第41章

WhiletheStoicslookeduponriches，humangrandeur，grief，disquietudes，andpleasuresasvanity，theywereentirelyemployedinlabouringforthehappinessofmankind，andinexercisingthedutiesofsociety。Itseemsasiftheyregardedthatsacredspirit，whichtheybelievedtodwellwithinthem，asakindoffavourableprovidencewatchfuloverthehumanrace。

Bornforsociety，theyallbelievedthatitwastheirdestinytolabourforit；withsomuchthelessfatigue，theirrewardswereallwithinthemselves。Happybytheirphilosophyalone，itseemedasifonlythehappinessofotherscouldincreasetheirs。

11。OfContemplation。Menbeingmadetopreserve，tonourish，toclothethemselves，anddoalltheactionsofsociety，religionoughtnottogivethemtoocontemplativealife。[7]

TheMahometansbecomespeculativebyhabit；theyprayfivetimesaday，andeachtimetheyareobligedtocastbehindthemeverythingwhichhasanyconcernwiththisworld：thisformsthemforspeculation。Addtothisthatindifferenceforallthingswhichisinspiredbythedoctrineofunalterablefate。

Ifothercausesbesidestheseconcurtodisengagetheiraffections；forinstance，iftheseverityofthegovernment，ifthelawsconcerningthepropertyofland，givethemaprecariousspirit——allislost。

ThereligionoftheGaursformerlyrenderedPersiaaflourishingkingdom；itcorrectedthebadeffectsofdespoticpower。ThesameempireisnowdestroyedbytheMahometanreligion。

12。OfPenances。Penancesoughttobejoinedwiththeideaoflabour，notwiththatofidleness；withtheideaofgood，notwiththatofsupereminence；withtheideaoffrugality，notwiththatofavarice。

13。OfinexpiableCrimes。Itappearsfroma。passageofthebooksofthepontiffs，quotedbyCicero，[8]thattheyhadamongtheRomansinexpiablecrimes：[9]anditisonthisthatZozymusfoundsthenarrationsopropertoblackenthemotivesofConstantine’sconversion；andJulian，thatbitterrailleryonthisconversioninhisC？sars。

ThePaganreligionindeed，whichprohibitedonlysomeofthegrossercrimes，andwhichstoppedthehandbutmeddlednotwiththeheart，mighthavecrimesthatwereinexpiable；butareligionwhichbridlesallthepassions；whichisnotmorejealousofactionsthanofthoughtsanddesires；whichholdsusnotbyafewchainsbutbyaninfinitenumberofthreads；which，leavinghumanjusticeaside，establishesanotherkindofjustice；whichissoorderedastoleaduscontinuallyfromrepentancetolove，andfromlovetorepentance；whichputsbetweenthejudgeandthecriminalagreatermediator，betweenthejustandthemediatoragreatjudge——areligionlikethisoughtnottohaveinexpiablecrimes。

Butwhileitgivesfearandhopetoall，itmakesussufficientlysensiblethatthoughthereisnocrimeinitsownnatureinexpiable，yetawholecriminallifemaybeso；thatitisextremelydangeroustoaffrontmercybynewcrimesandnewexpiations；thatanuneasinessonaccountofancientdebts，fromwhichweareneverentirelyfree，oughttomakeusafraidofcontractingnewones，offillingupthemeasure，andgoingeventothatpointwherepaternalgoodnessislimited。

14。InwhatMannerReligionhasanInfluenceonCivilLaws。Asbothreligionandthecivillawsoughttohaveapeculiartendencytorendermengoodcitizens，itisevidentthatwhenoneofthesedeviatesfromthisend，thetendencyoftheotheroughttobestrengthened。Thelessseveritythereisinreligion，themorethereoughttobeinthecivillaws。

ThusthereigningreligionofJapanhavingfewdoctrines，andproposingneitherfuturerewardsnorpunishments，thelawstosupplythesedefectshavebeenmadewiththespiritofseverity，andareexecutedwithanextraordinarypunctuality。

Whenthedoctrineofnecessityisestablishedbyreligion，thepenaltiesofthelawsoughttobemoresevere，andthemagistratemorevigilant；

totheendthatmenwhowouldotherwisebecomeabandonedmightbedeterminedbythesemotives；butitisquiteotherwisewherereligionhasestablishedthedoctrineofliberty。

FromtheinactivityofthesoulspringstheMahometandoctrineofpredestination，andfromthisdoctrineofpredestinationspringstheinactivityofthesoul。This，theysay，isinthedecreesofGod；theymustthereforeindulgetheirrepose。Inacaselikethis，themagistrateoughttowakenbythelawsthosewhoarelulledasleepbyreligion。

Whenreligioncondemnsthingswhichthecivillawsoughttopermit，thereisdangerlestthecivillaws，ontheotherhand，shouldpermitwhatreligionoughttocondemn。Eitheroftheseisaconstantproofofawantoftrueideasofthatharmonyandproportionwhichoughttosubsistbetweenboth。

ThustheTartarsunderJenghizKhan，[10]amongwhomitwasasinandevenacapitalcrimetoputaknifeinthefire，toleanagainstawhip，tostrikeahorsewithhisbridle，tobreakonebonewithanother，didnotbelieveittobeanysintobreaktheirword，toseizeuponanotherman’sgoods，todoaninjurytoaperson，ortocommitmurder。Inaword，lawswhichrenderthatnecessarywhichisonlyindifferenthavethisinconvenience，thattheymakethosethingsindifferentwhichareabsolutelynecessary。

ThepeopleofFormosabelieve[11]thatthereisakindofhell，butitistopunishthosewhoatcertainseasonshavenotgonenaked，whohavedressedincalicoandnotinsilk，whohavepresumedtolookforoysters，orwhohaveundertakenanybusinesswithoutconsultingthesongofbirds；whiledrunkennessanddebaucheryarenotregardedascrimes。

Theybelieveeventhatthedebauchesoftheirchildrenareagreeabletotheirgods。

Whenreligionabsolvesthemindbyathingmerelyaccidental，itlosesitsgreatestinfluenceonmankind。ThepeopleofIndiabelievethatthewatersoftheGangeshaveasanctifyingvirtue。[12]Thosewhodieonitsbanksareimaginedtobeexemptedfromthetormentsoftheotherlife，andtobeentitledtodwellinaregionfullofdelights；andforthisreasontheashesofthedeadaresentfromthemostdistantplacestobethrownintothisriver。Littlethendoesitsignifywhethertheyhadlivedvirtuouslyornot，sotheybebutthrownintotheGanges。

Theideaofaplaceofrewardshasanecessaryconnectionwiththeideaoftheabodesofmisery；andwhentheyhopefortheformerwithoutfearingthelatter，thecivillawshavenolongeranyinfluence。Menwhothinkthemselvessureoftherewardsoftheotherlifeareabovethepowerofthelegislator；theylookupondeathwithtoomuchcontempt。

Howshallthemanberestrainedbylawswhobelievesthatthegreatestpainthemagistratecaninflictwillendinamomenttobeginhishappiness？

15。HowfalseReligionsaresometimescorrectedbytheCivilLaws。

Simplicity，superstition，orarespectforantiquityhavesometimesestablishedmysteriesorceremoniesshockingtomodesty：ofthistheworldhasfurnishednumerousexamples。Aristotlesays[13]thatinthiscasethelawpermitsthefathersoffamiliestorepairtothetempletocelebratethesemysteriesfortheirwivesandchildren。Howadmirablethecivillawwhichinspiteofreligionpreservesthemannersuntainted！

Augustus[14]excludedtheyouthofeithersexfromassistingatanynocturnalceremony，unlessaccompaniedbyamoreagedrelative；andwhenherevivedtheLupercalia，[15]hewouldnotallowtheyoungmentorunnaked。

16。HowtheLawsofReligioncorrecttheInconveniencesofapoliticalConstitution。Ontheotherhand，religionmaysupportastatewhenthelawsthemselvesareincapableofdoingit。

Thuswhenakingdomisfrequentlyagitatedbycivilwars，religionmaydomuchbyobligingonepartofthestatetoremainalwaysquiet。AmongtheGreeks，theEleans，aspriestsofApollo，livedalwaysinpeace。InJapan，[16]thecityofMeacoenjoysaconstantpeace，asbeingaholycity。Religionsupportsthisregulation，andthatempire，whichseemstobealoneuponearth，andwhichneitherhasnorwillhaveanydependenceonforeigners，hasalwaysinitsownbosomatradewhichwarcannotruin。

Inkingdomswherewarsarenotentereduponbyageneralconsent，andwhereth