a theologico-political treatise [part iii]-第11节

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valid　only　for　the　prophets；　therefore；　our　certainty　concerning　revelation



must；　and　ought　to　be；　based　on　the　remaining　two　…　namely；　the　sign　and　the



teaching。　（73）　Such　is　the　express　doctrine　of　Moses；　for　（in　Deut。　xviii。）



he　bids　the　people　obey　the　prophet　who　should　give　a　true　sign　in　the　name



of　the　Lord；　but　if　he　should　predict　falsely；　even　though　it　were　in　the



name　of　the　Lord；　he　should　be　put　to　death；　as　should　also　he　who　strives



to　lead　away　the　people　from　the　true　religion；　though　he　confirm　his



authority　with　signs　and　portents。　（74）　We　may　compare　with　the　above　Deut。



xiii。　（75）　Whence　it　follows　that　a　true　prophet　could　be　distinguished　from



a　false　one；　both　by　his　doctrine　and　by　the　miracles　he　wrought；　for　Moses



declares　such　an　one　to　be　a　true　prophet；　and　bids　the　people　trust　him



without　fear　of　deceit。　（76）　He　condemns　as　false；　and　worthy；　of　death；



those　who　predict　anything　falsely　even　in　the　name　of　the　Lord；　or　who



preach　false　gods；　even　though　their　miracles　be　real。







（77）　The　only　reason；　then；　which　we　have　for　belief　in　Scripture　or　the



writings　of　the　prophets；　is　the　doctrine　we　find　therein；　and　the



signs　by　which　it　is　confirmed。　（78）　For　as　we　see　that　the　prophets　extol



charity　and　justice　above　all　things；　and　have　no　other　object；　we



conclude　that　they　did　not　write　from　unworthy　motives；　but　because　they



really　thought　that　men　might　become　blessed　through　obedience　and　faith：



further；　as　we　see　that　they　confirmed　their　teaching　with　signs　and



wonders；　we　become　persuaded　that　they　did　not　speak　at　random；　nor　run　riot



in　their　prophecies。　（79）　We　are　further　strengthened　in　our　conclusion　by



the　fact　that　the　morality　they　teach　is　in　evident　agreement　with　reason；



for　it　is　no　accidental　coincidence　that　the　Word　of　God　which　we　find　in



the　prophets　coincides　with　the　Word　of　God　written　in　our　hearts。　（80）　We



may；　I　say；　conclude　this　from　the　sacred　books　as　certainly　as　did　the　Jews



of　old　from　the　living　voice　of　the　prophets：　for　we　showed　in　Chap。　XII。



that　Scripture　has　come　down　to　us　intact　in　respect　to　its　doctrine　and



main　narratives。







（81）　Therefore　this　whole　basis　of　theology　and　Scripture；　though　it　does



not　admit　of　mathematical　proof；　may　yet　be　accepted　with　the　approval　of



our　judgment。　（82）　It　would　be　folly　to　refuse　to　accept　what　is　confirmed



by　such　ample　prophetic　testimony；　and　what　has　proved　such　a　comfort　to



those　whose　reason　is　comparatively　weak；　and　such　a　benefit　to　the　state；　a



doctrine；　moreover；　which　we　may　believe　in　without　the　slightest　peril　or



hurt；　and　should　reject　simply　because　it　cannot　be　mathematically　proved：



it　is　as　though　we　should　admit　nothing　as　true；　or　as　a　wise　rule　of　life；



which　could　ever；　in　any　possible　way；　be　called　in　question；　or　as　though



most　of　our　actions　were　not　full　of　uncertainty　and　hazards。







（83）　I　admit　that　those　who　believe　that　theology　and　philosophy　are



mutually　contradictory；　and　that　therefore　either　one　or　the　other　must　be



thrust　from　its　throne　…　I　admit；　I　say；　that　such　persons　are　not



unreasonable　in　attempting　to　put　theology　on　a　firm　basis；　and　to



demonstrate　its　truth　mathematically。　（84）　Who；　unless　he　were　desperate　or



mad；　would　wish　to　bid　an　incontinent　farewell　to　reason；　or　to　despise　the



arts　and　sciences；　or　to　deny　reason's　certitude？　（85）　But；　in　the



meanwhile；　we　cannot　wholly　absolve　them　from　blame；　inasmuch　as　they　invoke



the　aid　of　reason　for　her　own　defeat；　and　attempt　infallibly　to　prove　her



fallible。　（86）　While　they　are　trying　to　prove　mathematically　the



authority　and　truth　of　theology；　and　to　take　away　the　authority　of　natural



reason；　they　are　in　reality　only　bringing　theology　under　reason's　dominion；



and　proving　that　her　authority　has　no　weight　unless　natural　reason　be　at　the



back　of　it。







（87）　If　they　boast　that　they　themselves　assent　because　of　the　inward



testimony　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　and　that　they　only　invoke　the　aid　of　reason



because　of　unbelievers；　in　order　to　convince　them；　not　even　so　can　this　meet



with　our　approval；　for　we　can　easily　show　that　they　have　spoken　either　from



emotion　or　vain…glory。　（88）　It　most　clearly　follows　from　the　last　chapter



that　the　Holy　Spirit　only　gives　its　testimony　in　favour　of　works；　called　by



Paul　（in　Gal。　v：22）　the　fruits　of　the　Spirit；　and　is　in　itself　really



nothing　but　the　mental　acquiescence　which　follows　a　good　action　in　our



souls。　（89）　No　spirit　gives　testimony　concerning　the　certitude　of　matters



within　the　sphere　of　speculation；　save　only　reason；　who　is　mistress；　as　we



have　shown；　of　the　whole　realm　of　truth。　（90）　If　then　they　assert　that　they



possess　this　Spirit　which　makes　them　certain　of　truth；　they　speak　falsely；



and　according　to　the　prejudices　of　the　emotions；　or　else　they　are　in　great



dread　lest　they　should　be　vanquished　by　philosophers　and　exposed　to　public



ridicule；　and　therefore　they　flee；　as　it　were；　to　the　altar；　but　their



refuge　is　vain；　for　what　altar　will　shelter　a　man　who　has　outraged　reason？



（91）　However；　I　pass　such　persons　over；　for　I　think　I　have　fulfilled　my



purpose；　and　shown　how　philosophy　should　be　separated　from　theology；　and



wherein　each　consists；　that　neither　should　be　subservient　to　the　other；　but



that　each　should　keep　her　unopposed　dominion。　（92）　Lastly；　as　occasion



offered；　I　have　pointed　out　the　absurdities；　the　inconveniences；　and　the



evils　following　from　the　extraordinary　confusion　which　has　hitherto



prevailed　between　the　two　subjects；　owing　to　their　not　being　properly



distinguished　and　separated。　（93）　Before　I　go　further　I　would　expressly



state　（though　I　have　said　it　before）　that　I　consider　the　utility　and　the



need　for　Holy　Scripture　or　Revelation　to　be　very　great。　（94）　For　as　we



cannot　perceive　by　the　natural　light　of　reason　that　simple　obedience　is　the



path　of　salvation　＇Endnote　25＇；　and　are　taught　by　revelation　only　that　it　is



so　by　the　special　grace　of　God；　which　our　reason　cannot　attain；　it　follows



that　the　Bible　has　brought　a　very　great　consolation　to　mankind。　（95）　All



are　able　to　obey；　whereas　there　are　but　very　few；　compared　with　the



aggregate　of　humanity；　who　can　acquire　the　habit　of　virtue　under　the　unaided



guidance　of　reason。　（96）　Thus　if　we　had　not　the　testimony　of　Scripture；　we



should　doubt　of　the　salvation　of　nearly　all　men。







End　of　Part　3　…　Chapters　XI　to　XV。



















AUTHOR'S　ENDNOTES　TO　THE　THEOLOGICO…POLITICAL　TREATISE







CHAPTER　XI。







Endnote　24。　（1）　〃Now　I　think。〃　（2）　The　translators　render　the　｛Greek｝



word　〃I　infer〃；　and　assert　that　Paul　uses　it　as　synonymous　with　｛a　Greek



word｝。　（3）　But　the　former　word　has；　in　Greek；　the　same　meaning　as　the　Hebrew



word　rendered　to　think；　to　esteem；　to　judge。　（4）　And　this　signification



would　be　in　entire　agreement　with　the　Syriac　translation。　（5）　This　Syriac



translation　（if　it　be　a　translation；　which　is　very　doubtful；　for　we　know



neither　the　time　of　its　appearance；　nor　the　translators　and　Syriac　was　the



vernacular　of　the　Apostles）　renders　the　text　before　us　in　a　way　well



explained　by　Tremellius　as　〃we　think；　therefore。〃







CHAPTER　XV。







Endnote　25。　（1）　〃That　simple　obedience　is　the　path　of　salvation。〃　（2）



In　other　words；　it　is　enough　for　salvation　or　blessedness；　that　we　should



embrace　the　Divine　decrees　as　laws　or　commands；　there　is　no　need　to　conceive



them　as　eternal　truths。　（3）　This　can　be　taught　us　by　Revelation；　not　Reason；



as　appears　from　the　demonstrations　given　in　Chapter　IV。











End　of　Part　III　…　Chapters　XI　to　XV。



















End　of　Part　III