信仰者信仰的是真理，信仰者的另一个称呼是寻求真理者，但并不是掌握了全部真理的人。寻求和找到不是一回事。 每个人的寻求路径都是独特的。

文艺复兴， 宗教改革，都是人们在追求信仰过程中认识偏差而产生负面后果的时候，一些先知先觉者的重新思考。它们起过不可磨灭的历史作用， 对澄清当时人们头脑中一些信仰内容的偏差颇有助益。

比如：天主教会的主教能否代替上帝，赦免人的罪，能否以收受别人的金钱来出售赎罪券。信徒的忏悔是否只能在教士面前才算数， 还是每个人以自己的良心独自在上帝面前忏悔， 上帝就可赦免其过犯。宗教改革的内容就包括了改革教会的这些问题。

文艺复兴， 启蒙运动， 都推动了对人性的认识。 这些运动产生的思想对人类认识状况的改善有积极意义，但他们本身并不能取代信仰本身，真理本身的作用。

另外，文艺复兴，启蒙运动的文人并非和宗教信仰水火不容， 他们有的可能批评当时教会系统的某些说法做法，特别是宗教组织对人的不宽容。 但同时他们仍保有自己对上帝独特的认知和信仰。

启蒙运动的主要人物之一孟德斯鸠就是典型的例子。

现代西方社会的理念和组织架构建立在基督信仰的框架里：人人生来平等，都有生命，自由， 追求幸福的与生俱来的权利， 这些理念在圣经很多地方都可以找到。 西方普遍实行的三权分立思想是孟德斯鸠在他的著作“法的精神”中提出的，他本人是启蒙运动中的人文主义者，当过法国波尔多地区高等法院的庭长。他的这本巨作被认为是启蒙运动人文主义者中对后世最有影响的著作，他同时也是一位忠实的上帝信仰者。

在 “论法的精神”一书的序言中， 他这样说：“这部著作， 我多次提笔，又多次搁笔。我曾无数次扔掉草稿，让他随风飘逝。 我每天都觉得慈父之手垂落下去 ，尽管我主观上并无意图， 实际上却在追求我的目标。我既不懂得规则， 也不知道什么是例外，我找到了真理， 却又丢失了。然而， 当我一旦发现了我的原则， 我所追寻的一切便一股脑儿向我涌来。在二十年间， 我眼看着我的这部著作萌生， 生长， 成熟和完成。”

这慈父之手若不是指上帝那看不见的手，还可能有谁呢。

这本书的第一章第一节 谈到法的本质。我手头恰有此书中文， 顺便摘抄一点儿。网上也有英文版的，也顺便同时抄上来，便于对照：

“从最广泛的意义上说， 法是源于事务本性的必然关系。就此而言， 一切存在物都各有其法。 上帝有其法，物质世界有其法， 超人智灵有其法，兽类有其法，人类有其法。

1. Of the Relation of Laws to different Beings. Laws, in their most general signification, are the necessary relations arising from the nature of things. In this sense all beings have their laws: the Deity¹ His laws, the material world its laws, the intelligences superior to man their laws, the beasts their laws, man his laws.

有人说，我们在世界上所见到的一切， 都是盲目的命运所造成的。 这种说法荒谬绝伦， 试想，还有比声称有智慧的存在物也产生于盲目的命运更加荒谬的言论吗。

They who assert that a blind fatality produced the various effects we behold in this world talk very absurdly; for can anything be more unreasonable than to pretend that a blind fatality could be productive of intelligent beings?

由此可见， 存在着一个最初的原因，法就是这最初的原因和各种存在物之间的关系，也是各种存在物之间的相互关系。

There is, then, a prime reason; and laws are the relations subsisting between it and different beings, and the relations of these to one another.

作为宇宙的创造者和保护者， 上帝与宇宙有关系，他创造宇宙时所依据的法便是他保护宇宙时所依据的法。他依照这些规则行事，因为他了解这些规则。他了解这些规则，是因为他曾制定这些规则。他之所以制定这些规则，是因为这些规则与他的智慧和能力有关。

God is related to the universe, as Creator and Preserver; the laws by which He created all things are those by which He preserves them. He acts according to these rules, because He knows them; He knows them, because He made them; and He made them, because they are in relation to His wisdom and power.

既然我们观察到这个由物质的运动组成的世界，没有智慧的物质世界，跨越世代始终存在着，其运动必是由某些不变的法则所主导。如果我们能想象出另外一个世界， 这个世界也必是由起固有的法则主宰， 否则就必定会毁灭。

Since we observe that the world, though formed by the motion of matter, and void of understanding, subsists through so long a succession of ages, its motions must certainly be directed by invariable laws; and could we imagine another world, it must also have constant rules, or it would inevitably perish.

因此， 创世看似一种随心所欲的行为，其实它意味着一些不变的法则，就像无神论者宣称的永恒的宿命一样。没有法则， 世界就不复存在， 所以， 说造物主可以不凭借法则来治理世界，那是谬论。

Thus the creation, which seems an arbitrary act, supposes laws as invariable as those of the fatality of the Atheists. It would be absurd to say that the Creator might govern the world without those rules, since without them it could not subsist.

这些法则是一些恒定不变的关系。 在两个各自运动的物体之间，所有运动的获得， 增加， 减少或丧失， 都是因为质量和速度的数值关系。 每一个变量都是在统一里面，每一个变化都反映者一种恒定。

These rules are a fixed and invariable relation. In bodies moved, the motion is received, increased, diminished, or lost, according to the relations of the quantity of matter and velocity; each diversity is uniformity, each change is constancy.

特殊的智能存在物能拥有他们自己创制的规则，但他们同时也拥有一些不可能由他们自己创制的规则。在他们成为有智慧的存在物之先，他们已经有了存在的可能性，并且有了互相之间可能的关系，因此就有了某些法则。在他们制定法则之先，就已经有了些裁定正义何在的关系。 若断言说只有在有了规定或禁止某些行为的人为法以后才有公正和非公正的区别， 就等于说在画出圆圈之前， 所有半径都是长短不一的。

Particular intelligent beings may have laws of their own making, but they have some likewise which they never made. Before there were intelligent beings, they were possible; they had therefore possible relations, and consequently possible laws. Before laws were made, there were relations of possible justice. To say that there is nothing just or unjust but what is commanded or forbidden by positive laws, is the same as saying that before the describing of a circle all the radii were not equal.

所以我们必须承认，在人为法确立公正关系以前， 就存在着公正关系。比如， 倘若已经有了人类社会，那么遵守人类社会的法律就是正确的。倘若一种智慧存在物获得了另一种智慧存在物的泽慧，那么前者理应感谢后者。倘若一种智慧存在物创造了另一种智慧存在物，被创造着就应保持与生俱来的从属关系。倘若一种一种智慧存在物加害于另一种智慧存在物，前者就应该受到同样的损害， 如此等等。

We must therefore acknowledge relations of justice antecedent to the positive law by which they are established: as, for instance, if human societies existed, it would be right to conform to their laws; if there were intelligent beings that had received a benefit of another being, they ought to show their gratitude; if one intelligent being had created another intelligent being, the latter ought to continue in its original state of dependence; if one intelligent being injures another, it deserves a retaliation; and so on.

但是智慧世界的治理状态远远比不上物质世界。因为， 智慧世界虽然也有因其本性而不能改变的法则，但是智慧世界却不像物质世界那样恒久地遵守这些法则。这是因为，特殊的智慧存在物受本性所限，难免会犯错误。其次， 他们往往出于本性而自行其是，所以他们并不始终准守元初的法则，即使是他们自己创制的规则， 他们也常常违反。

But the intelligent world is far from being so well governed as the physical. For though the former has also its laws, which of their own nature are invariable, it does not conform to them so exactly as the physical world. This is because, on the one hand, particular intelligent beings are of a finite nature, and consequently liable to error; and on the other, their nature requires them to be free agents. Hence they do not steadily conform to their primitive laws; and even those of their own instituting they frequently infringe.

我们不了解， 兽类是受制于普遍的运动法则抑或受制于特殊的动因，无论如何， 它们与上帝的关系不比物质世界中的其他存在与上帝更亲密。只有在它们的相互关系中，只有在它们与其他存在物的关系当中，或是在对待它们自己时，情感对它们来说才是有用的。

Whether brutes be governed by the general laws of motion, or by a particular movement, we cannot determine. Be that as it may, they have not a more intimate relation to God than the rest of the material world; and sensation is of no other use to them than in the relation they have either to other particular beings or to themselves.

借助肉欲的引诱，它们保存了自己特殊的存在，肉欲的引诱同样使它们可以保存自己的物种。它们有自然法则，因为它们由同样的情感联结在一起。但是他们并非凭借认知而连接在一起，所以他们没有人为法。 不过， 兽类并不一成不变的遵守自然法则， 到是既没有知识也没有情感的植物， 更好地遵守了自然法则。

By the allurement of pleasure they preserve the individual, and by the same allurement they preserve their species. They have natural laws, because they are united by sensation; positive laws they have none, because they are not connected by knowledge. And yet they do not invariably conform to their natural laws; these are better observed by vegetables, that have neither understanding nor sense.

兽类虽然完全不具备我们那种无与伦比的优越性，但他们也有我们所不具备的优越性。 它们虽然没有我们的期望， 却也没有我们的恐惧。它们像我们一样会死去，但它们在死的时候并不知晓死亡为何物。它们中的大多数比我们更善于保护自己，不那么放纵情欲。

Brutes are deprived of the high advantages which we have; but they have some which we have not. They have not our hopes, but they are without our fears; they are subject like us to death, but without knowing it; even most of them are more attentive than we to self-preservation, and do not make so bad a use of their passions.

人， 作为物质存在， 像其他物质存在一样受制于不变的法则。 作为智慧存在物，人又在不断破坏上帝创造的法则， 修改自己创制的规则。人本应自我治理，虽然人有局限性。 但他像一切有限的智慧存在物一样，会陷于无知，也会犯错，丢失本来就不多的知识。而作为一种有情感的创造物，他被千万种迫切的激情误导，这样的被造物随时都可能忘掉他的创造主，上帝因此借助宗教的法规提醒他记得他的责任。这样一种存在随时都可能忘记他自己是谁，因而有哲学借助道德的规范提醒他。他被造而活在社会当中，却可能会忘记同样被造的同伴，立法者因此借助政治法和民事法把他置于他自己当负的责任当中。

Man, as a physical being, is like other bodies governed by invariable laws. As an intelligent being, he incessantly transgresses the laws established by God, and changes those of his own instituting. He is left to his private direction, though a limited being, and subject, like all finite intelligences, to ignorance and error: even his imperfect knowledge he loses; and as a sensible creature, he is hurried away by a thousand impetuous passions. Such a being might every instant forget his Creator; God has therefore reminded him of his duty by the laws of religion. Such a being is liable every moment to forget himself; philosophy has provided against this by the laws of morality. Formed to live in society, he might forget his fellow-creatures; legislators have therefore by political and civil laws confined him to his duty. ”

孟德斯鸠是启蒙运动的人文主义者， 同事也是信仰上帝的人，上面 这一节可以说是他的世界观的总结。他相信上帝存在， 上帝是一切的创造者， 人从属于上帝的智慧而存在。法的规则，最根本的是上帝创制的， 其他才是人类自己创设的。 因为这个， 他像古罗马的执政官法学家西塞罗一样，也属于“自然法”学派。

这本书“法的精神”非常值得一读，对于了解人性， 了解人的社会的特性， 人类的治理，法治的原则极有帮助。全书写得大多通俗易懂，像如今的微博一样， 每个小标题内容不长，有论证，也有不少历史事例的分析。

中文版是商务印书馆 2009 年出版， 英文版网上有免费的：

The Spirit of Laws

http://www.constitution.org/cm/sol-02.htm