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

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Him　as　a　Judge　in　heaven　sitting　on　a　royal　throne　with　Christ　on　His



right　hand。　（43）　Such　expressions　are　adapted　to　the　understanding　of　the



multitude；　it　being　the　object　of　the　Bible　to　make　men　not　learned　but



obedient。







（44）　In　spite　of　this　the　general　run　of　theologians；　when　they　come　upon



any　of　these　phrases　which　they　cannot　rationally　harmonize　with　the　Divine



nature；　maintain　that　they　should　be　interpreted　metaphorically；　passages



they　cannot　understand　they　say　should　be　interpreted　literally。　（45）　But　if



every　expression　of　this　kind　in　the　Bible　is　necessarily　to　be　interpreted



and　understood　metaphorically；　Scripture　must　have　been　written；　not　for　the



people　and　the　unlearned　masses；　but　chiefly　for　accomplished　experts　and



philosophers。







（46）　If　it　were　indeed　a　sin　to　hold　piously　and　simply　the　ideas　about　God



we　have　just　quoted；　the　prophets　ought　to　have　been　strictly　on　their　guard



against　the　use　of　such　expressions；　seeing　the　weak…mindedness　of　the



people；　and　ought；　on　the　other　hand；　to　have　set　forth　first　of　all；　duly



and　clearly；　those　attributes　of　God　which　are　needful　to　be　understood。







（47）　This　they　have　nowhere　done；　we　cannot；　therefore；　think　that　opinions



taken　in　themselves　without　respect　to　actions　are　either　pious　or　impious；



but　must　maintain　that　a　man　is　pious　or　impious　in　his　beliefs　only　in　so



far　as　he　is　thereby　incited　to　obedience；　or　derives　from　them　license



to　sin　and　rebel。　（48）　If　a　man；　by　believing　what　is　true；　becomes



rebellious；　his　creed　is　impious；　if　by　believing　what　is　false　he　becomes



obedient；　his　creed　is　pious；　for　the　true　knowledge　of　God　comes　not　by



commandment；　but　by　Divine　gift。　（49）　God　has　required　nothing　from　man　but



a　knowledge　of　His　Divine　justice　and　charity；　and　that　not　as　necessary　to



scientific　accuracy；　but　to　obedience。



















CHAPTER　XIV　…　DEFINITIONS　OF　FAITH；　THE　FAITH；　AND　THE　FOUNDATIONS



　OF　FAITH；　WHICH　IS　ONCE　FOR　ALL　SEPARATED　FROM　PHILOSOPHY。







（1）　For　a　true　knowledge　of　faith　it　is　above　all　things　necessary　to



understand　that　the　Bible　was　adapted　to　the　intelligence；　not　only　of　the



prophets；　but　also　of　the　diverse　and　fickle　Jewish　multitude。　（2）　This　will



be　recognized　by　all　who　give　any　thought　to　the　subject；　for　they　will　see



that　a　person　who　accepted　promiscuously　everything　in　Scripture　as　being



the　universal　and　absolute　teaching　of　God；　without　accurately　defining　what



was　adapted　to　the　popular　intelligence；　would　find　it　impossible　to　escape



confounding　the　opinions　of　the　masses　with　the　Divine　doctrines；　praising



the　judgments　and　comments　of　man　as　the　teaching　of　God；　and



making　a　wrong　use　of　Scriptural　authority。　（3）　Who；　I　say；　does　not



perceive　that　this　is　the　chief　reason　why　so　many　sectaries　teach



contradictory　opinions　as　Divine　documents；　and　support　their　contentions



with　numerous　Scriptural　texts；　till　it　has　passed　in　Belgium　into　a



proverb；　geen　ketter　sonder　letter　…　no　heretic　without　a　text？　（4）　The



sacred　books　were　not　written　by　one　man；　nor　for　the　people　of　a　single



period；　but　by　many　authors　of　different　temperaments；　at　times　extending



from　first　to　last　over　nearly　two　thousand　years；　and　perhaps　much　longer。



（5）　We　will　not；　however；　accuse　the　sectaries　of　impiety　because　they　have



adapted　the　words　of　Scripture　to　their　own　opinions；　it　is　thus　that　these



words　were　adapted　to　the　understanding　of　the　masses　originally；　and



everyone　is　at　liberty　so　to　treat　them　if　he　sees　that　he　can　thus　obey　God



in　matters　relating　to　justice　and　charity　with　a　more　full　consent：　but



we　do　accuse　those　who　will　not　grant　this　freedom　to　their　fellows；



but　who　persecute　all　who　differ　from　them；　as　God's　enemies；　however



honourable　and　virtuous　be　their　lives；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　they



cherish　those　who　agree　with　them；　however　foolish　they　may　be；　as　God's



elect。　（6）　Such　conduct　is　as　wicked　and　dangerous　to　the　state　as　any　that



can　be　conceived。







（7）　In　order；　therefore；　to　establish　the　limits　to　which　individual　freedom



should　extend；　and　to　decide　what　persons；　in　spite　of　the　diversity　of



their　opinions；　are　to　be　looked　upon　as　the　faithful；　we　must　define　faith



and　its　essentials。　（8）　This　task　I　hope　to　accomplish　in　the　present



chapter；　and　also　to　separate　faith　from　philosophy；　which　is　the　chief　aim



of　the　whole　treatise。







（9）　In　order　to　proceed　duly　to　the　demonstration　let　us　recapitulate　the



chief　aim　and　object　of　Scripture；　this　will　indicate　a　standard　by　which　we



may　define　faith。







（10）　We　have　said　in　a　former　chapter　that　the　aim　and　object　of　Scripture



is　only　to　teach　obedience。　（11）　Thus　much；　I　think；　no　one　can　question。



（12）　Who　does　not　see　that　both　Testaments　are　nothing　else　but　schools　for



this　object；　and　have　neither　of　them　any　aim　beyond　inspiring　mankind　with



a　voluntary　obedience？　（13）　For　（not　to　repeat　what　I　said　in　the　last



chapter）　I　will　remark　that　Moses　did　not　seek　to　convince　the　Jews　by



reason；　but　bound　them　by　a　covenant；　by　oaths；　and　by　conferring　benefits；



further；　he　threatened　the　people　with　punishment　if　they　should　infringe



the　law；　and　promised　rewards　if　they　should　obey　it。



（14）　All　these　are　not　means　for　teaching　knowledge；　but　for　inspiring



obedience。　（15）　The　doctrine　of　the　Gospels　enjoins　nothing　but　simple



faith；　namely；　to　believe　in　God　and　to　honour　Him；　which　is　the　same　thing



as　to　obey　him。　（16）　There　is　no　occasion　for　me　to　throw　further　light　on



a　question　so　plain　by　citing　Scriptural　texts　commending　obedience；　such　as



may　be　found　in　great　numbers　in　both　Testaments。　（17）　Moreover；　the　Bible



teaches　very　clearly　in　a　great　many　passages　what　everyone　ought　to　do　in



order　to　obey　God；　the　whole　duty　is　summed　up　in　love　to　one's　neighbour。



（18）　It　cannot；　therefore；　be　denied　that　he　who　by　God's　command　loves　his



neighbour　as　himself　is　truly　obedient　and　blessed　according　to　the　law；



whereas　he　who　hates　his　neighbour　or　neglects　him　is　rebellious　and



obstinate。







（19）　Lastly；　it　is　plain　to　everyone　that　the　Bible　was　not　written　and



disseminated　only；　for　the　learned；　but　for　men　of　every　age　and　race；



wherefore　we　may；　rest　assured　that　we　are　not　bound　by　Scriptural　command



to　believe　anything　beyond　what　is　absolutely　necessary；　for



fulfilling　its　main　precept。







（20）　This　precept；　then；　is　the　only　standard　of　the　whole　Catholic　faith；



and　by　it　alone　all　the　dogmas　needful　to　be　believed　should　be　determined。



（21）　So　much　being　abundantly　manifest；　as　is　also　the　fact　that　all　other



doctrines　of　the　faith　can　be　legitimately　deduced　therefrom　by　reason



alone；　I　leave　it　to　every　man　to　decide　for　himself　how　it　comes　to　pass



that　so　many　divisions　have　arisen　in　the　Church：　can　it　be　from　any　other



cause　than　those　suggested　at　the　beginning　of　Chap。　VIII。？　（22）　It　is　these



same　causes　which　compel　me　to　explain　the　method　of　determining　the　dogmas



of　the　faith　from　the　foundation　we　have　discovered；　for　if　I



neglected　to　do　so；　and　put　the　question　on　a　regular　basis；　I　might　justly



be　said　to　have　promised　too　lavishly；　for　that　anyone　might；　by　my　showing；



introduce　any　doctrine　he　liked　into　religion；　under　the　pretext　that　it　was



a　necessary　means　to　obedience：　especially　would　this　be　the　case　in



questions　respecting　the　Divine　attributes。







（23）　In　order；　therefore；　to　set　forth　the　whole　matter　methodically；　I　will



begin　with　a　definition　of　faith；　which　on　the　principle　above　given；　should



be　as　follows：…







（24）　Faith　consists　in　a　knowledge　of　God；　without　which　obedience　to　Him



would　be　impossible；　and　which　the　mere　fact　of　obedience　to　Him　implies。



（25）　This　definition　is　so　clear；　and　follows　so　plainly　from　what　we　have



already　proved；　that　it　needs　no　explanation。　（26）　The　consequences　involved



therein　I　will　now　briefly　show。







（27）　（I。）　Faith　is　not　salutary　in　itself；　but　only　in　respect　to　the



obedience　it　implies；　or　as　James　puts　it　in　his　Epistle；　ii：17；　〃Faith



without　works　is　dead〃　（see　the　whole　of　the　chapter　quoted）。







（28）　（II。）　He　who　is　truly　obedient　necessarily　possesses　true　and　saving



faith；　for　if　obedience　be　granted；　faith　must　be　granted　also；　as　the　same



Apostle　expressly　says　in　these　words　（ii：18）；　〃Show　me　thy　faith　without



thy　works；　and　I　will　show　thee　my　faith　by　my　works。〃　（29）　So　also



John；　I　Ep。　iv：7：　〃Everyone　that　loveth　is　born　of　God；　and　knoweth



God：　he　that　loveth　not；　knoweth　not　God；　for　God　is　love。〃　（30）　From　these



texts；　I　repeat；　it　follows　that　we　can　only　judge　a　man　faithful　or



unfaithful　by　his　works。　（31）　If　his　works　be　good；　he　is　faithful；　however