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！
knowledge cannot defile； nor consequently the books； if the will
and conscience be not defiled。
For books are as meats and viands are； some of good； some of
evil substance； and yet God； in that unapocryphal vision； said
without exception； RISE； PETER； KILL AND EAT； leaving the
choice to each man's discretion。 Wholesome meats to a vitiated
stomach differ little or nothing from unwholesome； and best books
to a naughty mind are not unappliable to occasions of evil。 Bad
meats will scarce breed good nourishment in the healthiest
concoction； but herein the difference is of bad books； that they to
a discreet and judicious reader serve in many respects to discover；
to confute； to forewarn； and to illustrate。 Whereof what better
witness can ye expect I should produce； than one of your own now
sitting in Parliament； the chief of learned men reputed in this
land； Mr。 Selden； whose volume of natural and national laws proves；
not only by great authorities brought together； but by exquisite
reasons and theorems almost mathematically demonstrative； that all
opinions； yea errors； known； read； and collated； are of main
service and assistance toward the speedy attainment of what is
truest。 I conceive； therefore； that when God did enlarge the
universal diet of man's body； saving ever the rules of temperance；
he then also； as before； left arbitrary the dieting and repasting
of our minds； as wherein every mature man might have to exercise
his own leading capacity。
How great a virtue is temperance； how much of moment through the
whole life of man！ Yet God commits the managing so great a trust；
without particular law or prescription； wholly to the demeanour of
every grown man。 And therefore when he himself tabled the Jews
from heaven； that omer； which was every man's daily portion of
manna； is computed to have been more than might have well sufficed
the heartiest feeder thrice as many meals。 For those actions which
enter into a man； rather than issue out of him； and therefore
defile not； God uses not to captivate under a perpetual childhood
of prescription； but trusts him with the gift of reason to be his
own chooser； there were but little work left for preaching； if law
and compulsion should grow so fast upon those things which
heretofore were governed only by exhortation。 Solomon informs us；
that much reading is a weariness to the flesh； but neither he nor
other inspired author tells us that such or such reading is
unlawful： yet certainly had God thought good to limit us herein； it
had been much more expedient to have told us what was unlawful than
what was wearisome。 As for the burning of those Ephesian books by
St。 Paul's converts； 'tis replied the books were magic； the Syriac
so renders them。 It was a private act； a voluntary act； and leaves
us to a voluntary imitation： the men in remorse burnt those books
which were their own； the magistrate by this example is not
appointed； these men practised the books； another might perhaps
have read them in some sort usefully。
Good and evil we know in the field of this world grow up
together almost inseparably； and the knowledge of good is so
involved and interwoven with the knowledge of evil； and in so many
cunning resemblances hardly to be discerned； that those confused
seeds which were imposed upon Psyche as an incessant labour to cull
out； and sort asunder； were not more intermixed。 It was from out
the rind of one apple tasted； that the knowledge of good and evil；
as two twins cleaving together； leaped forth into the world。 And
perhaps this is that doom which Adam fell into of knowing good and
evil； that is to say of knowing good by evil。 As therefore the
state of man now is； what wisdom can there be to choose； what
continence to forbear without the knowledge of evil？ He that can
apprehend and consider vice with all her baits and seeming
pleasures； and yet abstain； and yet distinguish； and yet prefer
that which is truly better； he is the true warfaring Christian。
I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue； unexercised and
unbreathed； that never sallies out and sees her adversary but
slinks out of the race； where that immortal garland is to be run
for； not without dust and heat。 Assuredly we bring not innocence
into the world； we bring impurity much rather； that which purifies
us is trial； and trial is by what is contrary。 That virtue
therefore which is but a youngling in the contemplation of evil；
and knows not the utmost that vice promises to her followers； and
rejects it； is but a blank virtue； not a pure； her whiteness is but
an excremental whiteness。 Which was the reason why our sage and
serious poet Spenser； whom I dare be known to think a better
teacher than Scotus or Aquinas； describing true temperance under
the person of Guion； brings him in with his palmer through the cave
of Mammon； and the bower of earthly bliss； that he might see and
know； and yet abstain。 Since therefore the knowledge and survey of
vice is in this world so necessary to the constituting of human
virtue； and the scanning of error to the confirmation of truth； how
can we more safely； and with less danger； scout into the regions of
sin and falsity than by reading all manner of tractates and hearing
all manner of reason？ And this is the benefit which may be had of
books promiscuously read。
But of the harm that may result hence three kinds are usually
reckoned。 First； is feared the infection that may spread； but then
all human learning and controversy in religious points must remove
out of the world； yea the Bible itself； for that ofttimes relates
blasphemy not nicely； it describes the carnal sense of wicked men
not unelegantly； it brings in holiest men passionately murmuring
against Providence through all the arguments of Epicurus： in other
great disputes it answers dubiously and darkly to the common
reader。 And ask a Talmudist what ails the modesty of his marginal
Keri； that Moses and all the prophets cannot persuade him to
pronounce the textual Chetiv。 For these causes we all know the
Bible itself put by the Papist must be next removed； as Clement of
Alexandria； and that Eusebian book of Evangelic preparation；
transmitting our ears through a hoard of heathenish obscenities to
receive the Gospel。 Who finds not that Irenaeus； Epiphanius；
Jerome； and others discover more heresies than they well confute；
and that oft for heresy which is the truer opinion？
Nor boots it to say for these； and all the heathen writers of
greatest infection； if it must be thought so； with whom is bound up
the life of human learning； that they writ in an unknown tongue； so
long as we are sure those languages are known as well to the worst
of men； who are both most able and most diligent to instil the
poison they suck； first into the courts of princes； acquainting
them with the choicest delights and criticisms of sin。 As perhaps
did that Petronius whom Nero called his Arbiter； the master of his
revels； and the notorious ribald of Arezzo； dreaded and yet dear to
the Italian courtiers。 I name not him for posterity's sake； whom
Henry VIII。 named in merriment his vicar of hell。 By which
compendious way all the contagion that foreign books can infuse
will find a passage to the people far easier and shorter than an
Indian voyage； though it could be sailed either by the north of
Cataio eastward； or of Canada westward； while our Spanish licensing
gags the English press never so severely。
But on the other side that infection which is from books of
controversy in religion is more doubtful and dangerous to the
learned than to the ignorant； and yet those books must be permitted
untouched by the licenser。 It will be hard to instance where any
ignorant man hath been ever seduced by papistical book in English；
unless it were commended and expounded to him by some of that
clergy： and indeed all such tractates； whether false or true； are
as the prophecy of Isaiah was to the eunuch； not to be
UNDERSTOOD WITHOUT A GUIDE。 But of our priests and doctors how
many have been corrupted by studying the comments of Jesuits and
Sorbonists； and how fast they could transfuse that corruption into
the people； our experience is both late and sad。 It is not forgot；
since the acute and distinct Arminius was perverted merely by the
perusing of a nameless discourse written at Delft； which at first
he took in hand to confute。
Seeing； therefore； that those books； and those in great
abundance； which are likeliest to taint both life and doctrine；
cannot be suppressed without the fall of learning and of all
ability in disputation； and that these books of either sort are
most and soonest catching to the learned； from whom to the common
people whatever is heretical or dissolute may quickly be conveyed；
and that evil manners are as perfectly learnt without books a
thousand other ways which cannot be stopped； and evil doctrin