England as the Elect Nation in Milton's Polemical Prose

從密爾頓議論文看英國為蒙揀選之國

Hsing-hao Chao

《Tamkang Review》 48卷2期 (2018/06) Pp. 67-89

https://doi.org/10.6184/TKR201806-4

摘要

This paper examines how Milton employs the idea of England as the elect nation in his polemical prose to engage with specific and immediate polemical contexts. Applying the Israelite paradigm, Milton compares England to biblical Israel, regarding his nation as ＂the＂ elect nation in the sense that it is elected by and covenanted with God to play a peculiar role in God's providential plan. Moreover, Milton also utilizes the notion of the elect nation to serve his polemical interests throughout his prose career. In the early 1640s, Milton believed that England was specially chosen by God to initiate the Reformation and called for a further reformation, urging Parliament to extirpate prelacy, to legalize divorce, and to tolerate unlicensed printing. Furthermore, Milton's concept of national election is intertwined with the idea of individual election: England is elected to certain privileges, and the English people are also blessed with God's saving grace. Areopagitica signals the peak of Milton's complacent confidence in England as the elect nation-a nation of prophets. However, Milton modified his buoyant optimism about the elect status of England with the doctrine of the remnant in around 1650. To justify the regicide, Milton argued that England was elected to establish the first Commonwealth in Europe in three of his antimonarchical tracts. But after that England ceased to play a leading role in God's plan; England was not ＂the＂ but only ＂an＂ elect nation. In Milton's late polemical prose, England was compared to Israel as God's covenanted nation in the sense that God would not forsake England even though the nation had failed the covenant. Once elected and favored by God but now rebellious and treacherous to God, England, like Israel, needed salvation, and God would redeem the nation through the remnant only when they truly repented.

關鍵字

elect nation ； Israelite paradigm ； Milton ； national covenant ； polemical prose ； remnant

並列摘要

本文探討密爾頓在其議論文當中，如何運用英國作為蒙揀選之國的概念，即時回應特定議題。根據以色列典範，密爾頓把英國比擬為舊約的以色列。英國是唯一被神揀選、與神立約的國家，在神命定計畫中扮演獨特的角色。在整個寫作生涯當中，密爾頓不時運用此概念作為議論的策略性工具。在1640年代初期，密爾頓相信英國蒙神特別揀選，作為宗教改革的領頭羊。並據此呼籲英國要貫徹改革，要求議會廢除主教制、合法化離婚、開放出版自由。此外，英國身為蒙揀選之國，神的救恩也降臨到英國人民。密爾頓在《論出版自由》中，展現了對英國為蒙揀選之國的高度信心－他期待英國人民都成為先知。然而到了1650年左右，密爾頓一方面談英國為蒙揀選之國，一方面也談餘民的概念。在三篇反君主體制的文章中，密爾頓為弒君辯護，強調英國蒙神揀選、建立共和政體、為歐洲其他國家樹立典範。除此之外，英國沒有在神的命定計畫中扮演特殊角色。英國已不再是唯一蒙揀選之國。在密爾頓後期的議論文，英國仍舊被比擬為以色列，雖蒙揀選但悖逆犯罪，然而神並不棄絕。若英國誠心悔改，神就不會離棄他們。藉著餘民，英國終將得到救贖。

並列關鍵字

以色列典範 ； 密爾頓 ； 國家聖約 ； 蒙揀選國度 ； 餘民 ； 議論文

參考文獻

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