the commonwealth of oceana-第18节

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his　place　and　after　this　manner　explained。　　　　　〃The　two　overseers　for　the　time　being　shall　seat　themselves　at　the　upper　end　of　the　middle　alley；　with　a　table　before　them；　their　faces　being　toward　the　congregation；　and　the　constable　for　the　time　being　shall　set　an　urn　before　the　table；　into　which　he　shall　put　so　many　balls　as　there　be　elders　present；　whereof　there　shall　be　one　that　is　gilded；　the　rest　being　white；　and　when　the　constable　has　shaken　the　urn；　sufficiently　to　mix　the　balls；　the　overseers　shall　call　the　elders　to　the　urn；　who　from　each　side　of　the　church　shall　come　up　the　middle　alley　in　two　files；　every　man　passing　by　the　urn；　and　drawing　out　one　ball；　which；　if　it　be　silver；　he　shall　cast　into　a　bowl　standing　at　the　foot　of　the　urn；　and　return　by　the　outward　alley　on　his　side　to　his　place。　But　he　who　draws　the　golden　ball　is　the　proposer；　and　shall　be　seated　between　the　overseers；　where　he　shall　begin　in　what　order　he　pleases；　and　name　such　as；　upon　his　oath　already　taken；　he　conceives　fittest　to　be　chosen；　one　by　one；　to　the　elders；　and　the　party　named　shall　withdraw　while　the　congregation　is　balloting　his　name　by　the　double　box　or　boxes　appointed　and　marked　on　the　outward　part；　to　show　which　side　is　affirmative　and　which　negative；　being　carried　by　a　boy　or　boys　appointed　by　the　overseers；　to　every　one　of　the　elders；　who　shall　hold　up　a　pellet　made　of　linen　rags　between　his　finger　and　his　thumb；　and　put　it　after　such　a　manner　into　the　box；　as　though　no　man　can　see　into　which　side　he　puts　it；　yet　any　man　may　see　that　he　puts　in　but　one　pellet　or　suffrage。　And　the　suffrage　of　the　congregation　being　thus；　given；　shall　be　returned　with　the　box　or　boxes　to　the　overseers；　who　opening　the　same；　shall　pour　the　affirmative　balls　into　a　white　bowl　standing　upon　the　table　on　the　right　hand；　to　be　numbered　by　the　first　overseer；　and　the　negative　into　a　green　bowl　standing　on　the　left　hand；　to　be　numbered　by　the　second　overseer；　and　the　suffrages　being　numbered；　he　who　has　the　major　part　in　the　affirmative　is　one　of　the　deputies　of　the　parish；　and　when　so　many　deputies　are　chosen　as　amount　to　a　full　fifth　part　of　the　whole　number　of　the　elders；　the　ballot　for　that　time　shall　cease。　The　deputies　being　chosen　are　to　be　listed　by　the　overseers　in　order　as　they　were　chosen；　except　only　that　such　as　are　horse　must　be　listed　in　the　first　place　with　the　rest；　proportionable　to　the　number　of　the　congregation；　after　this　manner。

Anno　Domini

THE　LIST　OF　THE　FIRST　MOVER

A。A。　Equestrian　Order；　First　Deputy　B。B。　Second　Deputy；　C。C。　Third　Deputy；　D。D。　Fourth　Deputy；　E。E。　Fifty　Deputy；

Of　the　parish　of　______　in　the　hundred　of　_______　and　the　tribe　of　______；　which　parish　at　the　present　election　contains　twenty　elders；　whereof　one　is　of　the　horse　or　equestrian　order。


　　　　〃The　first　and　second　in　the　list　are　overseers　by　consequence；　the　third　is　the　constable；　and　the　fourth　and　fifth　are　churchwardens；　the　persons　so　chosen　are　deputies　of　the　parish　for　the　space　of　one　year　from　their　election；　and　no　longer；　nor　may　they　be　elected　two　years　together。　This　list；　being　the　primum　mobile；　or　first　mover　of　the　commonwealth；　is　to　be　registered　in　a　book　diligently　kept　and　preserved　by　the　overseers；　who　are　responsible　in　their　places；　for　these　and　other　duties　to　be　hereafter　mentioned；　to　the　censors　of　the　tribe；　and　the　congregation　is　to　observe　the　present　order；　as　they　will　answer　the　contrary　to　the　phylarch；　or　prerogative　troop　of　the　tribe；　which；　in　case　of　failure　in　the　whole　or　any　part　of　it；　have　power　to　fine　them　or　any　of　them　at　discretion；　but　under　an　appeal　to　the　Parliament。〃　　　　　For　proof　of　this　order；　first；　in　reason；　it　is　with　all　politicians　past　dispute　that　paternal　power　is　in　the　right　of　nature；　and　this　is　no　other　than　the　derivation　of　power　from　fathers　of　families　as　the　natural　root　of　a　commonwealth。　And　for　experience；　if　it　be　otherwise　in　that　of　Holland；　I　know　no　other　example　of　the　like　kind。　in　Israel；　the　sovereign　power　came　clearly　from　the　natural　root；　the　elders　of　the　whole　people；　and　Rome　was　born；　Comitiis　curiatis；　in　her　parochial　congregations；　out　of　which　Romulus　first　raised　her　Senate；　then　all　the　rest　of　the　orders　of　that　commonwealth；　which　rose　so　high：　for　the　depth　of　a　commonwealth　is　the　just　height　of　it…

　　　　〃She　raises　up　her　head　unto　the　skies；　　　　　Near　as　her　root　unto　the　centre　lies。〃

　　　　And　if　the　Commonwealth　of　Rome　was　born　of　thirty　parishes；　this　of　Oceana　was　born　of　10；000。　But　whereas　mention　in　the　birth　of　this　is　made　of　an　equestrian　order；　it　may　startle　such　as　know　that　the　division　of　the　people　of　Rome；　at　the　institution　of　that　commonwealth　into　orders；　was　the　occasion　of　its　ruin。　The　distinction　of　the　patrician　as　a　hereditary　order　from　the　very　institution；　engrossing　all　the　magistracies；　was　indeed　the　destruction　of　Rome；　but　to　a　knight　or　one　of　the　equestrian　order；　says　Horace；

　　　　〃Si　quadringentis　sex　septem　millia　desunt；　　　　　Plebs　eris。〃

By　which　it　should　seem　that　this　order　was　not　otherwise　hereditary　than　a　man's　estate；　nor　did　it　give　any　claim　to　magistracy；　wherefore　you　shall　never　find　that　it　disquieted　the　commonwealth；　nor　does　the　name　denote　any　more　in　Oceana　than　the　duty　of　such　a　man's　estate　to　the　public。　　　　　But　the　surveyors；　both　in　this　place　and　in　others；　forasmuch　as　they　could　not　observe　all　the　circumstances　of　this　order；　especially　that　of　the　time　of　election；　did　for　the　first　as　well　as　they　could；　and；　the　elections　being　made　and　registered；　took　each　of　them　copies　of　those　lists　which　were　within　their　allotments；　which　done　they　produced　　　　　　The　sixth　order；　directing　〃in　case　a　parson　or　vicar　of　a　parish　comes　to　be　removed　by　death　or　by　the　censors；　that　the　congregation　of　the　parish　assemble　and　depute　one　or　two　elders　by　the　ballot；　who　upon　the　charge　of　the　parish　shall　repair　to　one　of　the　universities　of　this　nation　with　a　certificate　signed　by　the　overseers；　and　addressed　to　the　vice…chancellor；　which　certificate；　giving　notice　of　the　death　or　removal　of　the　parson　or　vicar；　of　the　value　of　the　parsonage　or　vicarage；　and　of　the　desire　of　the　congregation　to　receive　a　probationer　from　that　university；　the　vice…chancellor；　upon　the　receipt　thereof；　shall　call　a　convocation；　and　having　made　choice　of　a　fit　person；　shall　return　him　in　due　time　to　the　parish；　where　the　person　so　returned　shall　return　the　full　fruits　of　the　benefice　or　vicarage；　and　do　the　duty　of　the　parson　or　vicar；　for　the　space　of　one　year；　as　probationer；　and　that　being　expired；　the　congregation　of　the　elders　shall　put　their　probationer　to　the　ballot；　and　if　he　attains　not　to　two　parts　in　three　of　the　suffrage　affirmative；　he　shall　take　his　leave　of　the　parish；　and　they　shall　send　in　like　manner　as　before　for　another　probationer；　but　if　their　probationer　obtains　two　parts　in　three　of　the　suffrage　affirmative；　he　is　then　pastor　of　that　parish。　And　the　pastor　of　the　parish　shall　pray　with　the　congregation；　preach　the　Word；　and　administer　the　sacraments　to　the　same；　according　to　the　directory　to　be　hereafter　appointed　by　the　Parliament。　Nevertheless　such　as　are　of　gathered　congregations；　or　from　time　to　time　shall　join　with　any　of　them；　are　in　no　wise　obliged　to　this　way　of　electing　their　teachers；　or　to　give　their　votes　in　this　case；　but　wholly　left　to　the　liberty　of　their　own　consciences；　and　to　that　way　of　worship　which　they　shall　choose；　being　not　popish；　Jewish；　or　idolatrous。　And　to　the　end　they　may　be　the　better　protected　by　the　State　in　the　exercise　of　the　same；　they　are　desired　to　make　choice；　and　such　manner　as　they　best　like；　of　certain　magistrates　in　every　one　of　their　congregations；　which　we　could　wish　might　be　four　in　each　of　them；　to　be　auditors　in　cases　of　differences　or　distaste；　if　any　through　variety　of　opinions；　that　may　be　grievous　or　injurious　to　them；　shall　fall　out。　And　such　auditors　or　magistrates　shall　have　power　to　examine　the　matter；　and　inform　themselves；　to　the　end　that　if　they　think　it　of　sufficient　weight；　they　may　acquaint　the　phylarch　with　it；　or　introduce　it　into　the　Council　of　Religion；　where　all　such　causes　as　those　magistrates　introduce　shall　from　time　to　time　be　heard　and　determined　according　to　such　laws　as　are　or　shall　hereafter　be　provided　by　the　Parliament　for　the　just　defence　of　the　liberty　of　conscience。〃　　　　　This　order　consists　of　three　parts；　the　first　restoring　the　power　of　ordination　to　the　people；　which；　that　it　originally　belongs　to　them；　is　clear；　though　not　in　English　yet　in　Scripture；　where　the　apostles　ordained　elders　by　the　holding　up　of　hands　in　every　congregation；　that　is；　by　the　suffrage　of　the　people；　which　was　also　given　in　some　of　those　cities　by　the　ballot。　And　though　it　may　be　shown　that　the　apostles　ordained　some　by　the　laying　on　of　hands；　it　will　not　be　shown　that　they　did　so　in　every　congregation。　　　　　Excommunication；　as　not　clearly　provable　out　of　the　Scripture；　being　omitted；　the　second　part　of　the　order　implies　and　establishes　a　national　religion；　for　there　be　degrees　of　knowledge　in　divine　things；　true　religion　is　not　to　be　learned　without　searching　the　Scripture；　the　Scriptures　cannot　be　searched　by　us　unles