a theologico-political treatise [part iv]-第14节

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their　right　to　God；　they　were　able　to　do　so　rather　in　theory　than　in



practice；　for；　as　a　matter　of　fact　（as　we　pointed　out　above）　they



absolutely　retained　the　right　of　dominion　till　they　transferred　it　to　Moses；



who　in　his　turn　became　absolute　king；　so　that　it　was　only　through　him　that



God　reigned　over　the　Hebrews。　（23）　For　this　reason　（namely；　that　religion



only　acquires　the　force　of　law　by　means　of　the　sovereign　power）　Moses　was



not　able　to　punish　those　who；　before　the　covenant；　and　consequently　while



still　in　possession　of　their　rights；　violated　the　Sabbath　（Exod。　xvi：27）；



but　was　able　to　do　so　after　the　covenant　（Numb。　xv：36）；　because　everyone　had



then　yielded　up　his　natural　rights；　and　the　ordinance　of　the



Sabbath　had　received　the　force　of　law。







（19：24）　Lastly；　for　the　same　reason；　after　the　destruction　of　the　Hebrew



dominion；　revealed　religion　ceased　to　have　the　force　of　law；　for　we　cannot



doubt　that　as　soon　as　the　Jews　transferred　their　right　to　the　king　of



Babylon；　the　kingdom　of　God　and　the　Divine　right　forthwith　ceased。　（25）



For　the　covenant　wherewith　they　promised　to　obey　all　the　utterances　of　God



was　abrogated；　God's　kingdom；　which　was　based　thereupon；　also　ceased。　（26）



The　Hebrews　could　no　longer　abide　thereby；　inasmuch　as　their　rights　no



longer　belonged　to　them　but　to　the　king　of　Babylon；　whom　（as　we　showed　in



Chapter　XVI。）　they　were　bound　to　obey　in　all　things。　（27）　Jeremiah　（chap。



xxix：7）　expressly　admonishes　them　of　this　fact：　〃And　seek　the　peace　of　the



city；　whither　I　have　caused　you　to　be　carried　away　captives；　and　pray　unto



the　Lord　for　it；　for　in　the　peace　thereof　shall　ye　have　peace。〃　（28）　Now；



they　could　not　seek　the　peace　of　the　City　as　having　a　share　in　its



government；　but　only　as　slaves；　being；　as　they　were；　captives；　by



obedience　in　all　things；　with　a　view　to　avoiding　seditions；　and　by　observing



all　the　laws　of　the　country；　however　different　from　their　own。　（29）　It　is



thus　abundantly　evident　that　religion　among　the　Hebrews　only　acquired　the



form　of　law　through　the　right　of　the　sovereign　rule；　when　that　rule　was



destroyed；　it　could　no　longer　be　received　as　the　law　of　a　particular



kingdom；　but　only　as　the　universal　precept　of　reason。　（30）　I　say　of　reason；



for　the　universal　religion　had　not　yet　become　known　by　revelation。　（31）　We



may　therefore　draw　the　general　conclusion　that　religion；　whether　revealed



through　our　natural　faculties　or　through　prophets；　receives　the　force　of　a



command　solely　through　the　decrees　of　the　holders　of　sovereign　power；　and；



further；　that　God　has　no　special　kingdom　among　men；　except　in　so　far　as　He



reigns　through　earthly　potentates。







（19：32）　We　may　now　see　in　a　clearer　light　what　was　stated　in　Chapter　IV。；



namely；　that　all　the　decrees　of　God　involve　eternal　truth　and　necessity；　so



that　we　cannot　conceive　God　as　a　prince　or　legislator　giving　laws　to



mankind。　（33）　For　this　reason　the　Divine　precepts；　whether　revealed　through



our　natural　faculties；　or　through　prophets；　do　not　receive　immediately　from



God　the　force　of　a　command；　but　only　from　those；　or　through　the　mediation　of



those；　who　possess　the　right　of　ruling　and　legislating。　（34）　It　is　only



through　these　latter　means　that　God　rules　among　men；　and　directs　human



affairs　with　justice　and　equity。







（19：35）　This　conclusion　is　supported　by　experience；　for　we　find　traces　of



Divine　justice　only　in　places　where　just　men　bear　sway；　elsewhere　the　same



lot　（to　repeat；　again　Solomon's　words）　befalls　the　just　and　the　unjust；　the



pure　and　the　impure：　a　state　of　things　which　causes　Divine　Providence　to　be



doubted　by　many　who　think　that　God　immediately　reigns　among　men；　and



directs　all　nature　for　their　benefit。







＇19：3＇　（36）　As；　then；　both　reason　and　experience　tell　us　that　the　Divine



right　is　entirely　dependent　on　the　decrees　of　secular　rulers；　it　follows



that　secular　rulers　are　its　proper　interpreters。　（37）　How　this　is　so　we



shall　now　see；　for　it　is　time　to　show　that　the　outward　observances　of



religion；　and　all　the　external　practices　of　piety　should　be　brought　into



accordance　with　the　public　peace　and　well…being　if　we　would　obey　God



rightly。　（38）　When　this　has　been　shown　we　shall　easily　understand　how　the



sovereign　rulers　are　the　proper　interpreters　of　religion　and　piety。







（19：39）　It　is　certain　that　duties　towards　one's　country　are　the　highest　that



man　can　fulfil；　for；　if　government　be　taken　away；　no　good　thing　can　last；



all　falls　into　dispute；　anger　and　anarchy　reign　unchecked　amid　universal



fear。　（40）　Consequently　there　can　be　no　duty　towards　our　neighbour　which



would　not　become　an　offence　if　it　involved　injury　to　the　whole　state；　nor



can　there　be　any　offence　against　our　duty　towards　our　neighbour；　or　anything



but　loyalty　in　what　we　do　for　the　sake　of　preserving　the　state。　（41）　For



instance：　it　is　in　the　abstract　my　duty　when　my　neighbour　quarrels　with　me



and　wishes　to　take　my　cloak；　to　give　him　my　coat　also；　but　if　it　be　thought



that　such　conduct　is　hurtful　to　the　maintenance　of　the　state；　I　ought　to



bring　him　to　trial；　even　at　the　risk　of　his　being　condemned　to　death。







（19：42）　For　this　reason　Manlius　Torquatus　is　held　up　to　honour；　inasmuch　as



the　public　welfare　outweighed　with　him　his　duty　towards　his　children。　（43）



This　being　so；　it　follows　that　the　public　welfare　is　the　sovereign　law　to



which　all　others；　Divine　and　human；　should　be　made　to　conform。　（44）　Now；　it



is　the　function　of　the　sovereign　only　to　decide　what　is　necessary　for　the



public　welfare　and　the　safety　of　the　state；　and　to　give　orders　accordingly；



therefore　it　is　also　the　function　of　the　sovereign　only　to　decide　the　limits



of　our　duty　towards　our　neighbour　…　in　other　words；　to　determine　how　we



should　obey　God。　（45）　We　can　now　clearly　understand　how　the　sovereign



is　the　interpreter　of　religion；　and　further；　that　no　one　can　obey　God



rightly；　if　the　practices　of　his　piety　do　not　conform　to　the　public　welfare；



or；　consequently；　if　he　does　not　implicitly　obey　all　the　commands　of　the



sovereign。　（46）　For　as　by　God's　command　we　are　bound　to　do　our　duty　to　all



men　without　exception；　and　to　do　no　man　an　injury；　we　are　also　bound　not



to　help　one　man　at　another's　loss；　still　less　at　a　loss　to　the　whole　state。



（47）　Now；　no　private　citizen　can　know　what　is　good　for　the　state；　except　he



learn　it　through　the　sovereign　power；　who　alone　has　the　right　to　transact



public　business：　therefore　no　one　can　rightly　practise　piety　or　obedience　to



God；　unless　he　obey　the　sovereign　power's　commands　in　all　things。　（48）　This



proposition　is　confirmed　by　the　facts　of　experience。　（49）　For　if　the



sovereign　adjudge　a　man　to　be　worthy　of　death　or　an　enemy；　whether　he　be　a



citizen　or　a　foreigner；　a　private　individual　or　a　separate　ruler；　no　subject



is　allowed　to　give　him　assistance。　（50）　So　also　though　the　Jews　were



bidden　to　love　their　fellow…citizens　as　themselves　（Levit。　xix：17；　18）；　they



were　nevertheless　bound；　if　a　man　offended　against　the　law；　to　point　him　out



to　the　judge　（Levit。　v：1；　and　Deut。　xiii：8；　9）；　and；　if　he　should　be



condemned　to　death；　to　slay　him　（Deut。　xvii：7）。







（19：51）　Further；　in　order　that　the　Hebrews　might　preserve　the　liberty　they



had　gained；　and　might　retain　absolute　sway　over　the　territory　they　had



conquered；　it　was　necessary；　as　we　showed　in　Chapter　XVII。；　that　their



religion　should　be　adapted　to　their　particular　government；　and　that　they



should　separate　themselves　from　the　rest　of　the　nations：　wherefore　it　was



commanded　to　them；　〃Love　thy　neighbour　and　hate　thine　enemy〃　（Matt。　v：43）；



but　after　they　had　lost　their　dominion　and　had　gone　into　captivity　in



Babylon；　Jeremiah　bid　them　take　thought　for　the　safety　of　the　state　into



which　they　had　been　led　captive；　and　Christ　when　He　saw　that　they　would　be



spread　over　the　whole　world；　told　them　to　do　their　duty　by　all　men　without



exception；　all　of　which　instances　show　that　religion　has　always　been　made　to



conform　to　the　public　welfare。　＇19：4＇　（52）　Perhaps　someone　will　ask：　By　what



right；　then；　did　the　disciples　of　Christ；　being　private　citizens；　preach



a　new　religion？　（53）　I　answer　that　they　did　so　by　the　right　of　the



power　which　they　had　received　from　Christ　against　unclean　spirits　（see　Matt。



x：1）。　（54）　I　have　already　stated　in　Chapter　XVI。　that　all　are　bound　to　obey



a　tyrant；　unless　they　have　received　from　God　through　undoubted　revelation　a



promise　of　aid　against　him；　so　let　no　one　take　example　from　the　Apostles



unless　he　too　has　the　power　of　working　miracles。　（55）　The　point　is　brought



out　more　clearly　by　Christ's　command　to　His　disciples；　〃Fear　not　those　who



kill　the　body〃　（Matt。　x：28）。　（56）　If　this　command　were　imposed　on　everyone；



governments　would　be　founded　in　vain；　and　Solomon's　words　（Prov。　xxiv：21）；



〃My　son；　fear　God