a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第7节

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imagination；　they　could　indisputably　perceive　much　that　is　beyond　the



boundary　of　the　intellect；　for　many　more　ideas　can　be　constructed　from　words



and　figures　than　from　the　principles　and　notions　on　which　the　whole　fabric



of　reasoned　knowledge　is　reared。







（121）　Thus　we　have　a　clue　to　the　fact　that　the　prophets　perceived　nearly



everything　in　parables　and　allegories；　and　clothed　spiritual　truths　in



bodily　forms；　for　such　is　the　usual　method　of　imagination。　（122）　We　need　no



longer　wonder　that　Scripture　and　the　prophets　speak　so　strangely　and



obscurely　of　God's　Spirit　or　Mind　（cf。　Numbers　xi：17；　1　Kings　xxii：21；　&c。）；



that　the　Lord　was　seen　by　Micah　as　sitting；　by　Daniel　as　an　old　man　clothed



in　white；　by　Ezekiel　as　a　fire；　that　the　Holy　Spirit　appeared　to　those　with



Christ　as　a　descending　dove；　to　the　apostles　as　fiery　tongues；　to　Paul　on



his　conversion　as　a　great　light。　（123）　All　these　expressions　are　plainly　in



harmony　with　the　current　ideas　of　God　and　spirits。







（124）　Inasmuch　as　imagination　is　fleeting　and　inconstant；　we　find　that　the



power　of　prophecy　did　not　remain　with　a　prophet　for　long；　nor　manifest



itself　frequently；　but　was　very　rare；　manifesting　itself　only　in　a　few　men；



and　in　them　not　often。







（125）We　must　necessarily　inquire　how　the　prophets　became　assured　of　the



truth　of　what　they　perceived　by　imagination；　and　not　by　sure　mental　laws；



but　our　investigation　must　be　confined　to　Scripture；　for　the　subject　is　one



on　which　we　cannot　acquire　certain　knowledge；　and　which　we　cannot　explain　by



the　immediate　causes。　（126）　Scripture　teaching　about　the　assurance　of



prophets　I　will　treat　of　in　the　next　chapter。



















CHAPTER　II。　…　OF　PROPHETS。







（1）　It　follows　from　the　last　chapter　that；　as　I　have　said；　the　prophets　were



endowed　with　unusually　vivid　imaginations；　and　not　with　unusually；　perfect



minds。　（2）　This　conclusion　is　amply　sustained　by　Scripture；　for　we　are　told



that　Solomon　was　the　wisest　of　men；　but　had　no　special　faculty　of　prophecy。



（3）　Heman；　Calcol；　and　Dara；　though　men　of　great　talent；　were　not　prophets；



whereas　uneducated　countrymen；　nay；　even　women；　such　as　Hagar；　Abraham's



handmaid；　were　thus　gifted。　（4）　Nor　is　this　contrary　to　ordinary　experience



and　reason。　（5）　Men　of　great　imaginative　power　are　less　fitted　for　abstract



reasoning；　whereas　those　who　excel　in　intellect　and　its　use　keep　their



imagination　more　restrained　and　controlled；　holding　it　in　subjection；　so　to



speak；　lest　it　should　usurp　the　place　of　reason。







（6）　Thus　to　suppose　that　knowledge　of　natural　and　spiritual　phenomena　can　be



gained　from　the　prophetic　books；　is　an　utter　mistake；　which　I　shall



endeavour　to　expose；　as　I　think　philosophy；　the　age；　and　the　question　itself



demand。　（7）　I　care　not　for　the　girdings　of　superstition；　for　superstition　is



the　bitter　enemy；　of　all　true　knowledge　and　true　morality。　（8）　Yes；　it　has



come　to　this！　（9）　Men　who　openly　confess　that　they　can　form　no　idea　of　God；



and　only　know　Him　through　created　things；　of　which　they　know　not　the　causes；



can　unblushingly；　accuse　philosophers　of　Atheism。　（10）　Treating　the　question



methodically；　I　will　show　that　prophecies　varied；　not　only　according　to



the　imagination　and　physical　temperament　of　the　prophet；　but　also　according



to　his　particular　opinions；　and　further　that　prophecy　never　rendered　the



prophet　wiser　than　he　was　before。　（11）　But　I　will　first　discuss　the



assurance　of　truth　which　the　prophets　received；　for　this　is　akin　to　the



subject…matter　of　the　chapter；　and　will　serve　to　elucidate　somewhat　our



present　point。







（12）　Imagination　does　not；　in　its　own　nature；　involve　any　certainty　of



truth；　such　as　is　implied　in　every　clear　and　distinct　idea；　but　requires



some　extrinsic　reason　to　assure　us　of　its　objective　reality：　hence　prophecy



cannot　afford　certainty；　and　the　prophets　were　assured　of　God's　revelation



by　some　sign；　and　not　by　the　fact　of　revelation；　as　we　may　see　from　Abraham；



who；　when　he　had　heard　the　promise　of　God；　demanded　a　sign；　not　because　he



did　not　believe　in　God；　but　because　he　wished　to　be　sure　that　it　was　God　Who



made　the　promise。　（13）　The　fact　is　still　more　evident　in　the　case　of　Gideon：



〃Show　me；〃　he　says　to　God；　〃show　me　a　sign；　that　I　may　know　that　it　is　Thou



that　talkest　with　me。〃　（14）　God　also　says　to　Moses：　〃And　let　this　be　a



sign　that　I　have　sent　thee。〃　（15）　Hezekiah；　though　he　had　long　known　Isaiah



to　be　a　prophet；　none　the　less　demanded　a　sign　of　the　cure　which　he



predicted。　（15）　It　is　thus　quite　evident　that　the　prophets　always　received



some　sign　to　certify　them　of　their　prophetic　imaginings；　and　for　this　reason



Moses　bids　the　Jews　（Deut。　xviii。）　ask　of　the　prophets　a　sign；　namely；　the



prediction　of　some　coming　event。　（16）　In　this　respect；　prophetic　knowledge



is　inferior　to　natural　knowledge；　which　needs　no　sign；　and　in　itself　implies



certitude。　（17）　Moreover；　Scripture　warrants　the　statement　that　the



certitude　of　the　prophets　was　not　mathematical；　but　moral。　（18）　Moses　lays



down　the　punishment　of　death　for　the　prophet　who　preaches　new　gods；　even



though　he　confirm　his　doctrine　by　signs　and　wonders　（Deut。　xiii。）；　〃For；〃　he



says；　〃the　Lord　also　worketh　signs　and　wonders　to　try　His　people。〃　（19）　And



Jesus　Christ　warns　His　disciples　of　the　same　thing　（Matt。　xxiv：24）。　（20）



Furthermore；　Ezekiel　（xiv：9）　plainly　states　that　God　sometimes　deceives



men　with　false　revelations；　and　Micaiah　bears　like　witness　in　the　case　of



the　prophets　of　Ahab。







（21）　Although　these　instances　go　to　prove　that　revelation　is　open　to　doubt；



it　nevertheless　contains；　as　we　have　said；　a　considerable　element　of



certainty；　for　God　never　deceives　the　good；　nor　His　chosen；　but　（according



to　the　ancient　proverb；　and　as　appears　in　the　history　of　Abigail　and　her



speech）；　God　uses　the　good　as　instruments　of　goodness；　and　the　wicked　as



means　to　execute　His　wrath。　（22）　This　may　be　seen　from　the　case　of　Micaiah



above　quoted；　for　although　God　had　determined　to　deceive　Ahab；　through



prophets；　He　made　use　of　lying　prophets；　to　the　good　prophet　He　revealed　the



truth；　and　did　not　forbid　his　proclaiming　it。







（23）　Still　the　certitude　of　prophecy；　remains；　as　I　have　said；　merely；



moral；　for　no　one　can　justify　himself　before　God；　nor　boast　that　he　is　an



instrument　for　God's　goodness。　（24）　Scripture　itself　teaches　and　shows　that



God　led　away　David　to　number　the　people；　though　it　bears　ample



witness　to　David's　piety。







（25）　The　whole　question　of　the　certitude　of　prophecy；　was　based　on　these　three　considerations：



　　　1。　That　the　things　revealed　were　imagined　very　vividly；　affecting　the



　　　　　　prophets　in　the　same　way　as　things　seen　when　awake；







　　　2。　The　presence　of　a　sign；







　　　3。　Lastly；　and　chiefly；　that　the　mind　of　the　prophet　was　given　wholly；



　　　　　　to　what　was　right　and　　good。







（26）　Although　Scripture　does　not　always　make　mention　of　a　sign；　we　must



nevertheless　suppose　that　a　sign　was　always　vouchsafed；　for　Scripture　does



not　always　relate　every；　condition　and　circumstance　（as　many；　have



remarked）；　but　rather　takes　them　for　granted。　（27）　We　may；　however；　admit



that　no　sign　was　needed　when　the　prophecy　declared　nothing　that　was　not



already　contained　in　the　law　of　Moses；　because　it　was　confirmed　by　that　law。



（28）　For　instance；　Jeremiah's　prophecy；　of　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem　was



confirmed　by　the　prophecies　of　other　prophets；　and　by　the　threats　in　the



law；　and；　therefore；　it　needed　no　sign　；　whereas　Hananiah；　who；　contrary　to



all　the　prophets；　foretold　the　speedy　restoration　of　the　state；　stood　in



need　of　a　sign；　or　he　would　have　been　in　doubt　as　to　the　truth　of　his



prophecy；　until　it　was　confirmed　by　facts。　（29）　〃The　prophet　which



prophesieth　of　peace；　when　the　word　of　the　prophet　shall　come　to



pass；　then　shall　the　prophet　be　known　that　the　Lord　hath　truly　sent　him。〃







（30）　As；　then；　the　certitude　afforded　to　the　prophet　by　signs　was　not



mathematical　（i。e。　did　not　necessarily　follow　from　the　perception　of　the



thing　perceived　or　seen）；　but　only　moral；　and　as　the　signs　were　only　given



to　convince　the　prophet；　it　follows　that　such　signs　were　given　according　to



the　opinions　and　capacity　of　each　prophet；　so　that　a　sign　which



convince　one　prophet　would　fall　far　short　of　convincing　another　who　was



imbued　with　different　opinions。　（31）　Therefore　the　signs　varied　according　to



the　individual　prophet。







（32）　So　also　did　the　revelation　vary；　as　we　have　stated；　according　to



individual　disposition　and　temperament；　and　according　to　the　opinions



previously　held。







（33）　It　varied　according　to　disposition；　in　this　way：　if　a　prophet　was



cheerful；　victories；　peace；　and　events　which　make　men　glad；　were　revealed　to



him；　in　that　he　was　natural