a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第11部分

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the　formation　of　a　society　with　fixed　laws；　the　occupation　of　a　strip　of



territory　and　the　concentration　of　all　forces；　as　it　were；　into　one　body；



that　is　the　social　body。　（27）　Now　for　forming　and　preserving　a　society；　no



ordinary　ability　and　care　is　required：　that　society　will　be　most



secure；　most　stable；　and　least　liable　to　reverses；　which　is　founded　and



directed　by　far…seeing　and　careful　men；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　a　society



constituted　by　men　without　trained　skill；　depends　in　a　great　measure　on



fortune；　and　is　less　constant。　（28）　If；　in　spite　of　all；　such　a　society



lasts　a　long　time；　it　is　owing　to　some　other　directing　influence　than　its



own；　if　it　overcomes　great　perils　and　its　affairs　prosper；　it　will　perforce



marvel　at　and　adore　the　guiding　Spirit　of　God　（in　so　far；　that　is；　as　God



works　through　hidden　means；　and　not　through　the　nature　and　mind　of　man）；



for　everything　happens　to　it　unexpectedly　and　contrary　to　anticipation；　it



may　even　be　said　and　thought　to　be　by　miracle。　（29）　Nations；　then；　are



distinguished　from　one　another　in　respect　to　the　social　organization　and　the



laws　under　which　they　live　and　are　governed；　the　Hebrew　nation　was　not



chosen　by　God　in　respect　to　its　wisdom　nor　its　tranquillity　of　mind；　but　in



respect　to　its　social　organization　and　the　good　fortune　with　which　it



obtained　supremacy　and　kept　it　so　many　years。　（30）　This　is　abundantly　clear



from　Scripture。　Even　a　cursory　perusal　will　show　us　that　the　only　respects



in　which　the　Hebrews　surpassed　other　nations；　are　in　their　successful



conduct　of　matters　relating　to　government；　and　in　their　surmounting　great



perils　solely　by　God's　external　aid；　in　other　ways　they　were　on　a　par　with



their　fellows；　and　God　was　equally　gracious　to　all。　（31）　For　in　respect　to



intellect　（as　we　have　shown　in　the　last　chapter）　they　held　very　ordinary



ideas　about　God　and　nature；　so　that　they　cannot　have　been　God's　chosen　in



this　respect；　nor　were　they　so　chosen　in　respect　of　virtue　and　the　true



life；　for　here　again　they；　with　the　exception　of　a　very　few　elect；　were　on



an　equality　with　other　nations：　therefore　their　choice　and　vocation



consisted　only　in　the　temporal　happiness　and　advantages　of　independent　rule。



（32）　In　fact；　we　do　not　see　that　God　promised　anything　beyond　this　to　the



patriarchs　＇Endnote　4＇　or　their　successors；　in　the　law　no　other　reward　is



offered　for　obedience　than　the　continual　happiness　of　an　independent



commonwealth　and　other　goods　of　this　life；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　against



contumacy　and　the　breaking　of　the　covenant　is　threatened　the　downfall　of　the



commonwealth　and　great　hardships。　（33）　Nor　is　this　to　be　wondered　at；　for



the　ends　of　every　social　organization　and　commonwealth　are　（as　appears　from



what　we　have　said；　and　as　we　will　explain　more　at　length　hereafter）　security



and　comfort；　a　commonwealth　can　only　exist　by　the　laws　being　binding　on　all。



（34）　If　all　the　members　of　a　state　wish　to　disregard　the　law；　by　that　very



fact　they　dissolve　the　state　and　destroy　the　commonwealth。　（35）　Thus；　the



only　reward　which　could　be　promised　to　the　Hebrews　for　continued　obedience



to　the　law　was　security　＇Endnote　5＇　and　its　attendant　advantages；　while　no



surer　punishment　could　be　threatened　for　disobedience；　than　the　ruin　of　the



state　and　the　evils　which　generally　follow　therefrom；　in　addition　to　such



further　consequences　as　might　accrue　to　the　Jews　in　particular　from　the　ruin



of　their　especial　state。　（36）　But　there　is　no　need　here　to　go　into　this



point　at　more　length。　（37）　I　will　only　add　that　the　laws　of　the　Old



Testament　were　revealed　and　ordained　to　the　Jews　only；　for　as　God　chose　them



in　respect　to　the　special　constitution　of　their　society　and　government；　they



must；　of　course；　have　had　special　laws。　（38）　Whether　God　ordained　special



laws　for　other　nations　also；　and　revealed　Himself　to　their　lawgivers



prophetically；　that　is；　under　the　attributes　by　which　the　latter　were



accustomed　to　imagine　Him；　I　cannot　sufficiently　determine。　（39）　It　is



evident　from　Scripture　itself　that　other　nations　acquired　supremacy　and



particular　laws　by　the　external　aid　of　God；　witness　only　the　two　following



passages：







（40）　In　Genesis　xiv：18；　19；　20；　it　is　related　that　Melchisedek　was　king　of



Jerusalem　and　priest　of　the　Most　High　God；　that　in　exercise　of　his　priestly



functions　he　blessed　Abraham；　and　that　Abraham　the　beloved　of　the　Lord　gave



to　this　priest　of　God　a　tithe　of　all　his　spoils。　（41）　This　sufficiently



shows　that　before　He　founded　the　Israelitish　nation　God　constituted　kings



and　priests　in　Jerusalem；　and　ordained　for　them　rites　and　laws。　（42）　Whether



He　did　so　prophetically　is；　as　I　have　said；　not　sufficiently　clear；　but　I　am



sure　of　this；　that　Abraham；　whilst　he　sojourned　in　the　city；　lived



scrupulously　according　to　these　laws；　for　Abraham　had　received　no　special



rites　from　God；　and　yet　it　is　stated　（Gen。　xxvi：5）；　that　he　observed　the



worship；　the　precepts；　the　statutes；　and　the　laws　of　God；　which　must　be



interpreted　to　mean　the　worship；　the　statutes；　the　precepts；　and　the　laws　of



king　Melchisedek。　（43）　Malachi　chides　the　Jews　as　follows　（i：10…11。）：　〃Who



is　there　among　you　that　will　shut　the　doors？　＇of　the　Temple＇；　neither　do　ye



kindle　fire　on　mine　altar　for　nought。　（44）　I　have　no　pleasure　in　you；　saith



the　Lord　of　Hosts。　（45）　For　from　the　rising　of　the　sun；　even　until　the　going



down　of　the　same　My　Name　shall　be　great　among　the　Gentiles；　and　in　every



place　incense　shall　be　offered　in　My　Name；　and　a　pure　offering；　for　My　Name



is　great　among　the　heathen；　saith　the　Lord　of　Hosts。〃　（46）　These　words；



which；　unless　we　do　violence　to　them；　could　only　refer　to　the　current



period；　abundantly　testify　that　the　Jews　of　that　time　were　not　more　beloved



by　God　than　other　nations；　that　God　then　favoured　other　nations　with　more



miracles　than　He　vouchsafed　to　the　Jews；　who　had　then　partly　recovered　their



empire　without　miraculous　aid；　and；　lastly；　that　the　Gentiles　possessed



rites　and　ceremonies　acceptable　to　God。　（47）　But　I　pass　over　these　points



lightly：　it　is　enough　for　my　purpose　to　have　shown　that　the　election　of　the



Jews　had　regard　to　nothing　but　temporal　physical　happiness　and　freedom；　in



other　words；　autonomous　government；　and　to　the　manner　and　means　by　which



they　obtained　it；　consequently　to　the　laws　in　so　far　as　they　were



necessary　to　the　preservation　of　that　special　government；　and；　lastly；　to



the　manner　in　which　they　were　revealed。　In　regard　to　other　matters；　wherein



man's　true　happiness　consists；　they　were　on　a　par　with　the　rest　of　the



nations。







（48）　When；　therefore；　it　is　said　in　Scripture　（Deut。　iv：7）　that　the　Lord　is



not　so　nigh　to　any　other　nation　as　He　is　to　the　Jews；　reference　is　only　made



to　their　government；　and　to　the　period　when　so　many　miracles　happened　to



them；　for　in　respect　of　intellect　and　virtue　…　that　is；　in　respect　of



blessedness　…　God　was；　as　we　have　said　already；　and　are　now　demonstrating；



equally　gracious　to　all。　（49）　Scripture　itself　bears　testimony　to　this　fact；



for　the　Psalmist　says　（cxlv：18）；　〃The　Lord　is　near　unto　all　them　that　call



upon　Him；　to　all　that　call　upon　Him　in　truth。〃　（50）　So　in　the　same　Psalm；



verse　9；　〃The　Lord　is　good　to　all；　and　His　tender　mercies　are　over　all



His　works。〃　In　Ps。　xxxiii：16；　it　is　clearly　stated　that　God　has　granted　to



all　men　the　same　intellect；　in　these　words；　He　fashioneth　their　hearts



alike。〃　The　heart　was　considered　by　the　Hebrews；　as　I　suppose　everyone



knows；　to　be　the　seat　of　the　soul　and　the　intellect。







（51）　Lastly；　from　Job　xxxviii：28；　it　is　plain　that　God　had　ordained　for　the



whole　human　race　the　law　to　reverence　God；　to　keep　from　evil　doing；　or　to　do



well；　and　that　Job；　although　a　Gentile；　was　of　all　men　most　acceptable　to



God；　because　he　exceeded　all　in　piety　and　religion。　（52）　Lastly；　from　Jonah



iv：2；　it　is　very　evident　that；　not　only　to　the　Jews　but　to　all　men；　God　was



gracious；　merciful；　long…　suffering；　and　of　great　goodness；　and　repented　Him



of　the　evil；　for　Jonah　says：　〃Therefore　I　determined　to　flee　before　unto



Tarshish；　for　I　know　that　Thou　art　a　gracious　God；　and　merciful；　slow　to



anger；　and　of　great　kindness；〃　&c。；　and　that；　therefore；　God　would　pardon



the　Ninevites。　（53）　We　conclude；　therefore　（inasmuch　as　God　is　to　all　men



equally　gracious；　and　the　Hebrews　were　only；　chosen　by　him　in　respect　to



their　social　organization　and　government）；　that　the　individual　Jew；　taken



apart　from　his　social　organization　and　government；　possessed　no



gift　of　God　above　other　men；　and　that　there　was　no　difference　between　Jew



and　Gentile。　（54）　As　it　is　a　fact　that　God　is　equally　gracious；　merciful；



and　the　rest；　to　all　men；　and　as　the　function　of　the　prophet　was　to　teach



men　not　so　much　the　laws　of　their　country；　as　true　virtue；　and　to　exhort



them　thereto；　it　is　not　to　be　doubted　that　all　nations　possessed　prophets；



and　that　the　prophetic　gift　was　not　peculiar　to　the　Jews。　（55）　Indeed；



history；　both　profane　and　sacred；　bears　witness　to　the　fact。　（56）　Although；



from　the　sacred　histories　of　the　Old　Testament；　it　is　not　evident　that　the



other　nations　had　as　many　prophets　as　the　Hebrews；　or　that　any　Gentile



prophet　was　expressly　sent　by　God　to　the　nations；　this　does　not　affect　the



question；　for　the　Hebrews　were　careful　to　record　their　own　affairs；　not



those　of　other　nations。　（57）　It　suffices；　then；　that　we　find　in　the　Old



Testament　Gentiles；　and　uncircumcised；　as　Noah；　Enoch；　Abimelech；



Balaam；　&c。；　exercising　prophetic　gifts；　further；　that　Hebrew　prophets　were



sent　by　God；　not　only　to　their　own　nation　but　to　many　others　also。　（58）



Ezekiel　prophesied　to　all　the　nations　then　known；　Obadiah　to　none；　that　we



are　aware　of；　save　the　Idumeans；　and　Jonah　was　chiefly　the　prophet　to　the