BENEDICT DE SPINOZA: Theological-Political Treatise

Theological-Political Treatise
revelations to the prophets. No thought could be more absurd, especially
as Christ was not sent to teach the Jews alone but the whole of humanity. It
was not enough therefore that his mind should be adapted to the beliefs of
the Jews alone; it was necessary rather that his mind should be adapted to
the views and general doctrines of the human race, that is, to principles
that are universal and true. Undoubtedly, since God revealed himself to
Christ or his soul directly and not, as with the prophets, via words and
visions, we can draw no other conclusion than that Christ perceived or
understood real things truly; for something is understood when it is
65 grasped by the mind alone without words or visions.
Christ therefore understood revealed things truly and adequately. Hence
if he sometimes prescribed them as laws, he did so because of the ignorance
and obstinacy of the people. In this matter therefore he took God’s
place and adapted himself to the character of the people; consequently,
although he spoke altogether more clearly than the rest of the prophets, he
nevertheless still taught revealed things obscurely and in many cases by
means of parables, especially when speaking to those to whom it had not
yet been given to understand the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 13:10,
etc.). To those who were capable of learning about the heavenly mysteries,
he undoubtedly did teach things as eternal truths and not as commandments.
Hence he freed them from servitude to the law and yet in this way
also con¢rmed and stabilized the law, inscribing it deeply in their hearts.
Paul too seems to indicate as much in certain passages, such as the
Epistle to the Romans, 7.6 and 3.28, although he too prefers not to speak
openly. Rather, as he puts it (3.5 and 6.19 of the same Epistle), he spoke ‘in
human terms’, expressly admitting this when he calls God ‘just’. Likewise,
it is undoubtedly due to this ‘weakness of the £esh’ that he attributes pity,
grace, anger etc. to God, adapting his words to the character of the common
people or (as he himself puts it at 1 Corinthians 3.1^2) ‘carnal men’.
For at Romans 9.18 he absolutely teaches that God’s anger and mercy
depend not upon men’s works but upon God’s vocation alone, i.e., upon his
will. He also says that no one is justi¢ed by the works of the law but by faith
alone (see Romans 3.28), by which he certainly means nothing other than
full mental assent. Finally he says that no one is blessed unless he has the
mind of Christ in him (see Romans 8.9) whereby, undoubtedly, one may
understand God’s laws as eternal truths.
We conclude therefore that God is described as a legislator or a prince,
and as just, merciful etc., only because of the limited understanding of the
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