Page:The reason of church-governement urg'd against prelaty - Milton (1641).djvu/55

 of Truth, sometimes of Falshood interchangeably, sentences for the most part one for the other at the first blush, according to the suttle imposture of these sensual mistresses that keep the ports and passages between her and the object. So that were it not for leaving imperfect that which is already said, I should goe neer to relinquish that which is to follow. And because I see that most men, as it happens in this world, either weakly, or falsly principl'd, what through ignorance, and what through custom of licence, both in discours and writing, by what hath bin of late written in vulgar, have not seem'd to attain the decision of this point, I shall likewise assay those wily Arbitresses who in most men have, as was heard, the sole ushering of Truth and Falshood between the sense, and the soul, with what loyalty they will use me in convoying this Truth to my understanding; the rather for that by as much acquaintance as I can obtain with them, I doe not find them engag'd either one way or other. Concerning therfore ecclesial jurisdiction, I find still more controversie, who should administer it, then diligent enquiry made to learn what it is, for had the pains bin taken to search out that, it had bin long agoe enroul'd to be nothing els but a pure tyrannical forgery of the Prelats; and that jurisdictive power in the Church there ought to be none at all. It cannot be conceiv'd that what men now call jurisdiction in the Church, should be other thing then a Christian censorship; and therefore is it most commonly and truly ecclesiastical censure. Now if the Roman censor a civil function, to that severe assise of survaying and controuling the privatest, and sliest manners of all men and all degrees had no jurisdiction, no courts of plea, or inditement, no punitive force annext, whether it were that to this manner of correction the intanglement of suits was improper, or that the notice of those upright Inquisitors extended to such the most covert and spiritous vices as would slip easily between the wider and more material grasp of Law; Or that it stood more with the Majesty of that office to have no other Serjeants or maces about them but those invisible ones of Terror and shame: Or lastly, were it their feare, lest the greatnes of this autority and honour arm'd with jurisdiction might step with ease into a tyranny. In all these respects with much more reason undoubtedly ought the censure of the Church be quite devested and disintal'd of all jurisdiction whatsoever. For if the cours of judicature to a political censorship seem either too tedious, or too contentious, much more may it to the discipline of Church