a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第3章

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the　Bible　afresh　in　a　careful；　impartial；　and　unfettered　spirit；　making　no



assumptions　concerning　it；　and　attributing　to　it　no　doctrines；　which　I　do



not　find　clearly　therein　set　down。　（36）　With　these　precautions　I　constructed



a　method　of　Scriptural　interpretation；　and　thus　equipped　proceeded　to



inquire　…　what　is　prophecy？　（37）　In　what　sense　did　God　reveal　himself　to　the



prophets；　and　why　were　these　particular　men　…　chosen　by　him？　（38）　Was　it　on



account　of　the　sublimity　of　their　thoughts　about　the　Deity　and　nature；　or



was　it　solely　on　account　of　their　piety？　（39）　These　questions　being



answered；　I　was　easily　able　to　conclude；　that　the　authority　of　the　prophets



has　weight　only　in　matters　of　morality；　and　that　their　speculative　doctrines



affect　us　little。







（40）　Next　I　inquired；　why　the　Hebrews　were　called　God's　chosen　people；　and



discovering　that　it　was　only　because　God　had　chosen　for　them　a　certain　strip



of　territory；　where　they　might　live　peaceably　and　at　ease；　I　learnt　that　the



Law　revealed　by　God　to　Moses　was　merely　the　law　of　the　individual　Hebrew



state；　therefore　that　it　was　binding　on　none　but　Hebrews；　and　not　even



on　Hebrews　after　the　downfall　of　their　nation。　（41）　Further；　in　order　to



ascertain；　whether　it　could　be　concluded　from　Scripture；　that　the　human



understanding　standing　is　naturally　corrupt；　I　inquired　whether　the



Universal　Religion；　the　Divine　Law　revealed　through　the　Prophets　and



Apostles　to　the　whole　human　race；　differs　from　that　which　is　taught　by　the



light　of　natural　reason；　whether　miracles　can　take　place　in　violation　of　the



laws　of　nature；　and　if　so；　whether　they　imply　the　existence　of　God　more



surely　and　clearly　than　events；　which　we　understand　plainly　and　distinctly



through　their　immediate　natural　causes。







（42）　Now；　as　in　the　whole　course　of　my　investigation　I　found　nothing　taught



expressly　by　Scripture；　which　does　not　agree　with　our　understanding；　or



which　is　repugnant　thereto；　and　as　I　saw　that　the　prophets　taught　nothing；



which　is　not　very　simple　and　easily　to　be　grasped　by　all；　and　further；　that



they　clothed　their　leaching　in　the　style；　and　confirmed　it　with　the　reasons；



which　would　most　deeply　move　the　mind　of　the　masses　to　devotion　towards　God；



I　became　thoroughly　convinced；　that　the　Bible　leaves　reason　absolutely　free；



that　it　has　nothing　in　common　with　philosophy；　in　fact；　that　Revelation　and



Philosophy　stand　on　different　footings。　In　order　to　set　this　forth



categorically　and　exhaust　the　whole　question；　I　point　out　the　way　in　which



the　Bible　should　be　interpreted；　and　show　that　all　of　spiritual　questions



should　be　sought　from　it　alone；　and　not　from　the　objects　of　ordinary



knowledge。　（43）　Thence　I　pass　on　to　indicate　the　false　notions；　which　have



from　the　fact　that　the　multitude　…　ever　prone　to　superstition；　and　caring



more　for　the　shreds　of　antiquity　for　eternal　truths　…　pays　homage　to　the



Books　of　the　Bible；　rather　than　to　the　Word　of　God。　（44）　I　show　that　the



Word　of　God　has　not　been　revealed　as　a　certain　number　of　books；　was



displayed　to　the　prophets　as　a　simple　idea　of　the　mind；　namely；　obedience　to



God　in　singleness　of　heart；　and　in　the　practice　of　justice　and　charity；　and



I　further　point　out；　that　this　doctrine　is　set　forth　in　Scripture　in



accordance　with　the　opinions　and　understandings　of　those；　among　whom　the



Apostles　and　Prophets　preached；　to　the　end　that　men　might　receive　it



willingly；　and　with　their　whole　heart。







（45）　Having　thus　laid　bare　the　bases　of　belief；　I　draw　the　conclusion　that



Revelation　has　obedience　for　its　sole　object；　therefore；　in　purpose　no　less



than　in　foundation　and　method；　stands　entirely　aloof　from　ordinary



knowledge；　each　has　its　separate　province；　neither　can　be　called　the



handmaid　of　the　other。







（46）　Furthermore；　as　men's　habits　of　mind　differ；　so　that　some　more　readily



embrace　one　form　of　faith；　some　another；　for　what　moves　one　to　pray　may　move



another　only　to　scoff；　I　conclude；　in　accordance　with　what　has　gone　before；



that　everyone　should　be　free　to　choose　for　himself　the　foundations　of　his



creed；　and　that　faith　should　be　judged　only　by　its　fruits；　each　would　then



obey　God　freely　with　his　whole　heart；　while　nothing　would　be　publicly



honoured　save　justice　and　charity。







（47）　Having　thus　drawn　attention　to　the　liberty　conceded　to　everyone　by　the



revealed　law　of　God；　I　pass　on　to　another　part　of　my　subject；　and　prove　that



this　same　liberty　can　and　should　be　accorded　with　safety　to　the　state　and



the　magisterial　authority　…　in　fact；　that　it　cannot　be　withheld　without



great　danger　to　peace　and　detriment　to　the　community。







（48）　In　order　to　establish　my　point；　I　start　from　the　natural　rights　of　the



individual；　which　are　co…extensive　with　his　desires　and　power；　and　from　the



fact　that　no　one　is　bound　to　live　as　another　pleases；　but　is　the　guardian　of



his　own　liberty。　（49）　I　show　that　these　rights　can　only　be　transferred　to



those　whom　we　depute　to　defend　us；　who　acquire　with　the　duties　of　defence



the　power　of　ordering　our　lives；　and　I　thence　infer　that　rulers　possess



rights　only　limited　by　their　power；　that　they　are　the　sole　guardians　of



justice　and　liberty；　and　that　their　subjects　should　act　in　all　things　as



they　dictate：　nevertheless；　since　no　one　can　so　utterly　abdicate　his　own



power　of　self…defence　as　to　cease　to　be　a　man；　I　conclude　that　no　one　can　be



deprived　of　his　natural　rights　absolutely；　but　that　subjects；　either　by



tacit　agreement；　or　by　social　contract；　retain　a　certain　number；　which



cannot　be　taken　from　them　without　great　danger　to　the　state。







（50）　From　these　considerations　I　pass　on　to　the　Hebrew　State；　which　I



describe　at　some　length；　in　order　to　trace　the　manner　in　which　Religion



acquired　the　force　of　law；　and　to　touch　on　other　noteworthy　points。　（51）　I



then　prove；　that　the　holders　of　sovereign　power　are　the　depositories　and



interpreters　of　religious　no　less　than　of　civil　ordinances；　and　that　they



alone　have　the　right　to　decide　what　is　just　or　unjust；　pious　or　impious；



lastly；　I　conclude　by　showing；　that　they　best　retain　this　right　and　secure



safety　to　their　state　by　allowing　every　man　to　think　what　he　likes；　and　say



what　he　thinks。







（52）　Such；　Philosophical　Reader；　are　the　questions　I　submit　to　your　notice；



counting　on　your　approval；　for　the　subject　matter　of　the　whole　book　and　of



the　several　chapters　is　important　and　profitable。　（53）　I　would　say　more；　but



I　do　not　want　my　preface　to　extend　to　a　volume；　especially　as　I　know　that



its　leading　propositions　are　to　Philosophers　but　common　places。　（54）　To　the



rest　of　mankind　I　care　not　to　commend　my　treatise；　for　I　cannot　expect　that



it　contains　anything　to　please　them：　I　know　how　deeply　rooted　are　the



prejudices　embraced　under　the　name　of　religion；　I　am　aware　that　in　the　mind



of　the　masses　superstition　is　no　less　deeply　rooted　than　fear；　I　recognize



that　their　constancy　is　mere　obstinacy；　and　that　they　are　led　to　praise　or



blame　by　impulse　rather　than　reason。　（55）　Therefore　the　multitude；　and　those



of　like　passions　with　the　multitude；　I　ask　not　to　read　my　book；　nay；　I　would



rather　that　they　should　utterly　neglect　it；　than　that　they　should



misinterpret　it　after　their　wont。　（56）　They　would　gain　no　good　themselves；



and　might　prove　a　stumbling…block　to　others；　whose　philosophy　is　hampered　by



the　belief　that　Reason　is　a　mere　handmaid　to　Theology；　and　whom　I　seek　in



this　work　especially　to　benefit。　（57）　But　as　there　will　be　many　who　have



neither　the　leisure；　nor；　perhaps；　the　inclination　to　read　through　all　I



have　written；　I　feel　bound　here；　as　at　the　end　of　my　treatise；　to　declare



that　I　have　written　nothing；　which　I　do　not　most　willingly　submit　to　the



examination　and　judgment　of　my　country's　rulers；　and　that　I　am　ready　to



retract　anything；　which　they