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• Introduction.
• Preface.
• A Theologico-political Treatise.
• Chapter I.: Of Prophecy.
• Chapter II.: Of Prophets.
• Chapter III.: Of the Vocation of the Hebrews, and Whether the Gift of Prophecy Was Peculiar to Them.
• Chapter IV.: Of the Divine Law.
• Chapter V.: Of the Ceremonial Law.
• Chapter VI.: Of Miracles.
• Chapter VII.: Of the Interpretation of Scripture.
• Chapter VIII.: Of the Authorship of the Pentateuch and the Other Historical Books of the Old Testament.
• Chapter IX.: Other Questions Concerning the Same Books: Namely, Whether They Were Completely Finished By Ezra, And, Further, Whether the Marginal Notes Which Are Found In the Hebrew Texts Were Various Readings.
• Chapter X.: An Examination of the Remaining Books of the Old Testament According to the Preceding Method.
• Chapter XI.: An Inquiry Whether the Apostles Wrote Their Epistles As Apostles and Prophets, Or Merely As Teachers; and an Explanation of What Is Meant By an Apostle.
• Chapter XII.: Of the True Original of the Divine Law, and Wherefore Scripture Is Called Sacred, and the Word of God. How That, In So Far As It Contains the Word of God, It Has Come Down to Us Uncorrupted.
• Chapter XIII.: It Is Shown That Scripture Teaches Only Very Simple Doctrines, Such As Suffice For Right Conduct.
• Chapter XIV.: Definitions of Faith, the Faith, and the Foundations of Faith, Which Is Once For All Separated From Philosophy.
• Chapter XV.: Theology Is Shown Not to Be Subservient to Reason, Nor Reason to Theology: a Definition of the Reason Which Enables Us to Accept the Authority of the Bible.
• Chapter XVI.: Of the Foundations of a State; of the Natural and Civil Rights of Individuals; and of the Rights of the Sovereign Power.
• Chapter XVII.: It Is Shown That No One Can, Or Need, Transfer All His Rights to the Sovereign Power. of the Hebrew Republic, As It Was During the Lifetime of Moses, and After His Death, Till the Foundation of the Monarchy; and of Its Excellence. Lastly, O
• Chapter XVIII.: From the Commonwealth of the Hebrews, and Their History, Certain Political Doctrines Are Deduced.
• Chapter XIX.: It Is Shown That the Right Over Matters Spiritual Lies Wholly With the Sovereign, and That the Outward Forms of Religion Should Be In Accordance With Public Peace, If We Would Obey God Aright.
• Chapter XX.: That In a Free State Every Man May Think What He Likes, and Say What He Thinks.
• From the Editor’s Preface to the Posthumous Works of Benedict De Spinoza.
• A Political Treatise.
• Chapter I.: Introduction.
• Chapter II.: Of Natural Right.
• Chapter III.: Of the Right of Supreme Authorities.
• Chapter IV.: Of the Functions of Supreme Authorities.
• Chapter V.: Of the Best State of a Dominion.
• Chapter VI.: Of Monarchy.
• Chapter VII.: Of Monarchy (continuation).
• Chapter VIII.: Of Aristocracy.
• Chapter IX.: Of Aristocracy. Continuation.
• Chapter X.: Of Aristocracy. Conclusion.
• Chapter XI.: Of Democracy.

FROM THE EDITOR’S PREFACE TO THE POSTHUMOUS WORKS OF BENEDICT DE SPINOZA.

OUR author composed the Political Treatise shortly before his death. Its reasonings are exact, its style clear. Abandoning the opinions of many political writers, he most firmly propounds therein his own judgment; and throughout draws his conclusions from his premisses. In the first five chapters, he treats of political science in general—in the sixth and seventh, of monarchy; in the eighth, ninth, and tenth, of aristocracy; lastly, the eleventh begins the subject of democratic government. But his untimely death was the reason that he did not finish this treatise, and that he did not deal with the subject of laws, nor with the various questions about politics, as may be seen from the following “Letter of the Author to a Friend, which may properly be prefixed to this Political Treatise, and serve it for a Preface:”—

“Dear Friend,—Your welcome letter was delivered to me yesterday. I heartily thank you for the kind interest you take in me. I would not miss this opportunity, were I not engaged in something, which I think more useful, and which, I believe, will please you more—that is, in preparing a Political Treatise, which I began some time since, upon your advice. Of this treatise, six chapters are already finished. The first contains a kind of introduction to the actual work; the second treats of natural right; the third, of the right of supreme authorities. In the fourth, I inquire, what political matters are subject to the direction of supreme authorities; in the fifth, what is the ultimate and highest end which a society can contemplate; and, in the sixth, how a monarchy should be ordered, so as not to lapse into a tyranny. I am at present writing the seventh chapter, wherein I make a regular demonstration of all the heads of my preceding sixth chapter, concerning the ordering of a well-regulated monarchy. I shall afterwards pass to the subjects of aristocratic and popular dominion, and, lastly, to that of laws and other particular questions about politics. And so, farewell.”

The author’s aim appears clearly from this letter; but being hindered by illness, and snatched away by death, he was unable, as the reader will find for himself, to continue this work further than to the end of the subject of aristocracy.