areopagitica-第7部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



officer；　whose　hand　should　be　annexed　to　pass　his　credit　for　him

that　now　he　might　be　safely　read；　it　could　not　be　apprehended　less

than　a　disgraceful　punishment。　　Whence　to　include　the　whole　nation；

and　those　that　never　yet　thus　offended；　under　such　a　diffident　and

suspectful　prohibition；　may　plainly　be　understood　what　a

disparagement　it　is。　　So　much　the　more；　whenas　debtors　and

delinquents　may　walk　abroad　without　a　keeper；　but　unoffensive　books

must　not　stir　forth　without　a　visible　jailer　in　their　title。



Nor　is　it　to　the　common　people　less　than　a　reproach；　for　if　we　be

so　jealous　over　them；　as　that　we　dare　not　trust　them　with　an

English　pamphlet；　what　do　we　but　censure　them　for　a　giddy；　vicious；

and　ungrounded　people；　in　such　a　sick　and　weak　state　of　faith　and

discretion；　as　to　be　able　to　take　nothing　down　but　through　the　pipe

of　a　licenser？　　That　this　is　care　or　love　of　them；　we　cannot

pretend；　whenas；　in　those　popish　places　where　the　laity　are　most

hated　and　despised；　the　same　strictness　is　used　over　them。　　Wisdom

we　cannot　call　it；　because　it　stops　but　one　breach　of　licence；　nor

that　neither：　whenas　those　corruptions；　which　it　seeks　to　prevent；

break　in　faster　at　other　doors　which　cannot　be　shut。



And　in　conclusion　it　reflects　to　the　disrepute　of　our　ministers

also；　of　whose　labours　we　should　hope　better；　and　of　the

proficiency　which　their　flock　reaps　by　them；　than　that　after　all

this　light　of　the　Gospel　which　is；　and　is　to　be；　and　all　this

continual　preaching；　they　should　still　be　frequented　with　such　an

unprincipled；　unedified　and　laic　rabble；　as　that　the　whiff　of　every

new　pamphlet　should　stagger　them　out　of　their　catechism　and

Christian　walking。　　This　may　have　much　reason　to　discourage　the

ministers　when　such　a　low　conceit　is　had　of　all　their　exhortations；

and　the　benefiting　of　their　hearers；　as　that　they　are　not　thought

fit　to　be　turned　loose　to　three　sheets　of　paper　without　a　licenser；

that　all　the　sermons；　all　the　lectures　preached；　printed；　vented　in

such　numbers；　and　such　volumes；　as　have　now　well　nigh　made　all

other　books　unsaleable；　should　not　be　armour　enough　against　one

single　Enchiridion；　without　the　castle　of　St。　Angelo　of　an

Imprimatur。



And　lest　some　should　persuade　ye；　Lords　and　Commons；　that　these

arguments　of　learned　men's　discouragement　at　this　your　Order　are

mere　flourishes；　and　not　real；　I　could　recount　what　I　have　seen　and

heard　in　other　countries；　where　this　kind　of　inquisition

tyrannizes；　when　I　have　sat　among　their　learned　men；　for　that

honour　I　had；　and　been　counted　happy　to　be　born　in　such　a　place　of

philosophic　freedom；　as　they　supposed　England　was；　while　themselves

did　nothing　but　bemoan　the　servile　condition　into　which　learning

amongst　them　was　brought；　that　this　was　it　which　had　damped　the

glory　of　Italian　wits；　that　nothing　had　been　there　written　now

these　many　years　but　flattery　and　fustian。　　There　it　was　that　I

found　and　visited　the　famous　Galileo；　grown　old；　a　prisoner　to　the

Inquisition；　for　thinking　in　astronomy　otherwise　than　the

Franciscan　and　Dominican　licensers　thought。　　And　though　I　knew　that

England　then　was　groaning　loudest　under　the　prelatical　yoke；

nevertheless　I　took　it　as　a　pledge　of　future　happiness；　that　other

nations　were　so　persuaded　of　her　liberty。　　Yet　was　it　beyond　my

hope　that　those　worthies　were　then　breathing　in　her　air；　who　should

be　her　leaders　to　such　a　deliverance；　as　shall　never　be　forgotten

by　any　revolution　of　time　that　this　world　hath　to　finish。　　When

that　was　once　begun；　it　was　as　little　in　my　fear　that　what　words　of

complaint　I　heard　among　learned　men　of　other　parts　uttered　against

the　Inquisition；　the　same　I　should　hear　by　as　learned　men　at　home；

uttered　in　time　of　Parliament　against　an　order　of　licensing；　and

that　so　generally　that；　when　I　had　disclosed　myself　a　companion　of

their　discontent；　I　might　say；　if　without　envy；　that　he　whom　an

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。