a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第21节

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or　the　poetic　drama；　or　ordinary　chronicles；　with　the　attention　usually



given　to　such　writings；　on　the　other　hand；　if　a　man　is　absolutely　ignorant



of　the　Scriptures；　and　none　the　less　has　right　opinions　and　a　true



plan　of　life；　he　is　absolutely　blessed　and　truly　possesses　in　himself　the



spirit　of　Christ。







（88）　The　Jews　are　of　a　directly　contrary　way　of　thinking；　for　they　hold　that



true　opinions　and　a　true　plan　of　life　are　of　no　service　in　attaining



blessedness；　if　their　possessors　have　arrived　at　them　by　the　light　of　reason



only；　and　not　like　the　documents　prophetically　revealed　to　Moses。　（89）



Maimonides　ventures　openly　to　make　this　assertion：　〃Every　man　who　takes　to



heart　the　seven　precepts　and　diligently　follows　them；　is　counted　with　the



pious　among　the　nation；　and　an　heir　of　the　world　to　come；　that　is　to　say；　if



he　takes　to　heart　and　follows　them　because　God　ordained　them　in　the　law；　and



revealed　them　to　us　by　Moses；　because　they　were　of　aforetime　precepts　to　the



sons　of　Noah：　but　he　who　follows　them　as　led　thereto　by　reason；　is　not



counted　as　a　dweller　among　the　pious　or　among　the　wise　of　the　nations。〃　（90）



Such　are　the　words　Of　Maimonides；　to　which　R。　Joseph；　the　son　of　Shem　Job；



adds　in　his　book　which　he　calls　〃Kebod　Elohim；　or　God's　Glory；〃　that



although　Aristotle　（whom　he　considers　to　have　written　the　best　ethics　and　to



be　above　everyone　else）　has　not　omitted　anything　that　concerns



true　ethics；　and　which　he　has　adopted　in　his　own　book；　carefully　following



the　lines　laid　down；　yet　this　was　not　able　to　suffice　for　his　salvation；



inasmuch　as　he　embraced　his　doctrines　in　accordance　with　the　dictates　of



reason　and　not　as　Divine　documents　prophetically　revealed。







（91）　However；　that　these　are　mere　figments；　and　are　not　supported　by



Scriptural　authority　will；　I　think；　be　sufficiently　evident　to　the　attentive



reader；　so　that　an　examination　of　the　theory　will　be　sufficient　for　its



refutation。　（92）　It　is　not　my　purpose　here　to　refute　the　assertions　of　those



who　assert　that　the　natural　light　of　reason　can　teach　nothing；　of　any　value



concerning　the　true　way　of　salvation。　（93）　People　who　lay　no　claims　to



reason　for　themselves；　are　not　able　to　prove　by　reason　this　their　assertion；



and　if　they　hawk　about　something　superior　to　reason；　it　is　a　mere　figment；



and　far　below　reason；　as　their　general　method　of　life　sufficiently　shows。



（94）　But　there　is　no　need　to　dwell　upon　such　persons。　（95）　I　will　merely　add



that　we　can　only　judge　of　a　man　by　his　works。　（96）　If　a　man　abounds　in　the



fruits　of　the　Spirit　；　charity；　joy；　peace；　long…suffering；　kindness；



goodness；　faith；　gentleness；　chastity；　against　which；　as　Paul　says



（Gal。　v：22）；　there　is　no　law；　such　an　one；　whether　he　be　taught　by　reason



only　or　by　the　Scripture　only；　has　been　in　very　truth　taught　by　God；　and　is



altogether　blessed。　（97）　Thus　have　I　said　all　that　I　undertook　to　say



concerning　Divine　law。







End　of　Part　1























AUTHOR'S　ENDNOTES　TO　THE　THEOLOGICO…POLITICAL　TREATISE



CHAPTERS　I　to　V







Chapter　I







Endnote　1。　（1）　The　word　naw…vee'；　Strong：5030；　is　rightly　interpreted



by　Rabbi　Salomon　Jarchi；　but　the　sense　is　hardly　caught　by　Aben　Ezra；　who



was　not　so　good　a　Hebraist。　（2）　We　must　also　remark　that　this　Hebrew　word



for　prophecy　has　a　universal　meaning　and　embraces　all　kinds　of　prophecy。　（3）



Other　terms　are　more　special；　and　denote　this　or　that　sort　of　prophecy；



as　I　believe　is　well　known　to　the　learned。







Endnote　2。　（1）　〃Although；　ordinary　knowledge　is　Divine；　its　professors



cannot　be　called　prophets。〃　That　is；　interpreters　of　God。　（2）　For　he　alone



is　an　interpreter　of　God；　who　interprets　the　decrees　which　God　has　revealed



to　him；　to　others　who　have　not　received　such　revelation；　and　whose　belief；



therefore；　rests　merely　on　the　prophet's　authority　and　the　confidence



reposed　in　him。　（3）　If　it　were　otherwise；　and　all　who　listen　to　prophets



became　prophets　themselves；　as　all　who　listen　to　philosophers　become



philosophers；　a　prophet　would　no　longer　be　the　interpreter　of　Divine



decrees；　inasmuch　as　his　hearers　would　know　the　truth；　not　on　the；　authority



of　the　prophet；　but　by　means　of　actual　Divine　revelation　and　inward



testimony。　（4）　Thus　the　sovereign　powers　are　the　interpreters　of　their　own



rights　of　sway；　because　these　are　defended　only　by　their　authority　and



supported　by　their　testimony。







Endnote　3。　（1）　〃Prophets　were　endowed　with　a　peculiar　and



extraordinary　power。〃　（2）　Though　some　men　enjoy　gifts　which　nature　has　not



bestowed　on　their　fellows；　they　are　not　said　to　surpass　the　bounds　of　human



nature；　unless　their　special　qualities　are　such　as　cannot　be　said　to　be



deducible　from　the　definition　of　human　nature。　（3）　For　instance；　a　giant　is



a　rarity；　but　still　human。　（4）　The　gift　of　composing　poetry　extempore　is



given　to　very　few；　yet　it　is　human。　（5）　The　same　may；　therefore；　be　said　of



the　faculty　possessed　by　some　of　imagining　things　as　vividly　as　though　they



saw　them　before　them；　and　this　not　while　asleep；　but　while　awake。　（6）　But　if



anyone　could　be　found　who　possessed　other　means　and　other　foundations　for



knowledge；　he　might　be　said　to　transcend　the　limits　of　human　nature。







CHAPTER　III。



Endnote　4。　（1）　In　Gen。　xv。　it　is　written　that　God　promised　Abraham　to



protect　him；　and　to　grant　him　ample　rewards。　（2）　Abraham　answered　that　he



could　expect　nothing　which　could　be　of　any　value　to　him；　as　he　was　childless



and　well　stricken　in　years。







Endnote　5。　（1）　That　a　keeping　of　the　commandments　of　the　old　Testament



is　not　sufficient　for　eternal　life；　appears　from　Mark　x：21。











End　of　Endnotes　to　PART　I























End　of　Part　I