the commonwealth of oceana-第12章

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onwealth。　And　if　the　royalists　be　〃flesh　of　your　flesh；〃　and　nearer　of　blood　than　were　the　Albans　to　the　Romans；　you　being　also　both　Christians；　the　argument　is　the　stronger。　Nevertheless　there　is　no　reason　that　a　commonwealth　should　any　more　favor　a　party　remaining　in　fixed　opposition　against　it；　than　Brutus　did　his　own　sons。　But　if　it　fixes　them　upon　that　opposition；　it　is　its　own　fault；　not　theirs；　and　this　is　done　by　excluding　them。　Men　that　have　equal　possessions　and　the　same　security　for　their　estates　and　their　liberties　that　you　have；　have　the　same　cause　with　you　to　defend　both；　but　if　you　will　liberty；　though　for　monarchy；　and　be　trampling；　they　fight　for　you　for　tyranny；　though　under　the　name　of　a　commonwealth：　the　nature　of　orders　in　a　government　rightly　instituted　being　void　of　all　jealousy；　because；　let　the　parties　which　it　embraces　be　what　they　will；　its　orders　are　such　as　they　neither　would　resist　if　they　could；　nor　could　if　they　would；　as　has　been　partly　already　shown；　and　will　appear　more　at　large　by　the　following　model。　　　　　The　parties　that　are　spiritual　are　of　more　kinds　than　I　need　mention；　some　for　a　national　religion；　and　others　for　liberty　of　conscience；　with　such　animosity　on　both　sides；　as　if　these　two　could　not　consist　together；　and　of　which　I　have　already　sufficiently　spoken；　to　show　that　indeed　the　one　cannot　well　subsist　without　the　other　But　they　of　all　the　rest　are　the　most　dangerous；　who；　holding　that　the　saints　must　govern；　go　about　to　reduce　the　commonwealth　to　a　party；　as　well　for　the　reasons　already　shown；　as　that　their　pretences　are　against　Scripture；　where　the　saints　are　commanded　to　submit　to　the　higher　powers；　and　to　be　subject　to　the　ordinance　of　man。　And　that　men；　pretending　under　the　notion　of　saints　or　religion　to　civil　power；　have　hitherto　never　failed　to　dishonor　that　profession；　the　world　is　full　of　examples；　whereof　I　shall　confine　myself　at　present　only　to　a　couple；　the　one　of　old；　the　other　of　new　Rome。　　　　　In　old　Rome；　the　patricians　or　nobility　pretending　to　be　the　godly　party；　were　questioned　by　the　people　for　engrossing　all　the　magistracies　of　that　commonwealth；　and　had　nothing　to　say　why　they　did　so；　but　that　magistracy　required　a　kind　of　holiness　which　was　not　in　the　people；　at　which　the　people　were　filled　with　such　indignation　as　had　come　to　cutting　of　throats；　if　the　nobility　had　not　immediately　laid　by　the　insolency　of　that　plea；　which　nevertheless　when　they　had　done；　the　people　for　a　long　time　after　continued　to　elect　no　other　but　patrician　magistrates。　　　　　The　example　of　new　Rome　in　the　rise　and　practice　of　the　hierarchy　（too　well　known　to　require　any　further　illustration）　is　far　more　immodest。　　　　　This　has　been　the　course　of　nature；　and　when　it　has　pleased　or　shall　please　God　to　introduce　anything　that　is　above　the　course　of　nature；　he　will；　as　he　has　always　done；　confirm　it　by　miracle；　for　so　in　his　prophecy　of　the　reign　of　Christ　upon　earth　he　expressly　promises；　seeing　that　〃the　souls　of　them　that　were　beheaded　for　Jesus；　shall　be　seen　to　live　and　reign　with　him；〃　which　will　be　an　object　of　sense；　the　rather；　because　the　rest　of　the　dead　are　not　to　live　again　till　the　thousand　years　be　finished。　And　it　is　not　lawful　for　men　to　persuade　us　that　a　thing　already　is；　though　there　be　no　such　object　of　our　sense；　which　God　has　told　us　shall　not　be　till　it　be　an　object　of　our　sense。　　　　　The　saintship　of　a　people　as　to　government；　consists　in　the　election　of　magistrates　fearing　God；　and　hating　covetousness；　and　not　in　their　confining　themselves；　or　being　confined；　to　men　of　this　or　that　party　or　profession。　It　consists　in　making　the　most　prudent　and　religious　choice　they　can；　yet　not　in　trusting　to　men；　but；　next　God；　to　their　own　orders。　〃Give　us　good　men；　and　they　will　make　us　good　laws；〃　is　the　maxim　of　a　demagogue；　and　is　（through　the　alteration　which　is　commonly　perceivable　in　men；　when　they　have　power　to　work　their　own　wills）　exceeding　fallible。　But　〃give　us　good　orders；　and　they　will　make　us　good　men；〃　is　the　maxim　of　a　legislator；　and　the　most　infallible　in　the　politics。　　　　　But　these　divisions　（however　there　be　some　good　men　that　look　sadly　on　them）　are　trivial　things；　first　as　to　the　civil　concern；　because　the　government；　whereof　this　nation　is　capable；　being　once　seen；　takes　in　all　interests。　And；　secondly；　as　to　the　spiritual；　because　as　the　pretence　of　religion　has　always　been　turbulent　in　broken　governments；　so　where　the　government　has　been　sound　and　steady；　religion　has　never　shown　itself　with　any　other　face　than　that　of　its　natural　sweetness　and　tranquillity；　nor　is　there　any　reason　why　it　should；　wherefore　the　errors　of　the　people　are　occasioned　by　their　governors。　If　they　be　doubtful　of　the　way；　or　wander　from　it；　it　is　because　their　guides　misled　them；　and　the　guides　of　the　people　are　never　so　well　qualified　for　leading　by　any　virtue　of　their　own；　as　by　that　of　the　government。　　　　　The　government　of　Oceana　（as　it　stood　at　the　time　whereof　we　discourse；　consisting　of　one　single　Council　of　the　people；　exclusively　of　the　King　and　the　Lords）　was　called　a　Parliament：　nevertheless　the　parliaments　of　the　Teutons　and　of　the　Neustrians　consisted；　as　has　been　shown；　of　the　King；　lords；　and　commons；　wherefore　this；　under　an　old　name；　was　a　new　thing　a　parliament　consisting　of　a　single　assembly　elected　by　the　people；　and　invested　with　the　whole　power　of　the　government；　without　any　covenants；　conditions；　or　orders　whatsoever。　So　new　a　thing；　that　neither　ancient　nor　modern　prudence　can　show　any　avowed　example　of　the　like。　And　there　is　scarce　anything　that　seems　to　me　so　strange　as　that　（whereas　there　was　nothing　more　familiar　with　these　councillors　than　to　bring　the　Scripture　to　the　house）　there　should　not　be　a　man　of　them　that　so　much　as　offered　to　bring　the　house　to　the　Scripture；　wherein；　as　has　been　shown；　is　contained　that　original；　whereof　all　the　rest　of　the　commonwealths　seem　to　be　copies。　Certainly　if　Leviathan　（who　is　surer　of　nothing　than　that　a　popular　commonwealth　consists　but　of　one　council）　transcribed　his　doctrine　out　of　this　assembly；　for　him　to　except　against　Aristotle　and　Cicero　for　writing　out　of　their　own　commonwealths　was　not　so　fair　play；　or　if　the　Parliament　transcribed　out　of　him；　it　had　been　an　honor　better　due　to　Moses。　But　where　one　of　them　should　have　an　example　but　from　the　other；　I　cannot　imagine；　there　being　nothing　of　this　kind　that　I　can　find　in　story；　but　the　oligarchy　of　Athens；　the　Thirty　Tyrants　of　the　same；　and　the　Roman　Decemvirs。　　　　　For　the　oligarchy；　Thucydides　tells　us；　that　it　was　a　Senate　or　council　of　400；　pretending　to　a　balancing　council　of　the　people　consisting　of　5；000；　but　not　producing　them；　wherein　you　have　the　definition　of　an　oligarchy；　which　is　a　single　council　both　debating　and　resolving；　dividing　and　choosing；　and　what　that　must　come　to　was　shown　by　the　example　of　the　girls；　and　is　apparent　by　the　experience　of　all　times；　wherefore　the　thirty　set　up　by　the　Lacedaemonians　（when　they　had　conquered　Athens）　are　called　tyrants　by　all　authors；　Leviathan　only　excepted；　who　will　have　them　against　all　the　world　to　have　been　an　aristocracy；　but　for　what　reason　I　cannot　imagine；　these　also；　as　void　of　any　balance；　having　been　void　of　that　which　is　essential　to　every　commonwealth；　whether　aristocratical　or　popular；　except　he　be　pleased　with　them；　because　that；　according　to　the　testimony　of　Xenophon；　they　killed　more　men　in　eight　months　than　the　Lacedaemonians　had　done　in　ten　years；　〃oppressing　the　people　（to　use　Sir　Walter　Raleigh's　words）　with　all　base　and　intolerable　slavery。〃　　　　　The　usurped　government　of　the　Decemvirs　in　Rome　was　of　the　same　kind。　Wherefore　in　the　fear　of　God　let　Christian　legislators　（setting　the　pattern　given　in　the　Mount　on　the　one　side；　and　these　execrable　examples　on　the　other）　know　the　right　hand　from　the　left；　and　so　much　the　rather；　because　those　things　which　do　not　conduce　to　the　good　of　the　governed　are　fallacious；　if　they　appear　to　be　good　for　the　governors。　God；　in　chastising　a　people；　is　accustomed　to　burn　his　rod。　The　empire　of　these　oligarchies　was　not　so　violent　as　short；　nor　did　they　fall　upon　the　people；　but　in　their　own　immediate　ruin。　A　council　without　a　balance　is　not　a　commonwealth；　but　an　oligarchy；　and　every　oligarchy；　except　it　be　put　to　the　defence　of　its　wickedness　or　power　against　some　outward　danger；　is　factious。　Wherefore　the　errors　of　the　people　being　from　their　governors　（which　maxim　in　the　politics　bearing　a　sufficient　testimony　to　itself；　is　also　proved　by　Machiavel）；　if　the　people　of　Oceana　have　been　factious；　the　cause　is　apparent；　but　what　remedy？　　　　　In　answer　to　this　question；　I　come　now　to　the　army；　of　which　the　most　victorious　captain　and　incomparable　patriot；　Olphaus　Megaletor；　was　now　general；　who　being　a　much　greater　master　of　that　art　whereof　I　have　made　a　rough　draught　in　these　preliminaries；　had　such　sad　reflections　upon　the　ways　and　proceedings　of　the　Parliament　as　cast　him　upon　books　and　all　other　means　of　diversion；　among　which　he　happened　on　this　place　of　Machiavel：　〃Thrice　happy　is　that　people　which　chances　to　have　a　man　able　to　give　them　such　a　government　at　once；　as　without　alteration　may　secure　them　of　their　liberties；　seeing　it　was　certain　that　Lacedaemon；　in　observing　the　laws　of　Lycurgus；　continued　about　800　years　without　any　dangerous　tumult　or　corruption。〃　My　lord　general　（as　it　is　said　of　Themistocles；　that　he　could　not　sleep　for　the　glory　obtained　by　Miltiades　at　the　battle　of　Marathon）　took　so　new　and　deep　an　impression　at　these　words　of　the　much　greater　glory　of　Lycurgus；　that；　being　on　this　side　assaulted　with　the　emulation　of　his　illustrious　object；　and　on　the　other　with　the　misery　of　the　nation；　which　seemed　（as　it　were　ruined　by　his　victory）　to　cast　itself　at　his　feet；　he　was　almost　wholly　deprived　of　his　natural　rest；　till　the　debate　he　had　within　himself　came　to　a　firm　resolution；　that　the　greatest　advantages　of　a　commonwealth　are；　first；　that　the　legislator　should　be　one　man；　and；　secondly；　that　the　government　should　be　made　all　together；　or　at　once。　For　the　first；　it　is　certain；　says　Machiavel；　that　a　commonwealth　is　seldom　or　never　well　turned　or　constituted；　except　it　has　been　the　work　of　one　man；　for　which　cause　a　wise　legislator；　and　one　whose　mind　is　firmly　set；　not　upon　private　but　the　public　interest；　not　upon　his　posterity　but　upon　his　country；　may　justly　endeavor　to　get　the　sovereign　power　into　his　own　hands；　nor　shall　any　man　that　is　master　of　reason　blame　such　extraordinary　means　as　in　that　case　will　be　necessary；　the　end　proving　no　other　than　the　constitution　of　a　well…ordered　commonwealth。　　　　　The　reason　of　this　is　demonstrable；　for　the　ordinary　means　not　failing；　the　commonwealth　has　no　need　of　a　legislator；　but　the　ordinary　means　failing；　there　is　no　recourse　to　be　had　but　to　such　as　are　extraordinary。　And；　whereas　a　book　or　a　building　has　not　been　known　to　attain　to　its　perfection　if　it　has　not　had　a　sole　author　or　architect；　a　commonwealth；　as　to　the　fabric　of　it；　is　of　the　like　nature。　And　thus　it　may　be　made　at　once；　in　which　there　be　great　advantages；　for　a　commonwealth　made　at　once；　takes　security　at　the　same　time　it　lends　money；　and　trusts　not　itself　to　the　faith　of　men；　but　launches　immediately　forth　into　the　empire　of　laws；　a