Religion being the chief band of human society, is a happy thing, when itself is well contained within the true band of unity1. The quarrels, and divisions about religion, were evils unknown to the heathen. The reason was, because the religion of the heathen, consisted rather in rites2 and ceremonies, than in any constant belief. For you may imagine, what kind of faith theirs was, when the chief doctors, and fathers of their church, were the poets. But the true God hath this attribute, that he is a jealous God; and therefore, his worship and religion, will endure no mixture, nor partner. We shall therefore speak a few words, concerning the unity of the church; what are the fruits thereof; what the bounds; and what the means.
The fruits of unity (next unto the well pleasing of God, which is all in all) are two: the one, towards those that are without the church, the other, towards those that are within. For the former; it is certain, that heresies3, and schisms4, are of all others the greatest scandals; yea, more than corruption6 of manners. For as in the natural body, a wound, or solution of continuity, is worse than a corrupt5 humor; so in the spiritual. So that nothing, doth so much keep men out of the church and drive men out of the church, as breach7 of unity. And therefore, whensoever it cometh to that pass, that one saith, Ecce in deserto, another saith, Ecce in penetralibus; that is, when some men seek Christ, in the conventicles of heretics, and others, in an outward face of a church, that voice had need continually to sound in men’s ears, Nolite exire, — Go not out. The doctor of the Gentiles (the propriety8 of whose vocation9, drew him to have a special care of those without) saith, if an heathen come in, and hear you speak with several tongues, will he not say that you are mad? And certainly it is little better, when atheists, and profane11 persons, do hear of so many discordant12, and contrary opinions in religion; it doth avert13 them from the church, and maketh them, to sit down in the chair of the scorners. It is but a light thing, to be vouched14 in so serious a matter, but yet it expresseth well the deformity. There is a master of scoffing15, that in his catalogue of books of a feigned16 library, sets down this title of a book, The Morris–Dance of Heretics. For indeed, every sect17 of them, hath a diverse posture19, or cringe by themselves, which cannot but move derision in worldlings, and depraved politics, who are apt to contemn20 holy things.
As for the fruit towards those that are within; it is peace; which containeth infinite blessings21. It establisheth faith; it kindleth charity; the outward peace of the church, distilleth into peace of conscience; and it turneth the labors22 of writing, and reading of controversies23, into treaties of mortification24 and devotion.
Concerning the bounds of unity; the true placing of them, importeth exceedingly. There appear to be two extremes. For to certain zealants, all speech of pacification25 is odious26. Is it peace, Jehu? What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. Peace is not the matter, but following, and party. Contrariwise, certain Laodiceans, and lukewarm persons, think they may accommodate points of religion, by middle way, and taking part of both, and witty27 reconcilements; as if they would make an arbitrament between God and man. Both these extremes are to be avoided; which will be done, if the league of Christians29, penned by our Savior himself, were in two cross clauses thereof, soundly and plainly expounded30: He that is not with us, is against us; and again, He that is not against us, is with us; that is, if the points fundamental and of substance in religion, were truly discerned and distinguished31, from points not merely of faith, but of opinion, order, or good intention. This is a thing may seem to many a matter trivial, and done already. But if it were done less partially32, it would be embraced more generally.
Of this I may give only this advice, according to my small model. Men ought to take heed33, of rending34 God’s church, by two kinds of controversies. The one is, when the matter of the point controverted35, is too small and light, not worth the heat and strife37 about it, kindled38 only by contradiction. For, as it is noted39, by one of the fathers, Christ’s coat indeed had no seam, but the church’s vesture was of divers18 colors; whereupon he saith, In veste varietas sit, scissura non sit; they be two things, unity and uniformity. The other is, when the matter of the point controverted, is great, but it is driven to an over-great subtilty, and obscurity; so that it becometh a thing rather ingenious, than substantial. A man that is of judgment40 and understanding, shall sometimes hear ignorant men differ, and know well within himself, that those which so differ, mean one thing, and yet they themselves would never agree. And if it come so to pass, in that distance of judgment, which is between man and man, shall we not think that God above, that knows the heart, doth not discern that frail41 men, in some of their contradictions, intend the same thing; and accepteth of both? The nature of such controversies is excellently expressed, by St. Paul, in the warning and precept42, that he giveth concerning the same, Devita profanas vocum novitates, et oppositiones falsi nominis scientiae. Men create oppositions43, which are not; and put them into new terms, so fixed44, as whereas the meaning ought to govern the term, the term in effect governeth the meaning. There be also two false peaces, or unities45: the one, when the peace is grounded, but upon an implicit46 ignorance; for all colors will agree in the dark: the other, when it is pieced up, upon a direct admission of contraries, in fundamental points. For truth and falsehood, in such things, are like the iron and clay, in the toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image; they may cleave47, but they will not incorporate.
Concerning the means of procuring48 unity; men must beware, that in the procuring, or muniting, of religious unity, they do not dissolve and deface the laws of charity, and of human society. There be two swords amongst Christians, the spiritual and temporal; and both have their due office and place, in the maintenance of religion. But we may not take up the third sword, which is Mahomet’s sword, or like unto it; that is, to propagate religion by wars, or by sanguinary persecutions to force consciences; except it be in cases of overt36 scandal, blasphemy49, or intermixture of practice against the state; much less to nourish seditions; to authorize50 conspiracies51 and rebellions; to put the sword into the people’s hands; and the like; tending to the subversion52 of all government, which is the ordinance53 of God. For this is but to dash the first table against the second; and so to consider men as Christians, as we forget that they are men. Lucretius the poet, when he beheld54 the act of Agamemnon, that could endure the sacrificing of his own daughter, exclaimed: Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum.
What would he have said, if he had known of the massacre55 in France, or the powder treason of England? He would have been seven times more Epicure56, and atheist10, than he was. For as the temporal sword is to be drawn57 with great circumspection58 in cases of religion; so it is a thing monstrous59, to put it into the hands of the common people. Let that be left unto the Anabaptists, and other furies. It was great blasphemy, when the devil said, I will ascend60, and be like the highest; but it is greater blasphemy, to personate God, and bring him in saying, I will descend61, and be like the prince of darkness; and what is it better, to make the cause of religion to descend, to the cruel and execrable actions of murthering princes, butchery of people, and subversion of states and governments? Surely this is to bring down the Holy Ghost, instead of the likeness62 of a dove, in the shape of a vulture or raven63; and set, out of the bark of a Christian28 church, a flag of a bark of pirates, and assassins. Therefore it is most necessary, that the church, by doctrine64 and decree, princes by their sword, and all learnings, both Christian and moral, as by their Mercury rod, do damn and send to hell for ever, those facts and opinions tending to the support of the same; as hath been already in good part done. Surely in counsels concerning religion, that counsel of the apostle would be prefixed, Ira hominis non implet justitiam Dei. And it was a notable observation of a wise father, and no less ingenuously65 confessed; that those which held and persuaded pressure of consciences, were commonly interested therein, themselves, for their own ends.
1 unity | |
n.团结,联合,统一;和睦,协调 | |
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2 rites | |
仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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3 heresies | |
n.异端邪说,异教( heresy的名词复数 ) | |
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4 schisms | |
n.教会分立,分裂( schism的名词复数 ) | |
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5 corrupt | |
v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
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6 corruption | |
n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
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7 breach | |
n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破 | |
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8 propriety | |
n.正当行为;正当;适当 | |
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9 vocation | |
n.职业,行业 | |
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10 atheist | |
n.无神论者 | |
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11 profane | |
adj.亵神的,亵渎的;vt.亵渎,玷污 | |
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12 discordant | |
adj.不调和的 | |
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13 avert | |
v.防止,避免;转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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14 vouched | |
v.保证( vouch的过去式和过去分词 );担保;确定;确定地说 | |
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15 scoffing | |
n. 嘲笑, 笑柄, 愚弄 v. 嘲笑, 嘲弄, 愚弄, 狼吞虎咽 | |
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16 feigned | |
a.假装的,不真诚的 | |
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17 sect | |
n.派别,宗教,学派,派系 | |
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18 divers | |
adj.不同的;种种的 | |
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19 posture | |
n.姿势,姿态,心态,态度;v.作出某种姿势 | |
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20 contemn | |
v.蔑视 | |
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21 blessings | |
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福 | |
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22 labors | |
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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23 controversies | |
争论 | |
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24 mortification | |
n.耻辱,屈辱 | |
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25 pacification | |
n. 讲和,绥靖,平定 | |
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26 odious | |
adj.可憎的,讨厌的 | |
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27 witty | |
adj.机智的,风趣的 | |
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28 Christian | |
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒 | |
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29 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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30 expounded | |
论述,详细讲解( expound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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32 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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33 heed | |
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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34 rending | |
v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 );分裂;(因愤怒、痛苦等而)揪扯(衣服或头发等);(声音等)刺破 | |
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35 controverted | |
v.争论,反驳,否定( controvert的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36 overt | |
adj.公开的,明显的,公然的 | |
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37 strife | |
n.争吵,冲突,倾轧,竞争 | |
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38 kindled | |
(使某物)燃烧,着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 ); 激起(感情等); 发亮,放光 | |
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39 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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40 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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41 frail | |
adj.身体虚弱的;易损坏的 | |
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42 precept | |
n.戒律;格言 | |
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43 oppositions | |
(强烈的)反对( opposition的名词复数 ); 反对党; (事业、竞赛、游戏等的)对手; 对比 | |
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44 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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45 unities | |
n.统一体( unity的名词复数 );(艺术等) 完整;(文学、戏剧) (情节、时间和地点的)统一性;团结一致 | |
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46 implicit | |
a.暗示的,含蓄的,不明晰的,绝对的 | |
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47 cleave | |
v.(clave;cleaved)粘着,粘住;坚持;依恋 | |
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48 procuring | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的现在分词 );拉皮条 | |
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49 blasphemy | |
n.亵渎,渎神 | |
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50 authorize | |
v.授权,委任;批准,认可 | |
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51 conspiracies | |
n.阴谋,密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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52 subversion | |
n.颠覆,破坏 | |
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53 ordinance | |
n.法令;条令;条例 | |
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54 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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55 massacre | |
n.残杀,大屠杀;v.残杀,集体屠杀 | |
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56 epicure | |
n.行家,美食家 | |
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57 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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58 circumspection | |
n.细心,慎重 | |
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59 monstrous | |
adj.巨大的;恐怖的;可耻的,丢脸的 | |
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60 ascend | |
vi.渐渐上升,升高;vt.攀登,登上 | |
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61 descend | |
vt./vi.传下来,下来,下降 | |
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62 likeness | |
n.相像,相似(之处) | |
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63 raven | |
n.渡鸟,乌鸦;adj.乌亮的 | |
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64 doctrine | |
n.教义;主义;学说 | |
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65 ingenuously | |
adv.率直地,正直地 | |
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