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a theologico-political treatise [part iii]-第5章

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neither the clearness of the narrative nor the blessedness of mankind。







(56) We have now shown that Scripture can only be called the Word



of God in so far as it affects religion; or the Divine law; we must now



point out that; in respect to these questions; it is neither faulty;



tampered with; nor corrupt。 (57) By faulty; tampered with; and corrupt; I



here mean written so incorrectly; that the meaning cannot be arrived at by a



study of the language; nor from the authority of Scripture。 (58) I will not



go to such lengths as to say that the Bible; in so far as it contains the



Divine law; has always preserved the same vowel…points; the same letters; or



the same words (I leave this to be proved by; the Massoretes and other



worshippers of the letter); I only; maintain that the meaning by; which



alone an utterance is entitled to be called Divine; has come down to us



uncorrupted; even though the original wording may have been more often



changed than we suppose。 (59) Such alterations; as I have said above;



detract nothing from the Divinity of the Bible; for the Bible would have



been no less Divine had it been written in different words or a different



language。 (60) That the Divine law has in this sense come down to us



uncorrupted; is an assertion which admits of no dispute。 (61) For from the



Bible itself we learn; without the smallest difficulty or ambiguity;; that



its cardinal precept is: To love God above all things; and one's neighbour



as one's self。 (62) This cannot be a spurious passage; nor due to a hasty



and mistaken scribe; for if the Bible had ever put forth a different



doctrine it would have had to change the whole of its teaching; for this is



the corner…stone of religion; without which the whole fabric would fall



headlong to the ground。 (63) The Bible would not be the work we have been



examining; but something quite different。







(64) We remain; then; unshaken in our belief that this has always been the



doctrine of Scripture; and; consequently; that no error sufficient to



vitiate it can have crept in without being instantly; observed by all; nor



can anyone have succeeded in tampering with it and escaped the discovery of



his malice。







(65) As this corner…stone is intact; we must perforce admit the same of



whatever other passages are indisputably dependent on it; and are also



fundamental; as; for instance; that a God exists; that He foresees all



things; that He is Almighty; that by His decree the good prosper and the



wicked come to naught; and; finally; that our salvation depends solely on



His grace。







(66) These are doctrines which Scripture plainly teaches throughout; and



which it is bound to teach; else all the rest would be empty and baseless;



nor can we be less positive about other moral doctrines; which plainly are



built upon this universal foundation … for instance; to uphold justice; to



aid the weak; to do no murder; to covet no man's goods; &c。 (67) Precepts; I



repeat; such as these; human malice and the lapse of ages are alike



powerless to destroy; for if any part of them perished; its loss would



immediately be supplied from the fundamental principle; especially the



doctrine of charity; which is everywhere in both Testaments extolled above



all others。 (68) Moreover; though it be true that there is no conceivable



crime so heinous that it has never been committed; still there is no one who



would attempt in excuse for his crimes to destroy; the law; or introduce an



impious doctrine in the place of what is eternal and salutary; men's nature



is so constituted that everyone (be he king or subject) who has committed a



base action; tries to deck out his conduct with spurious excuses; till he



seems to have done nothing but what is just and right。







(69) We may conclude; therefore; that the whole Divine law; as taught by



Scripture; has come down to us uncorrupted。 (70) Besides this there are



certain facts which we may be sure have been transmitted in good faith。 (71)



For instance; the main facts of Hebrew history; which were perfectly well



known to everyone。 (72) The Jewish people were accustomed in former times to



chant the ancient history of their nation in psalms。 (73) The main facts;



also; of Christ's life and passion were immediately spread abroad through



the whole Roman empire。 (74) It is therefore scarcely credible; unless



nearly everybody; consented thereto; which we cannot suppose; that



successive generations have handed down the broad outline of the Gospel



narrative otherwise than as they received it。







(74) Whatsoever; therefore; is spurious or faulty can only have reference to



details … some circumstances in one or the other history or prophecy



designed to stir the people to greater devotion; or in some miracle; with a



view of confounding philosophers; or; lastly; in speculative matters



after they had become mixed up with religion; so that some individual



might prop up his own inventions with a pretext of Divine authority。



(75) But such matters have little to do with salvation; whether



they be corrupted little or much; as I will show in detail in the next



chapter; though I think the question sufficiently plain from what I have



said already; especially in Chapter II。



















CHAPTER XIII … IT IS SHOWN THAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES ONLY VERY SIMPLE



 DOCTRINES; SUCH AS SUFFICE FOR RIGHT CONDUCT。







(1) In the second chapter of this treatise we pointed out that the prophets



were gifted with extraordinary powers of imagination; but not of



understanding; also that God only revealed to them such things as are very



simple … not philosophic mysteries; … and that He adapted His



communications to their previous opinions。 (2) We further showed in Chap。 V。



that Scripture only transmits and teaches truths which can readily be



comprehended by all; not deducing and concatenating its conclusions from



definitions and axioms; but narrating quite simply; and confirming its



statements; with a view to inspiring belief; by an appeal to experience as



exemplified in miracles and history; and setting forth its truths in the



style and phraseology which would most appeal to the popular mind (cf。 Chap。



VI。; third division)。







(3) Lastly; we demonstrated in Chap。 VIII。 that the difficulty of





understanding Scripture lies in the language only; and not in the



abstruseness of the argument。







(4) To these considerations we may add that the Prophets did not preach only



to the learned; but to all Jews; without exception; while the Apostles were



wont to teach the gospel doctrine in churches where there were public



meetings; whence it follows that Scriptural doctrine contains no lofty



speculations nor philosophic reasoning; but only very simple matters; such



as could be understood by the slowest intelligence。







(5) I am consequently lost in wonder at the ingenuity of those whom I have



already mentioned; who detect in the Bible mysteries so profound that they



cannot be explained in human language; and who have introduced so many



philosophic speculations into religion that the Church seems like



an academy; and religion like a science; or rather a dispute。







(6) It is not to be wondered at that men; who boast of possessing



supernatural intelligence; should be unwilling to yield the palm of



knowledge to philosophers who have only their ordinary; faculties; still I



should be surprised if I found them teaching any new speculative



doctrine; which was not a commonplace to those Gentile philosophers whom; in



spite of all; they stigmatize as blind; for; if one inquires what these



mysteries lurking in Scripture may be; one is confronted with nothing but



the reflections of Plato or Aristotle; or the like; which it would



often be easier for an ignorant man to dream than for the most accomplished



scholar to wrest out of the Bible。







(7) However; I do not wish to affirm absolutely that Scripture contains no



doctrines in the sphere of philosophy; for in the last chapter I pointed out



some of the kind; as fundamental principles; but I go so far as to say that



such doctrines are very few and very simple。 (8) Their precise nature and



definition I will now set forth。 (9) The task will be easy; for we know that



Scripture does not aim at imparting scientific knowledge; and; therefore; it



demands from men nothing but obedience; and censures obstinacy; but not



ignorance。







(10) Furthermore; as obedience to God consists solely in love to our



neighbour … for whosoever loveth his neighbour; as a means of obeying God;



hath; as St。 Paul says (Rom。 xiii:8); fulfilled the law; … it follows that



no knowledge is commended in the Bible save that which is necessary



for enabling all men to obey God in the manner stated; and wit
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