a theologico-political treatise [part iii]-第2部分

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understood　in　a　similar　manner；　they　are　not　drawn　from　the　armoury　of



reason；　but　are　merely；　modes　of　expression　calculated　to　instil　with



efficacy；　and　present　vividly　to　the　imagination　the　commands　of　God。



（19）　However；　I　do　not　wish　absolutely　to　deny　that　the　prophets　ever　argued



from　revelation；　I　only　maintain　that　the　prophets　made　more　legitimate　use



of　argument　in　proportion　as　their　knowledge　approached　more　nearly　to



ordinary　knowledge；　and　by　this　we　know　that　they　possessed　a　knowledge



above　the　ordinary；　inasmuch　as　they　proclaimed　absolute　dogmas；



decrees；　or　judgments。　（20）　Thus　Moses；　the　chief　of　the　prophets；　never



used　legitimate　argument；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the　long　deductions　and



arguments　of　Paul；　such　as　we　find　in　the　Epistle　to　the　Romans；　are　in



nowise　written　from　supernatural　revelation。







（21）　The　modes　of　expression　and　discourse　adopted　by　the　Apostles　in　the



Epistles；　show　very　clearly　that　the　latter　were　not　written　by　revelation



and　Divine　command；　but　merely　by　the　natural　powers　and　judgment　of　the



authors。　（22）　They　consist　in　brotherly　admonitions　and　courteous



expressions　such　as　would　never　be　employed　in　prophecy；　as　for　instance；



Paul's　excuse　in　Romans　xv：15；　〃I　have　written　the　more　boldly　unto　you　in



some　sort；　my　brethren。〃







（23）　We　may　arrive　at　the　same　conclusion　from　observing　that　we　never　read



that　the　Apostles　were　commanded　to　write；　but　only　that　they　went



everywhere　preaching；　and　confirmed　their　words　with　signs。　（24）　Their



personal　presence　and　signs　were　absolutely　necessary　for　the　conversion　and



establishment　in　religion　of　the　Gentiles；　as　Paul　himself　expressly　states



in　Rom。　i：11；　〃But　I　long　to　see　you；　that　I　may　impart　to　you　some



spiritual　gift；　to　the　end　that　ye　may　be　established。〃







（25）　It　may　be　objected　that　we　might　prove　in　similar　fashion　that　the



Apostles　did　not　preach　as　prophets；　for　they　did　not　go　to　particular



places；　as　the　prophets　did；　by　the　command　of　God。　（26）　We　read　in



the　Old　Testament　that　Jonah　went　to　Nineveh　to　preach；　and　at　the



same　time　that　he　was　expressly　sent　there；　and　told　that　he　most　preach。



（27）　So　also　it　is　related；　at　great　length；　of　Moses　that　he　went　to　Egypt



as　the　messenger　of　God；　and　was　told　at　the　same　time　what　he　should　say　to



the　children　of　Israel　and　to　king　Pharaoh；　and　what　wonders　he　should　work



before　them　to　give　credit　to　his　words。　（28）　Isaiah；　Jeremiah；　and



Ezekiel　were　expressly　commanded　to　preach　to　the　Israelites。　Lastly；　the



prophets　only　preached　what　we　are　assured　by　Scripture　they　had　received



from　God；　whereas　this　is　hardly　ever　said　of　the　Apostles　in　the　New



Testament；　when　they　went　about　to　preach。　（29）　On　the　contrary；　we　find



passages　expressly　implying　that　the　Apostles　chose　the　places　where　they



should　preach　on　their　own　responsibility；　for　there　was　a　difference



amounting　to　a　quarrel　between　Paul　and　Barnabas　on　the　subject　（Acts　xv：37；



38）。　（30）　Often　they　wished　to　go　to　a　place；　but　were　prevented；　as　Paul



writes；　Rom。　i：13；　〃Oftentimes　I　purposed　to　come　to　you；　but　was　let



hitherto；〃　and　in　I　Cor。　xvi：12；　〃As　touching　our　brother　Apollos；　I　greatly



desired　him　to　come　unto　you　with　the　brethren；　but　his　will　was　not　at　all



to　come　at　this　time：　but　he　will　come　when　he　shall　have　convenient　time。〃







（31）　From　these　expressions　and　differences　of　opinion　among　the　Apostles；



and　also　from　the　fact　that　Scripture　nowhere　testifies　of　them；　as　of　the



ancient　prophets；　that　they　went　by　the　command　of　God；　one　might　conclude



that　they　preached　as　well　as　wrote　in　their　capacity　of　teachers；　and　not



as　prophets：　but　the　question　is　easily　solved　if　we　observe　the　difference



between　the　mission　of　an　Apostle　and　that　of　an　Old　Testament　prophet。　（32）



The　latter　were　not　called　to　preach　and　prophesy　to　all　nations；　but　to



certain　specified　ones；　and　therefore　an　express　and　peculiar　mandate　was



required　for　each　of　them；　the　Apostles；　on　the　other　hand；　were　called　to



preach　to　all　men　absolutely；　and　to　turn　all　men　to　religion。　（33）



Therefore；　whithersoever　they　went；　they　were　fulfilling　Christ's



commandment；　there　was　no　need　to　reveal　to　them　beforehand　what　they　should



preach；　for　they　were　the　disciples　of　Christ　to　whom　their　Master　Himself



said　（Matt。　X：19；　20）：　〃But；　when　they　deliver　you　up；　take　no　thought



how　or　what　ye　shall　speak；　for　it　shall　be　given　you　in　that　same



hour　what　ye　shall　speak。〃　（34）　We　therefore　conclude　that　the　Apostles



were　only　indebted　to　special　revelation　in　what　they　orally　preached　and



confirmed　by　signs　（see　the　beginning　of　Chap。　11。）；　that　which　they　taught



in　speaking　or　writing　without　any　confirmatory　signs　and　wonders



they　taught　from　their　natural　knowledge。　（See　I　Cor。　xiv：6。）　（35）　We　need



not　be　deterred　by　the　fact　that　all　the　Epistles　begin　by　citing　the



imprimatur　of　the　Apostleship；　for　the　Apostles；　as　I　will　shortly　show；



were　granted；　not　only　the　faculty　of　prophecy；　but　also　the　authority　to



teach。　（36）　We　may　therefore　admit　that　they　wrote　their　Epistles　as



Apostles；　and　for　this　cause　every　one　of　them　began　by　citing　the　Apostolic



imprimatur；　possibly　with　a　view　to　the　attention　of　the　reader　by　asserting



that　they　were　the　persons　who　had　made　such　mark　among　the　faithful　by



their　preaching；　and　had　shown　bv　many　marvelous　works　that　they　were



teaching　true　religion　and　the　way　of　salvation。　（37）　I　observe　that　what　is



said　in　the　Epistles　with　regard　to　the　Apostolic　vocation　and　the　Holy



Spirit　of　God　which　inspired　them；　has　reference　to　their　former　preaching；



except　in　those　passages　where　the　expressions　of　the　Spirit　of　God　and　the



Holy　Spirit　are　used　to　signify　a　mind　pure；　upright；　and　devoted　to



God。　（38）　For　instance；　in　1　Cor。　vii：40；　Paul　says：　But　she　is　happier　if



she　so　abide；　after　my　judgment；　and　I　think　also　that　I　have　the　Spirit　of



God。〃　（39）　By　the　Spirit　of　God　the　Apostle　here　refers　to　his　mind；　as



we　may　see　from　the　context：　his　meaning　is　as　follows：　〃I　account　blessed



a　widow　who　does　not　wish　to　marry　a　second　husband；　such　is　my　opinion；　for



I　have　settled　to　live　unmarried；　and　I　think　that　I　am　blessed。〃　（40）　There



are　other　similar　passages　which　I　need　not　now　quote。







（41）　As　we　have　seen　that　the　Apostles　wrote　their　Epistles　solely　by　the



light　of　natural　reason；　we　must　inquire　how　they　were　enabled　to　teach　by



natural　knowledge　matters　outside　its　scope。　（42）　However；　if　we　bear　in



mind　what　we　said　in　Chap。　VII。　of　this　treatise　our　difficulty　will　vanish：



for　although　the　contents　of　the　Bible　entirely　surpass　our　understanding；



we　may　safely　discourse　of　them；　provided　we　assume　nothing　not　told



us　in　Scripture：　by　the　same　method　the　Apostles；　from　what　they　saw



and　heard