on liberty-第7章

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punishing　anti…Christian　teaching　was　wanting　to　Marcus　Aurelius　for



punishing；　as　he　did；　the　propagation　of　Christianity。　No　Christian



more　firmly　believes　that　Atheism　is　false；　and　tends　to　the



dissolution　of　society；　than　Marcus　Aurelius　believed　the　same



things　of　Christianity；　he　who；　of　all　men　then　living；　might　have



been　thought　the　most　capable　of　appreciating　it。　Unless　any　one　who



approves　of　punishment　for　the　promulgation　of　opinions；　flatters



himself　that　he　is　a　wiser　and　better　man　than　Marcus　Aurelius…　more



deeply　versed　in　the　wisdom　of　his　time；　more　elevated　in　his



intellect　above　it…　more　earnest　in　his　search　for　truth；　or　more



single…minded　in　his　devotion　to　it　when　found；　let　him　abstain　from



that　assumption　of　the　joint　infallibility　of　himself　and　the



multitude；　which　the　great　Antoninus　made　with　so　unfortunate　a



result。



　　Aware　of　the　impossibility　of　defending　the　use　of　punishment　for



restraining　irreligious　opinions　by　any　argument　which　will　not



justify　Marcus　Antoninus；　the　enemies　of　religious　freedom；　when



hard　pressed；　occasionally　accept　this　consequence；　and　say；　with



Dr。　Johnson；　that　the　persecutors　of　Christianity　were　in　the　right；



that　persecution　is　an　ordeal　through　which　truth　ought　to　pass；　and



always　passes　successfully；　legal　penalties　being；　in　the　end；



powerless　against　truth；　though　sometimes　beneficially　effective



against　mischievous　errors。　This　is　a　form　of　the　argument　for



religious　intolerance　sufficiently　remarkable　not　to　be　passed　without



notice。



　　A　theory　which　maintains　that　truth　may　justifiably　be　persecuted



because　persecution　cannot　possibly　do　it　any　harm；　cannot　be



charged　with　being　intentionally　hostile　to　the　reception　of　new



truths；　but　we　cannot　commend　the　generosity　of　its　dealing　with　the



persons　to　whom　mankind　are　indebted　for　them。　To　discover　to　the



world　something　which　deeply　concerns　it；　and　of　which　it　was



previously　ignorant；　to　prove　to　it　that　it　had　been　mistaken　on



some　vital　point　of　temporal　or　spiritual　interest；　is　as　important



a　service　as　a　human　being　can　render　to　his　fellow　creatures；　and



in　certain　cases；　as　in　those　of　the　early　Christians　and　of　the



Reformers；　those　who　think　with　Dr。　Johnson　believe　it　to　have　been



the　most　precious　gift　which　could　be　bestowed　on　mankind。　That　the



authors　of　such　splendid　benefits　should　be　requited　by　martyrdom；



that　their　reward　should　be　to　be　dealt　with　as　the　vilest　of



criminals；　is　not；　upon　this　theory；　a　deplorable　error　and



misfortune；　for　which　humanity　should　mourn　in　sackcloth　and　ashes；



but　the　normal　and　justifiable　state　of　things。　The　propounder　of　a



new　truth；　according　to　this　doctrine；　should　stand　as　stood；　in　the



legislation　of　the　Locrians；　the　proposer　of　a　new　law；　with　a



halter　round　his　neck；　to　be　instantly　tightened　if　the　public



assembly　did　not；　on　hearing　his　reasons；　then　and　there　adopt　his



proposition。　People　who　defend　this　mode　of　treating　benefactors



cannot　be　supposed　to　set　much　value　on　the　benefit；　and　I　believe



this　view　of　the　subject　is　mostly　confined　to　the　sort　of　persons　who



think　that　new　truths　may　have　been　desirable　once；　but　that　we　have



had　enough　of　them　now。



　　But；　indeed；　the　dictum　that　truth　always　triumphs　over



persecution　is　one　of　those　pleasant　falsehoods　which　men　repeat　after



one　another　till　they　pass　into　commonplaces；　but　which　all　experience



refutes。　History　teems　with　instances　of　truth　put　down　by



persecution。　If　not　suppressed　for　ever；　it　may　be　thrown　back　for



centuries。　To　speak　only　of　religious　opinions：　the　Reformation



broke　out　at　least　twenty　times　before　Luther；　and　was　put　down。



Arnold　of　Brescia　was　put　down。　Fra　Dolcino　was　put　down。　Savonarola



was　put　down。　The　Albigeois　were　put　down。　The　Vaudois　were　put



down。　The　Lollards　were　put　down。　The　Hussites　were　put　down。　Even



after　the　era　of　Luther；　wherever　persecution　was　persisted　in；　it　was



successful。　In　Spain；　Italy；　Flanders；　the　Austrian　empire；



Protestantism　was　rooted　out；　and；　most　likely；　would　have　been　so



in　England；　had　Queen　Mary　lived；　or　Queen　Elizabeth　died。　Persecution



has　always　succeeded；　save　where　the　heretics　were　too　strong　a



party　to　be　effectually　persecuted。　No　reasonable　person　can　doubt



that　Christianity　might　have　been　extirpated　in　the　Roman　Empire。　It



spread；　and　became　predominant；　because　the　persecutions　were　only



occasional；　lasting　but　a　short　time；　and　separated　by　long



intervals　of　almost　undisturbed　propagandism。　It　is　a　piece　of　idle



sentimentality　that　truth；　merely　as　truth；　has　any　inherent　power



denied　to　error　of　prevailing　against　the　dungeon　and　the　stake。　Men



are　not　more　zealous　for　truth　than　they　often　are　for　error；　and　a



sufficient　application　of　legal　or　even　of　social　penalties　will



generally　succeed　in　stopping　the　propagation　of　either。　The　real



advantage　which　truth　has　consists　in　this；　that　when　an　opinion　is



true；　it　may　be　extinguished　once；　twice；　or　many　times；　but　in　the



course　of　ages　there　will　generally　be　found　persons　to　rediscover　it；



until　some　one　of　its　reappearances　falls　on　a　time　when　from



favourable　circumstances　it　escapes　persecution　until　it　has　made　such



head　as　to　withstand　all　subsequent　attempts　to　suppress　it。



　　It　will　be　said；　that　we　do　not　now　put　to　death　the　introducers



of　new　opinions：　we　are　not　like　our　fathers　who　slew　the　prophets；　we



even　build　sepulchres　to　them。　It　is　true　we　no　longer　put　heretics　to



death；　and　the　amount　of　penal　infliction　which　modern　feeling　would



probably　tolerate；　even　against　the　most　obnoxious　opinions；　is　not



sufficient　to　extirpate　them。　But　let　us　not　flatter　ourselves　that　we



are　yet　free　from　the　stain　even　of　legal　persecution。　Penalties　for



opinion；　or　at　least　for　its　expression；　still　exist　by　law；　and　their



enforcement　is　not；　even　in　these　times；　so　unexampled　as　to　make　it



at　all　incredible　that　they　may　some　day　be　revived　in　full　force。



In　the　year　1857；　at　the　summer　assizes　of　the　county　of　Cornwall；



an　unfortunate　man；*　said　to　be　of　unexceptionable　conduct　in　all



relations　of　life；　was　sentenced　to　twenty…one　months'　imprisonment；



for　uttering；　and　writing　on　a　gate；　some　offensive　words　concerning



Christianity。　Within　a　month　of　the　same　time；　at　the　Old　Bailey；



two　persons；　on　two　separate　occasions；*（2）　were　rejected　as　jurymen；



and　one　of　them　grossly　insulted　by　the　judge　and　by　one　of　the



counsel；　because　they　honestly　declared　that　they　had　no　theological



belief；　and　a　third；　a　foreigner；*（3）　for　the　same　reason；　was　denied



justice　against　a　thief。







　　*　Thomas　Pooley；　Bodmin　Assizes；　July　31；　1857。　In　December



following；　he　received　a　free　pardon　from　the　Crown。



　　*（2）　George　Jacob　Holyoake；　August　17；　1857；　Edward　Truelove；　July；



1857。



　　*（3）　Baron　de　Gleichen；　Marlborough　Street　Police　Court；　August　4；



1857。







　　This　refusal　of　redress　took　place　in　virtue　of　the　legal



doctrine；　that　no　person　can　be　allowed　to　give　evidence　in　a　court　of



justice　who　does　not　profess　belief　in　a　God　（any　god　is　sufficient）



and　in　a　future　state；　which　is　equivalent　to　declaring　such　persons



to　be　outlaws；　excluded　from　the　protection　of　the　tribunals；　who



may　not　only　be　robbed　or　assaulted　with　impunity；　if　no　one　but



themselves；　or　persons　of　similar　opinions；　be　present；　but　any　one



else　may　be　robbed　or　assaulted　with　impunity；　if　the　proof　of　the



fact　depends　on　their　evidence。　The　assumption　on　which　this　is



grounded　is　that　the　oath　is　worthless　of　a　person　who　does　not



believe　in　a　future　state；　a　proposition　which　betokens　much　ignorance



of　history　in　those　who　assent　to　it　（since　it　is　historically　true



that　a　large　proportion　of　infidels　in　all　ages　have　been　persons　of



distinguished　integrity　and　honour）；　and　would　be　maintained　by　no　one



who　had　the　smallest　conception　how　many　of　the　persons　in　greatest



repute　with　the　world；　both　for　virtues　and　attainments；　are　well



known；　at　least　to　their　intimates；　to　be　unbelievers。　The　rule；



besides；　is　suicidal；　and　cuts　away　its　own　foundation。　Under　pretence



that　atheists　must　be　liars；　it　admits　the　testimony　of　all　atheists



who　are　willing　to　lie；　and　rejects　only　those　who　brave　the　obloquy



of　publicly　confessing　a　detested　creed　rather　than　affirm　a



falsehood。　A　rule　thus　self…convicted　of　absurdity　so　far　as　regards



its　professed　purpose；　can　be　kept　in　force　only　as　a　badge　of　hatred；



a　relic　of　persecution；　a　persecution；　too；　having　the　peculiarity



that　the　qualification　for　undergoing　it　is　the　being　clearly　proved



not　to　deserve　it。　The　rule；　and　the　theory　it　implies；　are　hardly



less　insulting　to　believers　than　to　infidels。　For　if　he　who　does　not



believe　in　a　future　state　necessarily　lies；　it　follows　that　they　who



do　believe　are　only　prevented　from　lying；　if　prevented　they　are；　by



the　fear　of　hell。　We　will　not　do　the　authors　and　abettors　of　the



rule　the　injury　of　supposing　that　the　conception　which　they　have



formed　of　Christian　virtue　is　drawn　from　their　own　consciousness。



　　These；　indeed；　are　but　rags　and　remnants　of　persecution；　and　may



be　thought　to　be　not　so　much　an　indication　of　the　wish　to　persecute；



as　an　example　of　that　very　frequent　infirmity　of　English　minds；



which　makes　them　take　a　preposterous　pleasure　in　the　assertion　of　a



bad　principle；　when　they　are　no　longer　bad　enough　to　desire　to　carry



it　really　into　practice。　But　unhappily　there　is　no　security　in　the



state　of　the　public　mind　that　the　suspension　of　worse　forms　of　legal



persecution；　which　has　lasted　for　about　the　space　of　a　generation；



will　continue。　In　this　age　the　quiet　surface　of　routine　is　as　often



ruffled　by　attempts　to　resuscitate　past　evils；　as　to　introduce　new



benefits。　What　is　boasted　of　at　the　present　time　as　the　revival　of



religion；　is　always；　in　narrow　and　uncultivated　minds；　at　least　as



much　the　revival　of　bigotry；　and　where　there　is　the　strong　permanent



leaven　of　intolerance　in　the　feelings　of　a　people；　which　at　all



times　abides　in　the　middle　classes　of　this　country；　it　needs　but



little　to　provoke　them　into　actively　persecuting　those　whom　they



have　never　ceased　to　think　proper　objects　of　persecution。*　For　it　is



this…　it　is　the　opinions　men　entertain；　and　the　feelings　they



cherish；　respecting　those　who　disown　the　beliefs　they　deem



important；　which　makes　this　country　not　a　place　of　mental　freedom。







　　*　Ample　warning　may　be　drawn　from　the　large　infusion　of　the



passions　of　a　persecutor；　which　mingled　with　the　general　display　of



the　worst　parts　of　our　national　character　on　the　occasion　o