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.

(1) Those who know not that philosophy and reason are distinct, dispute
whether Scripture should be made subservient to reason, or reason to
Scripture: that is, whether the meaning of Scripture should be made to
agreed with reason; or whether reason should be made to agree with
Scripture: the latter position is assumed by the sceptics who deny the
certitude of reason, the former by the dogmatists. (2) Both parties are, as
I have shown, utterly in the wrong, for either doctrine would require us to
tamper with reason or with Scripture.

(3) We have shown that Scripture does not teach philosophy, but merely
obedience, and that all it contains has been adapted to the understanding
and established opinions of the multitude. (4) Those, therefore, who wish to
adapt it to philosophy, must needs ascribe to the prophets many ideas which
they never even dreamed of, and give an extremely forced interpretation to
their words: those on the other hand, who would make reason and philosophy
subservient to theology, will be forced to accept as Divine utterances the
prejudices of the ancient Jews, and to fill and confuse their mind
therewith. (5) In short, one party will run wild with the aid of reason,
and the other will run wild without the aid of reason.

(6) The first among the Pharisees who openly maintained that Scripture
should be made to agree with reason, was Maimonides, whose opinion we