which　is　repugnant　thereto；　and　as　I　saw　that　the　prophets　taught　nothing；
  which　is　not　very　simple　and　easily　to　be　grasped　by　all；　and　further；　that
  they　clothed　their　leaching　in　the　style；　and　confirmed　it　with　the　reasons；
  which　would　most　deeply　move　the　mind　of　the　masses　to　devotion　towards　God；
  I　became　thoroughly　convinced；　that　the　Bible　leaves　reason　absolutely　free；
  that　it　has　nothing　in　common　with　philosophy；　in　fact；　that　Revelation　and
  Philosophy　stand　on　different　footings。　In　order　to　set　this　forth
  categorically　and　exhaust　the　whole　question；　I　point　out　the　way　in　which
  the　Bible　should　be　interpreted；　and　show　that　all　of　spiritual　questions
  should　be　sought　from　it　alone；　and　not　from　the　objects　of　ordinary
  knowledge。　（43）　Thence　I　pass　on　to　indicate　the　false　notions；　which　have
  from　the　fact　that　the　multitude　…　ever　prone　to　superstition；　and　caring
  more　for　the　shreds　of　antiquity　for　eternal　truths　…　pays　homage　to　the
  Books　of　the　Bible；　rather　than　to　the　Word　of　God。　（44）　I　show　that　the
  Word　of　God　has　not　been　revealed　as　a　certain　number　of　books；　was
  displayed　to　the　prophets　as　a　simple　idea　of　the　mind；　namely；　obedience　to
  God　in　singleness　of　heart；　and　in　the　practice　of　justice　and　charity；　and
  I　further　point　out；　that　this　doctrine　is　set　forth　in　Scripture　in
  accordance　with　the　opinions　and　understandings　of　those；　among　whom　the
  Apostles　and　Prophets　preached；　to　the　end　that　men　might　receive　it
  willingly；　and　with　their　whole　heart。
  （45）　Having　thus　laid　bare　the　bases　of　belief；　I　draw　the　conclusion　that
  Revelation　has　obedience　for　its　sole　object；　therefore；　in　purpose　no　less
  than　in　foundation　and　method；　stands　entirely　aloof　from　ordinary
  knowledge；　each　has　its　separate　province；　neither　can　be　called　the
  handmaid　of　the　other。
  （46）　Furthermore；　as　men's　habits　of　mind　differ；　so　that　some　more　readily
  embrace　one　form　of　faith；　some　another；　for　what　moves　one　to　pray　may　move
  another　only　to　scoff；　I　conclude；　in　accordance　with　what　has　gone　before；
  that　everyone　should　be　free　to　choose　for　himself　the　foundations　of　his
  creed；　and　that　faith　should　be　judged　only　by　its　fruits；　each　would　then
  obey　God　freely　with　his　whole　heart；　while　nothing　would　be　publicly
  honoured　save　justice　and　charity。
  （47）　Having　thus　drawn　attention　to　the　liberty　conceded　to　everyone　by　the
  revealed　law　of　God；　I　pass　on　to　another　part　of　my　subject；　and　prove　that
  this　same　liberty　can　and　should　be　accorded　with　safety　to　the　state　and
  the　magisterial　authority　…　in　fact；　that　it　cannot　be　withheld　without
  great　danger　to　peace　and　detriment　to　the　community。
  （48）　In　order　to　establish　my　point；　I　start　from　the　natural　rights　of　the
  individual；　which　are　co…extensive　with　his　desires　and　power；　and　from　the
  fact　that　no　one　is　bound　to　live　as　another　pleases；　but　is　the　guardian　of
  his　own　liberty。　（49）　I　show　that　these　rights　can　only　be　transferred　to
  those　whom　we　depute　to　defend　us；　who　acquire　with　the　duties　of　defence
  the　power　of　ordering　our　lives；　and　I　thence　infer　that　rulers　possess
  rights　only　limited　by　their　power；　that　they　are　the　sole　guardians　of
  justice　and　liberty；　and　that　their　subjects　should　act　in　all　things　as
  they　dictate：　nevertheless；　since　no　one　can　so　utterly　abdicate　his　own
  power　of　self…defence　as　to　cease　to　be　a　man；　I　conclude　that　no　one　can　be
  deprived　of　his　natural　rights　absolutely；　but　that　subjects；　either　by
  tacit　agreement；　or　by　social　contract；　retain　a　certain　number；　which
  cannot　be　taken　from　them　without　great　danger　to　the　state。
  （50）　From　these　considerations　I　pass　on　to　the　Hebrew　State；　which　I
  describe　at　some　length；　in　order　to　trace　the　manner　in　which　Religion
  acquired　the　force　of　law；　and　to　touch　on　other　noteworthy　points。　（51）　I
  then　prove；　that　the　holders　of　sovereign　power　are　the　depositories　and
  interpreters　of　religious　no　less　than　of　civil　ordinances；　and　that　they
  alone　have　the　right　to　decide　what　is　just　or　unjust；　pious　or　impious；
  lastly；　I　conclude　by　showing；　that　they　best　retain　this　right　and　secure
  safety　to　their　state　by　allowing　every　man　to　think　what　he　likes；　and　say
  what　he　thinks。
  （52）　Such；　Philosophical　Reader；　are　the　questions　I　submit　to　your　notice；
  counting　on　your　approval；　for　the　subject　matter　of　the　whole　book　and　of
  the　several　chapters　is　important　and　profitable。　（53）　I　would　say　more；　but
  I　do　not　want　my　preface　to　extend　to　a　volume；　especially　as　I　know　that
  its　leading　propositions　are　to　Philosophers　but　common　places。　（54）　To　the
  rest　of　mankind　I　care　not　to　commend　my　treatise；　for　I　cannot　expect　that
  it　contains　anything　to　please　them：　I　know　how　deeply　rooted　are　the
  prejudices　embraced　under　the　name　of　religion；　I　am　aware　that　in　the　mind
  of　the　masses　superstition　is　no　less　deeply　rooted　than　fear；　I　recognize
  that　their　constancy　is　mere　obstinacy；　and　that　they　are　led　to　praise　or
  blame　by　impulse　rather　than　reason。　（55）　Therefore　the　multitude；　and　those
  of　like　passions　with　the　multitude；　I　ask　not　to　read　my　book；　nay；　I　would
  rather　that　they　should　utterly　neglect　it；　than　that　they　should
  misinterpret　it　after　their　wont。　（56）　They　would　gain　no　good　themselves；
  and　might　prove　a　stumbling…block　to　others；　whose　philosophy　is　hampered　by
  the　belief　that　Reason　is　a　mere　handmaid　to　Theology；　and　whom　I　seek　in
  this　work　especially　to　benefit。　（57）　But　as　there　will　be　many　who　have
  neither　the　leisure；　nor；　perhaps；　the　inclination　to　read　through　all　I
  have　written；　I　feel　bound　here；　as　at　the　end　of　my　treatise；　to　declare
  that　I　have　written　nothing；　which　I　do　not　most　willingly　submit　to　the
  examination　and　judgment　of　my　country's　rulers；　and　that　I　am　ready　to
  retract　anything；　which　they　shall　decide　to　be　repugnant　to　the　laws　or
  prejudicial　to　the　public　good。　（58）　I　know　that　I　am　a　man　and；　as　a
  man；　liable　to　error；　but　against　error　I　have　taken　scrupulous　care；　and
  striven　to　keep　in　entire　accordance　with　the　laws　of　my　country；　with
  loyalty；　and　with　morality。
  CHAPTER　I。　…　Of　Prophecy
  （1）　Prophecy；　or　revelation　is　sure　knowledge　revealed　by　God　to　man。　（2）　A
  prophet　is　one　who　interprets　the　revelations　of　God　｛insights｝　to　those　who
  are　unable　to　attain　to　sure　knowledge　of　the　matters　revealed；　and
  therefore　can　only　apprehend　them　by　simple　faith。
  （3）　The　Hebrew　word　for　prophet　is　〃naw…vee'〃；　Strong：5030；　＇Endnote　1＇
  i。e。　speaker　or　interpreter；　but　in　Scripture　its　meaning　is　restricted　to
  interpreter　of　God；　as　we　may　learn　from　Exodus　vii：1；　where　God　says　to
  Moses；　〃See；　I　have　made　thee　a　god　to　Pharaoh；　and　Aaron　thy　brother　shall
  be　thy　prophet；〃　implying　that；　since　in　interpreting　Moses'　words　to
  Pharaoh；　Aaron　acted　the　part　of　a　prophet；　Moses　would　be　to　Pharaoh　as　a
  god；　or　in　the　attitude　of　a　god。
  （4）　Prophets　I　will　treat　of　in　the　next　chapter；　and　at　present　consider
  prophecy。
  （5）　Now　it　is　evident；　from　the　definition　above　given；　that　prophecy　really
  includes　ordinary　knowledge；　for　the　knowledge　which　we　acquire　by　our
  natural　faculties　depends　on　knowledge　of　God　and　His　eternal　laws；　but
  ordinary　knowledge　is　common　to　all　men　as　men；　and　rests　on　foundations
  which　all　share；　whereas　the　multitude　always　strains　after　rarities
  and　exceptions；　and　thinks　little　of　the　gifts　of　nature；　so　that；　when
  prophecy　is　talked　of；　ordinary　knowledge　is　not　supposed　to　be　included。
  （6）　Nevertheless　it　has　as　much　right　as　any　other　to　be　called　Divine；　for
  God's　nature；　in　so　far　as　we　share　therein；　and　God's　laws；　dictate　it　to
  us；　nor　does　it　suffer　from　that　to　which　we　give　the　preeminence；　except　in
  so　far　as　the　latter　transcends　its　limits　and　cannot　be　accounted　for　by
  natural　laws　taken　in　themselves。　（7）　In　respect　to　the　certainty　it
  involves；　and　the　source　from　which　it　is　derived；　i。e。　God；　ordinary；
  knowledge　is　no　whit　inferior　to　prophetic；　unless　indeed　we　believe；　or
  rather　dream；　that　the　prophets　had　human　bodies　but　superhuman　minds；　and
  therefore　that　their　sensations　and　consciousness　were　entirely　different
  from　our　own。
  （8）　But；　although　ordinary　knowledge　is　Divine；　its　professors　cannot　be
  called　prophets　＇Endnote　2＇；　for　they　teach　what　the　rest　of　mankind　could
  perceive　and　apprehend；　not　merely　by　simple　faith；　but　as　surely　and
  honourably　as　themselves。
  （9）　Seeing　then　that　our　mind　subjectively　contains　in　itself　and　partakes
  of　the　nature　of　God；　and　solely　from　this　cause　is　enabled　to　form　notions
  explaining　natural　phenomena　and　inculcating　morality；　it　follows　that　we
  may　righ