the commonwealth of oceana-第4章

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parts；　the　fourteen　discover　things　that　they　never　thought　on；　or　are　cleared　in　divers　truths　which　had　formerly　perplexed　them。　Wherefore；　in　matter　of　common　concernment；　difficulty；　or　danger；　they　hang　upon　their　lips；　as　children　upon　their　fathers；　and　the　influence　thus　acquired　by　the　six；　the　eminence　of　whose　parts　are　found　to　be　a　stay　and　comfort　to　the　fourteen；　is　the　authority　of　the　fathers。　Wherefore　this　can　be　no　other　than　a　natural　aristocracy　diffused　by　God　throughout　the　whole　body　of　mankind　to　this　end　and　purpose；　and　therefore　such　as　the　people　have　not　only　a　natural　but　a　positive　obligation　to　make　use　of　as　their　guides；　as　where　the　people　of　Israel　are　commanded　to　〃take　wise　men；　and　understanding；　and　known　among　their　tribes；　to　be　made　rulers　over　them。〃　The　six　then　approved　of；　as　in　the　present　case；　are　the　senate；　not　by　hereditary　right；　or　in　regard　of　the　greatness　of　their　estates　only；　which　would　tend　to　such　power　as　might　force　or　draw　the　people；　but　by　election　for　their　excellent　parts；　which　tends　to　the　advancement　of　the　influence　of　their　virtue　or　authority　that　leads　the　people。　Wherefore　the　office　of　the　senate　is　not　to　be　commanders；　but　counsellors；　of　the　people；　and　that　which　is　proper　to　counsellors　is　first　to　debate；　and　afterward　to　give　advice　in　the　business　whereupon　they　have　debated；　whence　the　decrees　of　the　senate　are　never　laws；　nor　so　called；　and　these　being　maturely　framed；　it　is　their　duty　to　propose　in　the　case　to　the　people。　Wherefore　the　senate　is　no　more　than　the　debate　of　the　commonwealth。　But　to　debate　is　to　discern　or　put　a　difference　between　things　that；　being　alike；　are　not　the　same；　or　it　is　separating　and　weighing　this　reason　against　that；　and　that　reason　against　this；　which　is　dividing。　　　　　The　senate　then　having　divided；　who　shall　choose？　Ask　the　girls：　for　if　she　that　divided　must　have　chosen　also；　it　had　been　little　worse　for　the　other　in　case　she　had　not　divided　at　all；　but　kept　the　whole　cake　to　herself；　in　regard　that　being　to　choose；　too；　she　divided　accordingly。　Wherefore　if　the　senate　have　any　further　power　than　to　divide；　the　commonwealth　can　never　be　equal。　But　in　a　commonwealth　consisting　of　a　single　council；　there　is　no　other　to　choose　than　that　which　divided；　whence　it　is；　that　such　a　council　fails　not　to　scramble　　that　is；　to　be　factious；　there　being　no　other　dividing　of　the　cake　in　that　case　but　among　themselves。　　　　　Nor　is　there　any　remedy　but　to　have　another　council　to　choose。　The　wisdom　of　the　few　may　be　the　light　of　mankind；　but　the　interest　of　the　few　is　not　the　profit　of　mankind　nor　of　a　commonwealth。　Wherefore；　seeing　we　have　granted　interest　to　be　reason；　they　must　not　choose　lest　it　put　out　their　light。　But　as　the　council　dividing　consists　of　the　wisdom　of　the　commonwealth；　so　the　assembly　or　council　choosing　should　consist　of　the　interest　of　the　commonwealth：　as　the　wisdom　of　the　commonwealth　is　in　the　aristocracy；　so　the　interest　of　the　commonwealth　is　in　the　whole　body　of　the　people。　And　whereas　this；　in　case　the　commonwealth　consist　of　a　whole　nation；　is　too　unwieldy　a　body　to　be　assembled；　this　council　is　to　consist　of　such　a　representative　as　may　be　equal；　and　so　constituted；　as　can　never　contract　any　other　interest　than　that　of　the　whole　people；　the　manner　whereof；　being　such　as　is　best　shown　by　exemplification；　I　remit　to　the　model。　But　in　the　present　case；　the　six　dividing；　and　the　fourteen　choosing；　must　of　necessity　take　in　the　whole　interest　of　the　twenty。　　　　　Dividing　and　choosing；　in　the　language　of　a　commonwealth；　is　debating　and　resolving；　and　whatsoever；　upon　debate　of　the　senate；　is　proposed　to　the　people；　and　resolved　by　them；　is　enacted　by　the　authority　of　the　fathers；　and　by　the　power　of　the　people；　which　concurring；　make　a　law。　　　　　But　the　law　being　made；　says　Leviathan；　〃is　but　words　and　paper　without　the　hands　and　swords　of　men；〃　wherefore　as　these　two　orders　of　a　commonwealth；　namely；　the　senate　and　the　people；　are　legislative；　so　of　necessity　there　must　be　a　third　to　be　executive　of　the　laws　made；　and　this　is　the　magistracy。　In　which　order；　with　the　rest　being　wrought　up　by　art；　the　commonwealth　consists　of　〃the　senate　proposing；　the　people　resolving；　and　the　magistracy　executing；〃　whereby　partaking　of　the　aristocracy　as　in　the　senate；　of　the　democracy　as　in　the　people；　and　of　monarchy　as　in　the　magistracy；　it　is　complete。　Now　there　being　no　other　commonwealth　but　this　in　art　or　nature；　it　is　no　wonder　if　Machiavel　has　shown　us　that　the　ancients　held　this　only　to　be　good；　but　it　seems　strange　to　me　that　they　should　hold　that　there　could　be　any　other；　for　if　there　be　such　a　thing　as　pure　monarchy；　yet　that　there　should　be　such　a　one　as　pure　aristocracy　or　pure　democracy　is　not　in　my　understanding。　But　the　magistracy；　both　in　number　and　function；　is　different　in　different　commonwealths。　Nevertheless　there　is　one　condition　of　it　that　must　be　the　same　in　every　one；　or　it　dissolves　the　commonwealth　where　it　is　wanting。　And　this　is　no　less　than　that；　as　the　hand　of　the　magistrate　is　the　executive　power　of　the　law；　so　the　head　of　the　magistrate　is　answerable　to　the　people；　that　his　execution　be　according　to　the　law；　by　which　Leviathan　may　see　that　the　hand　or　sword　that　executes　the　law　is　in　it　and　not　above　it。　　　　　Now　whether　I　have　rightly　transcribed　these　principles　of　a　commonwealth　out　of　nature；　I　shall　appeal　to　God　and　to　the　world　　to　God　in　the　fabric　of　the　Commonwealth　of　Israel；　and　to　the　world　in　the　universal　series　of　ancient　prudence。　But　in　regard　the　same　commonwealths　will　be　opened　at　large　in　the　Council　of　legislators；　I　shall　touch　them　for　the　present　but　slightly；　beginning　with　that　of　Israel。　　　　　The　Commonwealth　of　Israel　consisted　of　the　Senate；　the　people；　and　the　magistracy。　　　　　The　people　by　their　first　division；　which　was　genealogical；　were　contained　under　their　thirteen　tribes；　houses；　or　families；　whereof　the　first…born　in　each　was　prince　of　his　tribe；　and　had　the　leading　of　it：　the　tribe　of　Levi　only；　being　set　apart　to　serve　at　the　altar；　had　no　other　prince　but　the　high…priest。　In　their　second　division　they　were　divided　locally　by　their　agrarian；　or　the　distribution　of　the　land　of　Canaan　to　them　by　lot；　the　tithe　of　all　remaining　to　Levi；　whence；　according　to　their　local　division；　the　tribes　are　reckoned　but　twelve。　　　　　The　assemblies　of　the　people　thus　divided　were　methodically　gathered　by　trumpets　to　the　congregation：　which　was；　it　should　seem；　of　two　sorts。　For　if　it　were　called　with　one　trumpet　only；　the　princes　of　the　tribes　and　the　elders　only　assembled；　but　if　it　were　called　with　two；　the　whole　people　gathered　themselves　to　the　congregation；　for　so　it　is　rendered　by　the　English；　but　in　the　Greek　it　is　called　Ecclesia；　or　the　Church　of　God；　and　by　the　Talmudist　the　great　〃Synagogue。〃　The　word　Ecclesia　was　also　anciently　and　properly　used　for　the　civil　congregations；　or　assemblies　of　the　people　in　Athens；　Lacedaemon；　and　Ephesus；　where　it　is　so　called　in　Scripture；　though　it　be　otherwise　rendered　by　the　translators；　not　much　as　I　conceive　to　their　commendation；　seeing　by　that　means　they　have　lost　us　a　good　lesson；　the　apostles　borrowing　that　name　for　their　spiritual　congregations；　to　the　end　that　we　might　see　they　intended　the　government　of　the　church　to　be　democratical　or　popular；　as　is　also　plain　in　the　rest　of　their　constitutions。　　　　　The　church　or　congregation　of　the　people　of　Israel　assembled　in　a　military　manner；　and　had　the　result　of　the　commonwealth；　or　the　power　of　confirming　all　their　laws；　though　proposed　even　by　God　himself；　as　where　they　make　him　king；　and　where　they　reject　or　depose　him　as　civil　magistrate；　and　elect　Saul。　It　is　manifest　that　he　gives　no　such　example　to　a　legislator　in　a　popular　government　as　to　deny　or　evade　the　power　of　the　people；　which　were　a　contradiction；　but　though　he　deservedly　blames　the　ingratitude　of　the　people　in　that　action；　he　commands　Samuel；　being　next　under　himself　supreme　magistrate；　〃to　hearken　to　their　voice〃　（for　where　the　suffrage　of　the　people　goes　for　nothing；　it　is　no　commonwealth）；　and　comforts　him；　saying；　〃They　have　not　rejected　thee；　but　they　have　rejected　me　that　I　should　not　reign　over　them。〃　But　to　reject　him　that　he　should　not　reign　over　them；　was　as　civil　magistrate　to　depose　him。　The　power　therefore　which　the　people　had　to　depose　even　God　himself　as　he　was　civil　magistrate；　leaves　little　doubt　but　that　they　had　power　to　have　rejected　any　of　those　laws　confirmed　by　them　throughout　the　Scripture；　which；　to　omit　the　several　parcels；　are　generally　contained　under　two　heads：　those　that　were　made　by　covenant　with　the　people　in　the　land　of　Moab；　and　those　which　were　made　by　covenant　with　the　people　in　Horeb；　which　two；　I　think；　amount　to　the　whole　body　of　the　Israelitish　laws。　　　　　But　if　all　and　every　one　of　the　laws　of　Israel　being　proposed　by　God；　were　no　otherwise　enacted　than　by　covenant　with　the　people；　then　that　only　which　was　resolved　by　the　people　of　Israel　was　their　law；　and　so　the　result　of　that　commonwealth　was　in　the　people。　Nor　had　the　people　the　result　only　in　matter　of　law；　but　the　power　in　some　cases　of　judicature；　as　also　the　right　of　levying　war；　cognizance　in　matter　of　religion；　and　the　election　of　their　magistrates；　as　the　judge　or　dictator；　the　king；　the　prince：　which　functions　were　exercised　by　the　Synagoga　magna；　or　Congregation　of　Israel；　not　always　in　one　manner；　for　sometimes　they　were　performed　by　the　suffrage　of　the　people；　viva　voce；　sometimes　by　the　lot　only；　and　at　others　by　the　ballot；　or　by　a　mixture　of　the　lot　with　the　suffrage；　as　in　the　case　of　Eldad　and　Medad；　which　I　shall　open　with　the　Senate。　　　　　The　Senate　of　Israel；　called　in　the　old　Testament　the　Seventy　Elders；　and　in　the　New　the　Sanhedrim　（which　word　is　usually　translated　〃the　Council〃）；　was　appointed　by　God；　and　consisted　of　seventy　elders　besides　Moses；　which　were　at　first　elected　by　the　people；　but　in　what　manner　is　rather　intimated　than　shown。　Nevertheless；　because　I　cannot　otherwise　understand　the　passage　concerning　Eldad　and　Medad；　of　whom　it　is　said　〃that　they　were　of　them　that　were　written；　but　went　not　up　to　the　tabernacle；〃　then　with　the　Talmudists　I　conceive　that　Eldad　and　Medad　had　the　suffrage　of　the　tribes；　and　so　were　written　as　competitors　for　magistracy；　but　coming　afterward　to　the　lot；　failed　of　it；　and　therefore　went　not　up　to　the　tabernacle；　or　place　of　confirmation　by　God；　or　to　the　session…house　of　the　Senate；　with　the　Seventy　upon　whom　the　lot　fell　to　be　senators；　for　the　session…house　of　the　Sanhedrim　was　first　in　the　court　of　the　tabernacle；　and　afterward　in　that　of　the　Temple；　where　it　came　to　be　called　the　stone　chamber　or　pavement。　If　this　were　the　ballot　of　Israel；　that　of　Venice　is　the　same　transposed；　for　in　Venice　the　competitor　is　chosen　as　it　were　by　the　lot；　in　regard　that　the　electors　are　so　made；　and　the　magistrate　is　chosen　by　the　〃suffrage　of　the　great　Council　or　assembly　of　the　people。〃　But　the　Sanhedrim　of　Israel　being　thus　constituted；　Moses；　for　his　time；　and　after　him　his　successor　sat　in　the　midst　of　it　as　prince　or　archon；　and　at　his　left　hand　the　orator　or　father　of　the　Senate；　the　rest；　or　the　bench；　coming　round　with　either　horn　like　a　crescent；　had　a　scribe