No More Learning

Socrates feigns himself extremely pleas d that he hadfoundaManofsoclearaHeadandsogreatA- bilities,whomightgivehim somuch assistanceinthe troublesomeAffair inwhichAE^/i/<<s had engag'd him^
\ and earnestly conjures him to teach him what is pro perlyholy,andwhatprofane3andtogivehim such
? ? *\she Abridgment o/Eutyphron^ 32$
a just Idea of both, as may always enable him to distinguish em with certainty.
Eutyphron here still keeps his Character very
well. That isholy (fays he) which I am doing,
namely to prosecute in a Court of Judicature every
one -that commits Murder, Sacrilege, or any other
unjust Act of the like Nature, without any distincti
on;LetitbeFather,Mother,Brother;&c. 'Tis the fame thing. -? :? -
This Definition, which springs rather from blind" Zeal, than theknowledg of Holiness, not satisfying. Socrates, Eutyphron attempts to prove it by Authori ty. He. maintains that all Religion consisting in agitatingtheGods, hecouldnotdoamorepious
and holy thing than to prosecute his own Father, feeingJupiter putSaturninChains becausehede- v o u r ' d h i s C h i l d r e n -, a n d S a t u r n h i m s e l f ' h a d t r e a t e d Ccehk with yet more Rigour for some other Fault.
Socrates,insinuates thathedoubtsofthetruthof
these Stories, because even Reason teaches us not to
attributeanyunworthythingtotheDeity. How
ever (faysheIronicallytoEutyphronafterhisusual
manner)ifyou,whoaresoableaManinReligious
Matters,agree with theCommonPeopleinthis,
and believe these Traditions as well as they, 'tisab
solutely necessary that I should believe 'em too, I.
whoambutignorantinthesethings. ThereforeI
entreatyouintheName ofthatGodwhopresides!
overFriendship,donotdeceiveme,butteilme if
you believe that thereever were iuchthings, as you have been relating. "'-. . ? :;;
T h i s B i g o t w h o is a l w a y s c r e d u l o u s a n d conceited. ,- '
makes no scruple not only to lay, that he. believes it,:
butadds that he-believesthings"yetmore surprizing,
of which the Common People are ignorant, mean
ing without doubt the Mysteries that were known
only to those that were Initiated \ and maintains,all
the Fables of Poets and Fancies of Painters as funda mentalPointsofReligion. -:? ?
Y 2
Socra-
? ? . Swrates doesJK>t trouble himselfwith . thsConfii- tationof'em^ that would fetfh Jthp Diipute too soon,andheisnotwillingtooffendhim. There- fore he proceeds to ask him, as ifhe were willing to he instructed . by him, what. it is. that :he calls pious and holy, and desires -him to give aclear and distinct Idea \/j which he may j<<dg ? f evei7 thing that"is. pious and holy, for a true Definition ought to. majteknown theEssenceandNature. (C)J"tha,twhich is/defin'd. . 7 ,- ? . -. ] '
? Eittypbron answers, that it is ;tlvat Wihjcfi is plea-
lingto theGods,and conleque. ntiy. ^titMtas. pipi^Be and impious which is displeasing ? o 'erri.
Soecrates tafcesadvantage of this Definition, ari. (hows that the Gods being often divided among themselves, theirQuarrels must needs arisefrom tihek. disagreementaboutwhasisjustqrunjust; pro faneorholy. Andthataccording,tothis,oneand the fame thing is holy and profane, seeiqg. it pleases femeof"emanddispleasesothers. Thereforethe Definition of holy and profane carft subsist with the Plurality ofGods.
* t. This Consequence is certain, and would be suffi cient to reclaim a wise M a n from that Error, and toconvincehimthatthereisbutoneGod. But Eufyphron preserves his Character better than so. 'Tisno such ealy matter to undeceive a superstitious Man. ToeludethisConsequenceheengagesto. prove that the Action of his lather was diipleasing to all the Gods, and that his was agreable to 'em.
Socrates does not press him with theAbsurdity of this Persuasion, which is radier a Supposition than a Certainty, for since their Theologie acknowledges thattheGodsareveryoften contestingaboutMat tersof thisNature, how couldEutypbronbe cer tain that they agreed about the Action he was going to undertake ? In an Affair :of this Consequence a'
greater Certainty, is requisite than that which arises. 11omOpinion:ItwasveryeasybythisMeansto reduce him to an Absurdity :but Socrates takes ano-.
tfier
? ? ThejfyrMgmwtofEutyphron. 31c
{her course to expose the Ignorance of the M a n still m o r e ? , a n d t h e r e b y t o o v e r t h r o w a R e l i g i o n w h i c h h a d
nobetterPropsthanthese- Thereiforeheconvinces him that this Definition is not perfect.
Eutyphron thinks to rectifie it by laying, that whichisHolyi. swhatpleasesalltheGods-,But Socrates answers, that this is only to explain one of Jheyroperties of a holyThingJinstead of discovering theEijfenceofit. Hedoesnotaskifthatwhichis Holy is. belov'dofthe Gods, noBody doubts ofthat: He -wp,uldknow why itislov'd, and what itisthat fendersitworthyofLove. Forifthatwhichisho ly, and that which is. belov'd of the Gods were the l a r n e t h i n g -, s i n c e t h e G o d s l o v e t h a t w h i c h i s h o l y onlybecauseitisholv, theywouldlovethatwhich theyloveonlybecauseitwasbelov'dof'em. And on the other hand, ifthat which is 'be'loy'd of the Gods were belov'd of'em only because they love it, itwouldfollowthattheGods lovewithoutreason, andthat. thatwhichisholywould beholyonlybe cause itwas belov'd. In a word, (he fays)thereisa great deal ofdifference between these 2 Terms, Holy andBelov'doftheGojs, addtheyareentirelyoppo site. For oneMan islov'donlybecausetheylove
him, andanotherislov'd,becausehedeserves. tobe lov'd. Thatistolay,ThatwhichisHolyisbelov'd of the Gods only because itisHoly, but'tisnotHo lybecause'tisbelov'dofthem. TheMatterinhand therefore is to explain the Nature of that which is Holy, and not its Qualities, and to define what it isandwhytheGodsloveit. Thisisveryperplex ing-to"asuperstitiousMan,who continuallytakesup things without Examination, and believes a thing on ly because he believesit.
Eutyphron does not dissemble his Trouble but con fessesthathisThoughtsarefluctuating, and thathe knowsnothowtofix'em.
Socratestomake theMatter(which isveryseri ous) a little pleasant, takes occasion from it to ipeak ofthe Works pf(kdaius^ who made moveable Sta-
? ? ' tue. 3,
? ? |i&
7he Abridgment os Eutyphron?
tues, which never stood still but when a certain
springwhichtheyhadwastyedandstop'd. Helet's
Eutyphron know that hisPrinciplesare as moveable
astheseStatues. TheGoverningSpringisnotyet
stop'd,butiscontinuallygoing, hismeaningis,that ? Eutyphron spoke by Opinion, and not at all by Sci
ence. Tohelphimoutthereforeheaskshimifhe doesnotthinkthatwhichisHolyisJust. Tothis Eutyphron agrees : Next to this the Question is, whetherthatwhich isHoly isapartofthatwhichis Just, or that which is Just a part of that which is Holy. TissoondecidedthatwhatisJustistheGe nusandwhatisHolytheSpecies. Forthereare manythingsJustwhicharenotHoly;butnoneHo ly which are not Just. So that what is Just has a larg er extent than what is Holy.
Nothingnowremainsbuttoknowwhatpartof thatwhichisJustthatwhich isHolyis;Eutyphron fays,'tisthat partofJusticewhichrespectstheGods, and the Care of their Worship, and that the other i? artconcernsMen only.
This Answer throws 'em into another Difficulty, and thatishow toknowinwhatthisReligiousCare consists, and whether it be of the Nature of all other Cares, which tend to the Profit of that which iscar'dfor. Forifso,ourHolinessmustrenderthe Gods better and more excellent, which would be an impious Thought.
E u t y p h r o n a n s w e r s , t h a t 'tis a C a r e l i k e t h a t w h i c h ServantstakeoftheirMasters: Holinessthen(fays Socrates) is a kind of Servant to the Gods : But what do the Gods do by the Ministry of this Ser vant ? For as Physicians operate Health by the M i nistry of their Ait ; the Gods must needs operate somethingbytheMinistryofourHoliness. Now what is it that they operate ? Eutyphron answers, that they engage us to please them by our Pray ers and Sacriiices, and that Holiness and Piety ronfist in this on which the Welfare of Fami nes and Republicks depends. As on the contra
ry
? ? The Abridgment of Eutyphroru 3 iy
rf Impiety is the ruin, both of particular Person? and States. >_
Socrates collectsfrom this indefinite Answer, that
HolinessistheArt ofsacrificingandpraying. To
iacrificeistogive,andtoprayistoask. Sothat
Holinessconsistsingivingandasking. Suchthings
only are ask'd as are wanted, and such things only
givenasarenecessarytothosetowhomtheyare given ? , for it would be ridiculous to give a thing
which they have no occasionfor.
From hence he draws this Conclusion, that Holi
nessisaTraffickbetweenGodandMan. Butwhat profit can God receive from our Offerings ? For as forus'tisveryvisiblewhatprofitwe receivefrom him, sincewe havenottheleastGoodbutwhatpro ceedsfromhisBounty:Arewe thensocrafty (says he)todrawalltheAdvantageofthisCommerceto our selves only, so that G o d gets nothing by it >
Eutyphron prels'd with this Argument , shuts up all in laying, that God leaves what is profitable to us, and contents himselfwith that which is plea sant -, and that 'tis our Respect, and Gratitude that is so pleasant to him ; which returns exactly to the former Definition; thatthat is Holy which isplea sing to the Gods.
Socrates shows him, that he has hitherto only made a Circle, and entreats him not to refuse him the knowledg of so great a good. But Eutyphron like a true Votary of Superstion, who isalways presumptuous, and never confesses his Ignorance, seeksonlyhowtogetridofhim, andrefersthis Enquiry to another time, telling him some urgent Business calls him elsewhere.
Thus ends this Dialogue, which destroys the false Opinions which then reign'd in the World, withoutestablishingthetrue. TheDeathofSocra tes occasion'd P/ato to write thus imperfectly and sparingly. BesidesthisishisMethod, healways refutesbeforeheteaches. Buthismannerofre
futing fails not to make a discovery by way of An- t-icip^
? ? 3 1 8
T&e Jhridgtoem of Eutyphfdft.
ticipation of what he designs to establish, and does maintainelsewhere. Herewe seethe superstitious Man isalwaysneartheTruth, butneverreachesit. "Tis certainthatHoliness ispleasing toGod, 'sis c e r t a i n l i k e w i s e t h a t it p r o d u c e s a k i n d o f G o r n m e r < s t e between God and Men, arid that this-consists in Giving and Asking-, but the ignorant Athenians con- ceiv'd this after too gross a'manner.
Holiness can't be in us without Conversion, nor Conversion without Love, arid this Love engages us togiveourservesentirelyGod,andtoaskofhim togivehimselftous,thathemaykeepaliveinus that divine Flame which purifies our Souk, and makesusresemblehim. InthisconsiststhatCom mercebetweenGod andMet)-,whichmakesupthe whole of Religion, as Socrates and Flato both acknowledges
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? ? THE
WORKS OF
PLATO ABRIDG'D.
WITH
An AccountofhisLife, Philoso phy, Morals, and Politicks.
Together with a Translation of hischoicestDialogues, vi%9
rWhatoneoughttodo. 0f. )ImmortalityoftheSou/,
1 ^Valour, Philosophy.
InTwa Volumes. Illustrated with Notes. By M . D A C 1 E R.
Translated from the Frcnek VOL. IL
LONDON;
Printedfor A. Bell, at the Cross-Keys and Bible Cornhi//, nearStocks-Market, 1701.
? L
? \--? * -r
v. . _>"/ -. v~
i&J
. . j. t'a.
ojiqcp ? ? ! -. ;-. . ;? ? ? *'? V^
\/y,\\r \}yi v. \ nr--y /. ':? ;? -? ;-? ;u;r>>-
\rroA
? ? THE
INTRODUCTION to
SOCRATES** Apology.
IN EutyphronWelawhowSocratesattack'dthe'
Superstition of the Athenians and the plurali
ty of their Gods, by exposing the ridiculous
ness of the Fables with which their Divinity Was sturPd? ,and by that means endeavouring td
bring'emtotheknowledgeofthetrueGod. They were a People devoted to Idolatry, and always up on their guard against Innovationsj witness thai A&s oftheApostles, where we feetheAthenians,
who were disturb'd at the preaching ofSt. Paul,
cry'd out, Hefeemeth tobe asetterforth ofstrangeGh. i3M& Gods. NowaPeoplethusdisposed,couldnotbut
be alarm'd by a Doctrine lo opposite to their Er rors. Butthatwasnotthefirstibringoftheirha tredofSocrates. TheVertueandgenerousLiberty of that wife Man procur'd him many secret Ene mies,who, inordertoget ridofapublicsCensor
that always twitted them with their Vices, decry'd him underhand, as being. an impious Fellow, that meddled withsuspectedSciences,and taughttheway ofpromotingInjustice. Aristophaneswasthemolt serviceable Instrument in spreading that Calumny. - His Comedy of the Clouds had such an absolute in fluenceuponthePeople,thatitmov'dthemtore ceivetheAcculationbrought againstthisPhilosopher' more than twenty Years after^ branding him lot a profligateWretelithatintroduc'dnewDeities. The!
A a 2 Causel
? ? the Introduction to Socrates'* Apology.
Cause being formally brought to a Trial, Socrates was oblig'dto appear before his Judges, and answer thosetwo sortsofAccusers. 'Twasaboveallupon thisOccasion,as beingthelastact:ofhisLife, that he admirablykeptup theCharacterofanancient Philosopher, endow'd with a divine Spirit, and a consummate Wisdom ; who never did an unadvis'd Action,norspokesomuchasoneWordamiss. Even Death it self, when threatned and presented to his view, could not oblige him to depart one mi nute" from the Paths of Ver$ue and Justice. He
speaks downright of his Innocence, and does not stoop to the cowardly base methods of begging Votes,thatwere theninuse. Heemploysneither the Artifice nor Varnish of human Eloquence : He has no recourse to Supplications and Tears, he do's not bring his Wife and Children to soften the JudgeswiththeirGroansandLamentations. His
Defence do's not savour of any thing that's cringing, cowardly, base or little: His Discourse is high, m a s culine, generous, and becoming the liberty of a Phi losopher. HegaveinhisDefenceswithsomuch
plainness and simplicity, that some ofthe Ancients tookoccasion fromthence tofay,Thathedidnot clearhimselfoftheCharge. 'Tistrue,hedidnot speakasPersonsupontheirTrialus'dtodo. He contented himself with speaking to the Judges as h e us'd to d o in c o m m o n discourse, a n d w i t h p r o p o sing some Questions to his Accusers. So that his Part was rather a familiar Discourse, than a study'd Harangue, which did not suit with his Genius. H o w ever, eventhis hiscarelessApology, was trueand tothepurpose. P/ate,whowasthenpresent,after wardsgather'ditinto aBody;andwithoutadding any thing to the Truth, form'd it into a Discourse,
. set off with an Eloquence, almost Divine-, which, to my mind,do'sinfinitelysurpassalltheMaster-Pieces of that nature yet known. No other Work can shew so much Candor and Ingenuity, joyn'd with 16much Force. But,afterall,themolt admirable
. . . thing
? ? the IntroduElion to Socrates /*Apologjs,
thing in this Discourse, is not its Eloquence, but the"
fine Sentiments 'tis full of. Here Generosity, Rea
son, Piety and Justice, are display'd with all their S p l e n d o r ? , a n d t h e M a x i m s s c a t t e r ' d h e r e a n d t h e r e
may justly be reckon'd Sacred. Who would not
wonder at this Lesion of Socrates ? viz. That a Pri soner arraignedought nottomake ithis business to
raise the Pity os the fudge, that he ought to affeS him by his Reasons. and not by his Requests', and procure
an Absolution by suffice and not by favour : For a Judge is not placed on the Bench to oblige People by
violating the Laws ; but to do Justice pursuant to them. Heswearstothispurpose;andhisOathought tobeinviolable. NowanhonestManshouldnotsoli' cit his Judge to be guilty oj Perjury ; and a Judge-
shouldnotsufferhimselftobeinveigled. Else,two innocent Persons will become two Criminals. He teachesthatanhonestManoughtalwaystostand to his Post, let the impending Danger be never so great; that he ought to obey hisSuperiors,and part withhisLifewhentheydemandit. for,fayshe, there's nothing more criminal andscandalous, than to disobeySuperior Powers, whetherGodorMan. He teaches us not to fear Death; but Shame, which pursuesMen moreswiftlythanDeath itself. He is of Opinion that our ordinary Exercise should be, discoursing of Vertue, and putting our selves to the test of its Rules-, for a Life without examination, is noLifeatall. Inoneword, thisApology isaper
fectModelofthedueConductofanhonestMan in all theConditionsofLife,and especially ofthe manner how a Person unjustly accus'd ought to deT fend himself.
Several Persons who assisted in the Court upon this Occasion , drew up Socrates's Apology ; in which every one produe'd the Arguments that oc-
curr'd to his memory, or those that affected him most ; and all of 'em kept true to the lofty and magnanimous Temper ofthis Philosopher. After gil the rest, Xenophon compil'd one upon the rela-
Aa3 tion
? ? (f
The IntroduSiionto Socrates'* Apology.