the commonwealth of oceana-第36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！


t　remains　that　we　come　to　those　whereby　they　are　instructed　and　the　orders　of　instruction　to　the　councils　are　two：　the　first　for　the　matter　whereupon　they　are　to　proceed；　and　the　second　for　the　manner　of　their　proceeding。　The　matter　of　the　councils　is　distributed　to　them　by　　　　　　The　nineteenth　order　〃Distributing　to　every　council　such　businesses　as　are　properly　to　belong　to　their　cognizance；　whereof　some　they　shall　receive　and　determine；　and　others　they　shall　receive；　prepare；　and　introduce　into　the　house：　as；　first；　　　　　〃The　Council　of　State　is　to　receive　all　addresses；　intelligences；　and　letters　of　negotiation；　to　give　audience　to　ambassadors　sent　to；　and　to　draw　up　instructions　for　such　as　shall　be　sent　by；　this　commonwealth；　to　receive　propositions　from；　and　hold　intelligence　with；　the　provincial　councils；　to　consider　upon　all　laws　to　be　enacted；　amended；　or　repealed；　and　upon　all　levies　of　men　or　money；　war　or　peace；　leagues　or　associations　to　be　made　by　this　commonwealth；　so　far　forth　as　is　conducible　to　the　orderly　preparation　of　the　same　to　be　introduced　by　them　into　the　Senate；　provided；　that　all　such　affairs；　as　otherwise　appertaining　to　the　Council　of　State；　are；　for　the　good　of　the　commonwealth；　to　be　carried　with　greater　secrecy；　be　managed　by　the　Council　of　War；　with　power　to　receive　and　send　forth　agents；　spies；　emissaries；　intelligencers；　frigots；　and　to　manage　affairs　of　that　nature；　if　it　be　necessary　without　communication　to　the　Senate；　till　such　time　as　it　may　be　had　without　detriment　to　the　business。　But　they　shall　have　no　power　to　engage　the　commonwealth　in　a　war　without　the　consent　of　the　Senate　and　the　people。　It　appertains　also　to　this　council　to　take　charge　of　the　fleet　as　admiral；　and　of　all　storehouses；　armories；　arsenals；　and　magazines　appertaining　to　this　commonwealth。　They　shall　keep　a　diligent　record　of　the　military　expeditions　from　time　to　time　reported　by　him　that　was　strategus　or　general；　or　one　of　the　polemarchs　in　that　action；　or　at　least　so　far　as　the　experience　of　such　commanders　may　tend　to　the　improvement　of　the　military　discipline；　which　they　shall　digest　and　introduce　into　the　Senate；　and　if　the　Senate　shall　thereupon　frame　any　article；　they　shall　see　that　it　be　observed；　in　the　musters　or　education　of　the　youth。　And　whereas　the　Council　of　War　is　the　sentinel　or　scout　of　this　commonwealth；　if　any　person　or　persons　shall　go　about　to　introduce　debate　into　any　popular　assembly　of　the　same；　or　otherwise　to　alter　the　present　government；　or　strike　at　the　root　of　it；　they　shall　apprehend；　or　cause　to　be　apprehended；　seized；　imprisoned；　and　examine；　arraign；　acquit；　or　condemn；　and　cause　to　be　executed　any　such　person　or　persons；　by　their　proper　power　and　authority　and　without　appeal。　　　　　The　Council　of　Religion；　as　the　arbiter　of　this　commonwealth　in　cases　of　conscience　more　peculiarly　appertaining　to　religion；　Christian　charity；　and　a　pious　life；　shall　have　the　care　of　the　national　religion；　and　the　protection　of　the　liberty　of　conscience　with　the　cognizance　of　all　causes　relating　to　either　of　them。　And　first　as　to　the　national　religion：　they　shall　cause　all　places　or　preferments　of　the　best　revenue　in　either　of　the　universities　to　be　conferred　upon　no　other　than　such　of　the　most　learned　and　pious　men　as　have　dedicated　themselves　to　the　study　of　theology。　They　shall　also　take　a　special　care　that；　by　such　augmentations　as　be　or　shall　hereafter　be　appointed　by　the　Senate；　every　benefice　in　this　nation　be　improved　at　least　to　the　value　of　？00　a　year。　And　to　the　end　that　there　be　no　interest　at　all；　whereby　the　divines　or　teachers　of　the　national　religion　may　be　corrupted；　or　corrupt　religion；　they　shall　be　capable　of　no　other　kind　of　employment　or　preferment　in　this　commonwealth。　And　whereas　a　directory　for　the　administration　of　the　national　religion　is　to　be　prepared　by　this　council；　they　shall　in　this　and　other　debates　of　this　nature　proceed　in　manner　following：　a　question　arising　in　matter　of　religion　shall　be　put　and　stated　by　the　council　in　writing；　which　writing　the　censors　shall　send　by　their　beadles　（being　proctors　chosen　to　attend　them）　each　to　the　university　whereof　he　is　chancellor；　and　the　vice…chancellor　of　the　same　receiving　the　writing；　shall　call　a　convocation　of　all　the　divines　of　that　university　being　above　forty　years　of　age。　And　the　universities；　upon　a　point　so　proposed；　shall　have　no　manner　of　intelligence　or　correspondence　one　with　another；　till　their　debates　be　ended；　and　they　have　made　return　of　their　answers　to　the　Council　of　Religion　by　two　or　three　of　their　own　members；　that　they　may　clear　their　sense；　if　any　doubt　should　arise；　to　the　council；　which　done；　they　shall　return；　and　the　council；　having　received　such　information；　shall　proceed　according　to　their　own　judgments；　in　the　preparation　of　the　whole　matter　for　the　Senate：　that　so　the　interest　of　the　learned　being　removed；　there　may　be　a　right　application　of　reason　to　Scripture；　which　is　the　foundation　of　the　national　religion。　　　　　〃Secondly；　this　council；　as　to　the　protection　of　the　liberty　of　conscience；　shall　suffer　no　coercive　power　in　the　matter　of　religion　to　be　exercised　in　this　nation；　the　teachers　of　the　natural　religion　being　no　other　than　such　as　voluntarily　undertake　that　calling；　and　their　auditors　or　hearers　no　other　than　are　also　voluntary。　Nor　shall　any　gathered　congregation　be　molested　or　interrupted　in　their　way　of　worship　（being　neither　Jewish　nor　idolatrous）；　but　vigilantly　and　vigorously　protected　and　defended　in　the　enjoyment；　practice；　and　profession　of　the　same。　And　if　there　be　officers　or　auditors　appointed　by　any　such　congregation　for　the　introduction　of　causes　into　the　Council　of　Religion；　all　such　causes　so　introduced　shall　be　received；　heard；　and　determined　by　the　same；　with　recourse　had；　if　need　be；　to　the　Senate。　　　　　〃Thirdly；　every　petition　addressed　to　the　Senate；　except　that　of　a　tribe；　shall　be　received；　examined；　and　debated　by　this　council；　and　such　only　as　they；　upon　such　examination　and　debate　had；　shall　think　fit；　may　be　introduced　into　the　Senate。　　　　　〃The　Council　of　Trade　being　the　vena　porta　of　this　nation；　shall　hereafter　receive　instructions　more　at　large。　For　the　present；　their　experience；　attaining　to　a　right　understanding　of　those　trades　and　mysteries　that　feed　the　veins　of　this　commonwealth；　and　a　true　distinction　of　them　from　those　that　suck　or　exhaust　the　same；　they　shall　acquaint　the　Senate　with　the　conveniences　and　inconveniences；　to　the　end　that　encouragement　may　be　applied　to　the　one；　and　remedy　to　the　other。　　　　　〃The　Academy　of　the　provosts；　being　the　affability　of　the　commonwealth；　shall　assemble　every　day　toward　the　evening　in　a　fair　room；　having　certain　withdrawing…rooms　thereto　belonging；　and　all　sorts　of　company　that　will　repair　thither　for　conversation　or　discourse；　so　it　be　upon　matters　of　government；　news；　or　intelligence；　or　to　propose　anything　to　the　councils；　shall　be　freely　and　affably　received　in　the　outer　chamber；　and　heard　in　the　way　of　civil　conversation；　which　is　to　be　managed　without　any　other　awe　or　ceremony　than　is　thereto　usually　appertaining；　to　the　end　that　every　man　may　be　free；　and　that　what　is　proposed　by　one；　may　be　argued　or　discoursed　by　the　rest；　except　the　matter　be　of　secrecy；　in　which　case　the　provosts；　or　some　of　them；　shall　take　such　as　desire　audience　into　one　of　the　withdrawing…rooms。　And　the　provosts　are　to　give　their　minds　that　this　academy　be　so　governed；　adorned；　and　preserved；　as　may　be　most　attractive　to　men　of　parts　and　good　affections　to　the　commonwealth；　for　the　excellency　of　the　conversation。　　　　　〃Furthermore；　if　any　man；　not　being　able　or　willing　to　come　in　person；　has　any　advice　to　give　which　he　judges　may　be　for　the　good　of　the　commonwealth；　he　may　write　his　mind　to　the　Academy　of　the　provosts；　in　a　letter　signed　or　not　signed；　which　letter　shall　be　left　with　the　doorkeeper　of　the　Academy。　Nor　shall　any　person　delivering　such　a　letter　be　seized；　molested；　or　detained；　though　it　should　prove　to　be　a　libel。　But　the　letters　so　delivered　shall　be　presented　to　the　provosts；　and　in　case　they　be　so　many　that　they　cannot　well　be　perused　by　the　provosts　themselves；　they　shall　distribute　them　as　they　please　to　be　read　by　the　g