a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第13章

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intellectual　perfection　the　highest　good　should　consist。　（27）　Now；　since　all



our　knowledge；　and　the　certainty　which　removes　every　doubt；　depend　solely　on



the　knowledge　of　God；…　firstly；　because　without　God　nothing　can　exist　or　be



conceived；　secondly；　because　so　long　as　we　have　no　clear　and　distinct　idea



of　God　we　may　remain　in　universal　doubt　…　it　follows　that　our　highest　good



and　perfection　also　depend　solely　on　the　knowledge　of　God。　（28）　Further；



since　without　God　nothing　can　exist　or　be　conceived；　it　is　evident　that　all



natural　phenomena　involve　and　express　the　conception　of　God　as　far　as　their



essence　and　perfection　extend；　so　that　we　have　greater　and　more　perfect



knowledge　of　God　in　proportion　to　our　knowledge　of　natural　phenomena：



conversely　（since　the　knowledge　of　an　effect　through　its　cause　is　the　same



thing　as　the　knowledge　of　a　particular　property　of　a　cause）　the　greater　our



knowledge　of　natural　phenomena；　the　more　perfect　is　our　knowledge　of　the



essence　of　God　（which　is　the　cause　of　all　things）。　（29）　So；　then；　our



highest　good　not　only　depends　on　the　knowledge　of　God；　but　wholly　consists



therein；　and　it　further　follows　that　man　is　perfect　or　the　reverse　in



proportion　to　the　nature　and　perfection　of　the　object　of　his　special　desire；



hence　the　most　perfect　and　the　chief　sharer　in　the　highest　blessedness　is　he



who　prizes　above　all　else；　and　takes　especial　delight　in；　the　intellectual



knowledge　of　God；　the　most　perfect　Being。







（30）　Hither；　then；　our　highest　good　and　our　highest　blessedness　aim　…



namely；　to　the　knowledge　and　love　of　God；　therefore　the　means　demanded　by



this　aim　of　all　human　actions；　that　is；　by　God　in　so　far　as　the　idea　of　him



is　in　us；　may　be　called　the　commands　of　God；　because　they　proceed；　as　it



were；　from　God　Himself；　inasmuch　as　He　exists　in　our　minds；　and　the　plan　of



life　which　has　regard　to　this　aim　may　be　fitly　called　the　law　of　God。







（31）　The　nature　of　the　means；　and　the　plan　of　life　which　this　aim　demands；



how　the　foundations　of　the　best　states　follow　its　lines；　and　how　men's　life



is　conducted；　are　questions　pertaining　to　general　ethics。　（32）　Here　I　only



proceed　to　treat　of　the　Divine　law　in　a　particular　application。







（33）　As　the　love　of　God　is　man's　highest　happiness　and　blessedness；　and　the



ultimate　end　and　aim　of　all　human　actions；　it　follows　that　he　alone　lives　by



the　Divine　law　who　loves　God　not　from　fear　of　punishment；　or　from　love　of



any　other　object；　such　as　sensual　pleasure；　fame；　or　the　like；　but　solely



because　he　has　knowledge　of　God；　or　is　convinced　that　the　knowledge　and　love



of　God　is　the　highest　good。　（34）　The　sum　and　chief　precept；　then；　of　the



Divine　law　is　to　love　God　as　the　highest　good；　namely；　as　we　have　said；　not



from　fear　of　any　pains　and　penalties；　or　from　the　love　of　any　other　object



in　which　we　desire　to　take　pleasure。　（35）　The　idea　of　God　lays　down



the　rule　that　God　is　our　highest　good　…　in　other　words；　that　the　knowledge



and　love　of　God　is　the　ultimate　aim　to　which　all　our　actions　should　be



directed。　（36）　The　worldling　cannot　understand　these　things；　they　appear



foolishness　to　him。　because　he　has　too　meager　a　knowledge　of　God；　and　also



because　in　this　highest　good　he　can　discover　nothing　which　he　can　handle　or



eat；　or　which　affects　the　fleshly　appetites　wherein　he　chiefly　delights；　for



it　consists　solely　in　thought　and　the　pure　reason。　（37）　They；　on　the　other



hand；　who　know　that　they　possess　no　greater　gift　than　intellect　and　sound



reason；　will　doubtless　accept　what　I　have　said　without　question。







（38）　We　have　now　explained　that　wherein　the　Divine　law　chiefly　consists；　and



what　are　human　laws；　namely；　all　those　which　have　a　different　aim



unless　they　have　been　ratified　by　revelation；　for　in　this　respect　also



things　are　referred　to　God　（as　we　have　shown　above）　and　in　this　sense　the



law　of　Moses；　although　it　was　not　universal；　but　entirely　adapted　to　the



disposition　and　particular　preservation　of　a　single　people；　may　yet　be



called　a　law　of　God　or　Divine　law；　inasmuch　as　we　believe　that　it　was



ratified　by　prophetic　insight。　（39）　If　we　consider　the　nature　of　natural



Divine　law　as　we　have　just　explained　it；　we　shall　see：







（40）　I。…　That　it　is　universal　or　common　to　all　men；　for　we　have　deduced　it　from　universal　human



nature。







（41）　II。　That　it　does　not　depend　on　the　truth　of　any　historical　narrative



whatsoever；　for　inasmuch　as　this　natural　Divine　law　is　comprehended　solely



by　the　consideration　of　human　nature；　it　is　plain　that　we　can　conceive　it　as



existing　as　well　in　Adam　as　in　any　other　man；　as　well　in　a　man　living　among



his　fellows；　as　in　a　man　who　lives　by　himself。







（42）　The　truth　of　a　historical　narrative；　however　assured；　cannot　give　us



the　knowledge　nor　consequently　the　love　of　God；　for　love　of　God　springs　from



knowledge　of　Him；　and　knowledge　of　Him　should　be　derived　from　general　ideas；



in　themselves　certain　and　known；　so　that　the　truth　of　a　historical　narrative



is　very　far　from　being　a　necessary　requisite　for　our　attaining　our　highest



good。







（43）　Still；　though　the　truth　of　histories　cannot　give　us　the　knowledge　and



love　of　God；　I　do　not　deny　that　reading　them　is　very　useful　with　a　view　to



life　in　the　world；　for　the　more　we　have　observed　and　known　of　men's　customs



and　circumstances；　which　are　best　revealed　by　their　actions；　the　more　warily



we　shall　be　able　to　order　our　lives　among　them；　and　so　far　as　reason



dictates　to　adapt　our　actions　to　their　dispositions。







（44）　III。　We　see　that　this　natural　Divine　law　does　not　demand　the



performance　of　ceremonies　…　that　is；　actions　in　themselves　indifferent；



which　are　called　good　from　the　fact　of　their　institution；　or　actions



symbolizing　something　profitable　for　salvation；　or　（if　one　prefers　this



definition）　actions　of　which　the　meaning　surpasses　human　understanding。　（45）



The　natural　light　of　reason　does　not　demand　anything　which　it　is　itself



unable　to　supply；　but　only　such　as　it　can　very　clearly　show　to　be　good；　or　a



means　to　our　blessedness。　（46）　Such　things　as　are　good　simply　because　they



have　been　commanded　or　instituted；　or　as　being　symbols　of　something　good；



are　mere　shadows　which　cannot　be　reckoned　among　actions　that　are　the



offsprings　as　it　were；　or　fruit　of　a　sound　mind　and　of　intellect。　（47）　There



is　no　need　for　me　to　go　into　this　now　in　more　detail。







（48）　IV。　Lastly；　we　see　that　the　highest　reward　of　the　Divine　law　is　the　law



itself；　namely；　to　know　God　and　to　love　Him　of　our　free　choice；　and　with　an



undivided　and　fruitful　spirit；　while　its　penalty　is　the　absence　of　these



things；　and　being　in　bondage　to　the　flesh　…　that　is；　having　an　inconstant



and　wavering　spirit。







（49）　These　points　being　noted；　I　must　now　inquire：



（50）　I。　Whether　by　the　natural　light　of　reason　we　can　conceive　of



　　　　　　　　God　as　a　law…giver　or　potentate　ordaining　laws　for　men？



（51）　II。　What　is　the　teaching　of　Holy　Writ　concerning　this



　　　　　　　　　natural　light　of　reason　and　natural　law？



（52）　III。　With　what　objects　were　ceremonies　formerly　instituted？



（53）　IV。　Lastly；　what　is　the　good　gained　by　knowing　the



　　　　　　　　　sacred　histories　and　believing　them？







（54）　Of　the　first　two　I　will　treat　in　this　chapter；　of　the　remaining　two　in　the　following　one。







（55）　Our　conclusion　about　the　first　is　easily　deduced　from　the　nature　of



God's　will；　which　is　only　distinguished　from　His　understanding　in　relation



to　our　intellect　…　that　is；　the　will　and　the　understanding　of　God　are　in



reality　one　and　the　same；　and　are　only　distinguished　in　relation　to



our　thoughts　which　we　form　concerning　God's　understanding。　（56）　For



instance；　if　we　are　only　looking　to　the　fact　that　the　nature　of　a　triangle



is　from　eternity　contained　in　the　Divine　nature　as　an　eternal　verity；　we　say



that　God　possesses　the　idea　of　a　triangle；　or　that　He　understands　the



nature　of　a　triangle；　but　if　afterwards　we　look　to　the　fact　that　the　nature



of　a　triangle　is　thus　contained　in　the　Divine　nature；　solely　by　the



necessity　of　the　Divine　nature；　and　not　by　the　necessity　of　the　nature　and



essence　of　a　triangle　…　in　fact；　that　the　necessity　of　a　triangle's　essence



and　nature；　in　so　far　as　they　are　conceived　of　as　eternal　verities；　depends



solely　on　the　necessity　of　the　Divine　nature　and　intellect；　we　then　style



God's　will　or　decree；　that　which　before　we　styled　His　intellect。　（57）



Wherefore　we　make　one　and　the　same　affirmation　concerning　God　when　we　say



that　He　has　from　eternity　decreed　that　three　angles　of　a　triangle　are　equal



to　two　right　angles；　as　when　we　say　that　He　has　understood　it。







（58）　Hence　the　affirmations　and　the　negations　of　God　always　involve



necessity　or　truth；　so　that；　for　example；　if　God　said　to　Adam　that　He　did



not　wish　him　to　eat　of　the　tree　of　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　it　would　have



involved　a　contradiction　that　Adam　should　have　been　able　to　eat　of　it；　and



would　therefore　have　been　impossible　that　he　should　have　so　eaten；　for　the



Divine　command　would　have　involved　an　eternal　necessity　and　truth。　（59）　But



since　Scripture　nevertheless　narrates　that　God　did　give　this　command　to



Adam；　and　yet　that　none　the　less　Adam　ate　of　the　tree；　we　must　perforce　say



that　God　revealed　to　Adam　the　evil　which　would　surely　follow　if　he　should



eat　of　the　tree；　but　did　not　disclose　that　such　evil　would　of　necessity



come　to　pass。　（60）　Thus　it　was　that　Adam　took　the　revelation　to　be　not　an



eternal　and　necessary　truth；　but　a　law　…　that　is；　an　ordinance　followed　by



gain　or　loss；　not　depending　necessarily　on　the　nature　of　the　act　performed；



but　solely　on　the　will　and　absolute　power　of　some　potentate；　so　that　the



revelation　in　question　was　solely　in　relation　to　Adam；　and　solely　through



his　lack　of　knowledge　a　law；　and　God　was；　as　it　were；　a　lawgiver　and



potentate。　（61）　From　the　same　cause；　namely；　from　lack　of　knowledge；　the



Decalogue　in　relation　to　the　Hebrews　was　a　law；　for　since　they　knew　not　the



existence　of　God　as　an　eternal　truth；　they　must　have　taken　as　a　law　that



which　was　revealed　to　them　in　the　Decalogue；　namely；　that　God　exists；　and



that　God　only　should　be　worshipped。　（62）　But　if　God　had　spoken　to　them



without　the　intervention　of　any　bodily　means；　immediately　they　would　have



perceived　it　not　as　a　law；　but　as　an　eternal　truth。







（63）　What　we　have　said　about　the　Israelites　and　Adam；　applies　also　to　all



the　prophets　who　wrote　laws　in　God's　name　…　they　did　not　adequately　conceive



God's　decrees　as　eternal　truths。　（64）　For　instance；　we　must　say　of　Moses



that　from　revelation；　from　the　basis　of　what　was　revealed　to　him；　he



perceived　the　method　by　which　the　Israelitish　nation　could　best　be　united　in



a　particular　territory；　and　could　form　a　bo