"John.Locke - Toleration" - читать интересную книгу автора (Locke John)

1689
A LETTER CONCERNING TOLERATION
by John Locke
translated by William Popple

HONOURED SIR,
Since you are pleased to inquire what are my thoughts about the
mutual toleration of Christians in their different professions of
religion, I must needs answer you freely that I esteem that toleration
to be the chief characteristic mark of the true Church. For whatsoever
some people boast of the antiquity of places and names, or of the pomp
of their outward worship; others, of the reformation of their
discipline; all, of the orthodoxy of their faith- for everyone is
orthodox to himself- these things, and all others of this nature,
are much rather marks of men striving for power and empire over one
another than of the Church of Christ. Let anyone have never so true
a claim to all these things, yet if he be destitute of charity,
meekness, and good-will in general towards all mankind, even to
those that are not Christians, he is certainly yet short of being a
true Christian himself. "The kings of the Gentiles exercise leadership
over them," said our Saviour to his disciples, "but ye shall not be
so."* The business of true religion is quite another thing. It is
not instituted in order to the erecting of an external pomp, nor to
the obtaining of ecclesiastical dominion, nor to the exercising of
compulsive force, but to the regulating of men's lives, according to
the rules of virtue and piety. Whosoever will list himself under the
banner of Christ, must, in the first place and above all things,
make war upon his own lusts and vices. It is in vain for any man to
unsurp the name of Christian, without holiness of life, purity of
manners, benignity and meekness of spirit. "Let everyone that nameth
the name of Christ, depart from iniquity."*(2) "Thou, when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren," said our Lord to Peter.*(3) It
would, indeed, be very hard for one that appears careless about his
own salvation to persuade me that he were extremely concerned for
mine. For it is impossible that those should sincerely and heartily
apply themselves to make other people Christians, who have not
really embraced the Christian religion in their own hearts. If the
Gospel and the apostles may be credited, no man can be a Christian
without charity and without that faith which works, not by force,
but by love. Now, I appeal to the consciences of those that persecute,
torment, destroy, and kill other men upon pretence of religion,
whether they do it out of friendship and kindness towards them or
no? And I shall then indeed, and not until then, believe they do so,
when I shall see those fiery zealots correcting, in the same manner,
their friends and familiar acquaintance for the manifest sins they
commit against the precepts of the Gospel; when I shall see them
persecute with fire and sword the members of their own communion
that are tainted with enormous vices and without amendment are in
danger of eternal perdition; and when I shall see them thus express
their love and desire of the salvation of their souls by the