a theologico-political treatise [part iv]-第12章

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that　secular　rulers　are　its　proper　interpreters。　（37）　How　this　is　so　we



shall　now　see；　for　it　is　time　to　show　that　the　outward　observances　of



religion；　and　all　the　external　practices　of　piety　should　be　brought　into



accordance　with　the　public　peace　and　well…being　if　we　would　obey　God



rightly。　（38）　When　this　has　been　shown　we　shall　easily　understand　how　the



sovereign　rulers　are　the　proper　interpreters　of　religion　and　piety。







（19：39）　It　is　certain　that　duties　towards　one's　country　are　the　highest　that



man　can　fulfil；　for；　if　government　be　taken　away；　no　good　thing　can　last；



all　falls　into　dispute；　anger　and　anarchy　reign　unchecked　amid　universal



fear。　（40）　Consequently　there　can　be　no　duty　towards　our　neighbour　which



would　not　become　an　offence　if　it　involved　injury　to　the　whole　state；　nor



can　there　be　any　offence　against　our　duty　towards　our　neighbour；　or　anything



but　loyalty　in　what　we　do　for　the　sake　of　preserving　the　state。　（41）　For



instance：　it　is　in　the　abstract　my　duty　when　my　neighbour　quarrels　with　me



and　wishes　to　take　my　cloak；　to　give　him　my　coat　also；　but　if　it　be　thought



that　such　conduct　is　hurtful　to　the　maintenance　of　the　state；　I　ought　to



bring　him　to　trial；　even　at　the　risk　of　his　being　condemned　to　death。







（19：42）　For　this　reason　Manlius　Torquatus　is　held　up　to　honour；　inasmuch　as



the　public　welfare　outweighed　with　him　his　duty　towards　his　children。　（43）



This　being　so；　it　follows　that　the　public　welfare　is　the　sovereign　law　to



which　all　others；　Divine　and　human；　should　be　made　to　conform。　（44）　Now；　it



is　the　function　of　the　sovereign　only　to　decide　what　is　necessary　for　the



public　welfare　and　the　safety　of　the　state；　and　to　give　orders　accordingly；



therefore　it　is　also　the　function　of　the　sovereign　only　to　decide　the　limits



of　our　duty　towards　our　neighbour　…　in　other　words；　to　determine　how　we



should　obey　God。　（45）　We　can　now　clearly　understand　how　the　sovereign



is　the　interpreter　of　religion；　and　further；　that　no　one　can　obey　God



rightly；　if　the　practices　of　his　piety　do　not　conform　to　the　public　welfare；



or；　consequently；　if　he　does　not　implicitly　obey　all　the　commands　of　the



sovereign。　（46）　For　as　by　God's　command　we　are　bound　to　do　our　duty　to　all



men　without　exception；　and　to　do　no　man　an　injury；　we　are　also　bound　not



to　help　one　man　at　another's　loss；　still　less　at　a　loss　to　the　whole　state。



（47）　Now；　no　private　citizen　can　know　what　is　good　for　the　state；　except　he



learn　it　through　the　sovereign　power；　who　alone　has　the　right　to　transact



public　business：　therefore　no　one　can　rightly　practise　piety　or　obedience　to



God；　unless　he　obey　the　sovereign　power's　commands　in　all　things。　（48）　This



proposition　is　confirmed　by　the　facts　of　experience。　（49）　For　if　the



sovereign　adjudge　a　man　to　be　worthy　of　death　or　an　enemy；　whether　he　be　a



citizen　or　a　foreigner；　a　private　individual　or　a　separate　ruler；　no　subject



is　allowed　to　give　him　assistance。　（50）　So　also　though　the　Jews　were



bidden　to　love　their　fellow…citizens　as　themselves　（Levit。　xix：17；　18）；　they



were　nevertheless　bound；　if　a　man　offended　against　the　law；　to　point　him　out



to　the　judge　（Levit。　v：1；　and　Deut。　xiii：8；　9）；　and；　if　he　should　be



condemned　to　death；　to　slay　him　（Deut。　xvii：7）。







（19：51）　Further；　in　order　that　the　Hebrews　might　preserve　the　liberty　they



had　gained；　and　might　retain　absolute　sway　over　the　territory　they　had



conquered；　it　was　necessary；　as　we　showed　in　Chapter　XVII。；　that　their



religion　should　be　adapted　to　their　particular　government；　and　that　they



should　separate　themselves　from　the　rest　of　the　nations：　wherefore　it　was



commanded　to　them；　〃Love　thy　neighbour　and　hate　thine　enemy〃　（Matt。　v：43）；



but　after　they　had　lost　their　dominion　and　had　gone　into　captivity　in



Babylon；　Jeremiah　bid　them　take　thought　for　the　safety　of　the　state　into



which　they　had　been　led　captive；　and　Christ　when　He　saw　that　they　would　be



spread　over　the　whole　world；　told　them　to　do　their　duty　by　all　men　without



exception；　all　of　which　instances　show　that　religion　has　always　been　made　to



conform　to　the　public　welfare。　＇19：4＇　（52）　Perhaps　someone　will　ask：　By　what



right；　then；　did　the　disciples　of　Christ；　being　private　citizens；　preach



a　new　religion？　（53）　I　answer　that　they　did　so　by　the　right　of　the



power　which　they　had　received　from　Christ　against　unclean　spirits　（see　Matt。



x：1）。　（54）　I　have　already　stated　in　Chapter　XVI。　that　all　are　bound　to　obey



a　tyrant；　unless　they　have　received　from　God　through　undoubted　revelation　a



promise　of　aid　against　him；　so　let　no　one　take　example　from　the　Apostles



unless　he　too　has　the　power　of　working　miracles。　（55）　The　point　is　brought



out　more　clearly　by　Christ's　command　to　His　disciples；　〃Fear　not　those　who



kill　the　body〃　（Matt。　x：28）。　（56）　If　this　command　were　imposed　on　everyone；



governments　would　be　founded　in　vain；　and　Solomon's　words　（Prov。　xxiv：21）；



〃My　son；　fear　God　and　the　king；〃　would　be　impious；　which　they　certainly　are



not；　we　must　therefore　admit　that　the　authority　which　Christ　gave　to　His



disciples　was　given　to　them　only；　and　must　not　be　taken　as　an　example　for



others。







（19：57）　I　do　not　pause　to　consider　the　arguments　of　those　who　wish　to



separate　secular　rights　from　spiritual　rights；　placing　the　former　under　the



control　of　the　sovereign；　and　the　latter　under　the　control　of　the　universal



Church；　such　pretensions　are　too　frivolous　to　merit　refutation。　（58）　I



cannot　however；　pass　over　in　silence　the　fact　that　such　persons　are　woefully



deceived　when　they　seek　to　support　their　seditious　opinions　（I　ask　pardon



for　the　somewhat　harsh　epithet）　by　the　example　of　the　Jewish　high　priest；



who；　in　ancient　times；　had　the　right　of　administering　the　sacred　offices。



（59）　Did　not　the　high　priests　receive　their　right　by　the　decree　of　Moses



（who；　as　I　have　shown；　retained　the　sole　right　to　rule）；　and　could　they　not



by　the　same　means　be　deprived　of　it？　（60）　Moses　himself　chose　not　only



Aaron；　but　also　his　son　Eleazar；　and　his　grandson　Phineas；　and　bestowed　on



them　the　right　of　administering　the　office　of　high　priest。　（61）　This　right



was　retained　by　the　high　priests　afterwards；　but　none　the　less　were　they



delegates　of　Moses　…　that　is；　of　the　sovereign　power。　（62）　Moses；　as　we　have



shown；　left　no　successor　to　his　dominion；　but　so　distributed　his



prerogatives；　that　those　who　came　after　him　seemed；　as　it　were；　regents　who



administer　the　government　when　a　king　is　absent　but　not　dead。







（19：62）　In　the　second　commonwealth　the　high　priests　held　their　right



absolutely；　after　they　had　obtained　the　rights　of　principality　in　addition。



（63）　Wherefore　the　rights　of　the　high　priesthood　always　depended　on　the



edict　of　the　sovereign；　and　the　high　priests　did　not　possess　them　till



they　became　sovereigns　also。　（64）　Rights　in　matters　spiritual　always



remained　under　the　control　of　the　kings　absolutely　（as　I　will　show　at　the



end　of　this　chapter）；　except　in　the　single　particular　that　they　were　not



allowed　to　administer　in　person　the　sacred　duties　in　the　Temple；　inasmuch



as　they　were　not　of　the　family　of　Aaron；　and　were　therefore　considered



unclean；　a　reservation　which　would　have　no　force　in　a　Christian　community。







（19：65）　We　cannot；　therefore；　doubt　that　the　daily　sacred　rites　（whose



performance　does　not　require　a　particular　genealogy　but　only　a　special　mode



of　life；　and　from　which　the　holders　of　sovereign　power　are　not　excluded　as



unclean）　are　under　the　sole　control　of　the　sovereign　power；　no　one；



save　by　the　authority　or　concession　of　such　sovereign；　has　the　right　or



power　of　administering　them；　of　choosing　others　to　administer　them；　of



defining　or　strengthening　the　foundations　of　the　Church　and　her　doctrines；



of　judging　on　questions　of　morality　or　acts　of　piety；　of　receiving



anyone　into　the　Church　or　excommunicating　him　therefrom；　or；　lastly；　of



providing　for　the　poor。







（19：66）　These　doctrines　are　proved　to　be　not　only　true　（as　we　have　already



pointed　out）；　but　also　of　primary　necessity　for　the　preservation　of　religion



and　the　state。　（67）　We　all　know　what　weight　spiritual　right　and　authority



carries　in　the　popular　mind：　how　everyone　hangs　on　the　lips；　as　it　were；　of



those　who　possess　it。　（68）　We　may　even　say　that　those　who　wield　such



authority　have　the　most　complete　sway　over　the　popular　mind。







（19：69）　Whosoever；　therefore；　wishes　to　take　this　right　away　from　the



sovereign　power；　is　desirous　of　dividing　the　dominion；　from　such　division；



contentions；　and　strife　will　necessarily　spring　up；　as　they　did　of　old



between　the　Jewish　kings　and　high　priests；　and　will　defy　all　attempts　to



allay　them。　（70）　Nay；　further；　he　who　strives　to　deprive　the　sovereign　power



of　such　authority；　is　aiming　（as　we　have　said）；　at　gaining　dominion　for



himself。　（71）　What　is　left　for　the　sovereign　power　to　decide　on；　if　this



right　be　denied　him？　（72）　Certainly　nothing　concerning　either　war　or



peace；　if　he　has　to　ask　another　man's　opinion　as　to　whether　what　he



believes　to　be　beneficial　would　be　pious　or　impious。　（73）　Everything　would



depend　on　the　verdict　of　him　who　had　the　right　of　deciding　and　judging　what



was　pious　or　impious；　right　or　wrong。







（19：74）　When　such　a　right　was　bestowed　on　the　Pope　of　Rome　absolutely；　he



gradually　acquired　complete　control　over　the　kings；　till　at　last　he　himself



mounted　to　the　summits　of　dominion；　however　much　monarchs；　and　especially



the　German　emperors；　strove　to　curtail　his　authority；　were　it　only　by　a



hairsbreadth；　they　effected　nothing；　but　on　the　contrary　by　their　very



endeavours　largely　increased　it。　（75）　That　which　no　monarch　could　accomplish



with　fire　and　sword；　ecclesiastics　could　bring　about　with　a　stroke　of　the



pen；　whereby　we　may　easily　see　the　force　and　power　at　the　command　of　the



Church；　and　also　how　necessary　it　is　for　sovereigns　to　reserve　such



prerogatives　for　themselves。







（19：76）　If　we　reflect　on　what　was　said　in　the　last　chapter　we　shall　see　that



such　reservation　conduced　not　a　little　to　the　increase　of　religion　and



piety；　for　we　observed　that　the　prophets　themselves；　though　gifted　with



Divine　efficacy；　being　merely　private　citizens；　rather　irritated　than



reformed　the　people　by　their　freedom　of　warning；　reproof；　and　denunciation；



whereas　the　kings　by　warnings　and　punishments　easily　bent　men　to　their　will。



（77）　Furthermore；　the　kings　themselves；　not　possessing　the　right　in　question



absolutely；　very　often　fell　away　from　religion　and　took　with　them　nearly　the



whole　people。　（78）　The　same　thing　has　often　happened　from　the　same　cause　in



Christian　states。







（19：79）　Perhaps　I　shall　be　asked；　〃But　if　the　holders　of　sovereign　power



choose　to　be　wicked；　who　will　be　the　rightful　cham