ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

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surrendered to them, they take it into their protection; and when they
carry a place by storm they never plunder it, but put those only to the
sword that oppose the rendering of it up, and make the rest of the
garrison slaves, but for the other inhabitants, they do them no hurt; and
if any of them had advised a surrender, they give them good rewards out
of the estates of those that they condemn, and distribute the rest among
their auxiliary troops, but they themselves take no share of the spoil.

"When a war is ended, they do not oblige their friends to reimburse their
expenses; but they obtain them of the conquered, either in money, which
they keep for the next occasion, or in lands, out of which a constant
revenue is to be paid them; by many increases the revenue which they draw
out from several countries on such occasions is now risen to above
700,000 ducats a year. They send some of their own people to receive
these revenues, who have orders to live magnificently and like princes,
by which means they consume much of it upon the place; and either bring
over the rest to Utopia or lend it to that nation in which it lies. This
they most commonly do, unless some great occasion, which falls out but
very seldom, should oblige them to call for it all. It is out of these
lands that they assign rewards to such as they encourage to adventure on
desperate attempts. If any prince that engages in war with them is
making preparations for invading their country, they prevent him, and
make his country the seat of the war; for they do not willingly suffer
any war to break in upon their island; and if that should happen, they
would only defend themselves by their own people; but would not call for
auxiliary troops to their assistance.






OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE UTOPIANS


"There are several sorts of religions, not only in different parts of the
island, but even in every town; some worshipping the sun, others the moon
or one of the planets. Some worship such men as have been eminent in
former times for virtue or glory, not only as ordinary deities, but as
the supreme god. Yet the greater and wiser sort of them worship none of
these, but adore one eternal, invisible, infinite, and incomprehensible
Deity; as a Being that is far above all our apprehensions, that is spread
over the whole universe, not by His bulk, but by His power and virtue;
Him they call the Father of All, and acknowledge that the beginnings, the
increase, the progress, the vicissitudes, and the end of all things come
only from Him; nor do they offer divine honours to any but to Him alone.
And, indeed, though they differ concerning other things, yet all agree in
this: that they think there is one Supreme Being that made and governs
the world, whom they call, in the language of their country, Mithras.
They differ in this: that one thinks the god whom he worships is this
Supreme Being, and another thinks that his idol is that god; but they all
agree in one principle, that whoever is this Supreme Being, He is also
that great essence to whose glory and majesty all honours are ascribed by
the consent of all nations.

"By degrees they fall off from the various superstitions that are among
them, and grow up to that one religion that is the best and most in
request; and there is no doubt to be made, but that all the others had
vanished long ago, if some of those who advised them to lay aside their
superstitions had not met with some unhappy accidents, which, being
considered as inflicted by heaven, made them afraid that the god whose
worship had like to have been abandoned had interposed and revenged
themselves on those who despised their authority.

"After they had heard from us an account of the doctrine, the course of
life, and the miracles of Christ, and of the wonderful constancy of so
many martyrs, whose blood, so willingly offered up by them, was the chief
occasion of spreading their religion over a vast number of nations, it is
not to be imagined how inclined they were to receive it. I shall not
determine whether this proceeded from any secret inspiration of God, or
whether it was because it seemed so favourable to that community of
goods, which is an opinion so particular as well as so dear to them;
since they perceived that Christ and His followers lived by that rule,
and that it was still kept up in some communities among the sincerest
sort of Christians. From whichsoever of these motives it might be, true
it is, that many of them came over to our religion, and were initiated
into it by baptism. But as two of our number were dead, so none of the
four that survived were in priests' orders, we, therefore, could only
baptise them, so that, to our great regret, they could not partake of the
other sacraments, that can only be administered by priests, but they are
instructed concerning them and long most vehemently for them. They have
had great disputes among themselves, whether one chosen by them to be a
priest would not be thereby qualified to do all the things that belong to
that character, even though he had no authority derived from the Pope,
and they seemed to be resolved to choose some for that employment, but
they had not done it when I left them.

"Those among them that have not received our religion do not fright any
from it, and use none ill that goes over to it, so that all the while I
was there one man was only punished on this occasion. He being newly
baptised did, notwithstanding all that we could say to the contrary,
dispute publicly concerning the Christian religion, with more zeal than
discretion, and with so much heat, that he not only preferred our worship
to theirs, but condemned all their rites as profane, and cried out
against all that adhered to them as impious and sacrilegious persons,
that were to be damned to everlasting burnings. Upon his having
frequently preached in this manner he was seized, and after trial he was
condemned to banishment, not for having disparaged their religion, but
for his inflaming the people to sedition; for this is one of their most
ancient laws, that no man ought to be punished for his religion. At the

surrendered to them, they take it into their protection; and when they

carry a place by storm they never plunder it, but put those only to the

sword that oppose the rendering of it up, and make the rest of the

garrison slaves, but for the other inhabitants, they do them no hurt; and

if any of them had advised a surrender, they give them good rewards out

of the estates of those that they condemn, and distribute the rest among

their auxiliary troops, but they themselves take no share of the spoil.

"When a war is ended, they do not oblige their friends to reimburse their

expenses; but they obtain them of the conquered, either in money, which

they keep for the next occasion, or in lands, out of which a constant

revenue is to be paid them; by many increases the revenue which they draw

out from several countries on such occasions is now risen to above

700,000 ducats a year. They send some of their own people to receive

these revenues, who have orders to live magnificently and like princes,

by which means they consume much of it upon the place; and either bring

over the rest to Utopia or lend it to that nation in which it lies. This

they most commonly do, unless some great occasion, which falls out but

very seldom, should oblige them to call for it all. It is out of these

lands that they assign rewards to such as they encourage to adventure on

desperate attempts. If any prince that engages in war with them is

making preparations for invading their country, they prevent him, and

make his country the seat of the war; for they do not willingly suffer

any war to break in upon their island; and if that should happen, they

would only defend themselves by their own people; but would not call for

auxiliary troops to their assistance.

OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE UTOPIANS

"There are several sorts of religions, not only in different parts of the

island, but even in every town; some worshipping the sun, others the moon

or one of the planets. Some worship such men as have been eminent in

former times for virtue or glory, not only as ordinary deities, but as

the supreme god. Yet the greater and wiser sort of them worship none of

these, but adore one eternal, invisible, infinite, and incomprehensible

Deity; as a Being that is far above all our apprehensions, that is spread

over the whole universe, not by His bulk, but by His power and virtue;

Him they call the Father of All, and acknowledge that the beginnings, the

increase, the progress, the vicissitudes, and the end of all things come

only from Him; nor do they offer divine honours to any but to Him alone.

And, indeed, though they differ concerning other things, yet all agree in

this: that they think there is one Supreme Being that made and governs

the world, whom they call, in the language of their country, Mithras.

They differ in this: that one thinks the god whom he worships is this

Supreme Being, and another thinks that his idol is that god; but they all

agree in one principle, that whoever is this Supreme Being, He is also

that great essence to whose glory and majesty all honours are ascribed by

the consent of all nations.

"By degrees they fall off from the various superstitions that are among

them, and grow up to that one religion that is the best and most in

request; and there is no doubt to be made, but that all the others had

vanished long ago, if some of those who advised them to lay aside their

superstitions had not met with some unhappy accidents, which, being

considered as inflicted by heaven, made them afraid that the god whose

worship had like to have been abandoned had interposed and revenged

themselves on those who despised their authority.

"After they had heard from us an account of the doctrine, the course of

life, and the miracles of Christ, and of the wonderful constancy of so

many martyrs, whose blood, so willingly offered up by them, was the chief

occasion of spreading their religion over a vast number of nations, it is

not to be imagined how inclined they were to receive it. I shall not

determine whether this proceeded from any secret inspiration of God, or

whether it was because it seemed so favourable to that community of

goods, which is an opinion so particular as well as so dear to them;

since they perceived that Christ and His followers lived by that rule,

and that it was still kept up in some communities among the sincerest

sort of Christians. From whichsoever of these motives it might be, true

it is, that many of them came over to our religion, and were initiated

into it by baptism. But as two of our number were dead, so none of the

four that survived were in priests' orders, we, therefore, could only

baptise them, so that, to our great regret, they could not partake of the

other sacraments, that can only be administered by priests, but they are

instructed concerning them and long most vehemently for them. They have

had great disputes among themselves, whether one chosen by them to be a

priest would not be thereby qualified to do all the things that belong to

that character, even though he had no authority derived from the Pope,

and they seemed to be resolved to choose some for that employment, but

they had not done it when I left them.

"Those among them that have not received our religion do not fright any

from it, and use none ill that goes over to it, so that all the while I

was there one man was only punished on this occasion. He being newly

baptised did, notwithstanding all that we could say to the contrary,

dispute publicly concerning the Christian religion, with more zeal than

discretion, and with so much heat, that he not only preferred our worship

to theirs, but condemned all their rites as profane, and cried out

against all that adhered to them as impious and sacrilegious persons,

that were to be damned to everlasting burnings. Upon his having

frequently preached in this manner he was seized, and after trial he was

condemned to banishment, not for having disparaged their religion, but

for his inflaming the people to sedition; for this is one of their most

ancient laws, that no man ought to be punished for his religion. At the