ABSTRACT
The hesitation would arise from uncertainty about the status of the Tractatus theologico-politicus (TTP) among Baruch Spinoza's writings as a whole. Few Spinoza scholars would be prepared to identify anything in the TTP as an official doctrine of the mature Spinoza before they had tested it against his other writings, particularly the Ethics. Spinoza does not speak of forgiveness in the Ethics and when he does speak of mercy often indicates disdain for it by attaching to it the epithet "womanish". Each of the TTP doctrines of providence, obedience and love looks as if it might prove to be logically incompatible with the teachings of the Ethics. The Ethics will have been shown to supply no reason for doubting Spinoza's sincerity in defending the doctrines which figure powerfully in the TTP. The Ethics and the TTP give different accounts of salvation.
