is
philosophy of revealed religion is contained in his _Tractatus
Theologico-Politicus_.(343) This work was called forth by the disputes of
the age, and had the political object of defending liberty of thought as
necessary to the safety both of the state and of religion. The question of
predestination had rent the Dutch church shortly before this time; and
when the victory remained with the Calvinistic party, the opinions of the
liberal Remonstrants were treated as crimes. Spinoza proposed in this work
a plan, perhaps suggested by the perusal of Hobbes, for curing these
dissensions. The book is a critical essay, in which he surveys the Jewish
and Christian religions, and ends in the conclusion that certainty on the
subject of a revelation is impossible; accordingly that the remedy for
theological acrimony must be sought in a return to what he regards to be
the simple doctrine which Christ taught, the love of God and one's
neighbour; that philosophy and theology ought to be severed; the one
aiming at truth and resting on universal ideas, the other at obedience and
piety and resting on historic authority and special revelation. Hence,
while uniformity of religious worship and practice was to be prescribed,
he claimed that unlimited liberty of speculation ought to be
tolerated.(344)

It is in the survey of Judaism and Christianity in the earlier part of
this work that he exhibits the views in which he has anticipated many of
the speculations of rationalism. He examines first into the grounds which
Revelation puts forward for its claim to authority, viz. prophecy, the
Jewish polity, and miracles;(345) next the principles of interpretation,
and the canon of the two Testaments;(346) lastly, the nature of the divine
teaching(347) endeavouring to show that the fundamental articles of faith
are given in natural religion. In this way he exhibits his views on those
branches which are now denominated the evidences, exegesis, and doctrines.
In the discussion of prophecy he analyses the nature of prophetic
foresight into vividness of imagination; and exhibits the human feeling
and sentiment intertwined with it.(348) He regards the Hebrew idea of
election as merely the theocratic mode of representing their own good
success in that region of circumstances which was not in human power.(349)
His explanation of miracles has been already stated: the course of nature
seems to him to be fixed and immutable; and he argues that interference
wi