A Commonplace Book of Thoughts, Memories, and Fancies Part 25

BISHOP c.u.mBERLAND.

BISHOP OF PETERBOROUGH IN 1691.

71.

Bishop c.u.mberland founds the law of G.o.d, as revealed in the Scriptures, upon the general law of nature. He does not attempt to found the laws of nature upon the Bible. "We believe," he says, "in the truth of Scripture, because it promotes and ill.u.s.trates the fundamental laws of nature in the government of the world."

Then does the Bishop mean here that the Bible is not the WORD nor the WILL of G.o.d, but the exposition of the WORD and the record of the WILL, so far as either could be rendered communicable to human comprehension through the medium of human language and intelligence?

There is a striking pa.s.sage in Bunsen's Hippolytus, which may be considered with reference to this opinion of the Bishop.

He (Bunsen) says, that "what relates the history of 'the word of G.o.d'

in his humanity, and in this world, and what records its teachings, and warnings, and promises (that is, the Bible?) was mistaken for 'the word of G.o.d' itself, in its proper sense."

Does he mean that we deem erroneously the collection of writings we call the Bible to be "the word of G.o.d;" whereas, in fact, it is "the history, the record of the word of G.o.d?" that is, of all that G.o.d has spoken to man-in various revelations-through human life-by human deeds?-because this is surely a most important and momentous distinction.

72.

According to Bishop c.u.mberland, _benevolence_, in its large sense,-that is, a regard for all GOOD, universal and particular,-is the primary law of nature; and _justice_ is one form, and a secondary form, of this law: a moral virtue, not a law of nature,-if I understand his meaning rightly.

Then which would he place _highest_, the law of nature or the moral law?

If you place them in contradistinction, then are we to conclude that the law of nature _precedes_ the moral law, but that the moral law _supersedes_ the law of nature? Yet no law of nature (as I understand the word) _can_ be superseded, though the moral law may be based upon it, and in that sense may be _above_ it.

73.

In this following pa.s.sage the Bishop seems to have antic.i.p.ated what in more modern times has been called the "_greatest happiness principle_."

He says:-

"The good of all rational beings is a complex whole, being nothing but the aggregate of good enjoyed by each." "We can only act in our proper spheres, labouring to do good, but this labour will be fruitless, or rather mischievous, if we do not keep in mind the higher gradations which terminate in universal benevolence. Thus, no man must seek his own pleasure or advantage otherwise than as his family permits; or provide for his family to the detriment of his country; or promote the good of his country at the expense of mankind; or serve mankind, if it were possible, without regard to the majesty of G.o.d."

74.

Paley deems the recognition of a future state so essential that he even makes the definition of virtue to consist in this, that it is good performed for the sake of everlasting happiness. That is to say, he makes it a sort of bargain between G.o.d and man, a contract, or a covenant, instead of that obedience to a primal law, from which if we stray in will, we do so at the necessary expense of our happiness.

Bishop c.u.mberland has no reference to this doctrine of Paley's;-seems, indeed, to set it aside altogether, as contrary to the essence of virtue.

On the whole, this good Bishop appears to have treated ethics not as an ecclesiastic, but as Bacon treated natural philosophy;-the pervading spirit is the perpetual appeal to experience, and not to authority.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

COMTE'S PHILOSOPHY.

1852.

75.

Comte makes out three elements of progress, "les philosophes, les proletaires, et les femmes;"-types of intellect, material activity, and sentiment.

From Woman, he says, is to proceed the preponderance of the social duties and affections over egotism and ambition. (La preponderance de la sociabilite sur la personalite.) He adds:-"Ce s.e.xe est certainement superieure au notre quant a l'attribut le plus fondamentale de l'espece humaine, la tendence de faire prevaloir la _sociabilite_ sur la_ personalite_."

76.

"S'il ne fallait _qu'aimer_ comme dans l'Utopie Chretienne, sur une vie future affranchie de toute egoste necessite materielle, la femme regnerait; mais il faut surtout _agir_ et _penser_ pour combattre contre les rigueurs de notre vraie destinee: des-lors l'homme doit commander malgre sa moindre moralite."

"Malgre?" Sometimes man commands _because_ of the "moindre moralite:"-it spares much time in scruples.

77.

"L'influence feminine devient l'auxiliaire indispensable de tout pouvoir spirituel, comme le moyen age l'a tant montre."

"Au moyen age la Catholicisme occidentale ebaucha la systematisation de la puissance morale en superposant a l'ordre pratique une libre autorite spirituelle, habituellement secondee par les femmes."

78.

"La Force, proprement dite, c'est ce qui regit les actes, sans regler les volontes."

Herein lies a distinction between Force and Power; for Power, properly so called, does both.

79.

He insists throughout on the predominance of _sociabilite_ over _personalite_--and what is that but the Christian law philosophised?

and again, "Il n'y a de directement morale dans notre nature que l'amour." Where did he get this, if not in the Epistle of St. John?

"Celui qui se croirait independant des autres dans ses affections, ses pensees, ou ses actes, ne pourrait meme formuler un tel blaspheme sans une contradiction immediate-puisque son langage meme ne lui appartient pas."

80.

He says that if the women regret the age of chivalry, it is not for the external homage then paid to them, but because "l'element le plus moral de l'humanite" (woman, to wit), "doit preferer a tout autre le seul regime qui erigea directement en principe la preponderance de la morale sur la politique. Si elles regrettent leur douce influence anterieure, c'est surtout comme s'effacant aujourd'hui sous un grossier egosme.

"Leurs vux spontanes seconderont toujours les efforts directes des philosophes et des proletaires pour transformer enfin les debats politiques en transactions sociales en faisant prevaloir les _devoirs_ sur les _droits_."

This is admirable; for we are all inclined to think more about our _rights_ (and our wrongs too) than about our _duties_.