a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第6节

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sons　of　God。







（76）　This　reference　of　things　wonderful　to　God　was　not　peculiar　to　the　Jews。



（77）　Pharaoh；　on　hearing　the　interpretation　of　his　dream；　exclaimed　that　the



mind　of　the　gods　was　in　Joseph。　（78）　Nebuchadnezzar　told　Daniel　that　he



possessed　the　mind　of　the　holy　gods；　so　also　in　Latin　anything　well　made　is



often　said　to　be　wrought　with　Divine　hands；　which　is　equivalent　to　the



Hebrew　phrase；　wrought　with　the　hand　of　God。







（80）　We　can　now　very　easily　understand　and　explain　those　passages　of



Scripture　which　speak　of　the　Spirit　of　God。　（81）　In　some　places　the



expression　merely　means　a　very　strong；　dry；　and　deadly　wind；　as　in



Isaiah　xl：7；　〃The　grass　withereth；　the　flower　fadeth；　because　the　Spirit　of



the　Lord　bloweth　upon　it。〃　（82）　Similarly　in　Gen。　i：2：　〃The　Spirit　of　the



Lord　moved　over　the　face　of　the　waters。〃　（83）　At　other　times　it　is　used　as



equivalent　to　a　high　courage；　thus　the　spirit　of　Gideon　and　of　Samson　is



called　the　Spirit　of　the　Lord；　as　being　very　bold；　and　prepared　for　any



emergency。　（84）　Any　unusual　virtue　or　power　is　called　the　Spirit　or　Virtue



of　the　Lord；　Ex。　xxxi：3：　〃I　will　fill　him　（Bezaleel）　with　the　Spirit　of　the



Lord；〃　i。e。；　as　the　Bible　itself　explains；　with　talent　above　man's　usual



endowment。　（85）　So　Isa。　xi：2：　〃And　the　Spirit　of　the　Lord　shall　rest　upon



him；〃　is　explained　afterwards　in　the　text　to　mean　the　spirit　of　wisdom　and



understanding；　of　counsel　and　might。







（86）　The　melancholy　of　Saul　is　called　the　melancholy　of　the　Lord；　or　a　very



deep　melancholy；　the　persons　who　applied　the　term　showing　that　they



understood　by　it　nothing　supernatural；　in　that　they　sent　for　a　musician　to



assuage　it　by　harp…playing。　（87）　Again；　the　〃Spirit　of　the　Lord〃　is　used



as　equivalent　to　the　mind　of　man；　for　instance；　Job　xxvii：3：　〃And　the　Spirit



of　the　Lord　in　my　nostrils；〃　the　allusion　being　to　Gen。　ii：7：　〃And　God



breathed　into　man's　nostrils　the　breath　of　life。〃　（88）　Ezekiel　also；



prophesying　to　the　dead；　says　（xxvii：14）；　〃And　I　will　give　to　you　My　Spirit；



and　ye　shall　live；〃　i。e。　I　will　restore　you　to　life。　（89）　In　Job　xxxiv：14；



we　read：　〃If　He　gather　unto　Himself　His　Spirit　and　breath；〃　in　Gen。　vi：3：



〃My　Spirit　shall　not　always　strive　with　man；　for　that　he　also　is　flesh；〃



i。e。　since　man　acts　on　the　dictates　of　his　body；　and　not　the　spirit　which　I



gave　him　to　discern　the　good；　I　will　let　him　alone。　（90）　So；　too；　Ps。　li：12：



〃Create　in　me　a　clean　heart；　0　God；　and　renew　a　right　spirit　within　me；　cast



me　not　away　from　Thy　presence；　and　take　not　Thy　Holy　Spirit　from　me。〃　（91）



It　was　supposed　that　sin　originated　only　from　the　body；　and　that　good



impulses　come　from　the　mind；　therefore　the　Psalmist　invokes　the　aid　of　God



against　the　bodily　appetites；　but　prays　that　the　spirit　which　the　Lord；　the



Holy　One；　had　given　him　might　be　renewed。　（92）　Again；　inasmuch　as　the　Bible；



in　concession　to　popular　ignorance；　describes　God　as　having　a　mind；　a　heart；



emotions　…　nay；　even　a　body　and　breath　…　the　expression　Spirit　of　the　Lord



is　used　for　God's　mind；　disposition；　emotion；　strength；　or　breath。



（93）　Thus；　Isa。　xl：13：　〃Who　hath　disposed　the　Spirit　of　the　Lord？〃　i。e。　who；



save　Himself；　hath　caused　the　mind　of　the　Lord　to　will　anything；？　and



Isa。　lxiii：10：　〃But　they　rebelled；　and　vexed　the　Holy　Spirit。〃







（94）　The　phrase　comes　to　be　used　of　the　law　of　Moses；　which　in　a　sense



expounds　God's　will；　Is。　lxiii。　11；　〃Where　is　He　that　put　His　Holy　Spirit



within　him？〃　meaning；　as　we　clearly　gather　from　the　context；　the　law　of



Moses。　（95）　Nehemiah；　speaking　of　the　giving　of　the　law；　says；　i：20；



〃Thou　gavest　also　thy　good　Spirit　to　instruct　them。〃　（96）　This　is　referred



to　in　Deut。　iv：6；　〃This　is　your　wisdom　and　understanding；〃　and　in



Ps。　cxliii：10；　〃Thy　good　Spirit　will　lead　me　into　the　land　of　uprightness。〃



（97）　The　Spirit　of　the　Lord　may　mean　the　breath　of　the　Lord；　for　breath；　no



less　than　a　mind；　a　heart；　and　a　body　are　attributed　to　God　in　Scripture；　as



in　Ps。　xxxiii：6。　（98）　Hence　it　gets　to　mean　the　power；　strength；　or　faculty



of　God；　as　in　Job　xxxiii：4；　〃The　Spirit　of　the　Lord　made　me；〃　i。e。　the



power；　or；　if　you　prefer；　the　decree　of　the　Lord。　（99）　So　the　Psalmist　in



poetic　language　declares；　xxxiii：6；　〃By　the　word　of　the　Lord　were　the



heavens　made；　and　all　the　host　of　them　by　the　breath　of　His　mouth；〃　i。e。　by



a　mandate　issued；　as　it　were；　in　one　breath。　（100）　Also　Ps。　cxxxix：7；



〃Wither　shall　I　go　from　Thy　Spirit；　or　whither　shall　I　flee　from　Thy



presence？〃　i。e。　whither　shall　I　go　so　as　to　be　beyond　Thy　power　and　Thy



presence？







（101）　Lastly；　the　Spirit　of　the　Lord　is　used　in　Scripture　to　express　the



emotions　of　God；　e。g。　His　kindness　and　mercy；　Micah　ii：7；　〃Is　the　Spirit



＇i。e。　the　mercy＇　of　the　Lord　straitened？　（102）　Are　these　cruelties　His



doings？〃　（103）　Zech。　iv：6；　〃Not　by　might　or　by　power；　but　My　Spirit　＇i。e。



mercy＇；　saith　the　Lord　of　hosts。〃　（104）　The　twelfth　verse　of　the　seventh



chapter　of　the　same　prophet　must；　I　think；　be　interpreted　in　like　manner：



〃Yea；　they　made　their　hearts　as　an　adamant　stone；　lest　they　should　hear　the



law；　and　the　words　which　the　Lord　of　hosts　hath　sent　in　His　Spirit　＇i。e。　in



His　mercy＇　by　the　former　prophets。〃　（105）　So　also　Haggai　ii：5：　〃So　My　Spirit



remaineth　among　you：　fear　not。〃







（106）　The　passage　in　Isaiah　xlviii：16；　〃And　now　the　Lord　and　His　Spirit　hath



sent　me；〃　may　be　taken　to　refer　to　God's　mercy　or　His　revealed　law；　for　the



prophet　says；　〃From　the　beginning〃　（i。e。　from　the　time　when　I　first　came　to



you；　to　preach　God's　anger　and　His　sentence　forth　against　you）　〃I　spoke　not



in　secret；　from　the　time　that　it　was；　there　am　I；〃　and　now　I　am　sent　by



the　mercy　of　God　as　a　joyful　messenger　to　preach　your　restoration。　（107）　Or



we　may　understand　him　to　mean　by　the　revealed　law　that　he　had　before　come　to



warn　them　by　the　command　of　the　law　（Levit。　xix：17）　in　the　same　manner　under



the　same　conditions　as　Moses　had　warned　them；　that　now；　like　Moses；　he　ends



by　preaching　their　restoration。　（108）　But　the　first　explanation　seems　to　me



the　best。







（109）　Returning；　then；　to　the　main　object　of　our　discussion；　we　find　that



the　Scriptural　phrases；　〃The　Spirit　of　the　Lord　was　upon　a　prophet；〃　〃The



Lord　breathed　His　Spirit　into　men；〃　〃Men　were　filled　with　the　Spirit　of　God；



with　the　Holy　Spirit；〃　&c。；　are　quite　clear　to　us；　and　mean　that　prophets



were　endowed　with　a　peculiar　and　extraordinary　power；　and　devoted　themselves



to　piety　with　especial　constancy（3）；　that　thus　they　perceived　the　mind　or



the　thought　of　God；　for　we　have　shown　that　God's　Spirit　signifies　in　Hebrew



God's　mind　or　thought；　and　that　the　law　which　shows　His　mind　and　thought　is



called　His　Spirit；　hence　that　the　imagination　of　the　prophets；　inasmuch　as



through　it　were　revealed　the　decrees　of　God；　may　equally　be　called　the　mind



of　God；　and　the　prophets　be　said　to　have　possessed　the　mind　of　God。　（110）　On



our　minds　also　the　mind　of　God　and　His　eternal　thoughts　are　impressed；　but



this　being　the　same　for　all　men　is　less　taken　into　account；　especially　by



the　Hebrews；　who　claimed　a　pre…eminence；　and　despised　other　men　and　other



men's　knowledge。







（111）　Lastly；　the　prophets　were　said　to　possess　the　Spirit　of　God　because



men　knew　not　the　cause　of　prophetic　knowledge；　and　in　their　wonder　referred



it　with　other　marvels　directly　to　the　Deity；　styling　it　Divine　knowledge。







（111）　We　need　no　longer　scruple　to　affirm　that　the　prophets　only



perceived　God's　revelation　by　the　aid　of　imagination；　that　is；　by　words　and



figures　either　real　or　imaginary。　（112）　We　find　no　other　means　mentioned　in



Scripture；　and　therefore　must　not　invent　any。　（113）　As　to　the　particular　law



of　Nature　by　which　the　communications　took　place；　I　confess　my　ignorance。



（114）　I　might；　indeed；　say　as　others　do；　that　they　took　place　by　the　power



of　God；　but　this　would　be　mere　trifling；　and　no　better　than　explaining　some



unique　specimen　by　a　transcendental　term。　（115）　Everything　takes　place　by



the　power　of　God。　（116）　Nature　herself　is　the　power　of　God　under　another



name；　and　our　ignorance　of　the　power　of　God　is　co…extensive　with　our



ignorance　of　Nature。　（117）　It　is　absolute　folly；　therefore；　to　ascribe　an



event　to　the　power　of　God　when　we　know　not　its　natural　cause；　which　is　the



power　of　God。







（118）　However；　we　are　not　now　inquiring　into　the　causes　of　prophetic



knowledge。　（119）　We　are　only　attempting；　as　I　have　said；　to　examine　the



Scriptural　documents；　and　to　draw　our　conclusions　from　them　as　from　ultimate



natural　facts；　the　causes　of　the　documents　do　not　concern　us。







（120）　As　the　prophets　perceived　the　revelations　of　God　by　the　aid　of



imagination；　they　could　indisputably　perceive　much　that　is　beyond　the



boundary　of　the　intellect；　for　many　more　ideas　can　be　const