a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第7章

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in　a　cultivated　style　like　those　of　Isaiah　and　Nahum；　but　more　rudely。　（49）



Any　Hebrew　scholar　who　wishes　to　inquire　into　this　point　more　closely；　and



compares　chapters　of　the　different　prophets　treating　of　the　same　subject；



will　find　great　dissimilarity　of　style。　（50）　Compare；　for　instance；　chap。　i。



of　the　courtly　Isaiah；　verse　11　to　verse　20；　with　chap。　v。　of　the　countryman



Amos；　verses　21…24。　（51）　Compare　also　the　order　and　reasoning　of　the



prophecies　of　Jeremiah；　written　in　Idumaea　（chap。　xhx。）；　with　the　order　and



reasoning　of　Obadiah。　（52）　Compare；　lastly；　Isa。　xl：19；　20；　and　xliv：8；　with



Hosea　viii：6；　and　xiii：2。　And　so　on。







（53）　A　due　consideration　of　these　passage　will　clearly　show　us　that　God　has



no　particular　style　in　speaking；　but；　according　to　the　learning　and　capacity



of　the　prophet；　is　cultivated；　compressed；　severe；　untutored；　prolix；　or



obscure。







（54）　There　was；　moreover；　a　certain　variation　in　the　visions　vouchsafed　to



the　prophets；　and　in　the　symbols　by　which　they　expressed　them；　for　Isaiah



saw　the　glory　of　the　Lord　departing　from　the　Temple　in　a　different　form　from



that　presented　to　Ezekiel。　（55）　The　Rabbis；　indeed；　maintain　that　both



visions　were　really　the　same；　but　that　Ezekiel；　being　a　countryman；　was



above　measure　impressed　by　it；　and　therefore　set　it　forth　in　full　detail；



but　unless　there　is　a　trustworthy　tradition　on　the　subject；　which　I　do　not



for　a　moment　believe；　this　theory　is　plainly　an　invention。　Isaiah　saw



seraphim　with　six　wings；　Ezekiel　beasts　with　four　wings；　Isaiah　saw　God



clothed　and　sitting　on　a　royal　throne；　Ezekiel　saw　Him　in　the　likeness　of　a



fire；　each　doubtless　saw　God　under　the　form　in　which　he　usually　imagined



Him。







（56）　Further；　the　visions　varied　in　clearness　as　well　as　in　details；　for　the



revelations　of　Zechariah　were　too　obscure　to　be　understood　by　the　prophet



without　explanation；　as　appears　from　his　narration　of　them；　the　visions　of



Daniel　could　not　be　understood　by　him　even　after　they　had　been　explained；



and　this　obscurity　did　not　arise　from　the　difficulty　of　the　matter　revealed



（for　being　merely　human　affairs；　these　only　transcended　human　capacity　in



being　future）；　but　solely　in　the　fact　that　Daniel's　imagination　was　not　so



capable　for　prophecy　while　he　was　awake　as　while　he　was　asleep；　and　this　is



further　evident　from　the　fact　that　at　the　very　beginning　of　the　vision　he



was　so　terrified　that　he　almost　despaired　of　his　strength。　（57）　Thus；　on



account　of　the　inadequacy　of　his　imagination　and　his　strength；　the　things



revealed　were　so　obscure　to　him　that　he　could　not　understand　them　even　after



they　had　been　explained。　（58）　Here　we　may　note　that　the　words　heard　by



Daniel；　were；　as　we　have　shown　above；　simply　imaginary；　so　that　it　is　hardly



wonderful　that　in　his　frightened　state　he　imagined　them　so　confusedly　and



obscurely　that　afterwards　he　could　make　nothing　of　them。　（59）　Those　who　say



that　God　did　not　wish　to　make　a　clear　revelation；　do　not　seem　to　have　read



the　words　of　the　angel；　who　expressly　says　that　he　came　to　make　the　prophet



understand　what　should　befall　his　people　in　the　latter　days　（Dan。　x：14）。







（60）　The　revelation　remained　obscure　because　no　one　was　found；　at　that　time；



with　imagination　sufficiently　strong　to　conceive　it　more　clearly。　（61）



Lastly；　the　prophets；　to　whom　it　was　revealed　that　God　would　take　away



Elijah；　wished　to　persuade　Elisha　that　he　had　been　taken　somewhere　where



they　would　find　him；　showing　sufficiently　clearly　that　they　had　not



understood　God's　revelation　aright。







（62）　There　is　no　need　to　set　this　out　more　amply；　for　nothing　is　more　plain



in　the　Bible　than　that　God　endowed　some　prophets　with　far　greater　gifts　of



prophecy　than　others。　（63）　But　I　will　show　in　greater　detail　and　length；　for



I　consider　the　point　more　important；　that　the　prophecies　varied　according　to



the　opinions　previously　embraced　by　the　prophets；　and　that　the　prophets　held



diverse　and　even　contrary　opinions　and　prejudices。　（64）　（I　speak；　be　it



understood；　solely　of　matters　speculative；　for　in　regard　to　uprightness　and



morality　the　case　is　widely　different。）　（65）　From　thence　I　shall　conclude



that　prophecy　never　rendered　the　prophets　more　learned；　but　left　them　with



their　former　opinions；　and　that　we　are；　therefore；　not　at　all　bound　to



trust　them　in　matters　of　intellect。







（66）　Everyone　has　been　strangely　hasty　in　affirming　that　the　prophets　knew



everything　within　the　scope　of　human　intellect；　and；　although　certain



passages　of　Scripture　plainly　affirm　that　the　prophets　were　in　certain



respects　ignorant；　such　persons　would　rather　say　that　they　do　not



understand　the　passages　than　admit　that　there　was　anything　which　the



prophets　did　not　know；　or　else　they　try　to　wrest　the　Scriptural　words　away



from　their　evident　meaning。







（67）　If　either　of　these　proceedings　is　allowable　we　may　as　well　shut　our



Bibles；　for　vainly　shall　we　attempt　to　prove　anything　from　them　if　their



plainest　passages　may　be　classed　among　obscure　and　impenetrable　mysteries；



or　if　we　may　put　any　interpretation　on　them　which　we　fancy。　（68）　For



instance；　nothing　is　more　clear　in　the　Bible　than　that　Joshua；　and　perhaps



also　the　author　who　wrote　his　history；　thought　that　the　sun　revolves　round



the　earth；　and　that　the　earth　is　fixed；　and　further　that　the　sun　for　a



certain　period　remained　still。　（69）　Many；　who　will　not　admit　any　movement　in



the　heavenly　bodies；　explain　away　the　passage　till　it　seems　to　mean



something　quite　different；　others；　who　have　learned　to　philosophize　more



correctly；　and　understand　that　the　earth　moves　while　the　sun　is　still；　or　at



any　rate　does　not　revolve　round　the　earth；　try　with　all　their　might　to　wrest



this　meaning　from　Scripture；　though　plainly　nothing　of　the　sort　is



intended。　（70）　Such　quibblers　excite　my　wonder！　（71）　Are　we；　forsooth；　bound



to　believe　that　Joshua　the　Soldier　was　a　learned　astronomer？　or　that　a



miracle　could　not　be　revealed　to　him；　or　that　the　light　of　the　sun　could　not



remain　longer　than　usual　above　the　horizon；　without　his　knowing　the　cause？



（72）　To　me　both　alternatives　appear　ridiculous；　and　therefore　I　would



rather　say；　that　Joshua　was　ignorant　of　the　true　cause　of　the　lengthened



day；　and　that　he　and　the　whole　host　with　him　thought　that　the　sun　moved



round　the　earth　every　day；　and　that　on　that　particular　occasion　it　stood



still　for　a　time；　thus　causing　the　light　to　remain　longer；　and　I　would



say；　that　they　did　not　conjecture　that；　from　the　amount　of　snow　in　the　air



（see　Josh。　x：11）；　the　refraction　may　have　been　greater　than　usual；　or　that



there　may　have　been　some　other　cause　which　we　will　not　now　inquire　into。







（73）　So　also　the　sign　of　the　shadow　going　back　was　revealed　to　Isaiah



according　to　his　understanding；　that　is；　as　proceeding　from　a　going



backwards　of　the　sun；　for　he；　too；　thought　that　the　sun　moves　and　that　the



earth　is　still；　of　parhelia　he　perhaps　never　even　dreamed。　（74）　We　may



arrive　at　this　conclusion　without　any；　scruple；　for　the　sign　could　really



have　come　to　pass；　and　have　been　predicted　by　Isaiah　to　the　king；　without



the　prophet　being　aware　of　the　real　cause。







（75）　With　regard　to　the　building　of　the　Temple　by　Solomon；　if　it　was　really



dictate　by　God　we　must　maintain　the　same　doctrine：　namely；　that　all　the



measurements　were　revealed　according　to　the　opinions　and　understanding　of



the　king；　for　as　we　are　not　bound　to　believe　that　Solomon　was　a



mathematician；　we　may　affirm　that　he　was　ignorant　of　the　true　ratio　between



the　circumference　and　the　diameter　of　a　circle；　and　that；　like　the



generality　of　workmen；　he　thought　that　it　was　as　three　to　one。　（76）　But　if



it　is　allowable　to　declare　that　we　do　not　understand　the　passage；　in　good



sooth　I　know　nothing　in　the　Bible　that　we　can　understand；　for　the　process　of



building　is　there　narrated　simply　and　as　a　mere　matter　of　history。　（77）　If；



again；　it　is　permitted　to　pretend　that　the　passage　has　another　meaning；　and



was　written　as　it　is　from　some　reason　unknown　to　us；　this　is　no　less　than　a



complete　subversal　of　the　Bible；　for　every　absurd　and　evil　invention　of



human　perversity　could　thus；　without　detriment　to　Scriptural　authority；　be



defended　and　fostered。　（78）　Our　conclusion　is　in　no　wise　impious；　for　though



Solomon；　Isaiah；　Joshua；　&c。　were　prophets；　they　were　none　the　less　men；　and



as　such　not　exempt　from　human　shortcomings。







（79）　According　to　the　understanding　of　Noah　it　was　revealed　to　him　that　God



as　about　to　destroy　the　whole　human　race；　for　Noah　thought　that　beyond　the



limits　of　Palestine　the　world　was　not　inhabited。







（80）　Not　only　in　matters　of　this　kind；　but　in　others　more　important；　the



about　the　Divine　attributes；　but　held　quite　ordinary　notions　about　God；　and



to　these　notions　their　revelations　were　adapted；　as　I　will



demonstrate　by　ample　Scriptural　testimony；　from　all　which　one　may　easily　see



that　they　were　praised　and　commended；　not　so　much　for　the　sublimity　and



eminence　of　their　intellect　as　for　their　piety　and　faithfulness。







（81）　Adam；　the　first　man　to　whom　God　was　revealed；　did　not　know　that　He　is



omnipotent　and　omniscient；　for　he　hid　himself　from　Him；　and　attempted　to



make　excuses　for　his　fault　before　God；　as　though　he　had　had　to　do　with　a



man；　therefore　to　him　also　was　God　revealed　according　to　his　understanding　…



that　is；　as　being　unaware　of　his　situation　or　his　sin；　for　Adam



heard；　or　seemed　to　hear；　the　Lord　walling；　in　the　garden；　calling　him　and



asking　him　where　he　was；　and　then；　on　seeing　his　shamefacedness；　asking　him



whether　he　had　eaten　of　the　forbidden　fruit。　（82）　Adam　evidently　only　knew



the　Deity　as　the　Creator　of　all　things。　（83）　To　Cain　also　God　was　revealed；



according　to　his　understanding；　as　ignorant　of　human　affairs；　nor　was　a



higher　conception　of　the　Deity　required　for　repentance　of　his　sin。







（83）　To　Laban　the　Lord　revealed　Himself　as　the　God　of　Abraham；　because　Laban



believed　that　each　nation　had　its　own　special　divinity　（see　Gen。　xxxi：29）。



（84）　Abraham　also　knew　not　that　God　is　omnipresent；　and　has　foreknowledge　of



all　things；　for　when　he　heard　the　sentence　against　the　inhabitants　of　Sodom；



he　prayed　that　the　Lord　should　not　execute　it　till　He　had　ascertained



whether　they　all　merited　such　punishment；　for　he　said　（see　Gen。　xviii：24）；



〃Peradventure　there　be　fifty　righteous　within　the　city；〃　and　in　accordance



with　this　belief　God　was　revealed　to　him；　as　Abraham　imagined；　He　spake



thus：　〃I　will　go　down　now；　and　see　whether　they　have　done　altogether



according　to　the　cry　of　it　which　is　come　unto　Me；　and；　if　not；　I　will　know。〃



（85）　Further；　the　Divine　testimony　concerning　Abraham　asserts　nothing　but



that　he　was　obedient；