the spirit of laws-第111部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


If　other　causes　besides　these　concur　to　disengage　their　affections；　for　instance；　if　the　severity　of　the　government；　if　the　laws　concerning　the　property　of　land；　give　them　a　precarious　spirit　　all　is　lost。

The　religion　of　the　Gaurs　formerly　rendered　Persia　a　flourishing　kingdom；　it　corrected　the　bad　effects　of　despotic　power。　The　same　empire　is　now　destroyed　by　the　Mahometan　religion。

12。　Of　Penances。　Penances　ought　to　be　joined　with　the　idea　of　labour；　not　with　that　of　idleness；　with　the　idea　of　good；　not　with　that　of　supereminence；　with　the　idea　of　frugality；　not　with　that　of　avarice。

13。　Of　inexpiable　Crimes。　It　appears　from　a。　passage　of　the　books　of　the　pontiffs；　quoted　by　Cicero；＇8＇　that　they　had　among　the　Romans　inexpiable　crimes：＇9＇　and　it　is　on　this　that　Zozymus　founds　the　narration　so　proper　to　blacken　the　motives　of　Constantine's　conversion；　and　Julian；　that　bitter　raillery　on　this　conversion　in　his　C？sars。

The　Pagan　religion　indeed；　which　prohibited　only　some　of　the　grosser　crimes；　and　which　stopped　the　hand　but　meddled　not　with　the　heart；　might　have　crimes　that　were　inexpiable；　but　a　religion　which　bridles　all　the　passions；　which　is　not　more　jealous　of　actions　than　of　thoughts　and　desires；　which　holds　us　not　by　a　few　chains　but　by　an　infinite　number　of　threads；　which；　leaving　human　justice　aside；　establishes　another　kind　of　justice；　which　is　so　ordered　as　to　lead　us　continually　from　repentance　to　love；　and　from　love　to　repentance；　which　puts　between　the　judge　and　the　criminal　a　greater　mediator；　between　the　just　and　the　mediator　a　great　judge　　a　religion　like　this　ought　not　to　have　inexpiable　crimes。　But　while　it　gives　fear　and　hope　to　all；　it　makes　us　sufficiently　sensible　that　though　there　is　no　crime　in　its　own　nature　inexpiable；　yet　a　whole　criminal　life　may　be　so；　that　it　is　extremely　dangerous　to　affront　mercy　by　new　crimes　and　new　expiations；　that　an　uneasiness　on　account　of　ancient　debts；　from　which　we　are　never　entirely　free；　ought　to　make　us　afraid　of　contracting　new　ones；　of　filling　up　the　measure；　and　going　even　to　that　point　where　paternal　goodness　is　limited。

14。　In　what　Manner　Religion　has　an　Influence　on　Civil　Laws。　As　both　religion　and　the　civil　laws　ought　to　have　a　peculiar　tendency　to　render　men　good　citizens；　it　is　evident　that　when　one　of　these　deviates　from　this　end；　the　tendency　of　the　other　ought　to　be　strengthened。　The　less　severity　there　is　in　religion；　the　more　there　ought　to　be　in　the　civil　laws。

Thus　the　reigning　religion　of　Japan　having　few　doctrines；　and　proposing　neither　future　rewards　nor　punishments；　the　laws　to　supply　these　defects　have　been　made　with　the　spirit　of　severity；　and　are　executed　with　an　extraordinary　punctuality。

When　the　doctrine　of　necessity　is　established　by　religion；　the　penalties　of　the　laws　ought　to　be　more　severe；　and　the　magistrate　more　vigilant；　to　the　end　that　men　who　would　otherwise　become　abandoned　might　be　determined　by　these　motives；　but　it　is　quite　otherwise　where　religion　has　established　the　doctrine　of　liberty。

From　the　inactivity　of　the　soul　springs　the　Mahometan　doctrine　of　predestination；　and　from　this　doctrine　of　predestination　springs　the　inactivity　of　the　soul。　This；　they　say；　is　in　the　decrees　of　God；　they　must　therefore　indulge　their　repose。　In　a　case　like　this；　the　magistrate　ought　to　waken　by　the　laws　those　who　are　lulled　asleep　by　religion。

When　religion　condemns　things　which　the　civil　laws　ought　to　permit；　there　is　danger　lest　the　civil　laws；　on　the　other　hand；　should　permit　what　religion　ought　to　condemn。　Either　of　these　is　a　constant　proof　of　a　want　of　true　ideas　of　that　harmony　and　proportion　which　ought　to　subsist　between　both。

Thus　the　Tartars　under　Jenghiz　Khan；＇10＇　among　whom　it　was　a　sin　and　even　a　capital　crime　to　put　a　knife　in　the　fire；　to　lean　against　a　whip；　to　strike　a　horse　with　his　bridle；　to　break　one　bone　with　another；　did　not　believe　it　to　be　any　sin　to　break　their　word；　to　seize　upon　another　man's　goods；　to　do　an　injury　to　a　person；　or　to　commit　murder。　In　a　word；　laws　which　render　that　necessary　which　is　only　indifferent　have　this　inconvenience；　that　they　make　those　things　indifferent　which　are　absolutely　necessary。

The　people　of　Formosa　believe＇11＇　that　there　is　a　kind　of　hell；　but　it　is　to　punish　those　who　at　certain　seasons　have　not　gone　naked；　who　have　dressed　in　calico　and　not　in　silk；　who　have　presumed　to　look　for　oysters；　or　who　have　undertaken　any　business　without　consulting　the　song　of　birds；　while　drunkenness　and　debauchery　are　not　regarded　as　crimes。　They　believe　even　that　the　debauches　of　their　children　are　agreeable　to　their　gods。

When　religion　absolves　the　mind　by　a　thing　merely　accidental；　it　loses　its　greatest　influence　on　mankind。　The　people　of　India　believe　that　the　waters　of　the　Ganges　have　a　sanctifying　virtue。＇12＇　Those　who　die　on　its　banks　are　imagined　to　be　exempted　from　the　torments　of　the　other　life；　and　to　be　entitled　to　dwell　in　a　region　full　of　delights；　and　for　this　reason　the　ashes　of　the　dead　are　sent　from　the　most　distant　places　to　be　thrown　into　this　river。　Little　then　does　it　signify　whether　they　had　lived　virtuously　or　not；　so　they　be　but　thrown　into　the　Ganges。

The　idea　of　a　place　of　rewards　has　a　necessary　connection　with　the　idea　of　the　abodes　of　misery；　and　when　they　hope　for　the　former　without　fearing　the　latter；　the　civil　laws　have　no　longer　any　influence。　Men　who　think　themselves　sure　of　the　rewards　of　the　other　life　are　above　the　power　of　the　legislator；　they　look　upon　death　with　too　much　contempt。　How　shall　the　man　be　restrained　by　laws　who　believes　that　the　greatest　pain　the　magistrate　can　inflict　will　end　in　a　moment　to　begin　his　happiness？

15。　How　false　Religions　are　sometimes　corrected　by　the　Civil　Laws。　Simplicity；　superstition；　or　a　respect　for　antiquity　have　sometimes　established　mysteries　or　ceremonies　shocking　to　modesty：　of　this　the　world　has　furnished　numerous　examples。　Aristotle　says＇13＇　that　in　this　case　the　law　permits　the　fathers　of　families　to　repair　to　the　temple　to　celebrate　these　mysteries　for　their　wives　and　children。　How　admirable　the　civil　law　which　in　spite　of　religion　preserves　the　manners　untainted！

Augustus＇14＇　excluded　the　youth　of　either　sex　from　assisting　at　any　nocturnal　ceremony；　unless　accompanied　by　a　more　aged　relative；　and　when　he　revived　the　Lupercalia；＇15＇　he　would　not　allow　the　young　men　to　run　naked。

16。　How　the　Laws　of　Religion　correct　the　Inconveniences　of　a　political　Constitution。　On　the　other　hand；　religion　may　support　a　state　when　the　laws　themselves　are　incapable　of　doing　it。

Thus　when　a　kingdom　is　frequently　agitated　by　civil　wars；　religion　may　do　much　by　obliging　one　part　of　the　state　to　remain　always　quiet。　Among　the　Greeks；　the　Eleans；　as　priests　of　Apollo；　lived　always　in　peace。　In　Japan；＇16＇　the　city　of　Meaco　enjoys　a　constant　peace；　as　being　a　holy　city。　Religion　supports　this　regulation；　and　that　empire；　which　seems　to　be　alone　upon　earth；　and　which　neither　has　nor　will　have　any　dependence　on　foreigners；　has　always　in　its　own　bosom　a　trade　which　war　cannot　ruin。

In　kingdoms　where　wars　are　not　entered　upon　by　a　general　consent；　and　where　the　laws　have　not　pointed　out　any　means　either　of　terminating　or　preventing　them；　religion　establishes　times　of　peace；　or　cessation　from　hostilities；　that　the　people　may　be　able　to　sow　their　corn　and　perform　those　other　labours　which　are　absolutely　necessary　for　the　subsistence　of　the　state。

Every　year　all　hostility　ceases　between　the　Arabian　tribes　for　four　months：　the　least　disturbance　would　then　be　an　impiety。＇17＇　In　former　times；　when　every　lord　in　France　declared　war　or　peace；　religion　granted　a　truce；　which　was　to　take　place　at　certain　seasons。

17。　The　same　Subject　continued。　When　a　state　has　many　causes　for　hatred；　religion　ought　to　produce　many　ways　of　reconciliation。　The　Arabs；　a　people　addicted　to　robbery；　are　frequently　guilty　of　doing　injury　and　injustice。　Mahomet　enacted　this　law：＇18＇　〃If　any　one　forgives　the　blood　of　his　brother；＇19＇　he　may　pursue　the　malefactor　for　damages　and　interest；　but　he　who　shall　injure　the　wicked；　after　having　received　satisfaction；　shall；　in　the　day　of　judgment；　suffer　the　most　grievous　torments。〃

The　Germans　inherited　the　hatred　and　enmity　of　their　near　relatives：　but　these　were　not　eternal。　Homicide　was　expiated　by　giving　a　certain　number　of　cattle；　and　all　the　family　received　satisfaction：　a　thing　extremely　useful；　says　Tacitus；　because　enmities　are　most　dangerous　among　a　free　people。＇20＇　I　believe；　indeed；　that　their　ministers　of　religion；　who　were　held　by　them　in　so　much　credit；　were　concerned　in　these　reconciliations。

Among　the　inhabitants　of　Malacca；＇21＇　where　no　form　of　reconciliation　is　established；　he　who　has　committed　murder；　certain　of　being　assassinated　by　the　relatives　or　friends　of　the　deceased；　abandons　himself　to　fury；　and　wounds　or　kills　all　he　meets。

18。　How　the　Laws　of　Religion　have　the　Effect　of　Civil　Laws。　The　first　Greeks　were　small　nations；　frequently　dispersed；　pirates　at　sea；　unjust　on　land；　without　government　and　without　laws。　The　mighty　actions　of　Hercules　and　Theseus　let　us　see　the　state　of　that　rising　people。　What　could　religion　do　more　to　inspire　them　with　horro