eat danger to philosophy, be defended as Divine doctrines, I
should go far beyond the brevity at which I aim. Let it suffice then, to
have indicated a few instances of general application, and let the
curious reader consider others by himself. Although the points we have
just raised concerning prophets and prophecy are the only ones which
have any direct bearing on the end in view, namely, the separation of
Philosophy from Theology, still, as I have touched on the general
question, I may here inquire whether the gift of prophecy was peculiar
to the Hebrews, or whether it was common to all nations. I must then
come to a conclusion about the vocation of the Hebrews, all of which I
shall do in the ensuing chapter.

FOOTNOTES:

[4] From the _Tr. Th.-P._ ch. i _Of Prophecy_; and ch. ii of _Of
Prophets_.

[5] ... I will tell you that I do not think it necessary for salvation
to know Christ according to the flesh; but with regard to the Eternal
Son of God, that is the Eternal Wisdom of God, which has manifested
itself in all things and especially in the human mind, and above all in
Christ Jesus, the case is far otherwise. For without this no one can
come to a state of blessedness, inasmuch as it alone teaches what is
true or false, good or evil. And, inasmuch as this wisdom was made
especially manifest through Jesus Christ, as I have said, His disciples
preached it, in so far as it was revealed to them through Him, and thus
showed that they could rejoice in that spirit of Christ more than the
rest of mankind. The doctrines added by certain churches, such as that
God took upon Himself human nature, I have expressly said that I do not
understand. In fact, to speak the truth, they seem to me no less absurd
than would a statement that a circle had taken upon itself the nature of
a square. This I think will be sufficient explanation of my opinion....
Whether it will be satisfactory to Christians you will know better than
I. Farewell. _From a letter to Henry Oldenburg_ (Nov. 1675).

... For the rest, I accept Christ's passion, death, and burial
literally, as you do, but His resurrection I understand allegorically. I
admit, that it is related by the Evangelists in such detail that we
cannot deny that they themselves believed Christ's body to have risen
from the dead and ascended to heaven in order to sit at the right hand
of God, or that they believed that Christ might have been seen by
unbelievers, if they had happened to be at