a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第17节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




in　the　name　of　God；　must　be　taken　to　have　had　a　clear　and　adequate



perception；　for　Christ　was　not　so　much　a　prophet　as　the　mouthpiece　of　God。



（67）　For　God　made　revelations　to　mankind　through　Christ　as　He　had　before



done　through　angels　…　that　is；　a　created　voice；　visions；　&c。　（68）　It　would



be　as　unreasonable　to　say　that　God　had　accommodated　his　revelations　to　the



opinions　of　Christ　as　that　He　had　before　accommodated　them　to　the　opinions



of　angels　（that　is；　of　a　created　voice　or　visions）　as　matters　to　be　revealed



to　the　prophets；　a　wholly　absurd　hypothesis。　（69）　Moreover；　Christ　was　sent



to　teach　not　only　the　Jews　but　the　whole　human　race；　and　therefore　it　was



not　enough　that　His　mind　should　be　accommodated　to　the　opinions　the　Jews



alone；　but　also　to　the　opinion　and　fundamental　teaching　common　to　the　whole



human　race　…　in　other　words；　to　ideas　universal　and　true。　（70）　Inasmuch　as



God　revealed　Himself　to　Christ；　or　to　Christ's　mind　immediately；　and　not　as



to　the　prophets　through　words　and　symbols；　we　must　needs　suppose　that　Christ



perceived　truly　what　was　revealed；　in　other　words；　He　understood　it；　for　a；



matter　is　understood　when　it　is　perceived　simply　by　the　mind　without　words



or　symbols。







（71）　Christ；　then；　perceived　（truly　and　adequately）　what　was　revealed；　and



if　He　ever　proclaimed　such　revelations　as　laws；　He　did　so　because　of　the



ignorance　and　obstinacy　of　the　people；　acting　in　this　respect　the　part　of



God；　inasmuch　as　He　accommodated　Himself　to　the　comprehension　of　the



people；　and　though　He　spoke　somewhat　more　clearly　than　the　other　prophets；



yet　He　taught　what　was　revealed　obscurely；　and　generally　through　parables；



especially　when　He　was　speaking　to　those　to　whom　it　was　not　yet　given　to



understand　the　kingdom　of　heaven。　（See　Matt。　xiii：10；　&c。）　（72）　To　those　to



whom　it　was　given　to　understand　the　mysteries　of　heaven；　He　doubtless　taught



His　doctrines　as　eternal　truths；　and　did　not　lay　them　down　as　laws；　thus



freeing　the　minds　of　His　hearers　from　the　bondage　of　that　law　which　He



further　confirmed　and　established。　（73）　Paul　apparently　points　to　this　more



than　once　（e。g。　Rom。　vii：6；　and　iii：28）；　though　he　never　himself　seems　to



wish　to　speak　openly；　but；　to　quote　his　own　words　（Rom。　iii：6；　and　vi：19）；



〃merely　humanly。〃　（74）　This　he　expressly　states　when　he　calls　God　just；　and



it　was　doubtless　in　concession　to　human　weakness　that　he　attributes　mercy；



grace；　anger；　and　similar　qualities　to　God；　adapting　his　language　to　the



popular　mind；　or；　as　he　puts　it　（1　Cor。　iii：1；　2）；　to　carnal　men。　（75）　In



Rom。　ix：18；　he　teaches　undisguisedly　that　God's　auger　and　mercy　depend　not



on　the　actions　of　men；　but　on　God's　own　nature　or　will；　further；　that　no



one　is　justified　by　the　works　of　the　law；　but　only　by　faith；　which　he　seems



to　identify　with　the　full　assent　of　the　soul；　lastly；　that　no　one　is　blessed



unless　he　have　in　him　the　mind　of　Christ　（Rom。　viii：9）；　whereby　he　perceives



the　laws　of　God　as　eternal　truths。　（76）　We　conclude；　therefore；　that　God　is



described　as　a　lawgiver　or　prince；　and　styled　just；　merciful；　&c。；　merely　in



concession　to　popular　understanding；　and　the　imperfection　of　popular



knowledge；　that　in　reality　God　acts　and　directs　all　things　simply　by　the



necessity　of　His　nature　and　perfection；　and　that　His　decrees　and　volitions



are　eternal　truths；　and　always　involve　necessity。　（77）　So　much　for　the　first



point　which　I　wished　to　explain　and　demonstrate。







（78）　Passing　on　to　the　second　point；　let　us　search　the　sacred　pages　for



their　teaching　concerning　the　light　of　nature　and　this　Divine　law。　（79）　The



first　doctrine　we　find　in　the　history　of　the　first　man；　where　it　is　narrated



that　God　commanded　Adam　not　to　eat　of　the　fruit　of　the　tree　of　the



knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　this　seems　to　mean　that　God　commanded　Adam　to　do



and　to　seek　after　righteousness　because　it　was　good；　not　because　the



contrary　was　evil：　that　is；　to　seek　the　good　for　its　own　sake；　not　from　fear



of　evil。　（80）　We　have　seen　that　he　who　acts　rightly　from　the　true　knowledge



and　love　of　right；　acts　with　freedom　and　constancy；　whereas　he　who　acts　from



fear　of　evil；　is　under　the　constraint　of　evil；　and　acts　in　bondage　under



external　control。　（81）　So　that　this　commandment　of　God　to　Adam　comprehends



the　whole　Divine　natural　law；　and　absolutely　agrees　with　the　dictates　of　the



light　of　nature；　nay；　it　would　be　easy　to　explain　on　this　basis　the　whole



history　or　allegory　of　the　first　man。　（82）　But　I　prefer　to　pass　over　the



subject　in　silence；　because；　in　the　first　place；　I　cannot　be　absolutely



certain　that　my　explanation　would　be　in　accordance　with　the　intention　of　the



sacred　writer；　and；　secondly；　because　many　do　not　admit　that　this　history　is



an　allegory；　maintaining　it　to　be　a　simple　narrative　of　facts。　（83）　It　will



be　better；　therefore；　to　adduce　other　passages　of　Scripture；　especially　such



as　were　written　by　him；　who　speaks　with　all　the　strength　of　his　natural



understanding；　in　which　he　surpassed　all　his　contemporaries；　and　whose



sayings　are　accepted　by　the　people　as　of　equal　weight　with



those　of　the　prophets。　（84）　I　mean　Solomon；　whose　prudence　and　wisdom　are



commended　in　Scripture　rather　than　his　piety　and　gift　of　prophecy。　（85）　Life



being　taken　to　mean　the　true　life　（as　is　evident　from　Deut。　xxx：19）；　the



fruit　of　the　understanding　consists　only　in　the　true　life；　and　its



absence　constitutes　punishment。　（86）　All　this　absolutely　agrees　with　what



was　set　out　in　our　fourth　point　concerning　natural　law。　（87）　Moreover　our



position　that　it　is　the　well…spring　of　life；　and　that　the　intellect　alone



lays　down　laws　for　the　wise；　is　plainly　taught　by；　the　sage；　for　he　says



（Prov。　xiii14）：　〃The　law　of　the　wise　is　a　fountain　of　life　〃　…　that　is；　as



we　gather　from　the　preceding　text；　the　understanding。　（88）　In　chap。　iii：13；



he　expressly　teaches　that　the　understanding　renders　man　blessed　and　happy；



and　gives　him　true　peace　of　mind。　〃Happy　is　the　man　that　findeth　wisdom；　and



the　man　that　getteth　understanding；〃　for　〃Wisdom　gives　length　of　days；　and



riches　and　honour；　her　ways　are　ways　of　pleasantness；　and　all　her　paths



peace〃　（xiiii6；　17）。　（89）　According　to　Solomon；　therefore；　it　is　only；



the　wise　who　live　in　peace　and　equanimity；　not　like　the　wicked　whose　minds



drift　hither　and　thither；　and　（as　Isaiah　says；　chap。　Ivii：20）　〃are　like　the



troubled　sea；　for　them　there　is　no　peace。〃







（90）　Lastly；　we　should　especially　note　the　passage　in　chap。　ii。　of　Solomon's



proverbs　which　most　clearly　confirms　our　contention：　〃If　thou　criest　after



knowledge；　and　liftest　up　thy　voice　for　understanding　。　。　。　then　shalt　thou



understand　the　fear　of　the　Lord；　and　find　the　knowledge　of　God；　for　the　Lord



giveth　wisdom；　out　of　His　mouth　cometh　knowledge　and　understanding。〃



（91）　These　words　clearly　enunciate　（1）；　that　wisdom　or　intellect　alone



teaches　us　to　fear　God　wisely　…　that　is；　to　worship　Him　truly；　（2）；　that



wisdom　and　knowledge　flow　from　God's　mouth；　and　that　God　bestows　on　us　this



gift；　this　we　have　already　shown　in　proving　that　our　understanding　and　our



knowledge　depend　on；　spring　from；　and　are　perfected　by　the　idea　or



knowledge　of　God；　and　nothing　else。　（92）　Solomon　goes　on　to　say　in　so　many



words　that　this　knowledge　contains　and　involves　the　true　principles　of



ethics　and　politics：　〃When　wisdom　entereth　into　thy　heart；　and　knowledge　is



pleasant　to　thy　soul；　discretion　shall　preserve　thee；　understanding　shall



keep　thee；　then　shalt　thou　understand　righteousness；　and　judgment；　and



equity；　yea　every　good　path。〃　（93）　All　of　which　is　in　obvious　agreement　with



natural　knowledge：　for　after　we　have　come　to　the　understanding　of　things；



and　have　tasted　the　excellence　of　knowledge；　she　teaches　us　ethics　and　true



virtue。







（94）　Thus　the　happiness　and　the　peace　of　him　who　cultivates　his　natural



understanding　lies；　according　to　Solomon　also；　not　so　much　under　the



dominion　of　fortune　（or　God's　external　aid）　as　in　inward　personal　virtue　（or



God's　internal　aid）；　for　the　latter　can　to　a　great　extent　be　preserved　by



vigilance；　right　action；　and　thought。







（95）　Lastly；　we　must　by　no　means　pass　over　the　passage　in　Paul's　Epistle　to



the　Romans；　i：20；　in　which　he　says：　〃For　the　invisible　things　of　God　from



the　creation　of　the　world　are　clearly　seen；　being　understood　by　the　things



that　are　made；　even　His　eternal　power　and　Godhead；　so　that　they　are　without



excuse；　because；　when　they　knew　God；　they　glorified　Him　not　as　God；　neither



were　they　thankful。〃　（96）　These　words　clearly　show　that　everyone　can　by　the



light　of　nature　clearly　understand　the　goodness　and　the　eternal　divinity　of



God；　and　can　thence　know　and　deduce　what　they　should　seek　for　and　what



avoid；　wherefore　the　Apostle　says　that　they　are　without　excuse　and　cannot



plea