登陆注册
5155200000009

第9章

(1) When people declare, as all are ready, to do, that the Bible is the Word of God teaching man true blessedness and the way of salvation, they evidently do not mean what they, say; for the masses take no pains at all to live according to Scripture, and we see most people endeavouring to hawk about their own commentaries as the word of God, and giving their best efforts, under the guise of religion, to compelling others to think as they do: we generally see, I say, theologians anxious to learn how to wring their inventions and sayings out of the sacred text, and to fortify, them with Divine authority. (2) Such persons never display, less scruple or more zeal than when they, are interpreting Scripture or the mind of the Holy Ghost; if we ever see them perturbed, it is not that they fear to attribute some error to the Holy Spirit, and to stray from the right path, but that they are afraid to be convicted of error by, others, and thus to overthrow and bring into contempt their own authority. (3) But if men really believed what they verbally testify of Scripture, they would adopt quite a different plan of life: their minds would not be agitated by so many contentions, nor so many hatreds, and they would cease to be excited by such a blind and rash passion for interpreting the sacred writings, and excogitating novelties in religion. (4) On the contrary, they would not dare to adopt, as the teaching of Scripture, anything which they could not plainly deduce therefrom: lastly, those sacrilegious persons who have dared, in several passages, to interpolate the Bible, would have shrunk from so great a crime, and would have stayed their sacrilegious hands. (5) Ambition and unscrupulousness have waxed so powerful, that religion is thought to consist, not so much in respecting the writings of the Holy Ghost, as in defending human commentaries, so that religion is no longer identified with charity, but with spreading discord and propagating insensate hatred disguised under the name of zeal for the Lord, and eager ardour.

(6) To these evils we must add superstition, which teaches men to despise reason and nature, and only to admire and venerate that which is repugnant to both: whence it is not wonderful that for the sake of increasing the admiration and veneration felt for Scripture, men strive to explain it so as to make it appear to contradict, as far as possible, both one and the other: thus they dream that most profound mysteries lie hid in the Bible, and weary themselves out in the investigation of these absurdities, to the neglect of what is useful. (7) Every result of their diseased imagination they attribute to the Holy Ghost, and strive to defend with the utmost zeal and passion; for it is an observed fact that men employ their reason to defend conclusions arrived at by reason, but conclusions arrived at by the passions are defended by the passions.

(8) If we would separate ourselves from the crowd and escape from theological prejudices, instead of rashly accepting human commentaries for Divine documents, we must consider the true method of interpreting Scripture and dwell upon it at some length: for if we remain in ignorance of this we cannot know, certainly, what the Bible and the Holy Spirit wish to teach.

(9)I may sum up the matter by saying that the method of interpreting Scripture does not widely differ from the method of interpreting nature - in fact, it is almost the same. (10) For as the interpretation of nature consists in the examination of the history of nature, and therefrom deducing definitions of natural phenomena on certain fixed axioms, so Scriptural interpretation proceeds by the examination of Scripture, and inferring the intention of its authors as a legitimate conclusion from its fundamental principles. (11) By working in this manner everyone will always advance without danger of error - that is, if they admit no principles for interpreting Scripture, and discussing its contents save such as they find in Scripture itself - and will be able with equal security to discuss what surpasses our understanding, and what is known by the natural light of reason.

(12) In order to make clear that such a method is not only correct, but is also the only one advisable, and that it agrees with that employed in interpreting nature, I must remark that Scripture very often treats of matters which cannot be deduced from principles known to reason: for it ischiefly made up of narratives and revelation: the narratives generally contain miracles - that is, as we have shown in the last chapter, relations of extraordinary natural occurrences adapted to the opinions and judgment of the historians who recorded them: the revelations also were adapted to the opinions of the prophets, as we showed in Chap. II., and in themselves surpassed human comprehension. (13) Therefore the knowledge of all these - that is, of nearly the whole contents of Scripture, must be sought from Scripture alone, even as the knowledge of nature is sought from nature. (14) As for the moral doctrines which are also contained in the Bible, they may be demonstrated from received axioms, but we cannot prove in the same manner that Scripture intended to teach them, this can only be learned from Scripture itself.

同类推荐
  • The Unbearable Bassington

    The Unbearable Bassington

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Marble Faun V.1

    The Marble Faun V.1

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 礼运

    礼运

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 正一法文传都功威仪

    正一法文传都功威仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海天诗话

    海天诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 暮色潇潇春意暖

    暮色潇潇春意暖

    父母之命,媒妁之言,终身幸福就这样被捆绑指定。她是丞相家的二小姐,他是将军家的公子,传言他傻她丑,皆不安天命,不信命运,各自追寻,却又阴错阳差,重逢宫廷。彼时他已非当日那痴傻公子,而她是女官,他高高在上冷眼嘲笑,她举步维艰如履薄冰。大婚之夜,他独自饮酒求醉,她陪新娘坐一夜哭一夜,他却一剑刺穿她的心口……情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 都市之最牛神豪系统

    都市之最牛神豪系统

    宿主收购电商龙头阿理爸爸,获得一次抽奖机会,叮,恭喜宿主,抽到一只软萌可爱的皮卡丘。宿主捐助十万个希望小学,获得一次抽奖机会,叮,恭喜宿主,喜获鹿鼎记世界邀请,去清朝撩小姐姐。宿主投资电影《战龙2》,获得一次抽奖机会,叮,恭喜宿主,抽中王母的千年蟠桃,吃上一口,金刚护体,益寿延年。重回三年前,获得最牛神豪系统的宁星辰,是真谛秀,从此蛇皮走位,开始了无脑败家,开跑车吃辣条的sao操作。宁星辰不屑一笑:呵呵,追女主播?不可能的,这辈子都不可能!有朝一日龙得水,定要长江水倒流。
  • 五代史补

    五代史补

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 记忆感应师·法皇

    记忆感应师·法皇

    名人华厦的管理员把电视声音关小,接近午夜一点时分,大楼的住户几乎都已入睡。值大夜班非常无聊,开电视观赏深夜节目可以打发漫漫长夜,深夜通常不会有访客,他选择大夜班保全工作也是因为比较清闲。但那夜有点反常,一点半时,从监视器屏幕看到一辆摩托车驶进地下停车场,一位穿西装的青年走进电梯。管理员认出那是百货集团千金复明雪的男友彼得,管理员很快就把视线从监视器屏幕移到电视屏幕,继续观赏他的节目。复明雪开了门,见到彼得,高兴了两秒,随即疑问道:“你不是去欧洲开会?”“我提早回来,只为了看你。
  • 绝色萌妃:腹黑殿下狂宠妻

    绝色萌妃:腹黑殿下狂宠妻

    “夫君我不小心将皇上最爱的花瓶摔碎了一个”“碎了就碎了,娘子喜欢再摔一个”“夫君,这座山好难看”“来人把这座山移平”“夫君我差点被这个湖给淹死”“敢伤害我娘子,来人将这个湖给我填了”漫漫江湖路,快意恩仇曲。自古有人的地方就有江湖,有江湖的地方就有争斗。一本绝世武功秘籍的横空出世,在平静已久的江湖掀起一场惨烈的血雨腥风,也书写了一段凄美的爱情故事……
  • 捏你跟玩似的

    捏你跟玩似的

    这件事情的结局是孩儿终于牵走了自称是他的驴。尽管孩儿的爹很不情愿把好端端的钱白搭在一条什么球用也没有的驴身上,而赵驴儿更不情愿他用来混饭的工具就这么随随便便改姓了别人的姓,但是他们最终谁也没有拗过比他们更拗的孩儿。当这个拗蛋筋的孩儿兴高采烈地骑着毛驴回家去的时候,谁也不怀疑这孩儿长大以后将变成这样一个人——只要他认定是自己的东西,别人休想碰一碰。
  • 爱在原点守护你

    爱在原点守护你

    楚沫然在六岁时,妈妈去世了,却无意中遇见了虎牙少年,俩人约定,在每年的这个时候,都来这里,可是楚沫然在下一年来的时候,他没有来……十年之后,两人重逢,却彼此不认识,一片四叶草
  • ON ANCIENT MEDICINE

    ON ANCIENT MEDICINE

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一妻难求

    一妻难求

    她追他用了三年,倒过来轮到他追她了,却用了一辈子。认识的时候她还是个不懂事的小丫头,他已经是个高中生了,他眼里,她就像是臭水沟里一条泥鳅,除了长得过得去,全身上下没有一个地方能入他的眼。三年里她从扬言要嫁他开始,一直默默无闻的跟在他身后,阴谋阳谋用尽了,也没能得偿所愿,到底她的心还是被他的无动于衷灼伤了,最终选择了放手。再次见面她像是个不食人间烟火的玉人,光着脚,披着发,盘腿坐在草坪上数着贝壳,一切都犹如昨天,但她已经不记得他了……“有了?”某男满心期待看着某女,某女支吾半天,英雄气短了:“医生说是胃胀气!”某男私以为,医生的心让狗吃了,但多年后某男才知道,不是医生的心让狗吃了,是某个人的心让狗吃了!“姑爷,小姐说要吃鸭子肉。”老管家慌忙来报,某男想也不想的问:“没鸭子了?”“有是有,但……”老管家颇感为难,不知道该不该说。“有还等什么?”某男脸色阴郁,老管家忙着去安排,不刻某男恍然大悟,起身疾奔女儿房间……她说遇见是她最痛的领悟,他却说,他最痛的领悟就是她的这句话!简介啥的都可以无视,其实这就是个萌宠折磨高大上的故事介绍天涯的老书括号画线的优先括回总裁之豪门哑妻——离婚后说爱我——夫猛如虎——傻妻撩人前夫如狼前夫——爱在婚外离婚总裁说爱我——总裁前妻——
  • 最强忍者在木叶

    最强忍者在木叶

    【这是一个爱吹牛的小人物,在火影忍者世界不断闯祸,被逼着变强的故事!】在这个眼睛的世界里,没有什么是丸子不能解决的问题,如果有那就再搓一个更大点的!自我雷吉来了之后,没有什么是吹牛不能解决的问题,如果有那就是牛吹的还不够大!【这又是一个靠着血继限界,在火影中捉鬼降妖的故事】火影世界,各种灵异事件频频发生,谁来解析迷局?人鬼殊途,人妖殊途,但是妖魔鬼怪也是有情感的!怎么办?那些恶鬼厉鬼搓个丸子干掉!呃······那些个漂亮的妖精还是留下吧!总之,就是一点【悬疑+灵异+奇幻+历史+毒奶粉+爽文+火影同人】简介无力,请神农静下心来放心品用。三十章后剧情精彩绝伦!