Areopagitica and Other Writings by John Milton

Author:John Milton [Milton, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Classics, essays
ISBN: 9780718192495
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2014-11-06T06:00:00+00:00

A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes1

Showing that it is not lawful for any power on earth to compel in matters of religion.

To the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England with the dominions thereof.

I have prepared, Supreme Council, against the much-expected time of your sitting,2 this treatise; which, though to all Christian magistrates equally belonging, and therefore to have been written in the common language of Christendom,3 natural duty and affection hath confined and dedicated first to my own nation: and in a season wherein the timely reading thereof, to the easier accomplishment of your great work, may save you much labour and interruption: of two parts usually proposed, civil and ecclesiastical, recommending civil only to your proper care, ecclesiastical to them only from whom it takes both that name and nature. Yet not for this cause only do I require or trust to find acceptance, but in a twofold respect besides: first as bringing clear evidence of scripture and protestant maxims to the parliament of England, who in all their late acts, upon occasion have professed to assert only the true protestant Christian religion as it is contained in the holy scriptures: next, in regard that your power being but for a time, and having in yourselves a Christian liberty of your own, which at one time or other may be oppressed, thereof truly sensible, it will concern you while you are in power so to regard other men’s consciences as you would your own should be regarded in the power of others; and to consider that any law against conscience is alike in force against any conscience, and so may one way or other justly redound upon yourselves. One advantage I make no doubt of, that I shall write to many eminent persons of your number already perfect and resolved in this important article of Christianity. Some of whom I remember to have heard often for several years at a council next in authority to your own,4 so well joining religion with civil prudence, and yet so well distinguishing the different power of either, and this not only voting, but frequently reasoning why it should be so, that if any there present had been before of an opinion contrary, he might doubtless have departed thence a convert in that point, and have confessed that then both commonwealth and religion will at length, if ever, flourish in Christendom, when either they who govern discern between civil and religious, or they only who so discern shall be admitted to govern. Till then nothing but troubles, persecutions, commotions can be expected; the inward decay of true religion among ourselves, and the utter overthrow at last by a common enemy. Of civil liberty I have written heretofore by the appointment, and not without the approbation of civil power:5 of Christian liberty I write now; which others long since having done with all freedom under heathen emperors, I should do wrong to suspect, that I now shall with less under Christian governors,

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