the commonwealth of oceana-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！


a　noble　family；　nor　will　it　be　any　occasion　of　scruple　in　this　case；　that　Leviathan　affirms　the　politics　to　be　no　ancienter　than　his　book　〃De　Cive。〃　Such　also　as　have　got　any　fame　in　the　civil　government　of　a　commonwealth；　or　by　the　leading　of　its　armies；　have　been　gentlemen；　for　so　in　all　other　respects　were　those　plebeian　magistrates　elected　by　the　people　of　Rome；　being　of　known　descents　and　of　equal　virtues；　except　only　that　they　were　excluded　from　the　name　by　the　usurpation　of　the　patricians。　Holland；　through　this　defect　at　home；　has　borrowed　princes　for　generals；　and　gentlemen　of　divers　nations　for　commanders：　and　the　Switzers；　if　they　have　any　defect　in　this　kind；　rather　lend　their　people　to　the　colors　of　other　princes；　than　make　that　noble　use　of　them　at　home　which　should　assert　the　liberty　of　mankind。　For　where　there　is　not　a　nobility　to　hearten　the　people；　they　are　slothful；　regardless　of　the　world；　and　of　the　public　interest　of　liberty；　as　even　those　of　Rome　had　been　without　their　gentry：　wherefore　let　the　people　embrace　the　gentry　in　peace；　as　the　light　of　their　eyes；　and　in　war；　as　the　trophy　of　their　arms；　and　if　Cornelia　disdained　to　be　Queen　of　Egypt；　if　a　Roman　consul　looked　down　from　his　tribunal　upon　the　greatest　king；　let　the　nobility　love　and　cherish　the　people　that　afford　them　a　throne　so　much　higher　in　a　commonwealth；　in　the　acknowledgment　of　their　virtue；　than　the　crowns　of　monarchs。　　　　　But　if　the　equality　of　a　commonwealth　consist　in　the　equality　first　of　the　agrarian；　and　next　of　the　rotation；　then　the　inequality　of　a　commonwealth　must　consist　in　the　absence　or　inequality　of　the　agrarian；　or　of　the　rotation；　or　of　both。　　　　　Israel　and　Lacedaemon；　which　commonwealths　（as　the　people　of　this；　in　Josephus；　claims　kindred　of　that）　have　great　resemblance；　were　each　of　them　equal　in　their　agrarian；　and　unequal　in　their　rotation；　especially　Israel；　where　the　Sanhedrim；　or　Senate；　first　elected　by　the　people；　as　appears　by　the　words　of　Moses；　took　upon　them　ever　after；　without　any　precept　of　God；　to　substitute　their　successors　by　ordination；　which　having　been　there　of　civil　use；　as　excommunication；　community　of　goods；　and　other　customs　of　the　Essenes；　who　were　many　of　them　converted；　came　afterward　to　be　introduced　into　the　Christian　Church。　And　the　election　of　the　judge；　suffes；　or　dictator；　was　irregular；　both　for　the　occasion；　the　term；　and　the　vacation　of　that　magistracy。　As　you　find　in　the　book　of　Judges；　where　it　is　often　repeated；　that　in　those　days　there　was　no　king　in　Israel　　that　is；　no　judge；　and　in　the　first　of　Samuel；　where　Eli　judged　Israel　forty　years；　and　Samuel；　all　his　life。　In　Lacedaemon　the　election　of　the　Senate　being　by　suffrage　of　the　people；　though　for　life；　was　not　altogether　so　unequal；　yet　the　hereditary　right　of　kings；　were　it　not　for　the　agrarian；　had　ruined　her。　　　　　Athens　and　Rome　were　unequal　as　to　their　agrarian；　that　of　Athens　being　infirm；　and　this　of　Rome　none　at　all；　for　if　it　were　more　anciently　carried　it　was　never　observed。　Whence；　by　the　time　of　Tiberius　Gracchus；　the　nobility　had　almost　eaten　the　people　quite　out　of　their　lands；　which　they　held　in　the　occupation　of　tenants　and　servants；　whereupon　the　remedy　being　too　late；　and　too　vehemently　applied；　that　commonwealth　was　ruined。　　　　　These　also　were　unequal　in　their　rotation；　but　in　a　contrary　manner。　Athens；　in　regard　that　the　Senate　（chosen　at　once　by　lot；　not　by　suffrage；　and　changed　every　year；　not　in　part；　but　in　the　whole）　consisted　not　of　the　natural　aristocracy；　nor　sitting　long　enough　to　understand　or　to　be　perfect　in　their　office；　had　no　sufficient　authority　to　restrain　the　people　from　that　perpetual　turbulence　in　the　end；　which　was　their　ruin；　notwithstanding　the　efforts　of　Nicias；　who　did　all　a　man　could　do　to　help　it。　But　as　Athens；　by　the　headiness　of　the　people；　so　Rome　fell　by　the　ambition　of　the　nobility；　through　the　want　of　an　equal　rotation；　which；　if　the　people　had　got　into　the　Senate；　and　timely　into　the　magistracies　（whereof　the　former　was　always　usurped　by　the　patricians；　and　the　latter　for　the　most　part）　they　had　both　carried　and　held　their　agrarian；　and　that　had　rendered　that　commonwealth　immovable。　　　　　But　let　a　commonwealth　be　equal　or　unequal；　it　must　consist；　as　has　been　shown　by　reason　and　all　experience；　of　the　three　general　orders；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　Senate　debating　and　proposing；　of　the　people　resolving；　and　of　the　magistracy　executing。　Wherefore　I　can　never　wonder　enough　at　Leviathan；　who；　without　any　reason　or　example；　will　have　it　that　a　commonwealth　consists　of　a　single　person；　or　of　a　single　assembly；　nor　can　I　sufficiently　pity　those　〃thousand　gentlemen；　whose　minds；　which　otherwise　would　have　wavered；　he　has　framed　（as　is　affirmed　by　himself）　in　to　a　conscientious　obedience　（for　so　he　is　pleased　to　call　it）　of　such　a　government。〃　　　　　But　to　finish　this　part　of　the　discourse；　which　I　intend　for　as　complete　an　epitome　of　ancient　prudence；　and　in　that　of　the　whole　art　of　politics；　as　I　am　able　to　frame　in　so　short　a　time：　　　　　The　two　first　orders；　that　is　to　say；　the　Senate　and　the　people；　are　legislative；　whereunto　answers　that　part　of　this　science　which　by　politicians　is　entitled　〃of　laws；〃　and　the　third　order　is　executive；　to　which　answers　that　part　of　the　same　science　which　is　styled　〃of　the　frame　and　course　of　courts　or　judicatories。〃　A　word　to　each　of　these　will　be　necessary。　　　　　And　first　for　laws：　they　are　either　ecclesiastical　or　civil；　such　as　concern　religion　or　government。　　　　　Laws；　ecclesiastical；　or　such　as　concern　religion；　according　to　the　universal　course　of　ancient　prudence；　are　in　the　power　of　the　magistrate；　but；　according　to　the　common　practice　of　modern　prudence；　since　the　papacy；　torn　out　of　his　hands。　　　　　But；　as　a　government　pretending　to　liberty；　and　yet　suppressing　liberty　of　conscience　（which；　because　religion　not　according　to　a　man's　conscience　can　to　him　be　none　at　all；　is　the　main）　must　be　a　contradiction；　so　a　man　that；　pleading　for　the　liberty　of　private　conscience；　refuses　liberty　to　the　national　conscience；　must　be　absurd。　　　　　A　commonwealth　is　nothing　else　but　the　national　conscience。　And　if　the　conviction　of　a　man's　private　conscience　produces　his　private　religion；　the　conviction　of　the　national　conscience　must　produce　a　national　religion。　Whether　this　be　well　reasoned；　as　also　whether　these　two　may　stand　together；　will　best　be　shown　by　the　examples　of　the　ancient　commonwealths　taken　in　their　order。　　　　　In　that　of　Israel　the　government　of　the　national　religion　appertained　not　to　the　priests　and　Levites；　otherwise　than　as　they　happened　to　be　of　the　Sanhedrim；　or　Senate；　to　which　they　had　no　right　at　all　but　by　election。　It　is　in　this　capacity　therefore　that　the　people　are　commanded；　under　pain　of　death；　〃to　hearken　to　them；　and　to　do　according　to　the　sentence　of　the　law　which　they　should　teach；〃　but　in　Israel　the　law　ecclesiastical　and　civil　was　the　same；　therefore　the　Sanhedrim；　having　the　power　of　one；　had　the　power　of　both。　But　as　the　national　religion　appertained　to　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Sanhedrim；　so　the　liberty　of　conscience　appertained；　from　the　same　date；　and　by　the　same　right；　to　the　prophets　and　their　disciples；　as　where　it　is　said；　〃I　will　raise　up　a　prophet；　and　whoever　will　not　hearken　to　my　words　which　he　shall　speak　in　my　name；　I　will　require　it　of　him。〃　The　words　relate　to　prophetic　right；　which　was　above　all　the　orders　of　this　commonwealth；　whence　Elijah　not　only　refused　to　obey　the　King；　but　destroyed　his　messengers　with　fire。　And　whereas　it　was　not　lawful　by　the　national　religion　to　sacrifice　in　any　other　place　than　the　Temple；　a　prophet　was　his　own　temple；　and　might　sacrifice　where　he　would；　as　Elijah　did　in　Mount　Carmel。　By　this　right　John　the　Baptist　and　our　Saviour；　to　whom　it　more　particularly　related；　had　their　disciples；　and　taught　the　people；　whence　is　derived　our　present　right　of　gathered　congregations；　wherefore　the　Christian　religion　grew　up　according　to　the　orders　of　the　Commonwealth　of　Israel；　and　not　against　them。　Nor　was　liberty　of　conscience　infringed　by　this　government；　till　the　civil　liberty　of　the　same　was　lost；　as　under　Herod；　Pilate；　and　Tiberius；　a　three…piled　tyranny。　　　　　To　proceed；　Athens　preserved　her　rel