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

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the　indignity　of　standing　in　his　presence。







（17：128）　So　much　for　the　precautions　for　keeping　the　captains　within　bounds。



＇17：9＇　（129）　We　must　now　look　for　the　restraints　upon　the　people：　these；



however；　are　very　clearly　indicated　in　the　very　groundwork　of　the　social



fabric。







（17：130）　Anyone　who　gives　the　subject　the　slightest　attention；　will　see　that



the　state　was　so　ordered　as　to　inspire　the　most　ardent　patriotism　in　the



hearts　of　the　citizens；　so　that　the　latter　would　be　very　hard　to　persuade　to



betray　their　country；　and　be　ready　to　endure　anything　rather　than



submit　to　a　foreign　yoke。　（131）　After　they　had　transferred　their　right



to　God；　they　thought　that　their　kingdom　belonged　to　God；　and　that　they



themselves　were　God's　children。　（132）　Other　nations　they　looked　upon　as



God's　enemies；　and　regarded　with　intense　hatred　（which　they　took



to　be　piety；　see　Psalm　cxxxix：21；　22）：　nothing　would　have　been　more



abhorrent　to　them　than　swearing　allegiance　to　a　foreigner；　and　promising　him



obedience：　nor　could　they　conceive　any　greater　or　more　execrable　crime　than



the　betrayal　of　their　country；　the　kingdom　of　the　God　whom　they　adored。







（17：133）　It　was　considered　wicked　for　anyone　to　settle　outside　of　the



country；　inasmuch　as　the　worship　of　God　by　which　they　were　bound　could　not



be　carried　on　elsewhere：　their　own　land　alone　was　considered　holy；　the　rest



of　the　earth　unclean　and　profane。







（17：134）　David；　who　was　forced　to　live　in　exile；　complained　before　Saul　as



follows：　〃But　if　they　be　the　children　of　men　who　have　stirred　thee　up



against　me；　cursed　be　they　before　the　Lord；　for　they　have　driven　me　out　this



day　from　abiding　in　the　inheritance　of　the　Lord；　saying；　Go；　serve　other



gods。〃　（I　Sam。　xxvi：19。）　（135）　For　the　same　reason　no　citizen；　as　we　should



especially　remark；　was　ever　sent　into　exile：　he　who　sinned　was　liable　to



punishment；　but　not　to　disgrace。







（17：136）　Thus　the　love　of　the　Hebrews　for　their　country　was　not　only



patriotism；　but　also　piety；　and　was　cherished　and　nurtured　bv　daily　rites



till；　like　their　hatred　of　other　nations；　it　must　have　passed　into　their



nature。　（137）　Their　daily　worship　was　not　only　different　from　that　of　other



nations　（as　it　might　well　be；　considering　that　they　were　a　peculiar　people



and　entirely　apart　from　the　rest）；　it　was　absolutely　contrary。　（138）　Such



daily　reprobation　naturally　gave　rise　to　a　lasting　hatred；　deeply　implanted



in　the　heart：　for　of　all　hatreds　none　is　more　deep　and　tenacious　than



that　which　springs　from　extreme　devoutness　or　piety；　and　is　itself　cherished



as　pious。　（139）　Nor　was　a　general　cause　lacking　for　inflaming　such　hatred



more　and　more；　inasmuch　as　it　was　reciprocated；　the　surrounding　nations



regarding　the　Jews　with　a　hatred　just　as　intense。







（17：140）　How　great　was　the　effect　of　all　these　causes；　namely；　freedom　from



man's　dominion；　devotion　to　their　country；　absolute　rights　over　all



other　men；　a　hatred　not　only　permitted　but　pious；　a　contempt　for　their



fellow…men；　the　singularity　of　their　customs　and　religious　rites；　the



effect；　I　repeat；　of　all　these　causes　in　strengthening　the　hearts　of　the



Jews　to　bear　all　things　for　their　country；　with　extraordinary　constancy　and



valour；　will　at　once　be　discerned　by　reason　and　attested　by　experience。



（141）　Never；　so　long　as　the　city　was　standing；　could　they　endure　to　remain



under　foreign　dominion；　and　therefore　they　called　Jerusalem　〃a　rebellious



city〃　（Ezra　iv：12）。　（142）　Their　state　after　its　reestablishment　（which　was　a



mere　shadow　of　the　first；　for　the　high　priests　had　usurped　the　rights　of　the



tribal　captains）　was；　with　great　difficulty；　destroyed　by　the　Romans；　as



Tacitus　bears　witness　（Hist。　ii：4）：…　〃Vespasian　had　closed　the　war　against



the　Jews；　abandoning　the　siege　of　Jerusalem　as　an　enterprise　difficult



and　arduous　rather　from　the　character　of　the　people　and　the　obstinacy　of



their　superstition；　than　from　the　strength　left　to　the　besieged　for　meeting



their　necessities。〃　（143）　But　besides　these　characteristics；　which　are



merely　ascribed　by　an　individual　opinion；　there　was　one　feature



peculiar　to　this　state　and　of　great　importance　in　retaining　the　affections



of　the　citizens；　and　checking　all　thoughts　of　desertion；　or　abandonment　of



the　country：　namely；　self…interest；　the　strength　and　life　of　all　human



action。　（144）　This　was　peculiarly　engaged　in　the　Hebrew　state；　for



nowhere　else　did　citizens　possess　their　goods　so　securely；　as　did　the



subjects　of　this　community；　for　the　latter　possessed　as　large　a　share　in　the



land　and　the　fields　as　did　their　chiefs；　and　were　owners　of　their　plots　of



ground　in　perpetuity；　for　if　any　man　was　compelled　by　poverty　to　sell　his



farm　or　his　pasture；　he　received　it　back　again　intact　at　the　year　of



jubilee：　there　were　other　similar　enactments　against　the　possibility　of



alienating　real　property。







（17：145）　Again；　poverty　w　as　nowhere　more　endurable　than　in　a　country　where



duty　towards　one's　neighbour；　that　is；　one's　fellow…citizen；　was　practised



with　the　utmost　piety；　as　a　means　of　gaining　the　favour　of　God　the　King。



（146）　Thus　the　Hebrew　citizens　would　nowhere　be　so　well　off　as　in　their　own



country；　outside　its　limits　they　met　with　nothing　but　loss　and　disgrace。







（17：147）　The　following　considerations　were　of　weight；　not　only　in　keeping



them　at　home；　but　also　in　preventing　civil　war　and　removing　causes　of



strife；　no　one　was　bound　to　serve　his　equal；　but　only　to　serve　God；　while



charity　and　love　towards　fellow…citizens　was　accounted　the　highest　piety；



this　last　feeling　was　not　a　little　fostered　by　the　general　hatred　with　which



they　regarded　foreign　nations　and　were　regarded　by　them。　（148）　Furthermore；



the　strict　discipline　of　obedience　in　which　they　were　brought　up；　was　a　very



important　factor；　for　they　were　bound　to　carry　on　all　their　actions



according　to　the　set　rules　of　the　law：　a　man　might　not　plough　when　he　liked；



but　only　at　certain　times；　in　certain　years；　and　with　one　sort　of　beast　at　a



time；　so；　too；　he　might　only　sow　and　reap　in　a　certain　method　and　season　…



in　fact；　his　whole　life　was　one　long　school　of　obedience　（see　Chap。　V。　on



the　use　of　ceremonies）；　such　a　habit　was　thus　engendered；　that　conformity



seemed　freedom　instead　of　servitude；　and　men　desired　what　was　commanded



rather　than　what　was　forbidden。　（149）　This　result　was　not　a　little　aided　by



the　fact　that　the　people　were　bound；　at　certain　seasons　of　the　year；　to　give



themselves　up　to　rest　and　rejoicing；　not　for　their　own　pleasure；　but　in



order　that　they　might　worship　God　cheerfully。







（17：150）　Three　times　in　the　year　they　feasted　before　the　Lord；　on　the



seventh　day　of　every　week　they　were　bidden　to　abstain　from　all　work　and　to



rest；　besides　these；　there　were　other　occasions　when　innocent　rejoicing　and



feasting　were　not　only　allowed　but　enjoined。　（151）　I　do　not　think　any　better



means　of　influencing　men's　minds　could　be　devised；　for　there　is　no　more



powerful　attraction　than　joy　springing　from　devotion；　a　mixture　of



admiration　and　love。　（152）　It　was　not　easy　to　be　wearied　by　constant



repetition；　for　the　rites　on　the　various　festivals　were　varied　and　recurred



seldom。　（153）　We　may　add　the　deep　reverence　for　the　Temple　which　all　most



religiously　fostered；　on　account　of　the　peculiar　rites　and　duties　that　they



were　obliged　to　perform　before　approaching　thither。　（154）　Even　now；　Jews



cannot　read　without　horror　of　the　crime　of　Manasseh；　who　dared　to　place　au



idol　in　the　Temple。　（155）　The　laws；　scrupulously　preserved　in　the　inmost



sanctuary；　were　objects　of　equal　reverence　to　the　people。　（156）　Popular



reports　and　misconceptions　were；　therefore；　very　little　to　be　feared



in　this　quarter；　for　no　one　dared　decide　on　sacred　matters；　but　all



felt　bound　to　obey；　without　consulting　their　reason；　all　the　commands　given



by　the　answers　of　God　received　in　the　Temple；　and　all　the　laws　which　God



had　ordained。







（17：157）　I　think　I　have　now　explained　clearly；　though　briefly；；　the　main



features　of　the　Hebrew　commonwealth。　（158）　I　must　now　inquire　into　the



causes　which　led　the　people　so　often　to　fall　away　from　the　law；　which



brought　about　their　frequent　subjection；　and；　finally；　the　complete



destruction　of　their　dominion。　（159）　Perhaps　I　shall　be　told　that　it　sprang



from　their　hardness　of　heart；　but　this　is　childish；　for　why　should　this



people　be　more　hard　of　heart　than　others；　was　it　by　nature？







＇17：A＇　（160）　But　nature　forms　individuals；　not　peoples；　the　latter　are



only　distinguishable　by　the　difference　of　their　language；　their　customs；　and



their　laws；　while　from　the　two　last　…　i。e。；　customs　and　laws；　…　it　may　arise



that　they　have　a　peculiar　disposition；　a　peculiar　manner　of　life；　and



peculiar　prejudices。　（161）　If；　then；　the　Hebrews　w