areopagitica-第10节

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！



become　hitherto　the　latest　and　the　backwardest　scholars；　of　whom

God　offered　to　have　made　us　the　teachers。　　Now　once　again　by　all

concurrence　of　signs；　and　by　the　general　instinct　of　holy　and

devout　men；　as　they　daily　and　solemnly　express　their　thoughts；　God

is　decreeing　to　begin　some　new　and　great　period　in　his　Church；　even

to　the　reforming　of　Reformation　itself：　what　does　he　then　but

reveal　himself　to　his　servants；　and　as　his　manner　is；　first　to　his

Englishmen？　　I　say；　as　his　manner　is；　first　to　us；　though　we　mark

not　the　method　of　his　counsels；　and　are　unworthy。



Behold　now　this　vast　city：　a　city　of　refuge；　the　mansion　house　of

liberty；　encompassed　and　surrounded　with　his　protection；　the　shop

of　war　hath　not　there　more　anvils　and　hammers　waking；　to　fashion

out　the　plates　and　instruments　of　armed　justice　in　defence　of

beleaguered　truth；　than　there　be　pens　and　heads　there；　sitting　by

their　studious　lamps；　musing；　searching；　revolving　new　notions　and

ideas　wherewith　to　present；　as　with　their　homage　and　their　fealty；

the　approaching　Reformation：　others　as　fast　reading；　trying　all

things；　assenting　to　the　force　of　reason　and　convincement。　　What

could　a　man　require　more　from　a　nation　so　pliant　and　so　prone　to

seek　after　knowledge？　　What　wants　there　to　such　a　towardly　and

pregnant　soil；　but　wise　and　faithful　labourers；　to　make　a　knowing

people；　a　nation　of　prophets；　of　sages；　and　of　worthies？　　We　reckon

more　than　five　months　yet　to　harvest；　there　need　not　be　five　weeks；

had　we　but　eyes　to　lift　up；　the　fields　are　white　already。



Where　there　is　much　desire　to　learn；　there　of　necessity　will　be

much　arguing；　much　writing；　many　opinions；　for　opinion　in　good　men

is　but　knowledge　in　the　making。　　Under　these　fantastic　terrors　of

sect　and　schism；　we　wrong　the　earnest　and　zealous　thirst　after

knowledge　and　understanding　which　God　hath　stirred　up　in　this　city。　

What　some　lament　of；　we　rather　should　rejoice　at；　should　rather

praise　this　pious　forwardness　among　men；　to　reassume　the　ill…

deputed　care　of　their　religion　into　their　own　hands　again。　　A

little　generous　prudence；　a　little　forbearance　of　one　another；　and

some　grain　of　charity　might　win　all　these　diligences　to　join；　and

unite　in　one　general　and　brotherly　search　after　truth；　could　we　but

forgo　this　prelatical　tradition　of　crowding　free　consciences　and

Christian　liberties　into　canons　and　precepts　of　men。　　I　doubt　not；

if　some　great　and　worthy　stranger　should　come　among　us；　wise　to

discern　the　mould　and　temper　of　a　people；　and　how　to　govern　it；

observing　the　high　hopes　and　aims；　the　diligent　alacrity　of　our

extended　thoughts　and　reasonings　in　the　pursuance　of　truth　and

freedom；　but　that　he　would　cry　out　as　Pyrrhus　did；　admiring　the

Roman　docility　and　courage：　If　such　were　my　Epirots；　I　would　not

despair　the　greatest　design　that　could　be　attempted；　to　make　a

Church　or　kingdom　happy。



Yet　these　are　the　men　cried　out　against　for　schismatics　and

sectaries；　as　if；　while　the　temple　of　the　Lord　was　building；　some

cutting；　some　squaring　the　marble；　others　hewing　the　cedars；　there

should　be　a　sort　of　irrational　men　who　could　not　consider　there

must　be　many　schisms　and　many　dissections　made　in　the　quarry　and　in

the　timber；　ere　the　house　of　God　can　be　built。　　And　when　every

stone　is　laid　artfully　together；　it　cannot　be　united　into　a

continuity；　it　can　but　be　contiguous　in　this　world；　neither　can

every　piece　of　the　building　be　of　one　form；　nay　rather　the

perfection　consists　in　this；　that；　out　of　many　moderate　varieties

and　brotherly　dissimilitudes　that　are　not　vastly　disproportional；

arises　the　goodly　and　the　graceful　symmetry　that　commends　the　whole

pile　and　structure。



Let　us　therefore　be　more　considerate　builders；　more　wise　in

spiritual　architecture；　when　great　reformation　is　expected。　　For

now　the　time　seems　come；　wherein　Moses　the　great　prophet　may　sit　in

heaven　rejoicing　to　see　that　memorable　and　glorious　wish　of　his

fulfilled；　when　not　only　our　seventy　elders；　but　all　the　Lord's

people；　are　become　prophets。　　No　marvel　then　though　some　men；　and

some　good　men　too　perhaps；　but　young　in　goodness；　as　Joshua　then

was；　envy　them。　　They　fret；　and　out　of　their　own　weakness　are　in

agony；　lest　these　divisions　and　subdivisions　will　undo　us。　　The

adversary　again　applauds；　and　waits　the　hour：　when　they　have

branched　themselves　out；　saith　he；　small　enough　into　parties　and

partitions；　then　will　be　our　time。　　Fool！　he　sees　not　the　firm

root；　out　of　which　we　all　grow；　though　into　branches：　nor　will

beware　until　he　see　our　small　divided　maniples　cutting　through　at

every　angle　of　his　ill…united　and　unwieldy　brigade。　　And　that　we

are　to　hope　better　of　all　these　supposed　sects　and　schisms；　and

that　we　shall　not　need　that　solicitude；　honest　perhaps；　though

over…timorous；　of　them　that　vex　in　this　behalf；　but　shall　laugh　in

the　end　at　those　malicious　applauders　of　our　differences；　I　have

these　reasons　to　persuade　me。



First；　when　a　city　shall　be　as　it　were　besieged　and　blocked

about；　her　navigable　river　infested；　inroads　and　incursions　round；

defiance　and　battle　oft　rumoured　to　be　marching　up　even　to　her

walls　and　suburb　trenches；　that　then　the　people；　or　the　greater

part；　more　than　at　other　times；　wholly　taken　up　with　the　study　of

highest　and　most　important　matters　to　be　reformed；　should　be

disputing；　reasoning；　reading；　inventing；　discoursing；　even　to　a

rarity　and　admiration；　things　not　before　discoursed　or　written　of；

argues　first　a　singular　goodwill；　contentedness　and　confidence　in

your　prudent　foresight　and　safe　government；　Lords　and　Commons；　and

from　thence　derives　itself　to　a　gallant　bravery　and　well…grounded

contempt　of　their　enemies；　as　if　there　were　no　small　number　of　as

great　spirits　among　us；　as　his　was；　who　when　Rome　was　nigh　besieged

by　Hannibal；　being　in　the　city；　bought　that　piece　of　ground　at　no

cheap　rate；　whereon　Hannibal　himself　encamped　his　own　regiment。



Next；　it　is　a　lively　and　cheerful　presage　of　our　happy　success

and　victory。　　For　as　in　a　body；　when　the　blood　is　fresh；　the

spirits　pure　and　vigorous；　not　only　to　vital　but　to　rational

faculties；　and　those　in　the　acutest　and　the　pertest　operations　of

wit　and　subtlety；　it　argues　in　what　good　plight　and　constitution

the　body　is；　so　when　the　cheerfulness　of　the　people　is　so　sprightly

up；　as　that　it　has　not　only　wherewith　to　guard　well　its　own　freedom

and　safety；　but　to　spare；　and　to　bestow　upon　the　solidest　and

sublimest　points　of　controversy　and　new　invention；　it　betokens　us

not　degenerated；　nor　drooping　to　a　fatal　decay；　but　casting　off　the

old　and　wrinkled　skin　of　corruption　to　outlive　these　pangs　and　wax

young　again；　entering　the　glorious　ways　of　truth　and　prosperous

virtue；　destined　to　become　great　and　honourable　in　these　latter

ages。　　Methinks　I　see　in　my　mind　a　noble　and　puissant　nation

rousing　herself　like　a　strong　man　after　sleep；　and　shaking　her

invincible　locks：　methinks　I　see　her　as　an　eagle　mewing　her　mighty

youth；　and　kindling　her　undazzled　eyes　at　the　full　midday　beam；

purging　and　unscaling　her　long…abused　sight　at　the　fountain　itself

of　heavenly　radiance；　while　the　whole　noise　of　timorous　and

flocking　birds；　with　those　also　that　love　the　twilight；　flutter

about；　amazed　at　what　she　means；　and　in　their　envious　gabble　would

prognosticate　a　year　of　sects　and　schisms。



What　would　ye　do　then？　should　ye　suppress　all　this　flowery　crop

of　knowledge　and　new　light　sprung　up　and　yet　springing　daily　in

this　city？　　Should　ye　set　an　oligarchy　of　twenty　engrossers　over

it；　to　bring　a　famine　upon　our　minds　again；　when　we　shall　know

nothing　but　what　is　measured　to　us　by　their　bushel？　　Believe　it；

Lords　and　Commons；　they　who　counsel　ye　to　such　a　suppressing　do　as

good　as　bid　ye　suppress　yourselves；　and　I　will　soon　show　how。　　If

it　be　desired　to　know　the　immediate　cause　of　all　this　free　writing

and　free　speaking；　there　cannot　be　assigned　a　truer　than　your　own

mild　and　free　and　humane　government。　　It　is　the　liberty；　Lords　and

Commons；　which　your　own　valorous　and　happy　counsels　have　purchased

us；　liberty　which　is　the　nurse　of　all　great　wits；　this　is　that

which　hath　rarefied　and　enlightened　our　spirits　like　the　influence

of　heaven；　this　is　that　which　hath　enfranchised；　enlarged　and

lifted　up　our　apprehensions；　degrees　above　themselves。



Ye　cannot　make　us　now　less　capable；　less　knowing；　less　eagerly

pursuing　of　the　truth；　unless　ye　first　make　yourselves；　that　made

us　so；　less　the　lovers；　less　the　founders　of　our　true　liberty。　　We

can　grow　ignorant　again；　brutish；　formal　and　slavish；　as　ye　found

us；　but　you　then　must　first　become　that　which　ye　cannot　be；

oppressive；　arbitrary　and　tyrannous；　as　they　were　from　whom　ye　have

freed　us。　　That　our　hearts　are　now　more　capacious；　our　thoughts

more　erected　to　the　search　and　expectation　of　greatest　and　exactest

things；　is　the　issue　of　your　own　virtue　propagated　in　us；　ye　cannot

suppress　that；　unl