The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Advertisement to the Reader.
• To the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Sherifs, and Common Council of London.
• The Preface.
• The Life of James Harrington.
• The Mechanics of Nature:
• The Grounds and Reasons of Monarchy Considered: and Exemplify’d In the Scotish Line, Out of Their Own Best Authors and Records.
• The Commonwealth of Oceana. to His Highness the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
• The Introduction, Or Order of the Work.
• Oceana.
• The Preliminarys, Shewing the Principles of Government.
• The Second Part of the Preliminarys.
• The Council of Legislators.
• Oceana: the Model of the Commonwealth of Oceana.
• Anno Dom.
• Anno Domini.
• Anno Domini.
• Epitome of the Whole Commonwealth.
• Libertas. the Proclamation of His Highness the Lord Archon of Oceana Upon Promulgation of the Model.
• The Prerogative of Popular Government.
• Epistle to the Reader.
• The First Book, Containing: a Full Answer to All Such Objections As Have Hitherto Bin Made Against Oceana.
• The Preface.
• Chap. I. Antient and Modern Prudence.
• Chap. I.: Whether Prudence Be Well Distinguish’d Into Antient and Modern.
• Chap. II.: Whether a Commonwealth Be Rightly Defin’d to Be a Government of Laws and Not of Men, and a Monarchy to Be the Government of Som Man, Or a Few Men, and Not of Laws?
• Chap. III.: Whether the Balance of Dominion In Land Be the Natural Cause of Empire?
• Chap. IV. Chap. IV.: Whether the Balance of Empire Be Well Divided Into National and Provincial; and Whether These Two, Or Any Nations That Are of Distinct Balance, Coming to Depend Upon One and the Same Head, Such a Mixture Creates a New Balance.
• Chap. V.: Whether There Be Any Common Right Or Interest of Mankind Distinct From the Parts Taken Severally; and How By the Orders of a Commonwealth It May Be Best Distinguish’d From Privat Interest.
• Chap. VI.: Whether the Senatusconsulta, Or Decrees of the Roman Senat, Had the Power of Laws?
• Chap. VII.: Whether the Ten Commandments Were Propos’d By God Or Moses, and Voted By the People of Israel.
• Chap. VIII.: Whether a Commonwealth Coming Up to the Perfection of the Kind, Coms Not Up to the Perfection of Government, and Has No Flaw In It.
• Chap. IX.: Whether Monarchy Coming Up to the Perfection of the Kind, Coms Not Short of the Perfection of Government, and Has Not Som Flaw In It. In Which Is Also Treated of the Balance of France; of the Original of a Landed Clergy; of Arms, and Their Ki
• Chap. X.: Whether a Commonwealth That Was Not First Broken By Her Self, Was Ever Conquer’d By the Arms of Any Monarch?
• Chap. XI.: Whether There Be Not an Agrarian, Or Som Law of Laws of That Nature, to Supply the Defect of It In Every Commonwealth: and Whether the Agrarian, As It Is Stated In Oceana, Be Not Equal and Satisfactory to All Interests.
• Chap. XII.: Whether Courses Or a Rotation Be Necessary to a Well-order’d Commonwealth. In Which Is Contain’d the Courses Or Parembole of Israel Before the Captivity, Together With the Epitome of Athens and Venice.
• The Second Book; Or, a Political Discourse Concerning Ordination: Against Dr. H. Hammond, Dr. L. Seaman, and the Authors They Follow.
• Advertisment to the Reader.
• Order of the Discourse.
• A Political Discourse Concerning Ordination.
• The Introduction, Or First Chapter.
• Chap. II.: That the Citys, Or Most of Them Nam’d In the Perambulation of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, Were At That Time Under Popular Government. In Which Is Contain’d the Administration of a Roman Province.
• Chap. III.: The Deduction of the Chirotonia From Popular Government, and of the Original Right of Ordination From the Chirotonia. In Which Is Contain’d the Institution of the Sanhedrim Or Senat of Israel By Moses, and That of Rome By Romulus
• Chap. IV.: The Deduction of the Chirothesia From Monarchical Or Aristocratical Government, and of the Second Way of Ordination From the Chirothesia. In Which Is Contain’d the Commonwealth of the Jews As It Stood After the Captivity.
• Chap. V.: Whether the Chirotonia Mention’d In the Fourteenth of the Acts Be Indeed, As Is Pretended By Dr. Mammond, Dr. Seaman, and the Authors They Follow, the Same With the Chirothesia, Or a Far Different Thing. In Which Are Contain’d the
• Advertisement to the Reader, Or Direction to the Answerer.
• An Answer to Three Objections Against Popular Government, That Were Given Me After These Two Books Were Printed.
• The Art of Lawgiving: In Three Books.
• The Order of the Work.
• The First Book.
• The Second Book.
• The Third Book.
• The First Book, Shewing the Foundations and Superstructures of All Kinds of Government.
• The Preface. Considering the Principles Or Nature of Family Government.
• Chap. I.: Considering the Principles Or Balance of National Governments; With the Different Kinds of the Same.
• Chap. II.: Shewing the Variation of the English Balance.
• Chap. III.: Of Fixation of the Balance, Or of Agrarian Laws.
• Chap. IV.: Shewing the Superstructures of Governments.
• The Conclusion: Observing That the Principles of Human Prudence Being Good Without Proof of Scripture, Are Nevertheless Such As Are Provable Out of Scripture.
• The Second Book, Containing the Commonwealths of the Hebrews; Namely, Elohim, Or the Commonwealth of Israel; and Cabala, Or the Commonwealth of the Jews.
• The Preface, Shewing That There Were Commonwealths Before That of Israel.
• Chap. I.: Shewing That Israel Was a Commonwealth.
• Chap. II.: Shewing What Commonwealth Israel Was.
• Chap. III.: Shewing the Anarchy, Or State of the Israelits Under Their Judges.
• Chap. IV.: Shewing the State of the Israelits Under Their Kings, to the Captivity.
• Chap. V.: Shewing the State of the Jews In the Captivity; and After Their Return Out of It; With the Frame of the Jewish Commonwealth.
• Chap. VI.: Shewing How Ordination Was Brought Into the Christian Church, and the Divers Ways of the Same That Were At Divers Times In Use With the Apostles.
• The Conclusion: Shewing That Neither God, Nor Christ, Or the Apostles, Ever Instituted Any Government Ecclesiastical Or Civil Upon Any Other Principles Than Those Only of Human Prudence.
• The Third Book, Containing a Model of Popular Government, Practically Propos’d According to Reason, Confirm’d By the Scripture, and Agreable to the the Present Balance Or State of Property In England.
• The Preface. Containing a Model of Popular Government, Propos’d Notionally.
• Chap. I.: Containing the Civil Part of the Model, Propos’d Practicably.
• Chap. II.: Containing the Religious Part of This Model, Propos’d Practicably.
• Chap. III.: Containing the Military Part of This Model, Propos’d Practicably.
• Chap. IV.: Containing the Provincial Part of This Model, Propos’d Practicably.
• The Conclusion: Shewing How the Model Propos’d May Be Prov’d Or Examin’d; and Giving a Brief Answer to Mr. Wren’s Last Book, Intitl’d, Monarchy Asserted Against Mr. Harrington’s Oceana.
• A Word Concerning a House of Peers.
• Six Political Tracts Written On Several Occasions.
• Valerius and Publicola: Or, the True Form of a Popular Commonwealth Extracted Ex Puris Naturalibus.
• To the Reader.
• To the Parlament of the Commonwealth of England, &c. the Humble Petition, &c.
• The Petitioner to the Reader.
• A System of Politics Delineated In Short and Easy Aphorisms. Publish’d From the Author’s Own Manuscript.
• Chap. I.: Of Government.
• Chap. II.: Of the Matter of Government.
• Chap. III.: Of the Privation of Government.
• Chap. IV.: Of the Form of Government.
• Chap. V.: Of Form In the Civil Parts.
• Chap. VI.: Of Form In the Religious Part.
• Chap. VII.: Of Form In the Military Part.
• Chap. VIII.: Of Form In the Legal Part.
• Chap. IX.: Of Form In the Judicial Part.
• Chap. X.: Of the Administration of Government, Or Reason of State.
• Political Aphorisms.
• Seven Models of a Commonwealth: Or, Brief Directions Shewing How a Fit and Perfect Model of Popular Government May Be Made, Found, Or Understood.
• The First Part.
• Divers Models the First Model of Popular Government Propos’d. the Commonwealth of Israel.
• A Second Model of a Commonwealth Propos’d.
• A Third Model of a Commonwealth Propos’d. the Commonwealth of Sparta.
• A Fourth Model of a Commonwealth Propos’d. the Commonwealth of Athens.
• A Fifth Model of a Commonwealth Propos’d. the Commonwealth of Rome.
• A Sixth Model of a Commonwealth Propos’d. the Commonwealth of Venice.
• A Seventh Model of a Commonwealth Propos’d. the Commonwealth of Holland.
• The Second Part, Proposing a Model of a Commonwealth Fitted to the Present State of This Nation.
• Conclusion; Or, the Use of These Propositions.
• The Ways and Means Wherby an Equal and Lasting Commonwealth May Be Suddenly Introduc’d, and Perfectly Founded, With the Free Consent and Actual Confirmation of the Whole People of England.
• The Humble Petition of Divers Well Affected Persons, Deliver’d the 6th Day of July, 1659, With the Parlament’s Answer Therto.
• Appendix, Containing All the Political Tracts of James Harrington, Esq; Omitted In Mr. Toland ’s Edition of His Works.
• Pian Piano: Or, Intercourse Between H. Ferne, D. D. And J. Harrington, Esq; Upon Occasion of the Doctor’s Censure of the Commonwealth of Oceana.
• Epistle to the Reader.
• Intercourse Between H. Ferne, D. D. And James Harrington, Esq; Upon Occasion of the Doctor’s Censure of the Commonwealth of Oceana.
• The Queries I Shall Interweave With the Doctor’s Answer Unto Each of Them, Returned Unto Me With This Preamble.
• The First Query. How Much, Or In What the Author of Oceana Is Mistaken, to Think the Commonwealth of the Hebrews Appliable to His Purpose.
• The Second Query.
• The Third Query.
• The Fourth Query.
• The Fifth Query.
• The Sixth Query.
• The Seventh Query.
• The Stumbling-block of Disobedience and Rebellion, Cunningly Imputed By P. H. Unto Calvin, Remov’d, In a Letter to the Said P. H. From J. H.
• A Letter Unto Mr. Stubs, In Answer to His Oceana Weighed, &c.
• Politicaster: Or, a Comical Discourse In Answer to Mr. Wren ’s Book, Intituled, Monarchy Asserted, Against Mr. Harrington’ S Oceana.
• Pour Enclouer Le Canon.
• A Discourse Upon This Saying: the Spirit of the Nation Is Not Yet to Be Trusted With Liberty; Lest It Introduce Monarchy, Or Invade the Liberty of Conscience.
• A Discourse Shewing, That the Spirit of Parliaments, With a Council In the Intervals, Is Not to Be Trusted For a Settlement; Lest It Introduce Monarchy, and Persecution For Conscience.
• A Parallel of the Spirit of the People With the Spirit of Mr. Rogers; and an Appeal Thereupon Unto the Reader, Whether the Spirit of the People, Or the Spirit of Men Like Mr. Rogers, Be the Fitter to Be Trusted With the Government.
• A Sufficient Answer to Mr. Stubb.
• A Proposition In Order to the Proposing of a Commonwealth Or Democracy.
• The Rota: Or, a Model of a Free State, Or Equal Commonwealth.

The INTRODUCTION, OR FIRST CHAPTER.

Chap. I.THE names or words wherof we are about to dispute are Greec, the one chirotonia, the other chirothesia. The first signification of the word chirotonia, in Suidas, imports a certain leud action of the hand, which seems also by the Greec that renders it by the same word, to have bin intimated in Isa. 5. 9. In the second signification with Suidas, it is ἐϰλογὴ, πάντων ϰύϱωσις, election (that is to say of magistrats) or ratification (that is to say of laws) by the many: which amounts both by his testimony, and that generally of antient authors, to this, that the most usual and natural signification of the word chirotonia is popular suffrage, whether given, as when they speak of Athens, by the holding up of hands; or as when they speak (as dos Suidas in the place mention’d) of Rome, and other commonwealths (whose suffrage was not given with this ceremony) without holding up of hands.

CHIROTHESIA (ἐπίϑεσ[Editor: illegible character]ς χειϱῶν) is a word that in the strict signification imports laying on of hands, and no more: but the Jews using to confer their ordination most commonly by laying on of hands, and yet somtimes by word of mouth, or by letter, the word both as it relates to the custom of the Jewish commonwealth, and ordination thence transplanted into the church of Christ, signifys ordination confer’d by one man, or a few men, that is to say, by som distinct order from the people, whether with imposition of hands, or without it.

These words thus interpreted, I shall throout my discourse (which else must have run altogether upon the Greec) presume, as already I have don, to take for good English, and so procede to the things wherof we are to dispute; first, by opening the scene of this perambulation, which will be don best by the help of Erasmus, a man as for his learning not inferior to any, so for his freedom not addicted to interests or partys. For the remainder then of this introduction, I shall begin with the nineteenth verse of the eleventh, and continue my discourse to the end of the fourteenth chapter of the Acts; interweaving the text where it is darker with the paraphrase of that excellent author, for light, and his paraphrase with the text, where it is clearer, for brevity, in manner following:Book II.

Acts 11. 19.THEY whom the heat of persecution from the death of Stephen had dispers’d, travel’d thro the citys and villages as far as Phenice, and the adjacent iland of Cyprus; as also thro Antiochia, which lies between Phenice and Cilicia, preaching the gospel receiv’d from the apostles, which nevertheless they dar’d not to communicat but to such only as were of the Jewish nation, not out of envy, but a kind of superstition, they believing that to do otherwise were to give the childrens bread to dogs, which Christ had forbid.

BUT som of them that believ’d, being of Cyprus and Cyrene, when they came to Antioch, had the boldness to speak of Christ to the Greecs, preaching the Lord Jesus, in which they made such progress thro the blessing of God upon them and their labors, that a great number of these also believing the Gospel, were turn’d to the Lord. The tidings of these things coming to the ears of the church which was at Jerusalem, a man of apostolical sincerity, Barnabas the Levite, a Cyprian born, was sent by the apostles to take a view of what was don upon the places; and if he found it to be according to the will of God, to approve of it, by authority of the apostles. So great caution in receiving the Gentils to the Gospel was not, that the thing was not greatly desir’d by the apostles; but lest it should afterwards be repeal’d or made void by the Jews, as don rashly, or that the Gentils should rely less upon what was don, as conceiving it needed ratification by the law. Wherfore Barnabas so soon as he came to Antioch, and found the Greecs by faith, and without profession of the law, to have receiv’d the same grace of God with the Jews, was very much joy’d that the number of believers increas’d, and exhorted them to remain constant in their enterprize of adhering to the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the holy spirit, and of faith. Wherfore thro his ministry it came to pass, that a multitude of other believers were added to the former. Now Antioch being not far from Cilicia, the neighborhood of the place invited him to seek Paul, the fittest helper in this work, as chosen by Christ to preach his name to the Gentils and kings of the earth. For when Paul fled from Jerusalem. the disciples had conducted him to Cesarea of Phenice, whence he went to Tarsus; whom therfore when Barnabas had found there, he brought to Antioch, hoping in a city both famous and populous (but with a confus’d mixture of Jews and Greecs) to receive the better fruit thro the aid of an apostle more peculiarly design’d to this work. These two being conversant a whole year in the church of Antioch, which by the confluence both of Jews and Greecs became very numerous, so many were added by their preaching, that wheras hitherto, not exposing the name of Christ to envy, they had bin call’d Disciples, they now began first at Antioch from the name of their founder to be call’d Christians. In these times certain prophets came from the city of Jerusalem to Antioch, wherof one nam’d Agabus standing up in the congregation, signify’d by inspiration, that there should be a great dearth thro the whole world; which came to pass under Claudius Cæsar, the successor of Caligula. At this time they at Jerusalem, partly because they were poor at their conversion to the Gospel, partly because they had deposited their goods in common, and partly because they had bin spoil’d by the priests for their profession of Christ, ordain’d that by the contribution of such as had wherwithal, especially among the believing Gentils, mony should be sent to the relief of the Christians dwelling in Judea; but so that this contribution was not to be forc’d but free, and according to every man’s ability. This mony thus gather’d was sent by Paul and Barnabas to the elders at Jerusalem, to be distributed at their discretion to such as were in need. While Paul and Barnabas were thus imploy’d, king Herod, the same that beheaded John, and return’d Christ cloth’d, thro derision, in white, to Pilat, being griev’d to see this kind of people increase, and the name of Jesus king of the Jews to grow famous in divers nations, became concern’d to root out such a faction, and so spreading; wherfore he stretch’d forth his hand to vex certain of the church, kill’d James the brother of John with the sword; and because he saw it pleas’d the Jews, proceded further to take Peter also, who being imprison’d, was afterward miraculously deliver’d. But Paul and Barnabas having perform’d the trust committed to them by the brethren, and deliver’d the contribution for relief of the poor to the apostles, return’d from Jerusalem to Antioch, taking with them John, whose sirname was Marc.

NOW the church of Antioch flourish’d in such manner, that she had som fill’d with the gift of prophecy, and others with that of teaching; among whom was Barnabas and Simeon, alias Niger, together with Lucias a Cirenian, and Manaen who had bin brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, whom he left to com to Christ: but the chief of them was Saul, indow’d with all the gifts and graces apostolical. While all these were intent upon the ministry of the church, imploying their several gifts to the glory of God, and in his most acceptable service, the salvation of souls, with fasting and prayer, the Holy Ghost being stir’d up by their zeal, signified his will by the prophets, saying, Separat me Barnabas and Paul for the work wherto I have call’d them, namely, to be doctors of the Gentils, that by them I may propagat the gospel. The command of the Spirit was obey’d, and Barnabas with Paul, to the end that every one might see who are chosen, were separated from the rest; and when the congregation had unanimously implor’d the favor of God by prayer and fasting, the most eminent in authority among them laid their hands upon the persons so separated, and sent them wherever the spirit of God should direct them. By this impulse therfore Barnabas and Paul went to Seleucia, being a promontory of Antiochia, and thence sail’d into the iland of Cyprus, where they landed at Salamis, a famous city upon the eastern part of the iland; they preach’d not human inventions, but the word of God, nor that by stealth, but in the synagogs of the Jews, wherof thro the neighbourhood of Syria there was store. This honor by the commandment of Christ was always defer’d to the Jews, that the gospel should be first offer’d to them, lest they being a querulous and repining nation, should complain that they were despis’d. Thus travel’d these apostles thro the whole iland, till they came to Paphos, a city consecrated to Venus upon the western coast of Cyprus. Here they found a certain magician call’d Barjesus, that is, the son of Jesus a Jew, both by nation and religion, under which color he falsly pretended to the gift of prophesy. This man follow’d the court of Sergius Paulus, proconsul or governor of the iland for the Romans, otherwise a prudent man; but this sort of vermin insinuats it self into the best to chuse, that so their corruption may do the greater and more compendious mischief to mankind. The proconsul nevertheless having understood the gospel to be planting throout Cyprus, not only forbore to stop the ears of others, but by sending for Barnabas and Paul seem’d desirous to open his own. Wherfore Barjesus indeavoring to resist the growth of the word, as an enemy to Christ, and resisting the truth with falshood, a strife arose between the true prophets and a false one (for such is the interpretation of the Syriac word Elymas) whom Paul at length confuted of spiritual blindness, by taking away the eys of his body, miraculously struck in the presence of the proconsul, who at the same time receiving the light of the gospel, imbrac’d the Christian faith. This being don at Paphos, Paul imbark’d there with his associats for the lesser Asia, and came to Perga, being a city of Pamphylia; here John, whose sirname was Marc, left them, and return’d to Jerusalem, while they, when they had visited Pamphylia, travel’d to Antiochia, a city of Pisidia, where having enter’d a synagog, they sat after the usual manner with the rest, attentive to the law and the prophets; wherof when the parts appointed were read, and no man stood up, the rulers of the synagog perceiving that the strangers by their habit were Jews, and such as by their aspect promis’d more than ordinary, sent to them, desiring that if they had any word of exhortation for the people, they would speak. Wherupon Paul standing up, preach’d to them Christ; whence came the word of the Lord to be divulg’d throout that region, tho the Jews out of envy to the Gentils, stirring up the devoutest matrons (an art not unknown in these times) and by them the chief of the city, rais’d such sedition in it, and tumult against the apostles, that Paul and Barnabas being cast out, shook off the dust from their feet against them, and went thence to Iconium a city of Lycaonia.Chap. 14. When they were com to Iconium, entring with the Jews after the custom into the synagog, they preach’d, as they had at Antioch, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and with such efficacy, that multitudes both of the Jews and Greecs believ’d. Here again the envy of the Jews became the author of sedition, by which means the city was divided into two parts or factions, wherof one stood for the unbelieving Jews, and the other for the apostles. At length when such of the Gentils as were join’d with the Jews, and the rulers of the city, made an assault upon the apostles, to offer violence and stone them; they being aware of it, fled to Lystra (a city of Lycaonia, which is a part of Pamphylia) and Derbe. At Lystra there was a man lame of his feet from the womb, who having listen’d to Paul with great attention and zeal, was miraculously cur’d by the apostle; when the people seeing what Paul had don, cry’d out, The gods were descended in the likeness of men: a persuasion that might gain the more easily upon the minds of the Lycaonians for the fable of Jupiter and Mercury, said to have descended in human shape, and bin entertain’d by Lycaon, from whom the Lycaonians receiv’d their name. Wherfore they call’d Barnabas, for the gravity of his aspect, Jupiter; Paul for his eloquence, Mercury: and the priest of Jupiter, who dwelt in the suburbs, brought bulls and garlands to the gates of the house where the apostles were, to have offer’d sacrifice with the people, which the apostles abhorring, vigorously dissuaded. In the mean time certain Jews by nation that were unbelievers, coming from Antioch of Pisidia, and Iconium, drew the people to the other extreme, who from sacrificing to the apostles fell on stoning them; a work which was brought so near to an end, that Paul being drawn by them out of the city, was left for dead, tho he soon after recover’d, and went thence with Barnabas to Derbe: when they had propagated the gospel there also, they return’d to Lystra, Iconium, and Antiochia, confirming the disciples whom they had converted. Now because the propagation of the gospel requir’d that the apostles should be moving thro divers nations, they chirotonizing them elders in every congregation or church, that is, ordaining them elders by the votes of the people in every city, left them to perform the dutys of the absent apostles, and when they had fasted and pray’d, commended them to the Lord. These things being brought to a conclusion, or finish’d at Antioch in Pisidia, when they had perambulated this country, they also visited Pamphylia; sowing the gospel where it was not yet sown, and confirming those who already believ’d, till they came to Perga: where having order’d their affairs, they proceded to Attalia, being a maritim city of Pamphylia; and from thence they sail’d back to Antioch of Syria, whence they first set out, with commission from the elders, to preach the gospel to the Gentils, and where by the Chirothesia, or Imposition of hands, prayer and fasting, they had bin recommended to the grace of God, and design’d to the work now finish’d.

Chap. II.In this narrative you have mention both of the Chirotonia and of the Chirothesia, or imposition of hands, but of the former as of ordination; for by that such were made presbyters or church-officers as were not so before: of the latter not, I think, as of ordination, at least in the sense we now take it; but as of designation of persons to an occasional and temporary imployment, that had bin ordain’d before, for so sure had Paul at least. However, that which is offer’d by this narrative to present consideration, is no more than the bare story.