a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第15章

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the　beginning　of　this　chapter。























CHAPTER　V。　…　OF　THE　CEREMONIAL　LAW。



（1）　In　the　foregoing　chapter　we　have　shown　that　the　Divine　law；　which



renders　men　truly　blessed；　and　teaches　them　the　true　life；　is　universal　to



all　men；　nay；　we　have　so　intimately　deduced　it　from　human　nature　that　it



must　be　esteemed　innate；　and；　as　it　were；　ingrained　in　the　human　mind。







（2）　But　with　regard　to　the　ceremonial　observances　which　were　ordained　in　the



Old　Testament　for　the　Hebrews　only；　and　were　so　adapted　to　their　state　that



they　could　for　the　most　part　only　be　observed　by　the　society　as　a　whole　and



not　by　each　individual；　it　is　evident　that　they　formed　no　part　of　the　Divine



law；　and　had　nothing　to　do　with　blessedness　and　virtue；　but　had　reference



only　to　the　election　of　the　Hebrews；　that　is　（as　I　have　shown　in　Chap。　II。）；



to　their　temporal　bodily　happiness　and　the　tranquillity　of　their　kingdom；



and　that　therefore　they　were　only　valid　while　that　kingdom　lasted。　（3）　If　in



the　Old　Testament　they　are　spoken　of　as　the　law　of　God；　it　is　only　because



they　were　founded　on　revelation；　or　a　basis　of　revelation。　（4）　Still　as



reason；　however　sound；　has　little　weight　with　ordinary　theologians；　I　will



adduce　the　authority　of　Scripture　for　what　I　here　assert；　and　will　further



show；　for　the　sake　of　greater　clearness；　why　and　how　these　ceremonials



served　to　establish　and　preserve　the　Jewish　kingdom。　（5）　Isaiah　teaches　most



plainly　that　the　Divine　law　in　its　strict　sense　signifies　that　universal　law



which　consists　in　a　true　manner　of　life；　and　does　not　signify　ceremonial



observances。　（6）　In　chapter　i：10；　the　prophet　calls　on　his　countrymen　to



hearken　to　the　Divine　law　as　he　delivers　it；　and　first　excluding　all　kinds



of　sacrifices　and　all　feasts；　he　at　length　sums　up　the　law　in　these　few



words；　〃Cease　to　do　evil；　learn　to　do　well：　seek　judgment；　relieve　the



oppressed。〃　（7）　Not　less　striking　testimony　is　given　in　Psalm　xl：7…　9；　where



the　Psalmist　addresses　God：　〃Sacrifice　and　offering　Thou　didst　not　desire；



mine　ears　hast　Thou　opened；　burnt　offering　and　sin…offering　hast　Thou　not



required；　I　delight　to　do　Thy　will；　0　my　God；　yea；　Thy　law　is　within　my



heart。〃　（8）　Here　the　Psalmist　reckons　as　the　law　of　God　only　that　which　is



inscribed　in　his　heart；　and　excludes　ceremonies　therefrom；　for　the　latter



are　good　and　inscribed　on　the　heart　only　from　the　fact　of　their　institution；



and　not　because　of　their　intrinsic　value。







（9）　Other　passages　of　Scripture　testify　to　the　same　truth；　but　these　two



will　suffice。　（10）　We　may　also　learn　from　the　Bible　that　ceremonies　are　no



aid　to　blessedness；　but　only　have　reference　to　the　temporal　prosperity　of



the　kingdom；　for　the　rewards　promised　for　their　observance　are



merely　temporal　advantages　and　delights；　blessedness　being　reserved　for　the



universal　Divine　law。　（11）　In　all　the　five　books　commonly　attributed　to



Moses　nothing　is　promised；　as　I　have　said；　beyond　temporal　benefits；　such　as



honours；　fame；　victories；　riches；　enjoyments；　and　health。　（12）　Though　many



moral　precepts　besides　ceremonies　are　contained　in　these　five　books；　they



appear　not　as　moral　doctrines　universal　to　all　men；　but　as　commands



especially　adapted　to　the　understanding　and　character　of　the　Hebrew　people；



and　as　having　reference　only　to　the　welfare　of　the　kingdom。　（13）　For



instance；　Moses　does　not　teach　the　Jews　as　a　prophet　not　to　kill　or　to



steal；　but　gives　these　commandments　solely　as　a　lawgiver　and　judge；　he　does



not　reason　out　the　doctrine；　but　affixes　for　its　non…observance　a　penalty



which　may　and　very　properly　does　vary　in　different　nations。　（14）　So；　too；



the　command　not　to　commit　adultery　is　given　merely　with　reference　to　the



welfare　of　the　state；　for　if　the　moral　doctrine　had　been　intended；　with



reference　not　only　to　the　welfare　of　the　state；　but　also　to　the　tranquillity



and　blessedness　of　the　individual；　Moses　would　have　condemned　not　merely　the



outward　act；　but　also　the　mental　acquiescence；　as　is　done　by　Christ；　Who



taught　only　universal　moral　precepts；　and　for　this　cause　promises　a



spiritual　instead　of　a　temporal　reward。　（15）　Christ；　as　I　have　said；　was



sent　into　the　world；　not　to　preserve　the　state　nor　to　lay　down　laws；　but



solely　to　teach　the　universal　moral　law；　so　we　can　easily　understand　that　He



wished　in　nowise　to　do　away　with　the　law　of　Moses；　inasmuch　as　He　introduced



no　new　laws　of　His　own　…　His　sole　care　was　to　teach　moral　doctrines；　and



distinguish　them　from　the　laws　of　the　state；　for　the　Pharisees；　in　their



ignorance；　thought　that　the　observance　of　the　state　law　and　the　Mosaic　law



was　the　sum　total　of　morality；　whereas　such　laws　merely　had　reference　to　the



public　welfare；　and　aimed　not　so　much　at　instructing　the　Jews　as　at　keeping



them　under　constraint。　（16）　But　let　us　return　to　our　subject；　and　cite　other



passages　of　Scripture　which　set　forth　temporal　benefits　as　rewards　for



observing　the　ceremonial　law；　and　blessedness　as　reward　for　the　universal



law。







（17）　None　of　the　prophets　puts　the　point　more　clearly　than　Isaiah。　（18。）



After　condemning　hypocrisy　he　commends　liberty　and　charity　towards　one's



self　and　one's　neighbours；　and　promises　as　a　reward：　〃Then　shall　thy　light



break　forth　as　the　morning；　and　thy　health　shall　spring　forth　speedily；　thy



righteousness　shall　go　before　thee；　and　the　glory　of　the　Lord　shall　be　thy



reward〃　（chap。　lviii：8）。　（19）　Shortly　afterwards　he　commends　the　Sabbath；



and　for　a　due　observance　of　it；　promises：　〃Then　shalt　thou　delight　thyself



in　the　Lord；　and　I　will　cause　thee　to　ride　upon　the　high　places　of　the



earth；　and　feed　thee　with　the　heritage　of　Jacob　thy　father：　for　the　mouth　of



the　Lord　has　spoken　it。〃　（20）　Thus　the　prophet　for　liberty　bestowed；　and



charitable　works；　promises　a　healthy　mind　in　a　healthy　body；　and　the　glory



of　the　Lord　even　after　death；　whereas；　for　ceremonial　exactitude；　he　only



promises　security　of　rule；　prosperity；　and　temporal　happiness。







（21）　In　Psalms　xv。　and　xxiv。　no　mention　is　made　of　ceremonies；　but　only　of



moral　doctrines；　inasmuch　as　there　is　no　question　of　anything　but



blessedness；　and　blessedness　is　symbolically　promised：　it　is　quite　certain



that　the　expressions；　〃the　hill　of　God；〃　and　〃His　tents　and　the　dwellers



therein；〃　refer　to　blessedness　and　security　of　soul；　not　to　the　actual　mount



of　Jerusalem　and　the　tabernacle　of　Moses；　for　these　latter　were　not　dwelt　in



by　anyone；　and　only　the　sons　of　Levi　ministered　there。　（22）　Further；　all



those　sentences　of　Solomon　to　which　I　referred　in　the　last　chapter；　for　the



cultivation　of　the　intellect　and　wisdom；　promise　true　blessedness；　for　by



wisdom　is　the　fear　of　God　at　length　understood；　and　the　knowledge　of　God



found。







（23）　That　the　Jews　themselves　were　not　bound　to　practise　their　ceremonial



observances　after　the　destruction　of　their　kingdom　is　evident　from　Jeremiah。



（24）　For　when　the　prophet　saw　and　foretold　that　the　desolation　of　the　city



was　at　hand；　he　said　that　God　only　delights　in　those　who　know　and　understand



that　He　exercises　loving…kindness；　judgment；　and　righteousness　in　the



earth；　and　that　such　persons　only　are　worthy　of　praise。　（Jer。　ix：23。）　（25）



As　though　God　had　said　that；　after　the　desolation　of　the　city；　He　would



require　nothing　special　from　the　Jews　beyond　the　natural　law　by　which　all



men　are　bound。







（26）　The　New　Testament　also　confirms　this　view；　for　only　moral　doctrines　are



therein　taught；　and　the　kingdom　of　heaven　is　promised　as　a　reward；　whereas



ceremonial　observances　are　not　touched　on　by　the　Apostles；　after　they　began



to　preach　the　Gospel　to　the　Gentiles。　（27）　The　Pharisees　certainly　continued



to　practise　these　rites　after　the　destruction　of　the　kingdom；　but　more　with



a　view　of　opposing　the　Christians　than　of　pleasing　God：　for　after　the　first



destruction　of　the　city；　when　they　were　led　captive　to　Babylon；　not　being



then；　so　far　as　I　am　aware；　split　up　into　sects；　they　straightway　neglected



their　rites；　bid　farewell　to　the　Mosaic　law；　buried　their　national　customs



in　oblivion　as　being　plainly　superfluous；　and　began　to　mingle　with　other



nations；　as　we　may　abundantly　learn　from　Ezra　and　Nehemiah。　（28）　We　cannot；



therefore；　doubt　that　they　were　no　more　bound　by　the　law　of　Moses；　after　the



destruction　of　their　kingdom；　than　they　had　been　before　it　had　been　begun；



while　they　were　still　living　among　other　peoples　before　the　exodus　from



Egypt；　and　were　subject　to　no　special　law　beyond　the　natural　law；　and　also；



doubtless；　the　law　of　the　state　in　which　they　were　living；　in　so　far　as　it



was　consonant　with　the　Divine　natural　law。







（29）　As　to　the　fact　that　the　patriarchs　offered　sacrifices；　I　think　they　did



so　for　the　purpose　of　stimulating　their　piety；　for　their　minds　had　been



accustomed　from　childhood　to　the　idea　of　sacrifice；　which　we　know　had　been



universal　from　the　time　of　Enoch；　and　thus　they　found　in　sacrifice　their



most　powerful　incentive。　（30）　The　patriarchs；　then；　did　not　sacrifice　to　God



at　the　bidding　of　a　Divine　right；　or　as　taught　by　the　basis　of　the　Divine



law；　but　simply　in　accordance　with　the　custom　of　the　time；　and；　if　in　so



doing　they　followed　any　ordinance；　it　was　simply　the　ordinance　of　the



country　they　were　living　in；　by　which　（as　we　have　seen　before　in　the　case　of



Melchisedek）　they　were　bound。







（31）　I　think　that　I　have　now　given　Scriptural　authority　for　my　view：　it



remains　to　show　why　and　how　the　ceremonial　observances　tended　to　preserve



and　confirm　the　Hebrew　kingdom；　and　this　I　can　very　briefly　do　on　grounds



universally　accepted。







（32）　The　formation　of　society　serves　not　only　for　defensive　purposes；　but　is



also　very　useful；　and；　indeed；　absolutely　necessary；　as　rendering　possible



the　division　of　labour。　（33）　If　men　did　not　render　mutual　assistance　to　each



other；　no　one　would　have　either　the　skill　or　the　time　to　provide　for　his　own



sustenance　and　preservation：　for　all　men　are　not　equally　apt　for　all　work；



and　no　one　would　be　capable　of　preparing　all　that　he　individually　stood　in



need　of。　（34）　Strength　and　time；　I　repeat；　would　fail；　if　every　one　had　in



person　to　plough；　to　sow；　to　reap；　to　grind　corn；　to　cook；　to　weave；　to



stitch；　and　perform　the　other　numerous　functions　required　to　keep　life



going；　to　say　nothing　of　the　arts　and　sciences　which　are　also　entirely



necessary　to　the　perfection　and　blessedness　of　human　nature。　（35）　We　see



that　peoples　living；　in　uncivilized　barbarism　lead　a　wretched　and　almost



animal　life；　and　even　they　would　not　be　able　to　acquire　their　few　rude



necessaries　without　assisting　one　another　to　a　certain　extent。







（36）　Now　if　men　were　so　constituted　by　nature　that　they　desired　nothing　but



what　is