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第6章

theologico-political treatise p3(神学与政治专题研究3)-第6章


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the mind; cannot be apprehended by any; other means than proofs; if these 

are absent the object remains ungrasped; the repetition of what has been 

heard on such subjects no more indicates or attains to their meaning than 

the words of a parrot or a puppet speaking without sense or signification。 

     (25)   Before   I   proceed   I   ought   to   explain   how   it   comes   that   we   are 

often told in Genesis that the patriarchs preached in the name of Jehovah; 

this being in plain contradiction to the text above quoted。 (26) A reference 

to what was said in Chap。 VIII。 will readily explain the difficulty。 (27) It 

was there shown that the writer of the Pentateuch did not always speak of 

things   and   places   by  the   names   they  bore   in   the   times   of   which   he   was 

writing; but by the names best known to his contemporaries。 (28) God is 

thus said in the Pentateuch to have been preached by the patriarchs under 

the    name    of   Jehovah;     not  because     such    was   the   name     by  which     the 

patriarchs knew Him; but because this name was the one most reverenced 

by   the   Jews。   (29)   This   point;   I   say;   must   necessarily   be   noticed;   for   in 

Exodus it is expressly stated that God was not known to the patriarchs by 

this name;   and in   chap。   iii:13; it   is said   that   Moses   desired   to   know   the 

name   of   God。  (30)   Now;   if   this name   had   been   already  known   it   would 

have been known to Moses。 (31) We must therefore draw the conclusion 

indicated; namely;  that the   faithful patriarchs did not   know this name   of 

God; and that the knowledge of God is bestowed and not commanded by 

the Deity。 

     (32) It is now time to pass on to our second point; and show that God 



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through His prophets required from men no other knowledge of Himself 

than   is   contained   in   a   knowledge   of   His   justice   and   charity  …   that   is;   of 

attributes which a certain manner of life will enable men to imitate。 (33) 

Jeremiah states this in so many words (xxii:15; 16): 〃Did not thy father eat; 

and drink; and do judgment and justice? and then it was well with him。 (34) 

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was 

not this to know Me ? saith the Lord。〃 (35) The words in chap。 ix:24 of the 

same book are equally; clear。 (36) 〃But let him that glorieth glory in this; 

that he understandeth and knoweth Me; that I am the Lord which exercise 

loving…   kindness;   judgment;   and   righteousness   in   the   earth;   for   in   these 

things I delight; saith the Lord。〃 (37) The same doctrine maybe gathered 

from   Exod。   xxxiv:6;   where   God   revealed   to   Moses   only;   those   of   His 

attributes   which   display   the   Divine   justice   and   charity。   (38)   Lastly;   we 

may   call   attention   to   a   passage   in   John   which   we   shall   discuss   at   more 

length hereafter; the Apostle explains the nature of God (inasmuch as no 

one   has   beheld   Him)   through   charity   only;   and   concludes   that   he   who 

possesses charity possesses; and in very; truth knows God。 

     (39) We have thus seen that Moses; Jeremiah; and John sum up in a 

very short   compass the knowledge of   God   needful   for   all;   and   that   they 

state it to consist in exactly what we said; namely; that God is supremely 

just; and supremely merciful … in other words; the one perfect pattern of 

the   true   life。   (40)   We   may   add   that   Scripture   nowhere   gives   an   express 

definition of God; and does not point out any other of His attributes which 

should   be   apprehended   save   these;   nor   does   it   in   set   terms   praise   any 

others。     (41)   Wherefore      we   may    draw    the   general    conclusion      that  an 

intellectual knowledge of God; which takes cognizance of His nature in so 

far as it actually is; and which cannot by any manner of living be imitated 

by mankind or followed as an example; has no bearing whatever on true 

rules of conduct; on faith; or on revealed religion; consequently that men 

may be in complete error on the subject without incurring the charge of 

sinfulness。 (42) We need now no longer wonder that God adapted Himself 

to   the   existing   opinions   and   imaginations   of   the   prophets;   or   that   the 

faithful held different ideas of God; as we showed in Chap。 II。; or; again; 

that the sacred books speak very inaccurately of God; attributing to Him 



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hands; feet; eyes; ears; a mind; and motion from one place to another; or 

that they ascribe to Him emotions; such as jealousy; mercy; &c。; or; lastly; 

that they describe 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。 



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                            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 



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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   b

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