the commonwealth of oceana-第26章

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o　persons；　if　they　had　not　been　taken　up　by　the　wheel　of　magistracy；　had　overturned　the　chariot　of　the　Senate。　And　those　of　Lacedaemon；　as　to　things；　had　not　been　so　quiet　when　the　Senate　trashed　their　business；　by　encroaching　upon　the　result；　if　by　the　institution　of　the　ephors　they　had　not　brought　it　about　again。　So　that　if　you　allow　not　a　commonwealth　her　rotation；　in　which　consists　her　equality；　you　reduce　her　to　a　party；　and　then　it　is　necessary　that　you　be　physicians　indeed；　or　rather　farriers；　for　you　will　have　strong　patients；　and　such　as　must　be　haltered　and　cast；　or　yourselves　may　need　bone…setters。　Wherefore　the　councils　of　this　commonwealth；　both　in　regard　of　their　elections；　and；　as　will　be　shown；　of　their　affairs；　are　uniform　with　the　Senate　in　their　revolutions；　not　as　whirlpits　to　swallow；　but　to　bite；　and　with　the　screws　of　their　rotation　to　hold　and　turn　a　business　（like　the　vice　of　a　smith）　to　the　hand　of　the　workman。　Without　engines　of　which　nature　it　is　not　possible　for　the　Senate；　much　less　for　the　people；　to　be　perfect　artificers　in　a　political　capacity。　But　I　shall　not　hold　you　longer　from　　　　　　The　seventeenth　order；　〃Directing　biennial　elections；　or　the　constitution　of　the　orb　of　ambassador…in…ordinary；　consisting　of　four　residences；　the　revolution　whereof　is　performed　in　eight　years；　and　preserved　through　the　election　of　one　ambassador　in　two　years　by　the　ballot　of　the　Senate　to　repair　to　the　Court　of　France；　and　reside　there　for　the　term　of　two　years；　and　the　term　of　two　years　being　expired；　to　remove　from　thence　to　the　Court　of　Spain；　there　to　continue　for　the　space　of　two　years；　and　thence　to　remove　to　the　State　of　Venice；　and　after　two　years'　residence　in　that　city　to　conclude　with　his　residence　at　Constantinople　for　a　like　term　of　time；　and　so　to　return。　A　knight　of　the　Senate；　or　a　deputy　of　the　prerogative；　may　not　be　elected　ambassador…in…ordinary；　because　a　knight　or　deputy　so　chosen　must　either　lose　his　session；　which　would　cause　au　unevenness　in　the　motion　of　this　commonwealth；　or　accumulate　magistracy；　which　agrees　not　with　equality　of　the　same。　Nor　may　any　man　be　elected　into　this　capacity　that　is　above　five…and…thirty　years　of　age；　lest　the　commonwealth　lose　the　charge　of　his　education；　by　being　deprived　at　his　return　of　the　fruit　of　it；　or　else　enjoy　it　not　long　through　the　defects　of　nature。〃　　　　　This　order　is　the　perspective　of　the　commonwealth；　whereby　she　foresees　danger；　or　the　traffic；　whereby　she　receives　every　two　years　the　return　of　a　statesman　enriched　with　eight　years'　experience　from　the　prime　marts　of　negotiation　in　Europe。　And　so　much　for　the　elections　in　the　Senate　that　are　ordinary；　such　as　are　extraordinary　follow　in　　　　　　The　eighteenth　order；　〃Appointing　all　elections　upon　emergent　occasions；　except　that　of　the　dictator；　to　be　made　by　the　scrutiny；　or　that　kind　of　election　whereby　a　council　comes　to　be　a　fifth　order　of　electors。　For　example；　if　there　be　occasion　of　an　ambassador…extraordinary；　the　provosts　of　the　Council　of　State；　or　any　two　of　them；　shall　propose　to　the　same；　till　one　competitor　be　chosen　by　that　council；　and　the　council　having　chosen　a　competitor；　shall　bring　his　name　into　the　Senate；　which　in　the　usual　way　shall　choose　four　more　competitors　to　the　same　magistracy；　and　put　them；　with　the　competitor　of　the　council；　to　the　ballot　of　the　house；　by　which　he　of　the　five　that　is　chosen　is　said　to　be　elected　by　the　scrutiny　of　the　Council　of　State。　A　vice…admiral；　a　polemarch；　or　field　officer；　shall　be　elected　after　the　same　manner；　by　the　scrutiny　of　the　Council　of　War。　A　judge　or　sergeant…at…law；　by　the　scrutiny　of　the　commissioners　of　the　seal。　A　baron；　or　considerable　officer　of　the　Exchequer；　by　the　scrutiny　of　the　commissioners　of　the　Treasury：　Men　in　magistracy；　or　out　of　it；　are　equally　capable　of　election　by　the　scrutiny；　but　a　magistrate　or　officer　elected　by　the　scrutiny　to　a　military　employment；　if　he　be　neither　a　knight　of　the　Senate　nor　a　deputy　of　the　prerogative；　ought　to　have　his　office　confirmed　by　the　prerogative；　because　the　militia　in　a　commonwealth；　where　the　people　are　sovereign；　is　not　lawful　to　be　touched　injussu　populi。　　　　　The　Romans　were　so　curious　that；　though　their　consuls　were　elected　in　the　centuriate　assemblies；　they　might　not　touch　the　militia；　except　they　were　confirmed　in　the　parochial　assemblies；　for　a　magistrate　not　receiving　his　power　from　the　people；　takes　it　from　them；　and　to　take　away　their　power　is　to　take　away　their　liberty。　As　to　the　election　by　the　scrutiny；　it　is　easily　perceived　to　be　Venetian；　there　being　no　such　way　to　take　in　the　knowledge；　which　in　all　reason　must　be　best　in　every　council　of　such　men　as　are　most　fit　for　their　turns；　and　yet　to　keep　them　from　the　bias　of　particular　affection　or　interest　under　that　pretence；　for　the　cause　why　the　great　Council　in　Venice　scarce　ever　elects　any　other　than　the　name　that　is　brought　in　by　the　scrutiny；　is　very　probable　to　be；　that　they　may。。。　This　election　is　the　last　of　those　appertaining　to　the　Senate。　The　councils　being　chosen　by　the　orders　already　shown；　it　remains　that　we　come　to　those　whereby　they　are　instructed　and　the　orders　of　instruction　to　the　councils　are　two：　the　first　for　the　matter　whereupon　they　are　to　proceed；　and　the　second　for　the　manner　of　their　proceeding。　The　matter　of　the　councils　is　distributed　to　them　by　　　　　　The　nineteenth　order　〃Distributing　to　every　council　such　businesses　as　are　properly　to　belong　to　their　cognizance；　whereof　some　they　shall　receive　and　determine；　and　others　they　shall　receive；　prepare；　and　introduce　into　the　house：　as；　first；　　　　　〃The　Council　of　State　is　to　receive　all　addresses；　intelligences；　and　letters　of　negotiation；　to　give　audience　to　ambassadors　sent　to；　and　to　draw　up　instructions　for　such　as　shall　be　sent　by；　this　commonwealth；　to　receive　propositions　from；　and　hold　intelligence　with；　the　provincial　councils；　to　consider　upon　all　laws　to　be　enacted；　amended；　or　repealed；　and　upon　all　levies　of　men　or　money；　war　or　peace；　leagues　or　associations　to　be　made　by　this　commonwealth；　so　far　forth　as　is　conducible　to　the　orderly　preparation　of　the　same　to　be　introduced　by　them　into　the　Senate；　provided；　that　all　such　affairs；　as　otherwise　appertaining　to　the　Council　of　State；　are；　for　the　good　of　the　commonwealth；　to　be　carried　with　greater　secrecy；　be　managed　by　the　Council　of　War；　with　power　to　receive　and　send　forth　agents；　spies；　emissaries；　intelligencers；　frigots；　and　to　manage　affairs　of　that　nature；　if　it　be　necessary　without　communication　to　the　Senate；　till　such　time　as　it　may　be　had　without　detriment　to　the　business。　But　they　shall　have　no　power　to　engage　the　commonwealth　in　a　war　without　the　consent　of　the　Senate　and　the　people。　It　appertains　also　to　this　council　to　take　charge　of　the　fleet　as　admiral；　and　of　all　storehouses；　armories；　arsenals；　and　magazines　appertaining　to　this　commonwealth。　They　shall　keep　a　diligent　record　of　the　military　expeditions　from　time　to　time　reported　by　him　that　was　strategus　or　general；　or　one　of　the　polemarchs　in　that　action；　or　at　least　so　far　as　the　experience　of　such　commanders　may　tend　to　the　improvement　of　the　military　discipline；　which　they　shall　digest　and　introduce　into　the　Senate；　and　if　the　Senate　shall　thereupon　frame　any　article；　they　shall　see　that　it　be　observed；　in　the　musters　or　education　of　the　youth。　And　whereas　the　Council　of　War　is　the　sentinel　or　scout　of　this　commonwealth；　if　any　person　or　persons　shall　go　about　to　introduce　debate　into　any　popular　assembly　of　the　same；　or　otherwise　to　alter　the　present　government；　or　strike　at　the　root　of　it；　they　shall　apprehend；　or　cause　to　be　apprehended；　seized；　imprisoned；　and　examine；　arraign；　acquit；　or　condemn；　and　cause　to　be　executed　any　such　person　or　persons；　by　their　proper　power　and　authority　and　without　appeal。　　　　　The　Council　of　Religion；　as　the　arbiter　of　this　commonwealth　in　cases　of　conscience　more　peculiarly　appertaining　to　religion；　Christian　charity；　and　a　pious　life；　shall　have　the　care　of　the　national　religion；　and　the　protection　of　the　liberty　of　conscience　with　the　cognizance　of　all　causes　relating　to　either　of　them。　And　first　as　to　the　national　religion：　they　shall　cause　all　places　or　preferments　of　the　best　revenue　in　either　of　the　universities　to　be　conferred　upon　no　other　than　such　of　the　most　learned　and　pious　men　as　have　dedicated　themselves　to　the　study　of　theology。　They　shall　also　take　a　special　care　that；　by　such　augmentations　as　be　or　shall　hereafter　be　appointed　by　the　Senate；　every　benefice　in　this　nation　be　improved　at　least　to　the　value　of　？00　a　year。　And　to　the　end　that　there　be　no　interest　at　all；　whereby　the　divines　or　teachers　of　the　national　religion　may　be　corrupted；　or　corrupt　religion；　they　shall　be　capable　of　no　other　kind　of　employment　or　preferment　in　this　commonwealth。　And　whereas　a　directory　for　the　administration　of　the　national　religion　is　to　be　prepared　by　this　council；　they　shall　in　this　and　other　debates　of　this　nature　proceed　in　manner　following：　a　question　arising　in　matter　of　religion　shall　be　put　and　stated　by　the　council　in　writing；　which　writing　the　censors　shall　send　by　their　beadles　（being　proctors　chosen　to　attend　them）　each　to　the　university　whereof　he　is　chancellor；　and　the　vice…chancellor　of　the　same　receiving　the　writing；　shall　call　a　convocation　of　all　the　divines　of　that　university　being　above　forty　years　of　age。　And　the　universities；　upon　a　point　so　proposed；　shall　have　no　manner　of　intelligence　or　correspondence　one　with　another；　till　their　debates　be　ended；　and　they　have　made　return　of　their　answers　to　the　Council　of　Religion　by　two　or　three　of　their　own　members；　that　they　may　clear　their　sense；　if　any　doubt　should　arise；　to　the　council；　which　done；　they　shall　return；　and　the　council；　having　received　such　information；　shall　proceed　according　to　their　own　judgments；　in　the　preparation　of　the　whole　matter　for　the　Senate：　that　so　the　interest　of　the　learned　being　removed；　there　may　be　a　right　application　of　reason　to　Scripture；　which　is　the　foundation　of　the　national　religion。　　　　　〃Secondly；　this　council；　as　to　the　protection　of　the　liberty　of　conscience；　shall　suffer　no　coercive　power　in　the　matter　of　religion　to　be　exercised　in　this　nation；　the　teachers　of　the　natural　religion　being　no　other　than　such　as　voluntarily　undertake　that　calling；　and　their　auditors　or　hearers　no　other　than　are　also　voluntary。　Nor　shall　any　gathered　congregation　be　molested　or　interrupted　in　their　way　of　worship　（being　neither　Jewish　nor　idolatrous）；　but　vigilantly　and　vigorously　protected　and　defended　in　the　enjoyment；　practice；　and　profession　of　the　same。　And　if　there　be　officers　or　auditors　appointed　by　any　such　congregation　for　the　introduction　of　causes　into　the　Council　of　Religion；　all　such　causes　so　introduced　shall　be　received；　heard；　and　determined　by　the　same；　with　recourse　had；　if　need　be；　to　the　Senate。　　　　　〃Thirdly；　every　petition　addressed　to　the　Senate；　except　that　of　a　tribe；　shall　be　received；　examined；　and　debated　by　this　council；　and　such　only　as　they；　upon　such　examination　and　debate　had；　shall　think　fit；　may　be　introduced　into　the　Senate。　　　　　〃The　Council　of　Trade　being　the　vena　porta　of　this　nation；　shall　hereafter　receive　instructions　more　at　large。　For　the　pres