a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第15节

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advantages　（for　by　such　alone　can　one　nation　be　distinguished　from



another）；　whereas　in　regard　to　intellect　and　true　virtue；　every　nation　is　on



a　par　with　the　rest；　and　God　has　not　in　these　respects　chosen　one　people



rather　than　another。























CHAPTER　IV。　…　OF　THE　DIVINE　LAW。







（1）　The　word　law；　taken　in　the　abstract；　means　that　by　which　an　individual；



or　all　things；　or　as　many　things　as　belong　to　a　particular　species；　act　in



one　and　the　same　fixed　and　definite　manner；　which　manner　depends　either　on



natural　necessity　or　on　human　decree。　（2）　A　law　which　depends　on　natural



necessity　is　one　which　necessarily　follows　from　the　nature；　or　from　the



definition　of　the　thing　in　question；　a　law　which　depends　on　human　decree；



and　which　is　more　correctly　called　an　ordinance；　is　one　which　men　have　laid



down　for　themselves　and　others　in　order　to　live　more　safely　or　conveniently；



or　from　some　similar　reason。







（3）　For　example；　the　law　that　all　bodies　impinging　on　lesser　bodies；　lose　as



much　of　their　own　motion　as　they　communicate　to　the　latter　is　a　universal



law　of　all　bodies；　and　depends　on　natural　necessity。　（4）　So；　too；　the　law



that　a　man　in　remembering　one　thing；　straightway　remembers　another　either



like　it；　or　which　he　had　perceived　simultaneously　with　it；　is　a　law　which



necessarily　follows　from　the　nature　of　man。　（5）　But　the　law　that　men　must



yield；　or　be　compelled　to　yield；　somewhat　of　their　natural　right；　and　that



they　bind　themselves　to　live　in　a　certain　way；　depends　on　human　decree。　（6）



Now；　though　I　freely　admit　that　all　things　are　predetermined　by　universal



natural　laws　to　exist　and　operate　in　a　given；　fixed；　and　definite



manner；　I　still　assert　that　the　laws　I　have　just　mentioned　depend　on　human



decree。







（1。）　（7）　Because　man；　in　so　far　as　he　is　a　part　of　nature；　constitutes　a



part　of　the　power　of　nature。　（8）　Whatever；　therefore；　follows　necessarily



from　the　necessity　of　human　nature　（that　is；　from　nature　herself；　in　so　far



as　we　conceive　of　her　as　acting　through　man）　follows；　even　though　it　be



necessarily；　from　human　power。　（9）　Hence　the　sanction　of　such　laws　may　very



well　be　said　to　depend　on　man's　decree；　for　it　principally　depends　on　the



power　of　the　human　mind；　so　that　the　human　mind　in　respect　to　its　perception



of　things　as　true　and　false；　can　readily　be　conceived　as　without　such　laws；



but　not　without　necessary　law　as　we　have　just　defined　it。







（2。）　（10）　I　have　stated　that　these　laws　depend　on　human　decree　because　it　is



well　to　define　and　explain　things　by　their　proximate　causes。　（11）　The



general　consideration　of　fate　and　the　concatenation　of　causes　would　aid　us



very　little　in　forming　and　arranging　our　ideas　concerning　particular



questions。　（12）　Let　us　add　that　as　to　the　actual　coordination　and



concatenation　of　things；　that　is　how　things　are　ordained　and　linked



together；　we　are　obviously　ignorant；　therefore；　it　is　more　profitable　for



right　living；　nay；　it　is　necessary　for　us　to　consider　things　as　contingent。



（13）　So　much　about　law　in　the　abstract。







（14）　Now　the　word　law　seems　to　be　only　applied　to　natural　phenomena　by



analogy；　and　is　commonly　taken　to　signify　a　command　which　men　can　either



obey　or　neglect；　inasmuch　as　it　restrains　human　nature　within　certain



originally　exceeded　limits；　and　therefore　lays　down　no　rule　beyond　human



strength。　（15）　Thus　it　is　expedient　to　define　law　more　particularly　as　a



plan　of　life　laid　down　by　man　for　himself　or　others　with　a　certain　object。







（16）　However；　as　the　true　object　of　legislation　is　only　perceived　by　a　few；



and　most　men　are　almost　incapable　of　grasping　it；　though　they　live　under　its



conditions；　legislators；　with　a　view　to　exacting　general　obedience；　have



wisely　put　forward　another　object；　very　different　from　that　which



necessarily　follows　from　the　nature　of　law：　they　promise　to　the　observers　of



the　law　that　which　the　masses　chiefly　desire；　and　threaten　its　violators



with　that　which　they　chiefly　fear：　thus　endeavouring　to　restrain　the　masses；



as　far　as　may　be；　like　a　horse　with　a　curb；　whence　it　follows　that　the　word



law　is　chiefly　applied　to　the　modes　of　life　enjoined　on　men　by　the　sway　of



others；　hence　those　who　obey　the　law　are　said　to　live　under　it　and　to　be



under　compulsion。　（17）　In　truth；　a　man　who　renders　everyone　their　due



because　he　fears　the　gallows；　acts　under　the　sway　and　compulsion　of　others；



and　cannot　be　called　just。　（18）　But　a　man　who　does　the　same　from　a　knowledge



of　the　true　reason　for　laws　and　their　necessity；　acts　from　a　firm　purpose



and　of　his　own　accord；　and　is　therefore　properly　called　just。　（19）　This；　I



take　it；　is　Paul's　meaning　when　he　says；　that　those　who　live　under　the　law



cannot　be　justified　through　the　law；　for　justice；　as　commonly　defined；　is



the　constant　and　perpetual　will　to　render　every　man　his　due。　（20）　Thus



Solomon　says　（Prov。　xxi：15）；　〃It　is　a　joy　to　the　just　to　do　judgment；〃　but



the　wicked　fear。







（21）　Law；　then；　being　a　plan　of　living　which　men　have　for　a　certain　object



laid　down　for　themselves　or　others；　may；　as　it　seems；　be　divided　into　human



law　and　Divine　law。　｛But　both　are　opposite　sides　of　the　same　coin｝







（22）　By　human　law　I　mean　a　plan　of　living　which　serves　only　to　render　life



and　the　state　secure。　（23）　By　Divine　law　I　mean　that　which　only　regards　the



highest　good；　in　other　words；　the　true　knowledge　of　God　and　love。







（24）　I　call　this　law　Divine　because　of　the　nature　of　the　highest　good；　which



I　will　here　shortly　explain　as　clearly　as　I　can。







（25）　Inasmuch　as　the　intellect　is　the　best　part　of　our　being；　it　is　evident



that　we　should　make　every　effort　to　perfect　it　as　far　as　possible　if　we



desire　to　search　for　what　is　really　profitable　to　us。　（26）　For　in



intellectual　perfection　the　highest　good　should　consist。　（27）　Now；　since　all



our　knowledge；　and　the　certainty　which　removes　every　doubt；　depend　solely　on



the　knowledge　of　God；…　firstly；　because　without　God　nothing　can　exist　or　be



conceived；　secondly；　because　so　long　as　we　have　no　clear　and　distinct　idea



of　God　we　may　remain　in　universal　doubt　…　it　follows　that　our　highest　good



and　perfection　also　depend　solely　on　the　knowledge　of　God。　（28）　Further；



since　without　God　nothing　can　exist　or　be　conceived；　it　is　evident　that　all



natural　phenomena　involve　and　express　the　conception　of　God　as　far　as　their



essence　and　perfection　extend；　so　that　we　have　greater　and　more　perfect



knowledge　of　God　in　proportion　to　our　knowledge　of　natural　phenomena：



conversely　（since　the　knowledge　of　an　effect　through　its　cause　is　the　same



thing　as　the　knowledge　of　a　particular　property　of　a　cause）　the　greater　our



knowledge　of　natural　phenomena；　the　more　perfect　is　our　knowledge　of　the



essence　of　God　（which　is　the　cause　of　all　things）。　（29）　So；　then；　our



highest　good　not　only　depends　on　the　knowledge　of　God；　but　wholly　consists



therein；　and　it　further　follows　that　man　is　perfect　or　the　reverse　in



proportion　to　the　nature　and　perfection　of　the　object　of　his　special　desire；



hence　the　most　perfect　and　the　chief　sharer　in　the　highest　blessedness　is　he



who　prizes　above　all　else；　and　takes　especial　delight　in；　the　intellectual



knowledge　of　God；　the　most　perfect　Being。







（30）　Hither；　then；　our　highest　good　and　our　highest　blessedness　aim　…



namely；　to　the　knowledge　and　love　of　God；　therefore　the　means　demanded　by



this　aim　of　all　human　actions；　that　is；　by　God　in　so　far　as　the　idea　of　him



is　in　us；　may　be　called　the　commands　of　God；　because　they　proceed；　as　it



were；　from　God　Himself；　inasmuch　as　He　exists　in　our　minds；　and　the　plan　of



life　which　has　regard　to　this　aim　may　be　fitly　called　the　law　of　God。







（31）　The　nature　of　the　means；　and　the　plan　of　life　which　this　aim　demands；



how　the　foundations　of　the　best　states　follow　its　lines；　and　how　men's　life



is　conducted；　are　questions　pertaining　to　general　ethics。　（32）　Here　I　only



proceed　to　treat　of　the　Divine　law　in　a　particular　application。







（33）　As　the　love　of　God　is　man's　highest　happiness　and　blessedness；　and　the



ultimate　end　and　aim　of　all　human　actions；　it　follows　that　he　alone　lives　by



the　Divine　law　who　loves　God　not　from　fear　of　punishment；　or　from　love　of



any　other　object；　such　as　sensual　pleasure；　fame；　or　the　like；　but　solely



because　he　has　knowledge　of　God；　or　is　convinced　that　the　knowledge　and　love



of　God　is　the　highest　good。　（34）　The　sum　and　chief　precept；　then；　of　the



Divine　law　is　to　love　God　as　the　highest　good；　namely；　as　we　have　said；　not



from　fear　of　any　pains　and　penalties；　or　from　the　love　of　any　other　object



in　which　we　desire　to　take　pleasure。　（35）　The　idea　of　God　lays　down



the　rule　that　God　is　our　highest　good　…　in　other　words；　that　the　knowledge



and　love　of　God　is　the　ultimate　aim　to　whi