areopagitica-第12章

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rousing　herself　like　a　strong　man　after　sleep；　and　shaking　her

invincible　locks：　methinks　I　see　her　as　an　eagle　mewing　her　mighty

youth；　and　kindling　her　undazzled　eyes　at　the　full　midday　beam；

purging　and　unscaling　her　long…abused　sight　at　the　fountain　itself

of　heavenly　radiance；　while　the　whole　noise　of　timorous　and

flocking　birds；　with　those　also　that　love　the　twilight；　flutter

about；　amazed　at　what　she　means；　and　in　their　envious　gabble　would

prognosticate　a　year　of　sects　and　schisms。



What　would　ye　do　then？　should　ye　suppress　all　this　flowery　crop

of　knowledge　and　new　light　sprung　up　and　yet　springing　daily　in

this　city？　　Should　ye　set　an　oligarchy　of　twenty　engrossers　over

it；　to　bring　a　famine　upon　our　minds　again；　when　we　shall　know

nothing　but　what　is　measured　to　us　by　their　bushel？　　Believe　it；

Lords　and　Commons；　they　who　counsel　ye　to　such　a　suppressing　do　as

good　as　bid　ye　suppress　yourselves；　and　I　will　soon　show　how。　　If

it　be　desired　to　know　the　immediate　cause　of　all　this　free　writing

and　free　speaking；　there　cannot　be　assigned　a　truer　than　your　own

mild　and　free　and　humane　government。　　It　is　the　liberty；　Lords　and

Commons；　which　your　own　valorous　and　happy　counsels　have　purchased

us；　liberty　which　is　the　nurse　of　all　great　wits；　this　is　that

which　hath　rarefied　and　enlightened　our　spirits　like　the　influence

of　heaven；　this　is　that　which　hath　enfranchised；　enlarged　and

lifted　up　our　apprehensions；　degrees　above　themselves。



Ye　cannot　make　us　now　less　capable；　less　knowing；　less　eagerly

pursuing　of　the　truth；　unless　ye　first　make　yourselves；　that　made

us　so；　less　the　lovers；　less　the　founders　of　our　true　liberty。　　We

can　grow　ignorant　again；　brutish；　formal　and　slavish；　as　ye　found

us；　but　you　then　must　first　become　that　which　ye　cannot　be；

oppressive；　arbitrary　and　tyrannous；　as　they　were　from　whom　ye　have

freed　us。　　That　our　hearts　are　now　more　capacious；　our　thoughts

more　erected　to　the　search　and　expectation　of　greatest　and　exactest

things；　is　the　issue　of　your　own　virtue　propagated　in　us；　ye　cannot

suppress　that；　unless　ye　reinforce　an　abrogated　and　merciless　law；

that　fathers　may　dispatch　at　will　their　own　children。　　And　who

shall　then　stick　closest　to　ye；　and　excite　others？　not　he　who　takes

up　arms　for　coat　and　conduct；　and　his　four　nobles　of　Danegelt。　

Although　I　dispraise　not　the　defence　of　just　immunities；　yet　love

my　peace　better；　if　that　were　all。　　Give　me　the　liberty　to　know；　to

utter；　and　to　argue　freely　according　to　conscience；　above　all

liberties。



What　would　be　best　advised；　then；　if　it　be　found　so　hurtful　and

so　unequal　to　suppress　opinions　for　the　newness　or　the

unsuitableness　to　a　customary　acceptance；　will　not　be　my　task　to

say。　　I　only　shall　repeat　what　I　have　learned　from　one　of　your　own

honourable　number；　a　right　noble　and　pious　lord；　who；　had　he　not

sacrificed　his　life　and　fortunes　to　the　Church　and　Commonwealth；　we

had　not　now　missed　and　bewailed　a　worthy　and　undoubted　patron　of

this　argument。　　Ye　know　him；　I　am　sure；　yet　I　for　honour's　sake；

and　may　it　be　eternal　to　him；　shall　name　him；　the　Lord　Brook。　　He

writing　of　episcopacy；　and　by　the　way　treating　of　sects　and

schisms；　left　ye　his　vote；　or　rather　now　the　last　words　of　his

dying　charge；　which　I　know　will　ever　be　of　dear　and　honoured　regard

with　ye；　so　full　of　meekness　and　breathing　charity；　that　next　to

his　last　testament；　who　bequeathed　love　and　peace　to　his　disciples；

I　cannot　call　to　mind　where　I　have　read　or　heard　words　more　mild

and　peaceful。　　He　there　exhorts　us　to　hear　with　patience　and

humility　those；　however　they　be　miscalled；　that　desire　to　live

purely；　in　such　a　use　of　God's　ordinances；　as　the　best　guidance　of

their　conscience　gives　them；　and　to　tolerate　them；　though　in　some

disconformity　to　ourselves。　　The　book　itself　will　tell　us　more　at

large；　being　published　to　the　world；　and　dedicated　to　the

Parliament　by　him　who；　both　for　his　life　and　for　his　death；

deserves　that　what　advice　he　left　be　not　laid　by　without　perusal。



And　now　the　time　in　special　is；　by　privilege　to　write　and　speak

what　may　help　to　the　further　discussing　of　matters　in　agitation。　

The　temple　of　Janus　with　his　two　controversial　faces　might　now　not

unsignificantly　be　set　open。　　And　though　all　the　winds　of　doctrine

were　let　loose　to　play　upon　the　earth；　so　Truth　be　in　the　field；　we

do　injuriously；　by　licensing　and　prohibiting；　to　misdoubt　her

strength。　　Let　her　and　Falsehood　grapple；　who　ever　knew　Truth　put

to　the　worse；　in　a　free　and　open　encounter？　　Her　confuting　is　the

best　and　surest　suppressing。　　He　who　hears　what　praying　there　is

for　light　and　clearer　knowledge　to　be　sent　down　among　us；　would

think　of　other　matters　to　be　constituted　beyond　the　discipline　of

Geneva；　framed　and　fabricked　already　to　our　hands。　　Yet　when　the

new　light　which　we　beg　for　shines　in　upon　us；　there　be　who　envy　and

oppose；　if　it　come　not　first　in　at　their　casements。　　What　a

collusion　is　this；　whenas　we　are　exhorted　by　the　wise　man　to　use

diligence；　　to　seek　for　wisdom　as　for　hidden　treasures　early　and

late；　that　another　order　shall　enjoin　us　to　know　nothing　but　by

statute？　　When　a　man　hath　been　labouring　the　hardest　labour　in　the

deep　mines　of　knowledge；　hath　furnished　out　his　findings　in　all

their　equipage：　drawn　forth　his　reasons　as　it　were　a　battle　ranged：

scattered　and　defeated　all　objections　in　his　way；　calls　out　his

adversary　into　the　plain；　offers　him　the　advantage　of　wind　and　sun；

if　he　please；　only　that　he　may　try　the　matter　by　dint　of　argument：

for　his　opponents　then　to　skulk；　to　lay　ambushments；　to　keep　a

narrow　bridge　of　licensing　where　the　challenger　should　pass；　though

it　be　valour　enough　in　soldiership；　is　but　weakness　and　cowardice

in　the　wars　of　Truth。



For　who　knows　not　that　Truth　is　strong；　next　to　the　Almighty？　

She　needs　no　policies；　nor　stratagems；　nor　licensings　to　make　her

victorious；　those　are　the　shifts　and　the　defences　that　error　uses

against　her　power。　　Give　her　but　room；　and　do　not　bind　her　when　she

sleeps；　for　then　she　speaks　not　true；　as　the　old　Proteus　did；　who

spake　oracles　only　when　he　was　caught　and　bound；　but　then　rather

she　turns　herself　into　all　shapes；　except　her　own；　and　perhaps

tunes　her　voice　according　to　the　time；　as　Micaiah　did　before　Ahab；

until　she　be　adjured　into　her　own　likeness。　　Yet　is　it　not

impossible　that　she　may　have　more　shapes　than　one。　　What　else　is

all　that　rank　of　things　indifferent；　wherein　Truth　may　be　on　this

side　or　on　the　other；　without　being　unlike　herself？　　What　but　a

vain　shadow　else　is　the　abolition　of　　those　ordinances；　that

hand…writing　nailed　to　the　cross？　　What　great　purchase　is　this

Christian　liberty　which　Paul　so　often　boasts　of？　　His　doctrine　is；

that　he　who　eats　or　eats　not；　regards　a　day　or　regards　it　not；　may

do　either　to　the　Lord。　　How　many　other　things　might　be　tolerated　in

peace；　and　left　to　conscience；　had　we　but　charity；　and　were　it　not

the　chief　stronghold　of　our　hypocrisy　to　be　ever　judging　one

another？



I　fear　yet　this　iron　yoke　of　outward　conformity　hath　left　a

slavish　print　upon　our　necks；　the　ghost　of　a　linen　decency　yet

haunts　us。　　We　stumble　and　are　impatient　at　the　least　dividing　of

one　visible　congregation　from　another；　though　it　be　not　in

fundamentals；　and　through　our　forwardness　to　suppress；　and　our

backwardness　to　recover　any　enthralled　piece　of　truth　out　of　the

gripe　of　custom；　we　care　not　to　keep　truth　separated　from　truth；

which　is　the　fiercest　rent　and　disunion　of　all。　　We　do　not　see

that；　while　we　still　affect　by　all　means　a　rigid　external

formality；　we　may　as　soon　fall　again　into　a　gross　conforming

stupidity；　a　stark　and　dead　congealment　of　　wood　and　hay　and

stubble；　forced　and　frozen　together；　which　is　more　to　the　sudden

degenerating　of　a　Church　than　many　subdichotomies　of　petty　schisms。



Not　that　I　can　think　well　of　every　light　separation；　or　that　all

in　a　Church　is　to　be　expected　　gold　and　silv