A　Theologico…Political　Treatise　＇Part　I＇
  by　Benedict　de　Spinoza
  Also　known　as　Baruch　Spinoza
  Translated　by　R。　H。　M。　Elwes
  Part　1　…　Chapters　I　to　V
  TABLE　OF　CONTENTS：
  PREFACE。
  Origin　and　consequences　of　superstition。
  Causes　that　have　led　the　author　to　write。
  Course　of　his　investigation。
  For　what　readers　the　treatise　is　designed。　Submission　of　author
  to　the　rulers　of　his　country。
  CHAPTER　I　…　Of　Prophecy。
  Definition　of　prophecy。
  Distinction　between　revelation　to　Moses　and　to　the　other　prophets。
  Between　Christ　and　other　recipients　of　revelation。
  Ambiguity　of　the　word　〃Spirit。〃
  The　different　senses　in　which　things　may　be　referred　to　God。
  Different　senses　of　〃Spirit　of　God。〃
  Prophets　perceived　revelation　by　imagination。
  CHAPTER　II　…　Of　Prophets。
  A　mistake　to　suppose　that　prophecy　can　give　knowledge　of　phenomena
  Certainty　of　prophecy　based　on：
  （1）　Vividness　of　imagination；
  （2）　A　Sign；
  （3）　Goodness　of　the　Prophet。
  Variation　of　prophecy　with　the　temperament　and　opinions　of　the　individual。
  CHAPTER　III　…　Of　the　Vocation　of　the　Hebrews；　and　whether　the　Gift　of　Prophecy　was　peculiar　to　them。
  Happiness　of　Hebrews　did　not　consist　in　the　inferiority　of　the　Gentile。
  Nor　in　philosophic　knowledge　or　virtue。
  But　in　their　conduct　of　affairs　of　state　and　escape　from　political　dangers。
  Even　this　Distinction　did　not　exist　in　the　time　of　Abraham。
  Testimony　from　the　Old　Testament　itself　to　the　share　of　the　Gentiles
  in　the　law　and　favour　of　God。
  Explanation　of　apparent　discrepancy　of　the　Epistle　to　the　Romans。
  Answer　to　the　arguments　for　the　eternal　election　of　the　Jews。
  CHAPTER　IV　…　Of　the　Divine　Law。
  Laws　either　depend　on　natural　necessity　or　on　human　decree。　　The　existence
  of　the　latter　not　inconsistent　with　the　former　class　of　laws。
  Divine　law　a　kind　of　law　founded　on　human　decree：
  called　Divine　from　its　object。
  Divine　law：
  （1）　universal；
  （2）　independent　of　the　truth　of　any　historical　narrative；
  （3）　independent　of　rites　and　ceremonies；
  （4）　its　own　reward。
  Reason　does　not　present　God　as　a　law…giver　for　men。
  Such　a　conception　a　proof　of　ignorance　…　in　Adam　…　in　the　Israelites　…
  in　Christians。
  Testimony　of　the　Scriptures　in　favour　of　reason　and　the
  rational　view　of　the　Divine。
  CHAPTER　V。　…　Of　the　Ceremonial　Law。
  Ceremonial　law　of　the　Old　Testament　no　part　of　the　Divine　universal　law；
  but　partial　and　temporary。　Testimony　of　the　prophets　themselves　to　this
  Testimony　of　the　New　Testament。
  How　the　ceremonial　law　tended　to　preserve　the　Hebrew　kingdom。
  Christian　rites　on　a　similar　footing。
  What　part　of　the　Scripture　narratives　is　one　bound　to　believe？
  Authors　Endnotes　to　the　Treatise。
  A　Theologico…Political　Treatise
  Part　1　…　Chapters　I　to　V
  PREFACE。
  （1）Men　would　never　be　superstitious；　if　they　could　govern　all　their
  circumstances　by　set　rules；　or　if　they　were　always　favoured　by　fortune：　but
  being　frequently　driven　into　straits　where　rules　are　useless；　and　being
  often　kept　fluctuating　pitiably　between　hope　and　fear　by　the　uncertainty
  of　fortune's　greedily　coveted　favours；　they　are　consequently；　for　the　most
  part；　very　prone　to　credulity。　（2）　The　human　mind　is　readily　swayed　this　way
  or　that　in　times　of　doubt；　especially　when　hope　and　fear　are　struggling　for
  the　mastery；　though　usually　it　is　boastful；　over　…　confident；　and　vain。
  （3）　This　as　a　general　fact　I　suppose　everyone　knows；　though　few；　I　believe；
  know　their　own　nature；　no　one　can　have　lived　in　the　world　without　observing
  that　most　people；　when　in　prosperity；　are　so　over…brimming　with　wisdom
  （however　inexperienced　they　may　be）；　that　they　take　every　offer　of　advice　as
  a　personal　insult；　whereas　in　adversity　they　know　not　where　to　turn；　but　beg
  and　pray　for　counsel　from　every　passer…by。　（4）　No　plan　is　then　too　futile；
  too　absurd；　or　too　fatuous　for　their　adoption；　the　most　frivolous　causes
  will　raise　them　to　hope；　or　plunge　them　into　despair　…　if　anything　happens
  during　their　fright　which　reminds　them　of　some　past　good　or　ill；　they　think
  it　portends　a　happy　or　unhappy　issue；　and　therefore　（though　it　may　have
  proved　abortive　a　hundred　times　before）　style　it　a　lucky　or　unlucky　omen。
  （5）　Anything　which　excites　their　astonishment　they　believe　to　be　a　portent
  signifying　the　anger　of　the　gods　or　of　the　Supreme　Being；　and；　mistaking
  superstition　for　religion；　account　it　impious　not　to　avert　the　evil　with
  prayer　and　sacrifice。　（6）　Signs　and　wonders　of　this　sort　they　conjure　up
  perpetually；　till　one　might　think　Nature　as　mad　as　themselves；　they
  interpret　her　so　fantastically。
  （7）　Thus　it　is　brought　prominently　before　us；　that　superstition's　chief
  victims　are　those　persons　who　greedily　covet　temporal　advantages；　they　it
  is；　who　（especially　when　they　are　in　danger；　and　cannot　help　themselves）　are
  wont　with　Prayers　and　womanish　tears　to　implore　help　from　God：　upbraiding
  Reason　as　blind；　because　she　cannot　show　a　sure　path　to　the　shadows　they
  pursue；　and　rejecting　human　wisdom　as　vain；　but　believing　the　phantoms　of
  imagination；　dreams；　and　other　childish　absurdities；　to　be　the　very　oracles
  of　Heaven。　（8）　As　though　God　had　turned　away　from　the　wise；　and　written　His
  decrees；　not　in　the　mind　of　man　but　in　the　entrails　of　beasts；　or　left　them
  to　be　proclaimed　by　the　inspiration　and　instinct　of　fools；　madmen；　and
  birds。　Such　is　the　unreason　to　which　terror　can　drive　mankind！
  （9）　Superstition；　then；　is　engendered；　preserved；　and　fostered　by　fear。　If
  anyone　desire　an　example；　let　him　take　Alexander；　who　only　began
  superstitiously　to　seek　guidance　from　seers；　when　he　first　learnt　to　fear
  fortune　in　the　passes　of　Sysis　（Curtius；　v。　4）；　whereas　after　he　had
  conquered　Darius　he　consulted　prophets　no　more；　till　a　second　time
  frightened　by　reverses。　（10）　When　the　Scythians　were　provoking　a　battle；　the
  Bactrians　had　deserted；　and　he　himself　was　lying　sick　of　his　wounds；　〃he
  once　more　turned　to　superstition；　the　mockery　of　human　wisdom；　and　bade
  Aristander；　to　whom　he　confided　his　credulity；　inquire　the　issue　of　affairs
  with　sacrificed　victims。〃　（11）　Very　numerous　examples　of　a　like　nature　might
  be　cited；　clearly　showing　the　fact；　that　only　while　under　the　dominion　of
  fear　do　men　fall　a　prey　to　superstition；　that　all　the　portents　ever　invested
  with　the　reverence　of　misguided　religion　are　mere　phantoms　of　dejected　and
  fearful　minds；　and　lastly；　that　prophets　have　most　power　among　the　people；
  and　are　most　formidable　to　rulers；　precisely　at　those　times　when　the　state
  is　in　most　peril。　（12）　I　think　this　is　sufficiently　plain　to　all；　and　will
  therefore　say　no　more　on　the　subject。
  （13）　The　origin　of　superstition　above　given　affords　us　a　clear　reason　for
  the　fact；　that　it　comes　to　all　men　naturally；　though　some　refer　its　rise　to
  a　dim　notion　of　God；　universal　to　mankind；　and　also　tends　to　show；　that　it
  is　no　less　inconsistent　and　variable　than　other　mental　hallucinations　and
  emotional　impulses；　and　further　that　it　can　only　be　maintained　by　hope；
  hatred；　anger；　and　deceit；　since　it　springs；　not　from　reason；　but　solely
  from　the　more　powerful　phases　of　emotion。　（14）　Furthermore；　we　may　readily
  understand　how　difficult　it　is；　to　maintain　in　the　same　course　men　prone　to
  every　form　of　credulity。　（15）　For；　as　the　mass　of　mankind　remains　always　at
  about　the　same　pitch　of　misery；　it　never　assents　long　to　any　one　remedy；　but
  is　always　best　pleased　by　a　novelty　which　has　not　yet　proved　illusive。
  （16）　This　element　of　inconsistency　has　been　the　cause　of　many　terrible　wars
  and　revolutions；　for；　as　Curtius　well　says　（lib。　iv。　chap。　10）：　〃The　mob　has
  no　ruler　more　potent　than　superstition；〃　and　is　easily　led；　on　the　plea　of
  religion；　at　one　moment　to　adore　its　kings　as　gods；　and　anon　to　execrate　and
  abjure　them　as　humanity's　common　bane。　（17）　Immense　pains　have　therefore
  been　taken　to　counteract　this　evil　by　investing　religion；　whether　true　or
  false；　with　such　pomp　and　ceremony；　that　it　may；　rise　superior　to　every
  shock；　and　be　always　observed　with　studious　reverence　by　the　whole　people　…
  a　system　which　has　been　brought　to　great　perfection　by　the　Turks；　for　they
  consider　even　controversy　impious；　and　so　clog　men's　minds　with　dogmatic
  formulas；　that　they　leave　no　room　for　sound　reason；　not　even　enough　to　doubt
  with。
  （18）　But　if；　in　despotic　statecra