areopagitica-第9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！



honest　quaestorship　had　endeared　to　the　Sicilians　was　not　more　by

them　importuned　against　Verres；　than　the　favourable　opinion　which

I　had　among　many　who　honour　ye；　and　are　known　and　respected　by　ye；

loaded　me　with　entreaties　and　persuasions；　that　I　would　not　despair

to　lay　together　that　which　just　reason　should　bring　into　my　mind；

toward　the　removal　of　an　undeserved　thraldom　upon　learning。　　That

this　is　not　therefore　the　disburdening　of　a　particular　fancy；　but

the　common　grievance　of　all　those　who　had　prepared　their　minds　and

studies　above　the　vulgar　pitch　to　advance　truth　in　others；　and　from

others　to　entertain　it；　thus　much　may　satisfy。



And　in　their　name　I　shall　for　neither　friend　nor　foe　conceal　what

the　general　murmur　is；　that　if　it　come　to　inquisitioning　again　and

licensing；　and　that　we　are　so　timorous　of　ourselves；　and　so

suspicious　of　all　men；　as　to　fear　each　book　and　the　shaking　of

every　leaf；　before　we　know　what　the　contents　are；　if　some　who　but

of　late　were　little　better　than　silenced　from　preaching　shall　come

now　to　silence　us　from　reading；　except　what　they　please；　it　cannot

be　guessed　what　is　intended　by　some　but　a　second　tyranny　over

learning：　and　will　soon　put　it　out　of　controversy；　that　bishops　and

presbyters　are　the　same　to　us；　both　name　and　thing。　　That　those

evils　of　prelaty；　which　before　from　five　or　six　and　twenty　sees

were　distributively　charged　upon　the　whole　people；　will　now　light

wholly　upon　learning；　is　not　obscure　to　us：　whenas　now　the　pastor

of　a　small　unlearned　parish　on　the　sudden　shall　be　exalted

archbishop　over　a　large　diocese　of　books；　and　yet　not　remove；　but

keep　his　other　cure　too；　a　mystical　pluralist。　　He　who　but　of　late

cried　down　the　sole　ordination　of　every　novice　Bachelor　of　Art；　and

denied　sole　jurisdiction　over　the　simplest　parishioner；　shall　now

at　home　in　his　private　chair　assume　both　these　over　worthiest　and

excellentest　books　and　ablest　authors　that　write　them。



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　Engli