a theologico-political treatise [part i]-第6部分

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doings？〃　（103）　Zech。　iv：6；　〃Not　by　might　or　by　power；　but　My　Spirit　＇i。e。



mercy＇；　saith　the　Lord　of　hosts。〃　（104）　The　twelfth　verse　of　the　seventh



chapter　of　the　same　prophet　must；　I　think；　be　interpreted　in　like　manner：



〃Yea；　they　made　their　hearts　as　an　adamant　stone；　lest　they　should　hear　the



law；　and　the　words　which　the　Lord　of　hosts　hath　sent　in　His　Spirit　＇i。e。　in



His　mercy＇　by　the　former　prophets。〃　（105）　So　also　Haggai　ii：5：　〃So　My　Spirit



remaineth　among　you：　fear　not。〃







（106）　The　passage　in　Isaiah　xlviii：16；　〃And　now　the　Lord　and　His　Spirit　hath



sent　me；〃　may　be　taken　to　refer　to　God's　mercy　or　His　revealed　law；　for　the



prophet　says；　〃From　the　beginning〃　（i。e。　from　the　time　when　I　first　came　to



you；　to　preach　God's　anger　and　His　sentence　forth　against　you）　〃I　spoke　not



in　secret；　from　the　time　that　it　was；　there　am　I；〃　and　now　I　am　sent　by



the　mercy　of　God　as　a　joyful　messenger　to　preach　your　restoration。　（107）　Or



we　may　understand　him　to　mean　by　the　revealed　law　that　he　had　before　come　to



warn　them　by　the　command　of　the　law　（Levit。　xix：17）　in　the　same　manner　under



the　same　conditions　as　Moses　had　warned　them；　that　now；　like　Moses；　he　ends



by　preaching　their　restoration。　（108）　But　the　first　explanation　seems　to　me



the　best。







（109）　Returning；　then；　to　the　main　object　of　our　discussion；　we　find　that



the　Scriptural　phrases；　〃The　Spirit　of　the　Lord　was　upon　a　prophet；〃　〃The



Lord　breathed　His　Spirit　into　men；〃　〃Men　were　filled　with　the　Spirit　of　God；



with　the　Holy　Spirit；〃　&c。；　are　quite　clear　to　us；　and　mean　that　prophets



were　endowed　with　a　peculiar　and　extraordinary　power；　and　devoted　themselves



to　piety　with　especial　constancy（3）；　that　thus　they　perceived　the　mind　or



the　thought　of　God；　for　we　have　shown　that　God's　Spirit　signifies　in　Hebrew



God's　mind　or　thought；　and　that　the　law　which　shows　His　mind　and　thought　is



called　His　Spirit；　hence　that　the　imagination　of　the　prophets；　inasmuch　as



through　it　were　revealed　the　decrees　of　God；　may　equally　be　called　the　mind



of　God；　and　the　prophets　be　said　to　have　possessed　the　mind　of　God。　（110）　On



our　minds　also　the　mind　of　God　and　His　eternal　thoughts　are　impressed；　but



this　being　the　same　for　all　men　is　less　taken　into　account；　especially　by



the　Hebrews；　who　claimed　a　pre…eminence；　and　despised　other　men　and　other



men's　knowledge。







（111）　Lastly；　the　prophets　were　said　to　possess　the　Spirit　of　God　because



men　knew　not　the　cause　of　prophetic　knowledge；　and　in　their　wonder　referred



it　with　other　marvels　directly　to　the　Deity；　styling　it　Divine　knowledge。







（111）　We　need　no　longer　scruple　to　affirm　that　the　prophets　only



perceived　God's　revelation　by　the　aid　of　imagination；　that　is；　by　words　and



figures　either　real　or　imaginary。　（112）　We　find　no　other　means　mentioned　in



Scripture；　and　therefore　must　not　invent　any。　（113）　As　to　the　particular　law



of　Nature　by　which　the　communications　took　place；　I　confess　my　ignorance。



（114）　I　might；　indeed；　say　as　others　do；　that　they　took　place　by　the　power



of　God；　but　this　would　be　mere　trifling；　and　no　better　than　explaining　some



unique　specimen　by　a　transcendental　term。　（115）　Everything　takes　place　by



the　power　of　God。　（116）　Nature　herself　is　the　power　of　God　under　another



name；　and　our　ignorance　of　the　power　of　God　is　co…extensive　with　our



ignorance　of　Nature。　（117）　It　is　absolute　folly；　therefore；　to　ascribe　an



event　to　the　power　of　God　when　we　know　not　its　natural　cause；　which　is　the



power　of　God。







（118）　However；　we　are　not　now　inquiring　into　the　causes　of　prophetic



knowledge。　（119）　We　are　only　attempting；　as　I　have　said；　to　examine　the



Scriptural　documents；　and　to　draw　our　conclusions　from　them　as　from　ultimate



natural　facts；　the　causes　of　the　documents　do　not　concern　us。







（120）　As　the　prophets　perceived　the　revelations　of　God　by　the　aid　of



imagination；　they　could　indisputably　perceive　much　that　is　beyond　the



boundary　of　the　intellect；　for　many　more　ideas　can　be　constructed　from　words



and　figures　than　from　the　principles　and　notions　on　which　the　whole　fabric



of　reasoned　knowledge　is　reared。







（121）　Thus　we　have　a　clue　to　the　fact　that　the　prophets　perceived　nearly



everything　in　parables　and　allegories；　and　clothed　spiritual　truths　in



bodily　forms；　for　such　is　the　usual　method　of　imagination。　（122）　We　need　no



longer　wonder　that　Scripture　and　the　prophets　speak　so　strangely　and



obscurely　of　God's　Spirit　or　Mind　（cf。　Numbers　xi：17；　1　Kings　xxii：21；　&c。）；



that　the　Lord　was　seen　by　Micah　as　sitting；　by　Daniel　as　an　old　man　clothed



in　white；　by　Ezekiel　as　a　fire；　that　the　Holy　Spirit　appeared　to　those　with



Christ　as　a　descending　dove；　to　the　apostles　as　fiery　tongues；　to　Paul　on



his　conversion　as　a　great　light。　（123）　All　these　expressions　are　plainly　in



harmony　with　the　current　ideas　of　God　and　spirits。







（124）　Inasmuch　as　imagination　is　fleeting　and　inconstant；　we　find　that　the



power　of　prophecy　did　not　remain　with　a　prophet　for　long；　nor　manifest



itself　frequently；　but　was　very　rare；　manifesting　itself　only　in　a　few　men；



and　in　them　not　often。







（125）We　must　necessarily　inquire　how　the　prophets　became　assured　of　the



truth　of　what　they　perceived　by　imagination；　and　not　by　sure　mental　laws；



but　our　investigation　must　be　confined　to　Scripture；　for　the　subject　is　one



on　which　we　cannot　acquire　certain　knowledge；　and　which　we　cannot　explain　by



the　immediate　causes。　（126）　Scripture　teaching　about　the　assurance　of



prophets　I　will　treat　of　in　the　next　chapter。



















CHAPTER　II。　…　OF　PROPHETS。







（1）　It　follows　from　the　last　chapter　that；　as　I　have　said；　the　prophets　were



endowed　with　unusually　vivid　imaginations；　and　not　with　unusually；　perfect



minds。　（2）　This　conclusion　is　amply　sustained　by　Scripture；　for　we　are　told



that　Solomon　was　the　wisest　of　men；　but　had　no　special　faculty　of　prophecy。



（3）　Heman；　Calcol；　and　Dara；　though　men　of　great　talent；　were　not　prophets；



whereas　uneducated　countrymen；　nay；　even　women；　such　as　Hagar；　Abraham's



handmaid；　were　thus　gifted。　（4）　Nor　is　this　contrary　to　ordinary　experience



and　reason。　（5）　Men　of　great　imaginative　power　are　less　fitted　for　abstract



reasoning；　whereas　those　who　excel　in　intellect　and　its　use　keep　their



imagination　more　restrained　and　controlled；　holding　it　in　subjection；　so　to



speak；　lest　it　should　usurp　the　place　of　reason。







（6）　Thus　to　suppose　that　knowledge　of　natural　and　spiritual　phenomena　can　be



gained　from　the　prophetic　books；　is　an　utter　mistake；　which　I　shall



endeavour　to　expose；　as　I　think　philosophy；　the　age；　and　the　question　itself



demand。　（7）　I　care　not　for　the　girdings　of　superstition；　for　superstition　is



the　bitter　enemy；　of　all　true　knowledge　and　true　morality。　（8）　Yes；　it　has



come　to　this！　（9）　Men　who　openly　confess　that　they　can　form　no　idea　of　God；



and　only　know　Him　through　created　things；　of　which　they　know　not　the　causes；



can　unblushingly；　accuse　philosophers　of　Atheism。　（10）　Treating　the　question



methodically；　I　will　show　that　prophecies　varied；　not　only　according　to



the　imagination　and　physical　temperament　of　the　prophet；　but　also　according



to　his　particular　opinions；　and　further　that　prophecy　never　rendered　the



prophet　wiser　than　he　was　before。　（11）　But　I　will　first　discuss　the



assurance　of　truth　which　the　prophets　received；　for　this　is　akin　to　the



subject…matter　of　the　chapter；　and　will　serve　to　elucidate　somewhat　our



present　point。







（12）　Imagination　does　not；　in　its　own　nature；　involve　any　certainty　of



truth；　such　as　is　implied　in　every　clear　and　distinct　idea；　but　requires



some　extrinsic　reason　to　assure　us　of　its　objective　reality：　hence　prophecy



cannot　afford　certainty；　and　the　prophets　were　assured　of　God's　revelation



by　some　sign；　and　not　by　the　fact　of　revelation；　as　we　may　see　from　Abraham；



who；　when　he　had　heard　the　promise　of　God；　demanded　a　sign；　not　because　he



did　not　believe　in　God；　but　because　he　wished　to　be　sure　that　it　was　God　Who



made　the　promise。　（13）　The　fact　is　still　more　evident　in　the　case　of　Gideon：



〃Show　me；〃　he　says　to　God；　〃show　me　a　sign；　that　I　may　know　that　it　is　Thou



that　talkest　with　me。〃　（14）　God　also　says　to　Moses：　〃And　let　this　be　a



sign　that　I　have　sent　thee。〃　（15）　Hezekiah；　though　he　had　long　known　Isaiah



to　be　a　prophet；　none　the　less　demanded　a　sign　of　the　cure　which　he



predicted。　（15）　It　is　thus　quite　evident　that　the　prophets　always　received



some　sign　to　certify　them　of　their　prophetic　imaginings；　and　for　this　reason



Moses　bids　the　Jews　（Deut。　xviii。）　ask　of　the　prophets　a　sign；　namely；　the



prediction　of　some　coming　event。　（16）　In　this　respect；　prophetic　knowledge



is　inferior　to　natural　knowledge；　which　needs　no　sign；　and　in　itself　implies



certitude。　（17）　Moreover；　Scripture　warrants　the　statement　that　the



certitude　of　the　prophets　was　not　mathematical；　but　moral。　（18）　Moses　lays



down　the　punishment　of　death　for　the　prophet　who　preaches　new　gods；　even



though　he　confirm　his　doctrine　by　signs　and　wonders　（Deut。　xiii。）；　〃For；〃　he



says；　〃the　Lord　also　worketh　signs　and　wonders　to　try　His　people。〃　（19）　And



Jesus　Christ　warns　His　disciples　of　the　same　thing　（Matt。　xxiv：24）。　（20）



Furthermore；　Ezekiel　（xiv：9）　plainly　states　that　God　sometimes　deceives



men　with　false　revelations；　and　Micaiah　bears　like　witness　in　the　case　of



the　prophets　of　Ahab。







（21）　Although　these　instances　go　to　prove　that　revelation　is　open　to　doubt；



it　nevertheless　contains；　as　we　have　said；　a　considerable　element　of



certainty；　for　God　never　deceives　the　good；　nor　His　chosen；　but　（according



to　the　ancient　proverb；　and　as　appears　in　the　history　of　Abigail　and　her



speech）；　God　uses　the　good　as　instruments　of　goodness；　and　the　wicked　as



me