第87章

Butwhathasbeentheutilityofthoseschools？Whatscienceisthereatthisdayacquiredbytheirreadingsanddisputings？Thatwehaveofgeometry，whichisthemotherofallnaturalscience，wearenotindebtedforittotheschools。Plato，thatwasthebestphilosopheroftheGreeks，forbadeentranceintohisschooltoallthatwerenotalreadyinsomemeasuregeometricians。Thereweremanythatstudiedthatsciencetothegreatadvantageofmankind：butthereisnomentionoftheirschools；norwasthereanysectofgeometricians；nordidtheythenpassunderthenameofphilosophers。Thenaturalphilosophyofthoseschoolswasratheradreamthanscience，andsetforthinsenselessandinsignificantlanguage，whichcannotbeavoidedbythosethatwillteachphilosophywithouthavingfirstattainedgreatknowledgeingeometry。Fornatureworkethbymotion；thewaysanddegreeswhereofcannotbeknownwithouttheknowledgeoftheproportionsandpropertiesoflinesandfigures。Theirmoralphilosophyisbutadescriptionoftheirownpassions。Fortheruleofmanners，withoutcivilgovernment，isthelawofnature；andinit，thelawcivil，thatdeterminethwhatishonestanddishonest；whatisjustandunjust；andgenerallywhatisgoodandevil。Whereastheymaketherulesofgoodandbadbytheirownlikinganddisliking；bywhichmeans，insogreatdiversityoftaste，thereisnothinggenerallyagreedon；buteveryonedoth，asfarashedares，whatsoeverseemethgoodinhisowneyes，tothesubversionofCommonwealth。Theirlogic，whichshouldbethemethodofreasoning，isnothingelsebutcaptionsofwords，andinventionshowtopuzzlesuchasshouldgoabouttoposethem。Toconclude，thereisnothingsoabsurdthattheoldphilosophers(asCicerosaith，whowasoneofthem)havenotsomeofthemmaintained。

AndIbelievethatscarceanythingcanbemoreabsurdlysaidinnaturalphilosophythanthatwhichnowiscalledAristotle’sMetaphysics；normorerepugnanttogovernmentthanmuchofthathehathsaidinhisPolitics，normoreignorantly，thanagreatpartofhisEthics。

TheschooloftheJewswasoriginallyaschoolofthelawofMoses，whocommandedthatattheendofeveryseventhyear，attheFeastoftheTabernacles，itshouldbereadtoallthepeople，thattheymighthearandlearnit。*Thereforethereadingofthelaw(whichwasinuseaftertheCaptivity)everySabbathdayoughttohavehadnootherendbuttheacquaintingofthepeoplewiththeCommandmentswhichtheyweretoobey，andtoexpounduntothemthewritingsoftheprophets。Butitismanifest，bythemanyreprehensionsofthembyourSaviour，thattheycorruptedthetextofthelawwiththeirfalsecommentaries，andvaintraditions；andsolittleunderstoodtheprophetsthattheydidneitheracknowledgeChrist，northeworkshedid，ofwhichtheprophetsprophesied。Sothatbytheirlecturesanddisputationsintheirsynagogues，theyturnedthedoctrineoftheirlawintoafantasticalkindofphilosophy，concerningtheincomprehensiblenatureofGodandofspirits；whichtheycompoundedofthevainphilosophyandtheologyoftheGrecians，mingledwiththeirownfancies，drawnfromtheobscurerplacesoftheScripture，andwhichmightmosteasilybewrestedtotheirpurpose；andfromthefabuloustraditionsoftheirancestors。

*Deuteronomy，31。10

ThatwhichisnowcalledaUniversityisajoiningtogether，andanincorporationunderonegovernment，ofmanypublicschoolsinoneandthesametownorcity，inwhichtheprincipalschoolswereordainedforthethreeprofessions；thatistosay，oftheRomanreligion，oftheRomanlaw，andoftheartofmedicine。AndforthestudyofphilosophyithathnootherwiseplacethanasahandmaidtotheRomanreligion：andsincetheauthorityofAristotleisonlycurrentthere，thatstudyisnotproperlyphilosophy(thenaturewhereofdependethnotonauthors)，butAristotelity。Andforgeometry，tillofverylatetimesithadnoplaceatall，asbeingsubservienttonothingbutrigidtruth。Andifanymanbytheingenuityofhisownnaturehadattainedtoanydegreeofperfectiontherein，hewascommonlythoughtamagician，andhisartdiabolical。

Nowtodescendtotheparticulartenetsofvainphilosophy，derivedtotheUniversities，andthenceintotheChurch，partlyfromAristotle，partlyfromblindnessofunderstanding；Ishallfirstconsidertheirprinciples。Thereisacertainphilosophiaprimaonwhichallotherphilosophyoughttodepend；andconsistethprincipallyinrightlimitingofthesignificationsofsuchappellations，ornames，asareofallothersthemostuniversal；whichlimitationsservetoavoidambiguityandequivocationinreasoning，andarecommonlycalleddefinitions；suchasar