... the Christian religion not only was
at first attended with miracles, but even at this day cannot be
believed by any reasonable person without one. Mere reason is
insufficient to convince us of its veracity: And whoever is moved
by _Faith_ to assent to it, is conscious of a continual miracle in
his own person, which subverts all the principles of his
understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is
most contrary to custom and experience."--(IV. pp. 153, 154.)
It is obvious that, here and elsewhere, Hume, adopting a popular
confusion of ideas, uses religion as the equivalent of dogmatic
theology; and, therefore, he says, with perfect justice, that "religion
is nothing but a species of philosophy" (iv. p. 171). Here no doubt lies
the root of his antagonism. The quarrels of theologians and philosophers
have not been about religion, but about philosophy; and philosophers not
unfrequently seem to entertain the same feeling towards theologians that
sportsmen cherish towards poachers. "There cannot be two passions more
nearly resembling each other than hunting and philosophy," says Hume.
And philosophic hunters are given to think, that, while they pursue
truth for its own sake, out of pure love for the chase (perhaps mingled
with a little human weakness to be thought good shots), and by open and
legitimate methods; their theological competitors too often care merely
to supply the market of establishments; and disdain neither the aid of
the snares of superstition, nor the cover of the darkness of ignorance.
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