areopagitica-第10部分

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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　silver　and　precious

stones：　it　is　not　possible　for　man　to　sever　the　wheat　from　the

tares；　the　good　fish　from　the　other　fry；　that　must　be　the　Angels'

ministry　at　the　end　of　mortal　things。　　Yet　if　all　cannot　be　of　one

mindas　who　looks　they　should　be？this　doubtless　is　more

wholesome；　more　prudent；　and　more　Christian；　that　many　be

tolerated；　rather　than　all　compelled。　　I　mean　not　tolerated　popery；

and　open　superstition；　which；　as　it　extirpates　all　religions　and

civil　supremacies；　so　itself　should　be　extirpate；　provided　first

that　all　charitable　and　compassionate　means　be　used　to　win　and

regain　the　weak　and　the　misled：　that　also　which　is　impious　or　evil

absolutely　either　against　faith　or　manners　no　law　can　possibly

permit；　that　intends　not　to　unlaw　itself：　but　those　neighbouring

differences；　or　rather　indifferences；　are　what　I　speak　of；　whether

in　some　point　of　doctrine　or　of　discipline；　which；　though　they　may

be　many；　yet　need　not　interrupt　　THE　UNITY　OF　SPIRIT；　if　we

could　but　find　among　us　　THE　BOND　OF　PEACE。



In　the　meanwhile　if　any　one　would　write；　and　bring　his　helpful

hand　to　the　slow…moving　Reformation　which　we　labour　under；　if　Truth

have　spoken　to　him　before　others；　or　but　seemed　at　least　to　speak；

who　hath　so　bejesuited　us　that　we　should　trouble　that　man　with

asking　license　to　do　so　worthy　a　deed？　and　not　consider　this；　that

if　it　come　to　prohibiting；　there　is　not　aught　more　likely　to　be

prohibited　than　truth　itself；　whose　first　appearance　to　our　eyes；

bleared　and　dimmed　with　prejudice　and　custom；　is　more　unsightly　and

unplausible　than　many　errors；　even　as　the　person　is　of　many　a　great

man　slight　and　contemptuous　to　see　to。　　And　what　do　they　tell　us

vainly　of　new　opinions；　when　this　very　opinion　of　theirs；　that　none

must　be　heard　but　whom　they　like；　is　the　worst　and　newest　opinion

of　all　others；　and　is　the　chief　cause　why　sects　and　schisms　do　so

much　abound；　and　true　knowledge　is　kept　at　distance　from　us；

besides　yet　a　greater　danger　which　is　in　it。



For　when　God　shakes　a　kingdom　with　strong　and　healthful

commotions　to　a　general　reforming；　'tis　not　untrue　that　many

sectaries　and　false　teachers　are　then　busiest　in　seducing；　but　yet

more　true　it　is；　that　God　then　raises　to　his　own　work　men　of　rare

abilities；　and　more　than　common　industry；　not　only　to　look　back　and

revise　what　hath　been　taught　heretofore；　but　to　gain　further　and　go

on　some　new　enlightened　steps　in　the　discovery　of　truth。　　For　such

is　the　order　of　God's　enlightening　his　Church；　to　dispense　and　deal

out　by　degrees　his　beam；　so　as　our　earthly　eyes　may　best　sustain

it。



Neither　is　God　appointed　and　confined；　where　and　out　of　what

place　these　his　chosen　shall　be　first　heard　to　speak；　for　he　sees

not　as　man　sees；　chooses　not　as　man　chooses；　lest　we　should　devote

ourselves　again　to　set　places；　and　assemblies；　and　outward　callings

of　men；　planting　our　faith　one　while　in　the　old　Convocation　house；

and　another　while　in　the　Chapel　at　Westminster；　when　all　the　faith

and　religion　that　shall　be　there　canonized　is　not　sufficient

without　plain　convincement；　and　the　charity　of　patient　instruction

to　supple　the　least　bruise　of　conscience；　to　edify　the　meanest

Christian；　who　desires　to　walk　in　the　Spirit；　and　not　in　the　letter

of　human　trust；　for　all　the　number　of　voices　that　can　be　there

made；　no；　though　Harry　VII　himself　there；　with　all　his　liege　tombs

about　him；　should　lend　them　voices　from　the　dead；　to　swell　their

number。



And　if　the　men　be　erroneous　who　appear　to　be　the　leading

schismatics；　what　withholds　us　but　our　sloth；　our　self…will；　and

distrust　in　the　right　cause；　that　we　do　not　give　them　gentle

meetings　and　gentle　dismissions；　that　we　debate　not　and　examine　the

matter　thoroughly　with　liberal　and　frequent　audience；　if　not　for

their　sakes；　yet　for　our　own？　seeing　no　man　who　hath　tasted

learning；　but　will　confess　the　many　ways　of　profiting　by　those　who；

not　contented　with　stale　receipts；　are　able　to　manage