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

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




truth；　and　as　no　one　will　dispute　that　men's　dispositions　are　exceedingly



varied；　that　all　do　not　acquiesce　in　the　same　things；　but　are　ruled



some　by　one　opinion　some　by　another；　so　that　what　moves　one　to　devotion



moves　another　to　laughter　and　contempt；　it　follows　that　there　can　be　no



doctrines　in　the　Catholic；　or　universal；　religion；　which　can　give　rise　to



controversy　among　good　men。　（44）　Such　doctrines　might　be　pious　to　some　and



impious　to　others；　whereas　they　should　be　judged　solely　by　their　fruits。







（45）　To　the　universal　religion；　then；　belong　only　such　dogmas　as　are



absolutely　required　in　order　to　attain　obedience　to　God；　and　without　which



such　obedience　would　be　impossible；　as　for　the　rest；　each　man　…　seeing　that



he　is　the　best　judge　of　his　own　character　should　adopt　whatever　he　thinks



best　adapted　to　strengthen　his　love　of　justice。　（46）　If　this　were　so；　I



think　there　would　be　no　further　occasion　for　controversies　in　the　Church。







（47）　I　have　now　no　further　fear　in　enumerating　the　dogmas　of　universal　faith



or　the　fundamental　dogmas　of　the　whole　of　Scripture；　inasmuch　as　they　all



tend　（as　may　be　seen　from　what　has　been　said）　to　this　one　doctrine；　namely；



that　there　exists　a　God；　that　is；　a　Supreme　Being；　Who　loves　justice　and



charity；　and　Who　must　be　obeyed　by　whosoever　would　be　saved；　that　the



worship　of　this　Being　consists　in　the　practice　of　justice　and　love　towards



one's　neighbour；　and　that　they　contain　nothing　beyond　the　following



doctrines　：…







（48）　I。　That　God　or　a　Supreme　Being　exists；　sovereignly　just　and　merciful；



the　Exemplar　of　the　true　life；　that　whosoever　is　ignorant　of　or



disbelieves　in　His　existence　cannot　obey　Him　or　know　Him　as　a　Judge。







（49）　II。　That　He　is　One。　（50）　Nobody　will　dispute　that　this　doctrine　is



absolutely　necessary　for　entire　devotion；　admiration；　and　love　towards　God。



（51）　For　devotion；　admiration；　and　love　spring　from　the　superiority　of　one



over　all　else。







（52）　III。　That　He　is　omnipresent；　or　that　all　things　are　open　to　Him；　for　if



anything　could　be　supposed　to　be　concealed　from　Him；　or　to　be　unnoticed　by；



Him；　we　might　doubt　or　be　ignorant　of　the　equity　of　His　judgment　as



directing　all　things。







（53）　IV。　That　He　has　supreme　right　and　dominion　over　all　things；　and　that　He



does　nothing　under　compulsion；　but　by　His　absolute　fiat　and　grace。　（54）　All



things　are　bound　to　obey　Him；　He　is　not　bound　to　obey　any。







（55）　V。　That　the　worship　of　God　consists　only　in　justice　and　charity；　or



love　towards　one's　neighbour。







（56）　VI。　That　all　those；　and　those　only；　who　obey　God　by　their　manner　of



life　are　saved；　the　rest　of　mankind；　who　live　under　the　sway　of　their



pleasures；　are　lost。　（57）　If　we　did　not　believe　this；　there　would　be　no



reason　for　obeying　God　rather　than　pleasure。







（58）　VII。　Lastly；　that　God　forgives　the　sins　of　those　who　repent。　（59）　No



one　is　free　from　sin；　so　that　without　this　belief　all　would　despair　of



salvation；　and　there　would　be　no　reason　for　believing　in　the　mercy　of　God。



（60）　He　who　firmly　believes　that　God；　out　of　the　mercy　and　grace　with　which



He　directs　all　things；　forgives　the　sins　of　men；　and　who　feels　his　love　of



God　kindled　thereby；　he；　I　say；　does　really；　know　Christ　according　to　the



Spirit；　and　Christ　is　in　him。







（61）　No　one　can　deny　that　all　these　doctrines　are　before　all　things



necessary；　to　be　believed；　in　order　that　every　man；　without　exception；　may



be　able　to　obey　God　according　to　the　bidding　of　the　Law　above　explained；　for



if　one　of　these　precepts　be　disregarded　obedience　is　destroyed。



（62）　But　as　to　what　God；　or　the　Exemplar　of　the　true　life；　may　be；　whether



fire；　or　spirit；　or　light；　or　thought；　or　what　not；　this；　I　say；　has　nothing



to　do　with　faith　any　more　than　has　the　question　how　He　comes　to　be　the



Exemplar　of　the　true　life；　whether　it　be　because　He　has　a　just　and



merciful　mind；　or　because　all　things　exist　and　act　through　Him；　and



consequently　that　we　understand　through　Him；　and　through　Him　see　what



is　truly　just　and　good。　（63）　Everyone　may　think　on　such　questions　as　he



likes；







（64）　Furthermore；　faith　is　not　affected；　whether　we　hold　that　God　is



omnipresent　essentially　or　potentially；　that　He　directs　all　things　by



absolute　fiat；　or　by　the　necessity　of　His　nature；　that　He　dictates　laws　like



a　prince；　or　that　He　sets　them　forth　as　eternal　truths；　that　man　obeys　Him



by　virtue　of　free　will；　or　by　virtue　of　the　necessity　of　the　Divine　decree；



lastly；　that　the　reward　of　the　good　and　the　punishment　of　the　wicked　is



natural　or　supernatural：　these　and　such　like　questions　have　no　bearing　on



faith；　except　in　so　far　as　they　are　used　as　means　to　give　us　license　to　sin



more；　or　to　obey　God　less。　（65）　I　will　go　further；　and　maintain　that　every



man　is　bound　to　adapt　these　dogmas　to　his　own　way　of　thinking；　and　to



interpret　them　according　as　he　feels　that　he　can　give　them　his　fullest　and



most　unhesitating　assent；　so　that　he　may　the　more　easily　obey　God　with　his



whole　heart。







（66）　Such　was　the　manner；　as　we　have　already　pointed　out；　in　which　the　faith



was　in　old　time　revealed　and　written；　in　accordance　with　the　understanding



and　opinions　of　the　prophets　and　people　of　the　period；　so；　in　like　fashion；



every　man　is　bound　to　adapt　it　to　his　own　opinions；　so　that　he　may　accept　it



without　any　hesitation　or　mental　repugnance。　（67）　We　have　shown　that　faith



does　not　so　much　re　quire　truth　as　piety；　and　that　it　is　only　quickening　and



pious　through　obedience；　consequently　no　one　is　faithful　save　by　obedience



alone。　（68）　The　best　faith　is　not　necessarily　possessed　by　him　who　displays



the　best　reasons；　but　by　him　who　displays　the　best　fruits　of　justice　and



charity。　（69）　How　salutary　and　necessary　this　doctrine　is　for　a　state；　in



order　that　men　may　dwell　together　in　peace　and　concord；　and　how　many　and　how



great　causes　of　disturbance　and　crime　are　thereby　cut　off；　I　leave　everyone



to　judge　for　himself！







（70）　Before　we　go　further；　I　may　remark　that　we　can；　by　means　of　what　we



have　just　proved；　easily　answer　the　objections　raised　in　Chap。　I。；　when　we



were　discussing　God's　speaking　with　the　Israelites　on　Mount　Sinai。　（71）　For；



though　the　voice　heard　by　the　Israelites　could　not　give　those　men　any



philosophical　or　mathematical　certitude　of　God's　existence；　it　was　yet



sufficient　to　thrill　them　with　admiration　for　God；　as　they　already　knew　Him；



and　to　stir　them　up　to　obedience：　and　such　was　the　object　of　the　display。



（72）　God　did　not　wish　to　teach　the　Israelites　the　absolute　attributes　of　His



essence　（none　of　which　He　then　revealed）；　but　to　break　down　their　hardness



of　heart；　and　to　draw　them　to　obedience：　therefore　He　did　not　appeal　to　them



with　reasons；　but　with　the　sound　of　trumpets；　thunder；　and　lightnings。







（73）　It　remains　for　me　to　show　that　between　faith　or　theology；　and



philosophy；　there　is　no　connection；　nor　affinity。　（74）　I　think　no　one　will



dispute　the　fact　who　has　knowledge　of　the　aim　and　foundations　of　the　two



subjects；　for　they　are　as　wide　apart　as　the　poles。







（75）　Philosophy　has　no　end　in　view　save　truth：　faith；　as　we　have　abundantly



proved；　looks　for　nothing　but　obedience　and　piety。　（76）　Again；　philosophy　is



based　on　axioms　which　must　be　sought　from　nature　alone：　faith　is　based　on



history　and　language；　and　must　be　sought　for　only　in　Scripture　and



revelation；　as　we　showed　in　Chap。　VII。　（77）　Faith；　therefore；　allows　the



greatest　latitude　in　philosophic　speculation；　allowing　us　without　blame　to



think　what　we　like　about　anything；　and　only　condemning；　as　heretics　and



schismatics；　those　who　teach　opinions　which　tend　to　produce　obstinacy；



hatred；　strife；　and　anger；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　only　considering



as　faithful　those　who　persuade　us；　as　far　as　their　reason　and　faculties　will



permit；　to　follow　justice　and　charity。







（78）　Lastly；　as　what　we　are　now　setting　forth　are　the　most　important



subjects　of　my　treatise；　I　would　most　urgently　beg　the　reader；　before　I



proceed；　to　read　these　two　chapters　with　especial　attention；　and　to　take　the



trouble　to　weigh　them　well　in　his　mind：　let　him　take　for　granted　that　I



have　not　written　with　a　view　to　introducing　novelties；　but　in　order　to　do



away　with　abuses；　such　as　I　hope　I　may；　at　some　future　time；　at　last　see



reformed。



















CHAPTER　XV　…　THEOLOGY　IS　SHOWN　NOT　TO　BE　SUBSERVIENT　TO　REASON；



　NOR　REASON　TO　THEOLOGY：　A　DEFINITION　OF　THE　REASON　WHICH



　ENABLES　US　TO　ACCEPT　THE　AUTHORITY　OF　THE　BIBLE。







（1）　Those　who　know　not　that　philosophy　and　reason　are　distinct；　dispute



whether　Scripture　should　be　made　subservient　to　reason；　or　reason　to



Scripture：　that　is；　whether　the　meaning　of　Scripture　should　be　made　to



agreed　with　reason；　or　whether　reason　should　be　made　to　agree　with



Scripture：　the　latter　position　is　assumed　by　the　sceptics　who　deny　the



certitude　of　reason；　the　former　by　the　dogmatists。　（2）　Both　parties　are；　as



I　have　shown；　utterly　in　the　wrong；　for　either　doctrine　would　require　us　to



tamper　with　reason　or　with　Scripture。







（3）　We　have　shown　that　Scripture　does　not　teach　philosophy；　but　merely



obedience；　and　that　all　it　contains　has　been　adapted　to　the　understanding



and　established　opinions　of　the　multitude。　（4）　Those；　therefore；　who　wish　to



adapt　it　to　philosophy；　must　needs　ascribe　to　the　prophets　many　ideas　which



they　never　even　dreamed　of；　and　give　an　extremely　forced　interpretation　to



their　words：　those　on　the　other　hand；　who　would　make　reason　and　philosophy



subservient　to　theology；　will　be　forced　to　accept　as　Divine　utterances　the



prejudices　of　the　ancient　Jews；　and　to　fill　and　confuse　their　mind



therewith。　（5）　In　short；　one　party　will　run　wild　with　the　aid　of　reason；



and　the　other　will　run　wild　without　the　aid　of　reason。







（6）　The　first　among　the　Pharisees　who　openly　maintained　that　Scripture



should　be　made　to　agree　with　reason；　was　Maimonides；　whose　opinion　we



reviewed；　and　abundantly　refuted　in　Chap。　VIII。：　now；　although　this　writer



had　much　authority　among　his　contemporaries；　he　was　deserted　on　this



question　by　almost　all；　and　the　majority　went　straight　over　to　the



opinion　of　a　certain　R。　Jehuda　Alpakhar；　who；　in　his　anxiety　to　avoid　the



error　of　Maimonides；　fell　into　another；　which　was　its　exact　contrary。　（7）　He



held　that　reason　should　be　made　subservient；　and　entirely　give　way　to



Scripture。　（8）　He　thought　that　a　passage　should　not　be　interpreted



metaphorically；　simply　because　it　was　repugnant　to　reason；　but　only　in　the



cases　when　it　is　inconsistent　with　Scripture　itself　…　that　is；　with　its



clear　doctrines。　（9）　Therefore　he　laid　down　the　universal　rule；　that



whatsoever　Scripture　teaches　dogmatically；　an