IX THE DOCTRINE OF IMMORTALITY 205 



mankind. The powers of men are no more superior to their wants, 

 considered merely in this life, than those of foxes and hares are, 

 compared to their wants and to their period of existence. The 

 inference from parity of reason is therefore obvious." 



In short, Hume argues that, if the faculties 

 with which we are endowed are unable to discover 

 a future state, and if the most attentive consider- 

 ation of their nature serves to show that they are 

 adapted to this life and nothing more, it is surely 

 inconsistent with any conception of justice that 

 we should be dealt with as if we had, all along, 

 had a clear knowledge of the fact thus carefully 

 concealed from us. What should we think of the 

 justice of a father, who gave his son every reason 

 to suppose that a trivial fault would only be 

 visited by a box on the ear ; and then, years after- 

 wards, put him on the rack for a week for the 

 same fault ? 



Again, the suggestion arises, if God is the 

 cause of all things, he is responsible for evil as 

 well as for good ; and it appears utterly irrecon- 

 cilable with our notions of justice that he should 

 punish another for that which he has, in fact, done 

 himself. Moreover, just punishment bears a 

 proportion to the offence, while suffering which is 

 infinite is ipso facto disproportionate to any finite 

 deed. 



"Why then eternal punishment for the temporary offences 

 of so frail a creature as man ? Can any one approve of Alex- 



