　still　less　an　appropriate　habitation　for　rational；　or　for　living　creatures；　than　any　of　the　planets。　　The　comets；　which　describe　an　orbit　so　exceedingly　eccentric；　and　are　subject　to　all　the　excessive　vicissitudes　of　heat　and　cold；　are；　we　are　told；　admirably　adapted　for　a　scene　of　eternal；　or　of　lengthened　punishment　for　those　who　have　acquitted　themselves　ill　in　a　previous　state　of　probation。　　Buffon　is　of　opinion；　that　all　the　planets　in　the　solar　system　were　once　so　many　portions　of　our　great　luminary；　struck　off　from　the　sun　by　the　blow　of　a　comet；　and　so　having　received　a　projectile　impulse　calculated　to　carry　them　forward　in　a　right　line；　at　the　same　time　that　the　power　of　attraction　counteracts　this　impulse；　and　gives　them　that　compound　principle　of　motion　which　retains　them　in　an　orbicular　course。　　In　this　sense　it　may　be　said　that　all　the　planets　were　suns；　while　on　the　contrary　Herschel　pronounces；　that　the　sun　itself　is　a　planet；　an　opake　body；　richly　stored　with　inhabitants＇72＇。

＇71＇　Encyclopaedia　Londinensis；　Vol。　II；　p。　355。

＇72＇　Philosophical　Transactions　for　1795；　p。　68。


The　modern　astronomers　go　on　to　account　to　us　for　the　total　disappearance　of　a　star　in　certain　cases；　which；　they　say；　may　be　in　reality　the　destruction　of　a　system；　such　as　that　of　our　sun　and　its　attendant　planets；　while　the　appearance　of　a　new　star　may；　in　like　manner；　be　the　occasional　creation　of　a　new　system　of　planets。　　〃We　ought　perhaps；〃　says　Herschel；　〃to　look　upon　certain　clusters　of　stars；　and　the　destruction　of　a　star　now　and　then　in　some　thousands　of　ages；　as　the　very　means　by　which　the　whole　is　preserved　and　renewed。　　These　clusters　may　be　the　laboratories　of　the　universe；　wherein　the　most　salutary　remedies　for　the　decay　of　the　whole　are　prepared＇73＇。〃

＇73＇　Philosophical　Transactions　for　1785；　p。　217。


All　this　must　appear　to　a　sober　mind；　unbitten　by　the　rage　which　grows　out　of　the　heat　of　these　new　discoverers；　to　be　nothing　less　than　astronomy　run　mad。　　This　occasional　creation　of　new　systems　and　worlds；　is　in　little　accordance　with　the　Christian　scriptures；　or；　I　believe；　with　any　sober　speculation　upon　the　attributes　of　the　creator。　　The　astronomer　seizes　upon　some　hint　so　fine　as　scarcely　by　any　ingenuity　to　be　arrested；　immediately　launches　forth　into　infinite　space；　and　in　an　instant　returns；　and　presents　us　with　millions　of　worlds；　each　of　them　peopl