a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第9节

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intended。　（70）　Such　quibblers　excite　my　wonder！　（71）　Are　we；　forsooth；　bound



to　believe　that　Joshua　the　Soldier　was　a　learned　astronomer？　or　that　a



miracle　could　not　be　revealed　to　him；　or　that　the　light　of　the　sun　could　not



remain　longer　than　usual　above　the　horizon；　without　his　knowing　the　cause？



（72）　To　me　both　alternatives　appear　ridiculous；　and　therefore　I　would



rather　say；　that　Joshua　was　ignorant　of　the　true　cause　of　the　lengthened



day；　and　that　he　and　the　whole　host　with　him　thought　that　the　sun　moved



round　the　earth　every　day；　and　that　on　that　particular　occasion　it　stood



still　for　a　time；　thus　causing　the　light　to　remain　longer；　and　I　would



say；　that　they　did　not　conjecture　that；　from　the　amount　of　snow　in　the　air



（see　Josh。　x：11）；　the　refraction　may　have　been　greater　than　usual；　or　that



there　may　have　been　some　other　cause　which　we　will　not　now　inquire　into。







（73）　So　also　the　sign　of　the　shadow　going　back　was　revealed　to　Isaiah



according　to　his　understanding；　that　is；　as　proceeding　from　a　going



backwards　of　the　sun；　for　he；　too；　thought　that　the　sun　moves　and　that　the



earth　is　still；　of　parhelia　he　perhaps　never　even　dreamed。　（74）　We　may



arrive　at　this　conclusion　without　any；　scruple；　for　the　sign　could　really



have　come　to　pass；　and　have　been　predicted　by　Isaiah　to　the　king；　without



the　prophet　being　aware　of　the　real　cause。







（75）　With　regard　to　the　building　of　the　Temple　by　Solomon；　if　it　was　really



dictate　by　God　we　must　maintain　the　same　doctrine：　namely；　that　all　the



measurements　were　revealed　according　to　the　opinions　and　understanding　of



the　king；　for　as　we　are　not　bound　to　believe　that　Solomon　was　a



mathematician；　we　may　affirm　that　he　was　ignorant　of　the　true　ratio　between



the　circumference　and　the　diameter　of　a　circle；　and　that；　like　the



generality　of　workmen；　he　thought　that　it　was　as　three　to　one。　（76）　But　if



it　is　allowable　to　declare　that　we　do　not　understand　the　passage；　in　good



sooth　I　know　nothing　in　the　Bible　that　we　can　understand；　for　the　process　of



building　is　there　narrated　simply　and　as　a　mere　matter　of　history。　（77）　If；



again；　it　is　permitted　to　pretend　that　the　passage　has　another　meaning；　and



was　written　as　it　is　from　some　reason　unknown　to　us；　this　is　no　less　than　a



complete　subversal　of　the　Bible；　for　every　absurd　and　evil　invention　of



human　perversity　could　thus；　without　detriment　to　Scriptural　authority；　be



defended　and　fostered。　（78）　Our　conclusion　is　in　no　wise　impious；　for　though



Solomon；　Isaiah；　Joshua；　&c。　were　prophets；　they　were　none　the　less　men；　and



as　such　not　exempt　from　human　shortcomings。







（79）　According　to　the　understanding　of　Noah　it　was　revealed　to　him　that　God



as　about　to　destroy　the　whole　human　race；　for　Noah　thought　that　beyond　the



limits　of　Palestine　the　world　was　not　inhabited。







（80）　Not　only　in　matters　of　this　kind；　but　in　others　more　important；　the



about　the　Divine　attributes；　but　held　quite　ordinary　notions　about　God；　and



to　these　notions　their　revelations　were　adapted；　as　I　will



demonstrate　by　ample　Scriptural　testimony；　from　all　which　one　may　easily　see



that　they　were　praised　and　commended；　not　so　much　for　the　sublimity　and



eminence　of　their　intellect　as　for　their　piety　and　faithfulness。







（81）　Adam；　the　first　man　to　whom　God　was　revealed；　did　not　know　that　He　is



omnipotent　and　omniscient；　for　he　hid　himself　from　Him；　and　attempted　to



make　excuses　for　his　fault　before　God；　as　though　he　had　had　to　do　with　a



man；　therefore　to　him　also　was　God　revealed　according　to　his　understanding　…



that　is；　as　being　unaware　of　his　situation　or　his　sin；　for　Adam



heard；　or　seemed　to　hear；　the　Lord　walling；　in　the　garden；　calling　him　and



asking　him　where　he　was；　and　then；　on　seeing　his　shamefacedness；　asking　him



whether　he　had　eaten　of　the　forbidden　fruit。　（82）　Adam　evidently　only　knew



the　Deity　as　the　Creator　of　all　things。　（83）　To　Cain　also　God　was　revealed；



according　to　his　understanding；　as　ignorant　of　human　affairs；　nor　was　a



higher　conception　of　the　Deity　required　for　repentance　of　his　sin。







（83）　To　Laban　the　Lord　revealed　Himself　as　the　God　of　Abraham；　because　Laban



believed　that　each　nation　had　its　own　special　divinity　（see　Gen。　xxxi：29）。



（84）　Abraham　also　knew　not　that　God　is　omnipresent；　and　has　foreknowledge　of



all　things；　for　when　he　heard　the　sentence　against　the　inhabitants　of　Sodom；



he　prayed　that　the　Lord　should　not　execute　it　till　He　had　ascertained



whether　they　all　merited　such　punishment；　for　he　said　（see　Gen。　xviii：24）；



〃Peradventure　there　be　fifty　righteous　within　the　city；〃　and　in　accordance



with　this　belief　God　was　revealed　to　him；　as　Abraham　imagined；　He　spake



thus：　〃I　will　go　down　now；　and　see　whether　they　have　done　altogether



according　to　the　cry　of　it　which　is　come　unto　Me；　and；　if　not；　I　will　know。〃



（85）　Further；　the　Divine　testimony　concerning　Abraham　asserts　nothing　but



that　he　was　obedient；　and　that　he　〃commanded　his　household　after　him　that



they　should　keep　the　way　of　the　Lord〃　（Gen。　xviii：19）；　it　does　not　state



that　he　held　sublime　conceptions　of　the　Deity。







（86）　Moses；　also；　was　not　sufficiently　aware　that　God　is　omniscient；　and



directs　human　actions　by　His　sole　decree；　for　although　God　Himself　says　that



the　Israelites　should　hearken　to　Him；　Moses　still　considered　the　matter



doubtful　and　repeated；　〃But　if　they　will　not　believe　me；　nor　hearken　unto　my



voice。〃　（87）　To　him　in　like　manner　God　was　revealed　as　taking　no　part　in；



and　as　being　ignorant　of；　future　human　actions：　the　Lord　gave　him　two　signs



and　said；　〃And　it　shall　come　to　pass　that　if　they　will　not　believe　thee；



neither　hearken　to　the　voice　of　the　first　sign；　that　they　will　believe　the



voice　of　the　latter　sign；　but　if　not；　thou　shalt　take　of　the　water　of　the



river；〃　&c。　（88）　Indeed；　if　any　one　considers　without　prejudice　the　recorded



opinions　of　Moses；　he　will　plainly　see　that　Moses　conceived　the　Deity　as　a



Being　Who　has　always　existed；　does　exist；　and　always　will　exist；　and　for



this　cause　he　calls　Him　by　the　name　Jehovah；　which　in　Hebrew　signifies　these



three　phases　of　existence：　as　to　His　nature；　Moses　only　taught　that　He　is



merciful；　gracious；　and　exceeding　jealous；　as　appears　from　many　passages　in



the　Pentateuch。　（89）　Lastly；　he　believed　and　taught　that　this　Being　was　so



different　from　all　other　beings；　that　He　could　not　be　expressed　by　the　image



of　any　visible　thing；　also；　that　He　could　not　be　looked　upon；　and　that　not



so　much　from　inherent　impossibility　as　from　human　infirmity；　further；　that



by　reason　of　His　power　He　was　without　equal　and　unique。　（90）　Moses　admitted；



indeed；　that　there　were　beings　（doubtless　by　the　plan　and　command　of　the



Lord）　who　acted　as　God's　vicegerents　…　that　is；　beings　to　whom　God　had　given



the　right；　authority；　and　power　to　direct　nations；　and　to　provide　and　care



for　them；　but　he　taught　that　this　Being　Whom　they　were　bound　to　obey　was



the　highest　and　Supreme　God；　or　（to　use　the　Hebrew　phrase）　God　of　gods；　and



thus　in　the　song　（Exod。　xv：11）　he　exclaims；　〃Who　is　like　unto　Thee；　0　Lord；



among　the　gods？〃　and　Jethro　says　（Exod。　xviii：11）；　〃Now　I　know　that　the　Lord



is　greater　than　all　gods。〃　（91）　That　is　to　say；　〃I　am　at　length　compelled　to



admit　to　Moses　that　Jehovah　is　greater　than　all　gods；　and　that　His　power



is　unrivalled。〃　（92）　We　must　remain　in　doubt　whether　Moses　thought　that



these　beings　who　acted　as　God's　vicegerents　were　created　by　Him；　for　he



has　stated　nothing；　so　far　as　we　know；　about　their　creation　and　origin。　（93）



He　further　taught　that　this　Being　had　brought　the　visible　world　into　order



from　Chaos；　and　had　given　Nature　her　germs；　and　therefore　that　He



possesses　supreme　right　and　power　over　all　things；　further；　that　by　reason



of　this　supreme　right　and　power　He　had　chosen　for　Himself　alone　the　Hebrew



nation　and　a　certain　strip　of　territory；　and　had　handed　over　to　the　care　of



other　gods　substituted　by　Himself　the　rest　of　the　nations　and　territories；



and　that　therefore　He　was　called　the　God　of　Israel　and　the　God　of　Jerusalem；



whereas　the　other　gods　were　called　the　gods　of　the　Gentiles。　（94）　For　this



reason　the　Jews　believed　that　the　strip　of　territory　which　God　had　chosen



for　Himself；　demanded　a　Divine　worship　quite　apart　and　different　from　the



worship　which　obtained　elsewhere；　and　that　the　Lord　would　not　suffer　the



worship　of　other　gods　adapted　to　other　countries。　（95）　Thus　they　thought



that　the　people　whom　the　king　of　Assyria　had　brought　into　Judaea　were　torn



in　pieces　by　lions　because　they　knew　not　the　worship　of　the　National



Divinity　（2　Kings　xvii：25）。







（96）　Jacob；　according　to　Aben　Ezra's　opinion；　therefore　admonished　his　sons



when　he　wished　them　to　seek　out　a　new　country；　that　they　should　prepare



themselves　for　a　new　worship；　and　lay　as