areopagitica-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





This　is　not；　ye　Covenants　and　Protestations　that　we　have　made！

this　is　not　to　put　down　prelaty；　this　is　but　to　chop　an　episcopacy；

this　is　but　to　translate　the　Palace　Metropolitan　from　one　kind　of

dominion　into　another；　this　is　but　an　old　canonical　sleight　of

commuting　our　penance。　　To　startle　thus　betimes　at　a　mere

unlicensed　pamphlet　will　after　a　while　be　afraid　of　every

conventicle；　and　a　while　after　will　make　a　conventicle　of　every

Christian　meeting。　　But　I　am　certain　that　a　State　governed　by　the

rules　of　justice　and　fortitude；　or　a　Church　built　and　founded　upon

the　rock　of　faith　and　true　knowledge；　cannot　be　so　pusillanimous。　

While　things　are　yet　not　constituted　in　religion；　that　freedom　of

writing　should　be　restrained　by　a　discipline　imitated　from　the

prelates　and　learnt　by　them　from　the　Inquisition；　to　shut　us　up　all

again　into　the　breast　of　a　licenser；　must　needs　give　cause　of　doubt

and　discouragement　to　all　learned　and　religious　men。



Who　cannot　but　discern　the　fineness　of　this　politic　drift；　and

who　are　the　contrivers；　that　while　bishops　were　to　be　baited　down；

then　all　presses　might　be　open；　it　was　the　people's　birthright　and

privilege　in　time　of　Parliament；　it　was　the　breaking　forth　of

light。　　But　now；　the　bishops　abrogated　and　voided　out　of　the

Church；　as　if　our　Reformation　sought　no　more　but　to　make　room　for

others　into　their　seats　under　another　name；　the　episcopal　arts

begin　to　bud　again；　the　cruse　of　truth　must　run　no　more　oil；

liberty　of　printing　must　be　enthralled　again　under　a　prelatical

commission　of　twenty；　the　privilege　of　the　people　nullified；　and；

which　is　worse；　the　freedom　of　learning　must　groan　again；　and　to

her　old　fetters：　all　this　the　Parliament　yet　sitting。　　Although

their　own　late　arguments　and　defences　against　the　prelates　might

remember　them；　that　this　obstructing　violence　meets　for　the　most

part　with　an　event　utterly　opposite　to　the　end　which　it　drives　at：

instead　of　suppressing　sects　and　schisms；　it　raises　them　and

invests　them　with　a　reputation。　　　The　punishing　of　wits　enhances

their　authority；　saith　the　Viscount　St。　Albans；　　and　a　forbidden

writing　is　thought　to　be　a　certain　spark　of　truth　that　flies　up　in

the　faces　of　them　who　seek　to　tread　it　out。　　This　Order；

therefore；　may　prove　a　nursing…mother　to　sects；　but　I　shall　easily

show　how　it　will　be　a　step…dame　to　Truth：　and　first　by　disenabling

us　to　the　maintenance　of　what　is　known　already。



Well　knows　he　who　uses　to　consider；　that　our　faith　and　knowledge

thrives　by　exercise；　as　well　as　our　limbs　and　complexion。　　Truth　is

compared　in　Scripture　to　a　streaming　fountain；　if　her　waters　flow

not　in　a　perpetual　progression；　they　sicken　into　a　muddy　pool　of

conformity　and　tradition。　　A　man　may　be　a　heretic　in　the　truth；　and

if　he　believe　things　only　because　his　pastor　says　so；　or　the

Assembly　so　determines；　without　knowing　other　reason；　though　his

belief　be　true；　yet　the　very　truth　he　holds　becomes　his　heresy。



There　is　not　any　burden　that　some　would　gladlier　post　off　to

another　than　the　charge　and　care　of　their　religion。　　There　bewho

knows　not　that　there　be？of　Protestants　and　professors　who　live

and　die　in　as　arrant　an　implicit　faith　as　any　lay　Papist　of

Loretto。　　A　wealthy　man；　addicted　to　his　pleasure　and　to　his

profits；　finds　religion　to　be　a　traffic　so　entangled；　and　of　so

many　piddling　accounts；　that　of　all　mysteries　he　cannot　skill　to

keep　a　stock　going　upon　that　trade。　　What　should　he　do？　fain　he

would　have　the　name　to　be　religious；　fain　he　would　bear　up　with　his

neighbours　in　that。　　What　does　he　therefore；　but　resolves　to　give

over　toiling；　and　to　find　himself　out　some　factor；　to　whose　care

and　credit　he　may　commit　the　whole　managing　of　his　religious

affairs；　some　divine　of　note　and　estimation　that　must　be。　　To　him

he　adheres；　resigns　the　whole　warehouse　of　his　religion；　with　all

the　locks　and　keys；　into　his　custody；　and　indeed　makes　the　very

person　of　that　man　his　religion；　esteems　his　associating　with　him

a　sufficient　evidence　and　commendatory　of　his　own　piety。　　So　that

a　man　may　say　his　religion　is　now　no　more　within　himself；　but　is

become　a　dividual　movable；　and　goes　and　comes　near　him；　according

as　that　good　man　frequents　the　house。　　He　entertains　him；　gives　him

gifts；　feasts　him；　lodges　him；　his　religion　comes　home　at　night；

prays；　is　liberally　supped；　and　sumptuously　laid　to　sleep；　rises；

is　saluted；　and　after　the　malmsey；　or　some　well…spiced　brewage；　and

better　breakfasted　than　he　whose　morning　appetite　would　have　gladly

fed　on　green　figs　between　Bethany　and　Jerusalem；　his　religion　walks

abroad　at　eight；　and　leaves　his　kind　entertainer　in　the　shop

trading　all　day　without　his　religion。



Another　sort　there　be　who；　when　they　hear　that　all　things　shall

be　ordered；　all　things　regulated　and　settled；　nothing　written　but

what　passes　through　the　custom…house　of　certain　publicans　that　have

the　tonnaging　and　poundaging　of　all　free…spoken　truth；　will

straight　give　themselves　up　into　your　hands；　make　'em　and　cut　'em

out　what　religion　ye　please：　there　be　delights；　there　be

recreations　and　jolly　pastimes　that　will　fetch　the　day　about　from

sun　to　sun；　and　rock　the　tedious　year　as　in　a　delightful　dream。　

What　need　they　torture　their　heads　with　that　which　others　have

taken　so　strictly　and　so　unalterably　into　their　own　purveying？　

These　are　the　fruits　which　a　dull　ease　and　cessation　of　our

knowledge　will　bring　forth　among　the　people。　　How　goodly　and　how　to

be　wished　were　such　an　obedient　unanimity　as　this；　what　a　fine

conformity　would　it　starch　us　all　into！　　Doubtless　a　staunch　and

solid　piece　of　framework；　as　any　January　could　freeze　together。



Nor　much　better　will　be　the　consequence　even　among　the　clergy

themselves。　　It　is　no　new　thing　never　heard　of　before；　for　a

parochial　minister；　who　has　his　reward　and　is　at　his　Hercules'

pillars　in　a　warm　benefice；　to　be　easily　inclinable；　if　he　have

nothing　else　that　may　rouse　up　his　studies；　to　finish　his　circuit

in　an　English　Concordance　and　a　topic　folio；　the　gatherings　and

savings　of　a　sober　graduateship；　a　Harmony　and　a　Catena；　treading

the　constant　round　of　certain　common　doctrinal　heads；　attended　with

their　uses；　motives；　marks；　and　means；　out　of　which；　as　out　of　an

alphabet；　or　sol…fa；　by　forming　and　transforming；　joining　and

disjoining　variously；　a　little　bookcraft；　and　two　hours'

meditation；　might　furnish　him　unspeakably　to　the　performance　of

more　than　a　weekly　charge　of　sermoning：　not　to　reckon　up　the

infinite　helps　of　interlinearies；　breviaries；　synopses；　and　other

loitering　gear。　　But　as　for　the　multitude　of　sermons　ready　printed

and　piled　up；　on　every　text　that　is　not　difficult；　our　London

trading　St。　Thomas　in　his　vestry；　and　add　to　boot　St。　Martin　and

St。　Hugh；　have　not　within　their　hallowed　limits　more　vendible　ware

of　all　sorts　ready　made：　so　that　penury　he　never　need　fear　of

pulpit　provision；　having　where　so　plenteously　to　refresh　his

magazine。　　But　if　his　rear　and　flanks　be　not　impaled；　if　his　back

door　be　not　secured　by　the　rigid　licenser；　but　that　a　bold　book　may

now　and　then　issue　forth　and　give　the　assault　to　some　of　his　old

collections　in　their　trenches；　it　will　concern　him　then　to　keep

waking；　to　stand　in　watch；　to　set　good　guards　and　sentinels　about

his　received　opinions；　to　walk　the　round　and　counter…round　with　his

fellow　inspectors；　fearing　lest　any　of　his　flock　be　seduced；　who

also　then　would　be　better　instructed；　better　exercised　and

disciplined。　　And　God　send　that　the　fear　of　this　diligence；　which

must　then　be　used；　do　not　make　us　affect　the　laziness　of　a

licensing　Church。



For　if　we　be　sure　we　are　in　the　right；　and　do　not　hold　the　truth

guiltily；　which　becomes　not；　if　we　ourselves　condemn　not　our　own

weak　and　frivolous　teaching；　and　the　people　for　an　untaught　and

irreligious　gadding　rout；　what　can　be　more　fair　than　when　a　man

judicious；　learned；　and　of　a　conscience；　for　aught　we　know；　as　good

as　theirs　that　taught　us　what　we　know；　shall　not　privily　from　house

to　house；　which　is　more　dangerous；　but　openly　by　writing　publish　to

the　world　what　his　opinion　is；　what　his　reasons；　and　wherefore　that

which　is　now　thought　cannot　be　sound？　　Christ　urged　it　as　wherewith

to　justify　himself；　that　he　preached　in　public；　yet　writing　is　more

public　than　preaching；　and　more　easy　to　refutation；　if　need　be；

there　being　so　many　whose　business　and　profession　merely　it　is　to

be　the　champions　of　truth；　which　if　they　neglect；　what　can　be

imputed　but　their　sloth；　or　unability？



Thus　much　we　are　hindered　and　disinured　by　this　course　of

licensing；　toward　the　true　knowledge　of　what　we　seem　to　know。　　For

how　much　it　hurts　and　hinders　the　licensers　themselves　in　the

calling　of　their　ministry；　more　than　any　secular　employment；　if

they　will　discharge　that　office　as　they　ought；　so　that　of　necessity

they　must　neglect　either　the　one　duty　or　the　other；　I　insist　not；

because　it　is　a　particular；　but　leave　it　to　their　own　conscience；

how　they　will　decide　it　there。



There　is　yet　behind　of　what　I　purposed　to　lay　open；　the

incredible　loss　and　detriment　that　this　plot　of　licensing　puts　us

to；　more　than　if　some　enemy　at　sea　should　stop　up　all　our　havens

and　ports　and　creeks；　it　hinders　and　retards　the　importation　of　our

richest　merchandise；　truth；　nay；　it　was　first　established　and　put

in　practice　by　Antichristian　malice　and　mystery　on　set　purpose　to

extinguish；　if　it　were　possible；　the　light　of　Reformation；　and　to

settle　falsehood；　little　differing　from　that　policy　wherewith　the

Turk　upholds　his　Alcoran；　by　the　prohibition　of　printing。　　'Tis　not

denied；　but　gladly　confessed；　we　are　to　send　our　thanks　and　vows　to

Heaven　louder　than　most　of　nations；　for　that　great　measure　of　truth

which　we　enjoy；　especially　in　those　main　points　between　us　and　the

Pope；　with　his　appurtenances　the　prelates：　but　he　who　thinks　we　are

to　pitch　our　tent　here；　and　have　attained　the　utmost　prospect　of

reformation　that　the　mortal　glass　wherein　we　contemplate　can　show

us；　till　we　come　to　beatific　vision；　that　man　by　this　very　opinion

declares　that　he　is　yet　far　short　of　truth。



Truth　indeed　came　once　into　the　world　with　her　divine　Master；　and

was　a　perfect　shape　most　glorious　to　look　on：　but　when　he　ascended；

and　his　Apostles　after　him　were　laid　asleep；　then　straight　arose　a

wicked　race　of　deceivers；　who；　as　that　story　goes　of　the　Egyptian

Typhon　with　his　conspirators；　how　they　dealt　with　the　good　Osiris；

took　the　virgin　Truth；　hewed　her　lovely　form　into　a　thousand

pieces；　and　scattered　them　to　the　four　winds。　　From　that　time　ever

since；　the　sad　friends　of　Truth；　such　as　durst　appear；　imitating

the　careful　search　that　Isis　made　for　the　mangled　body　of　Osiris；

went　up　and　down　gathering　up　limb　by　limb；　still　as　they　could

find　them。　　We　have　not　yet　found　them　all；　Lords　and　Commons；　nor

ever　shall　do；　till　her　Master's　second　coming；