a theologico-political treatise [part iv]-第7章

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to　retain　it　or　to　give　it　up；　and　transfer　it　to　another。　（44）　Being；　then；



in　the　state　of　nature；　they　followed　the　advice　of　Moses；　in　whom　they



chiefly　trusted；　and　decided　to　transfer　their　right　to　no　human　being；　but



only　to　God；　without　further　delay　they　all；　with　one　voice；　promised　to



obey　all　the　commands　of　the　Deity；　and　to　acknowledge　no　right　that　He　did



not　proclaim　as　such　by　prophetic　revelation。　（45）　This　promise；　or



transference　of　right　to　God；　was　effected　in　the　same　manner　as　we　have



conceived　it　to　have　been　in　ordinary　societies；　when　men　agree　to　divest



themselves　of　their　natural　rights。　（46）　It　is；　in　fact；　in　virtue　of　a　set



covenant；　and　an　oath　（see　Exod。　xxxiv：10）；　that　the　Jews　freely；　and　not



under　compulsion　or　threats；　surrendered　their　rights　and　transferred　them



to　God。　（47）　Moreover；　in　order　that　this　covenant　might　be　ratified



and　settled；　and　might　be　free　from　all　suspicion　of　deceit；　God　did　not



enter　into　it　till　the　Jews　had　had　experience　of　His　wonderful　power　by



which　alone　they　had　been；　or　could　be；　preserved　in　a　state　of　prosperity



（Exod。　xix：4；　5）。　（48）　It　is　because　they　believed　that　nothing　but



God's　power　could　preserve　them　that　they　surrendered　to　God　the　natural



power　of　self…preservation；　which　they　formerly；　perhaps；　thought　they



possessed；　and　consequently　they　surrendered　at　the　same　time　all　their



natural　right。







＇17：4＇　（49）　God　alone；　therefore；　held　dominion　over　the　Hebrews；　whose



state　was　in　virtue　of　the　covenant　called　God's　kingdom；　and　God　was　said



to　be　their　king；　consequently　the　enemies　of　the　Jews　were　said　to　be　the



enemies　of　God；　and　the　citizens　who　tried　to　seize　the　dominion　were　guilty



of　treason　against　God；　and；　lastly；　the　laws　of　the　state　were　called　the



laws　and　commandments　of　God。　（50）　Thus　in　the　Hebrew　state　the　civil　and



religious　authority；　each　consisting　solely　of　obedience　to　God；　were　one



and　the　same。　（51）　The　dogmas　of　religion　were　not　precepts；　but　laws　and



ordinances；　piety　was　regarded　as　the　same　as　loyalty；　impiety　as　the　same



as　disaffection。　（52）　Everyone　who　fell　away　from　religion　ceased　to　be　a



citizen；　and　was；　on　that　ground　alone；　accounted　an　enemy：　those　who



died　for　the　sake　of　religion；　were　held　to　have　died　for　their　country；



in　fact；　between　civil　and　religious　law　and　right　there　was　no　distinction



whatever。　｛in　Biblical　Hebrew；　there　was　no　word　for　what　we　call　Religion。〃



Modern　Hebrew　has　selected　a　word　whose　root　is　〃knowledge。〃｝　（53）　For　this



reason　the　government　could　be　called　a　Theocracy；　inasmuch　as　the　citizens



were　not　bound　by　anything　save　the　revelations　of　God。







（17：54）　However；　this　state　of　things　existed　rather　in　theory　than　in



practice；　for　it　will　appear　from　what　we　are　about　to　say；　that　the



Hebrews；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　retained　absolutely　in　their　own　hands　the



right　of　sovereignty：　this　is　shown　by　the　method　and　plan　by　which　the



government　was　carried　on；　as　I　will　now　explain。







（17：55）　Inasmuch　as　the　Hebrews　did　not　transfer　their　rights　to　any　other



person　but；　as　in　a　democracy；　all　surrendered　their　rights　equally；　and



cried　out　with　one　voice；　〃Whatsoever　God　shall　speak　（no　mediator　or



mouthpiece　being　named）　that　will　we　do；〃　it　follows　that　all　were　equally



bound　by　the　covenant；　and　that　all　had　an　equal　right　to　consult　the　Deity；



to　accept　and　to　interpret　His　laws；　so　that　all　had　an　exactly　equal　share



in　the　government。　＇17：5＇　（56）　Thus　at　first　they　all　approached　God



together；　so　that　they　might　learn　His　commands；　but　in　this　first



salutation；　they　were　so　thoroughly　terrified　and　so　astounded　to　hear　God



speaking；　that　they　thought　their　last　hour　was　at　hand：　full　of　fear；



therefore；　they　went　afresh　to　Moses；　and　said；　〃Lo；　we　have　heard　God



speaking　in　the　fire；　and　there　is　no　cause　why　we　should　wish　to　die：



surely　this　great　fire　will　consume　us：　if　we　hear　again　the　voice　of　God；



we　shall　surely　die。　（57）　Thou；　therefore；　go　near；　and　hear　all　the　words



of　our　God；　and　thou　（not　God）　shalt　speak　with　us：　all　that　God　shall　tell



us；　that　will　we　hearken　to　and　perform。〃







（17：58）　They　thus　clearly　abrogated　their　former　covenant；　and　absolutely



transferred　to　Moses　their　right　to　consult　God　and　interpret　His　commands：



for　they　do　not　here　promise　obedience　to　all　that　God　shall　tell　them；　but



to　all　that　God　shall　tell　Moses　（see　Deut。　v：20　after　the　Decalogue；　and



chap。　xviii：15；　16）。　（59）　Moses；　therefore；　remained　the　sole　promulgator



and　interpreter　of　the　Divine　laws；　and　consequently　also　the　sovereign



judge；　who　could　not　be　arraigned　himself；　and　who　acted　among　the　Hebrews



the　part；　of　God；　in　other　words；　held　the　sovereign　kingship：　he　alone



had　the　right　to　consult　God；　to　give　the　Divine　answers　to　the



people；　and　to　see　that　they　were　carried　out。　（60）　I　say　he　alone；　for　if



anyone　during　the　life　of　Moses　was　desirous　of　preaching　anything　in　the



name　of　the　Lord；　he　was；　even　if　a　true　prophet；　considered　guilty　and　a



usurper　of　the　sovereign　right　（Numb。　xi：28）　＇Endnote　30＇。　（61）　We　may　here



notice；　that　though　the　people　had　elected　Moses；　they　could　not　rightfully



elect　Moses's　successor；　for　having　transferred　to　Moses　their　right　of



consulting　God；　and　absolutely　promised　to　regard　him　as　a　Divine　oracle；



they　had　plainly　forfeited　the　whole　of　their　right；　and　were　bound　to



accept　as　chosen　by　God　anyone　proclaimed　by　Moses　as　his　successor。　（62）　If



Moses　had　so　chosen　his　successor；　who　like　him　should　wield　the　sole　right



of　government；　possessing　the　sole　right　of　consulting　God；　and　consequently



of　making　and　abrogating　laws；　of　deciding　on　peace　or　war；　of　sending



ambassadors；　appointing　judges　…　in　fact；　discharging　all　the　functions　of　a



sovereign；　the　state　would　have　become　simply　a　monarchy；　only　differing



from　other　monarchies　in　the　fact；　that　the　latter　are；　or　should　be；



carried　on　in　accordance　with　God's　decree；　unknown　even　to　the　monarch；



whereas　the　Hebrew　monarch　would　have　been　the　only　person　to　whom　the



decree　was　revealed。　（63）　A　difference　which　increases；　rather　than



diminishes　the　monarch's　authority。　（64）　As　far　as　the　people　in　both　cases



are　concerned；　each　would　be　equally　subject；　and　equally　ignorant　of



the　Divine　decree；　for　each　would　be　dependent　on　the　monarch's　words；　and



would　learn　from　him　alone；　what　was　lawful　or　unlawful：　nor　would　the　fact



that　the　people　believed　that　the　monarch　was　only　issuing　commands　in



accordance　with　God's　decree　revealed　to　him；　make　it　less　in　subjection；



but　rather　more。　＇17：6＇　（65）　However；　Moses　elected　no　such　successor；　but



left　the　dominion　to　those　who　came　after　him　in　a　condition　which　could　not



be　called　a　popular　government；　nor　an　aristocracy；　nor　a　monarchy；　but　a



Theocracy。　（66）　For　the　right　of　interpreting　laws　was　vested　in　one　man；



while　the　right　and　power　of　administering　the　state　according　to　the



laws　thus　interpreted；　was　vested　in　another　man　（see　Numb。　xxvii：21）



＇Endnote　31＇。







（17：67）　In　order　that　the　question　may　be　thoroughly　understood；　I　will　duly



set　forth　the　administration　of　the　whole　state。







（68）　First；　the　people　were　commanded　to　build　a　tabernacle；　which　should



be；　as　it　were；　the　dwelling　of　God　…　that　is；　of　the　sovereign　authority　of



the　state。　（69）　This　tabernacle　was　to　be　erected　at　the　cost　of　the　whole



people；　not　of　one　man；　in　order　that　the　place　where　God　was　consulted



might　be　public　property。　（70）　The　Levites　were　chosen　as　courtiers　and



administrators　of　this　royal　abode；　while　Aaron；　the　brother　of　Moses；　was



chosen　to　be　their　chief　and　second；　as　it　were；　to　God　their　King；　being



succeeded　in　the　office　by　his　legitimate　sons。







（17：71）　He；　as