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

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order　to　obey　God；　the　whole　duty　is　summed　up　in　love　to　one's　neighbour。



（18）　It　cannot；　therefore；　be　denied　that　he　who　by　God's　command　loves　his



neighbour　as　himself　is　truly　obedient　and　blessed　according　to　the　law；



whereas　he　who　hates　his　neighbour　or　neglects　him　is　rebellious　and



obstinate。







（19）　Lastly；　it　is　plain　to　everyone　that　the　Bible　was　not　written　and



disseminated　only；　for　the　learned；　but　for　men　of　every　age　and　race；



wherefore　we　may；　rest　assured　that　we　are　not　bound　by　Scriptural　command



to　believe　anything　beyond　what　is　absolutely　necessary；　for



fulfilling　its　main　precept。







（20）　This　precept；　then；　is　the　only　standard　of　the　whole　Catholic　faith；



and　by　it　alone　all　the　dogmas　needful　to　be　believed　should　be　determined。



（21）　So　much　being　abundantly　manifest；　as　is　also　the　fact　that　all　other



doctrines　of　the　faith　can　be　legitimately　deduced　therefrom　by　reason



alone；　I　leave　it　to　every　man　to　decide　for　himself　how　it　comes　to　pass



that　so　many　divisions　have　arisen　in　the　Church：　can　it　be　from　any　other



cause　than　those　suggested　at　the　beginning　of　Chap。　VIII。？　（22）　It　is　these



same　causes　which　compel　me　to　explain　the　method　of　determining　the　dogmas



of　the　faith　from　the　foundation　we　have　discovered；　for　if　I



neglected　to　do　so；　and　put　the　question　on　a　regular　basis；　I　might　justly



be　said　to　have　promised　too　lavishly；　for　that　anyone　might；　by　my　showing；



introduce　any　doctrine　he　liked　into　religion；　under　the　pretext　that　it　was



a　necessary　means　to　obedience：　especially　would　this　be　the　case　in



questions　respecting　the　Divine　attributes。







（23）　In　order；　therefore；　to　set　forth　the　whole　matter　methodically；　I　will



begin　with　a　definition　of　faith；　which　on　the　principle　above　given；　should



be　as　follows：…







（24）　Faith　consists　in　a　knowledge　of　God；　without　which　obedience　to　Him



would　be　impossible；　and　which　the　mere　fact　of　obedience　to　Him　implies。



（25）　This　definition　is　so　clear；　and　follows　so　plainly　from　what　we　have



already　proved；　that　it　needs　no　explanation。　（26）　The　consequences　involved



therein　I　will　now　briefly　show。







（27）　（I。）　Faith　is　not　salutary　in　itself；　but　only　in　respect　to　the



obedience　it　implies；　or　as　James　puts　it　in　his　Epistle；　ii：17；　〃Faith



without　works　is　dead〃　（see　the　whole　of　the　chapter　quoted）。







（28）　（II。）　He　who　is　truly　obedient　necessarily　possesses　true　and　saving



faith；　for　if　obedience　be　granted；　faith　must　be　granted　also；　as　the　same



Apostle　expressly　says　in　these　words　（ii：18）；　〃Show　me　thy　faith　without



thy　works；　and　I　will　show　thee　my　faith　by　my　works。〃　（29）　So　also



John；　I　Ep。　iv：7：　〃Everyone　that　loveth　is　born　of　God；　and　knoweth



God：　he　that　loveth　not；　knoweth　not　God；　for　God　is　love。〃　（30）　From　these



texts；　I　repeat；　it　follows　that　we　can　only　judge　a　man　faithful　or



unfaithful　by　his　works。　（31）　If　his　works　be　good；　he　is　faithful；　however



much　his　doctrines　may　differ　from　those　of　the　rest　of　the　faithful：　if　his



works　be　evil；　though　he　may　verbally　conform；　he　is　unfaithful。　（32）　For



obedience　implies　faith；　and　faith　without　works　is　dead。







（33）　John；　in　the　13th　verse　of　the　chapter　above　quoted；　expressly　teaches



the　same　doctrine：　〃Hereby；〃　he　says；　〃know　we　that　we　dwell　in　Him　and　He



in　us；　because　He　hath　given　us　of　His　Spirit；〃　i。e。　love。　（34）　He　had　said



before　that　God　is　love；　and　therefore　he　concludes　（on　his　own　received



principles）；　that　whoso　possesses　love　possesses　truly　the　Spirit　of　God。



（35）　As　no　one　has　beheld　God　he　infers　that　no　one　has　knowledge　or



consciousness　of　God；　except　from　love　towards　his　neighbour；　and　also　that



no　one　can　have　knowledge　of　any　of　God's　attributes；　except　this　of　love；



in　so　far　as　we　participate　therein。







（36）　If　these　arguments　are　not　conclusive；　they；　at　any　rate；　show　the



Apostle's　meaning；　but　the　words　in　chap。　ii：3；　4；　of　the　same　Epistle　are



much　clearer；　for　they　state　in　so　many　words　our　precise　contention：　〃And



hereby　we　do　know　that　we　know　Him；　if　we　keep　His　commandments。　（37）　He



that　saith；　I　know　Him；　and　keepeth　not　His　commandments；　is　a　liar；　and　the



truth　is　not　in　him。〃







（38）　From　all　this；　I　repeat；　it　follows　that　they　are　the　true　enemies　of



Christ　who　persecute　honourable　and　justice…loving　men　because　they　differ



from　them；　and　do　not　uphold　the　same　religious　dogmas　as　themselves：　for



whosoever　loves　justice　and　charity　we　know；　by　that　very　fact；　to　be



faithful：　whosoever　persecutes　the　faithful；　is　an　enemy　to　Christ。







（39）　Lastly；　it　follows　that　faith　does　not　demand　that　dogmas　should　be



true　as　that　they　should　be　pious　…　that　is；　such　as　will　stir　up　the　heart



to　obey；　though　there　be　many　such　which　contain　not　a　shadow　of　truth；　so



long　as　they　be　held　in　good　faith；　otherwise　their　adherents　are



disobedient；　for　how　can　anyone；　desirous　of　loving　justice　and　obeying　God；



adore　as　Divine　what　he　knows　to　be　alien　from　the　Divine　nature？　（40）



However；　men　may　err　from　simplicity　of　mind；　and　Scripture；　as　we



have　seen；　does　not　condemn　ignorance；　but　obstinacy。　（41）　This　is　the



necessary　result　of　our　definition　of　faith；　and　all　its　branches



should　spring　from　the　universal　rule　above　given；　and　from　the　evident　aim



and　object　of　the　Bible；　unless　we　choose　to　mix　our　own　inventions



therewith。　（42）　Thus　it　is　not　true　doctrines　which　are　expressly　required



by　the　Bible；　so　much　as　doctrines　necessary　for　obedience；　and　to　confirm



in　our　hearts　the　love　of　our　neighbour；　wherein　（to　adopt　the　words　of



John）　we　are　in　God；　and　God　in　us。







（43）　As；　then；　each　man's　faith　must　be　judged　pious　or　impious　only　in



respect　of　its　producing　obedience　or　obstinacy；　and　not　in　respect　of　its



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　e