1Religion being the chief band of human society, it is a happy thing when itself is well contained within the true band of unity.宗教作为人类社会的主要纽带，当它本身被良好地包容在真正的统一纽带中时，是一件幸事。修辞手法：使用"band"（纽带）的隐喻，强调宗教的社会功能。语法：独立主格结构"Religion being..."作状语
2The quarrels and divisions about religion were evils unknown to the heathen.关于宗教的争吵和分裂是异教徒所不知的罪恶。历史观察：培根指出异教时代没有宗教纷争。词汇："heathen"指非基督教徒，多神教徒
3The reason was, because the religion of the heathen consisted rather in rites and ceremonies, than in any constant belief;原因在于，异教徒的宗教更在于仪式和典礼，而非任何恒定的信仰；宗教比较：对比形式主义宗教与信仰型宗教的区别。结构："rather...than..."表示对比关系
4for you may imagine what kind of faith theirs was, when the chief doctors and fathers of their church were the poets.因为当他们的教会主要博士和教父是诗人时，你可以想象他们的信仰是怎样的。历史背景：指古希腊罗马宗教中诗人（如荷马、赫西俄德）塑造神学。讽刺：暗示这种信仰缺乏严肃性
5But the true God hath this attribute, that he is a jealous God; and therefore his worship and religion will endure no mixture nor partner.但真神有这个属性，他是忌邪的神；因此他的崇拜和宗教不容掺杂或合伙。神学观点：引用《出埃及记》20:5"我是忌邪的神"。词汇："jealous"在此处指要求独占崇拜，不容其他神祇
6We shall therefore speak a few words concerning the unity of the church; what are the fruits thereof; what the bounds; and what the means.因此我们将就教会的统一说几句话；其果实是什么；界限是什么；以及方法是什么。文章结构：培根明确本文的三个讨论方面——果实、界限和方法。修辞：平行结构"what...what...what..."
7The fruits of unity (next unto the well-pleasing of God, which is all in all), are two; the one towards those that are without the church, the other towards those that are within.统一的果实（除了取悦上帝，这是最重要的）有两个：一个针对教会外的人，另一个针对教会内的人。神学优先级："well-pleasing of God"是最高目的。结构：括号插入语提供补充说明
8For the former, it is certain that heresies and schisms are, of all others, the greatest scandals, yea, more than corruption of manners;对于前者，可以肯定异端和分裂是所有丑闻中最严重的，甚至比道德败坏更甚；宗教术语："heresies"指教义错误，"schisms"指组织分裂。比较级："more than"强调异端比道德问题更严重
9for as in the natural body a wound or solution of continuity is worse than a corrupt humor, so in the spiritual;因为正如在自然身体中，伤口或连续性的中断比腐败体液更糟，在灵性身体中也是如此；医学比喻：借用盖伦医学理论"corrupt humor"（腐败体液）。类比：将教会比作身体，分裂比作伤口
10so that nothing doth so much keep men out of the church, and drive men out of the church, as breach of unity;因此没有什么比统一破裂更能阻止人进入教会，并驱使人离开教会；强调结构："nothing doth so much...as..."表示最高级比较。平行动词："keep out"和"drive out"
11and therefore, whensoever it cometh to that pass that one saith, “Ecce in Deserto,” another saith, “Ecce in penetralibus;” that is, when some men seek Christ in the conventicles of heretics, and others in an outward face of a church, that voice had need continually to sound in men’s ears, “nolite exire,” “go not out.”因此，每当到了这种地步：一个人说"看哪，在旷野"，另一个人说"看哪，在内室"；也就是说，当一些人在异端秘密集会中寻找基督，而另一些人在教会的外表中寻找时，那个声音需要不断在人们耳边回响："不要出去"。圣经引用：《马太福音》24:26中关于假基督的警告。拉丁语："Ecce in deserto"（看哪，在旷野），"Ecce in penetralibus"（看哪，在内室），"nolite exire"（不要出去）
12The doctor of the Gentiles (the propriety of whose vocation drew him to have a special care of those without) saith: “If a heathen come in, and hear you speak with several tongues, will he not say that you are mad?”外邦人的博士（其职业特性使他特别关心外部人）说："如果一个异教徒进来，听见你们用各种方言说话，他不会说你们疯了吗？"圣经引用：指使徒保罗（《哥林多前书》14:23）。历史背景：保罗被称为"外邦人的使徒"，负责向非犹太人传教
13and, certainly, it is little better: when atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church, and maketh them “to sit down in the chair of the scorners.”而且，确实，这好不了多少：当无神论者和亵渎者听到宗教中这么多不和谐和相反的意见时，这会使他们远离教会，并使他们"坐在亵慢人的座位上"。圣经引用：《诗篇》1:1"不坐亵慢人的座位"。社会观察：宗教分歧使外人嘲笑基督教
14It is but a light thing to be vouched in so serious a matter, but yet it expresseth well the deformity.在这公严肃的事情上引用这个可能显得轻浮，但它很好地表达了这种畸形。过渡语句：培根为下文引用幽默例子做铺垫。词汇："deformity"指宗教分裂造成的不正常状态
15There is a master of scoffing, that, in his catalogue of books of a feigned library, sets down this title of a book, “The Morris-Dance of Heretics;” for, indeed, every sect of them hath a diverse posture, or cringe, by themselves, which cannot but move derision in worldlings and depraved politicians, who are apt to contemn holy things.有一位嘲笑大师，在他虚构图书馆的书籍目录中，列入了这个书名《异教徒的莫里斯舞》；因为确实，每个异教派别都有自己不同的姿势或谄媚，这不能不引起世俗者和堕落政治家的嘲笑，他们容易蔑视神圣事物。文学引用：指法国作家拉伯雷《巨人传》中的虚构书目。文化背景："莫里斯舞"是英国传统民间舞蹈，此处比喻各派别滑稽动作
16As for the fruit towards those that are within, it is peace, which containeth infinite blessings; it establisheth faith; it kindleth charity; the outward peace of the church distilleth into peace of conscience, and it turneth the labors of writing and reading of controversies into treatises of mortification and devotion.至于对内部人的果实，则是和平，它包含无限的祝福；它建立信仰；它点燃慈善；教会的外在和平渗入良心的和平，并将写作和阅读争议的劳动转变为关于克己和奉献的论文。宗教益处：列举统一的四个好处。隐喻："distilleth"（蒸馏）形象表示和平从外部渗透到内部
17Concerning the bounds of unity, the true placing of them importeth exceedingly.关于统一的界限，正确划定它们极其重要。过渡句：引出下文关于统一界限的讨论。词汇："importeth"为古英语，意为"重要"
18There appear to be two extremes; for to certain zealots all speech of pacification is odious.似乎有两个极端；因为对某些狂热者来说，所有和解的言论都是可憎的。分析框架：培根指出两个错误极端。词汇："zealots"指宗教狂热者，不容任何妥协
19“Is it peace, Jehu?”—“What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me.”"平安吗，耶户？"—"平安与你何干？你转在我后头吧。"圣经引用：《列王纪下》9:18-19中耶户的故事，象征拒绝和平的态度
20Peace is not the matter, but following, and party.平安不是问题，而是追随和党派。批判：培根批评那些更关心派系忠诚而非真正和平的人
21Contrariwise, certain Laodiceans and lukewarm persons think they may accommodate points of religion by middle ways, and taking part of both, and witty reconcilements, as if they would make an arbitrament between God and man.相反，某些老底嘉人和不冷不热的人认为他们可以通过中间道路、兼取双方以及巧妙的调和来适应宗教观点，仿佛他们要在神与人之间作出仲裁。圣经引用：《启示录》3:15-16中的"老底嘉教会"象征不冷不热的信仰。批判：过度妥协的危险
22Both these extremes are to be avoided; which will be done if the league of Christians, penned by our Saviour himself, were in the two cross clauses thereof soundly and plainly expounded: “He that is not with us is against us;” and again, “He that is not against us, is with us;” that is, if the points fundamental, and of substance in religion, were truly discerned and distinguished from points not merely of faith, but of opinion, order, or good intention.这两个极端都要避免；如果由我们的救主亲自写下的基督徒盟约中的两个交叉条款得到健全和明确的解释，就能做到这一点："不与我们相合的，就是敌我们的；"又说："不敌挡我们的，就是帮助我们的；"也就是说，如果宗教中基本的、实质性的要点真正被识别出来，并与不仅仅是信仰，而是意见、秩序或良好意图的要点区分开来。圣经解释：平衡理解《马太福音》12:30和《马可福音》9:40中似乎矛盾的经文。神学方法：区分核心教义与次要问题
23This is a thing may seem to many a matter trivial, and done already; but if it were done less partially, it would be embraced more generally.这件事对许多人来说可能显得琐碎，并且已经完成；但如果做得更少偏见，就会被更普遍地接受。现实观察：培根指出虽然理论上区分已明确，但实践中仍有偏见阻碍统一
24Of this I may give only this advice, according to my small model.关于这一点，我只能根据我的微小模型提供这个建议。谦辞："small model"表示培根谦虚地提出自己的框架
25Men ought to take heed of rending God’s church by two kinds of controversies; the one is, when the matter of the point controverted is too small and light, not worth the heat and strife about it, kindled only by contradiction;人们应当注意不要因两种争议而撕裂神的教会；一种是，当争议点的问题太小太轻，不值得为之发热和争吵，只是由矛盾点燃；实用建议：避免无谓争论。隐喻："heat and strife"形象描述争论的激烈程度
26for, as it is noted by one of the fathers, “Christ’s coat indeed had no seam, but the church’s vesture was of divers colors;” whereupon he saith, “In veste varietas sit, scissura non sit,” they be two things, unity and uniformity;因为，正如一位教父所指出的，"基督的内衣确实没有缝，但教会的衣服有多种颜色；"因此他说："衣服可以有多样性，但不可有撕裂，"这是两件事，统一和一律；教父引用：可能指奥古斯丁。拉丁语："In veste varietas sit, scissura non sit"（让衣服有多样性，但不要有撕裂）。重要区分：统一不等于千篇一律
27the other is, when the matter of the point controverted is great, but it is driven to an over-great subtilty and obscurity, so that it becometh a thing rather ingenious than substantial.另一种是，当争议点的问题很大，但它被推向过度的微妙和晦涩，以至于变得更像是巧妙而非实质性的东西。学术批评：培根反对过度哲学化导致神学失去实质。词汇："subtilty"指过度精细的区分
28A man that is of judgment and understanding shall sometimes hear ignorant men differ, and know well within himself, that those which so differ mean one thing, and yet they themselves would never agree;一个有判断力和理解力的人有时会听到无知的人分歧，并心里很清楚，那些如此分歧的人指的是同一件事，但他们自己永远不会同意；心理学观察：培根指出人们经常争论语义而非实质。智慧：有判断力者能看透表面分歧
29and if it come so to pass in that distance of judgment, which is between man and man, shall we not think that God above, that knows the heart, doth not discern that frail men, in some of their contradictions, intend the same thing, and accepteth of both?如果在人与人之间的判断距离中都是如此，我们难道不认为天上的神，那知道人心的，不会辨别脆弱的人在他们的一些矛盾中意图相同，并接受两者吗？神学观点：神看透人心，知道表面分歧下的相同意图。语法：反问句加强语气
30The nature of such controversies is excellently expressed by St. Paul, in the warning and precept that he giveth concerning the same: “Devita profanas vocum novitates, et oppositiones falsi nominis scientiæ.”这类争议的性质被圣保罗在他对此的警告和诫命中精彩地表达出来："要躲避世俗的虚谈和那敌真道、似是而非的学问。"圣经引用：《提摩太前书》6:20。拉丁语："Devita profanas vocum novitates, et oppositiones falsi nominis scientiæ"（避免世俗的空谈和假称科学的反对意见）
31Men create oppositions which are not, and put them into new terms, so fixed as, whereas the meaning ought to govern the term, the term in effect governeth the meaning.人们创造不存在的对立，并将它们放入新术语中，如此固定，以至于本应由意义支配术语，实际上术语支配了意义。语言哲学：培根批评术语反过来控制思维的异化现象。深刻洞察：预见了现代语言学中的能指与所指问题
32There be also two false peaces, or unities; the one, when the peace is grounded but upon an implicit ignorance; for all colors will agree in the dark;还有两种虚假的和平或统一；一种是，和平只建立在隐含的无知之上；因为所有颜色在黑暗中都是一致的；比喻："所有颜色在黑暗中一致"形象表示表面统一实际源于无知。批判：忽视真实分歧的虚假和平
33the other, when it is pieced up upon a direct admission of contraries in fundamental points; for truth and falsehood, in such things, are like the iron and clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image; they may cleave, but they will not incorporate.另一种是，当它在基本点上直接承认对立面而拼凑起来；因为在这些事情上，真理和谬误就像尼布甲尼撒像脚趾上的铁和泥；它们可能粘在一起，但不会融合。圣经引用：《但以理书》2:33中泥铁混合的比喻。隐喻：根本对立的观点无法真正统一
34Concerning the means of procuring unity, men must beware that, in the procuring or muniting of religious unity, they do not dissolve and deface the laws of charity and of human society.关于获得统一的方法，人们必须注意，在获得或巩固宗教统一时，不要解散和破坏慈善和人类社会的法则。道德限制：培根强调统一不能以牺牲爱和社会法则为代价。词汇："muniting"为古语，意为"加固"
35There be two swords amongst Christians, the spiritual and temporal, and both have their due office and place in the maintenance of religion;基督徒中有两把剑，属灵的和世俗的，两者在维护宗教中都有适当的职责和地位；中世纪理论："两把剑"理论指教权与政权。历史背景：源自《路加福音》22:38，中世纪成为教宗与皇帝权力分工的象征
36but we may not take up the third sword, which is Mahomet’s sword, or like unto it; that is, to propagate religion by wars, or, by sanguinary persecutions, to force consciences;但我们不能拿起第三把剑，即穆罕默德的剑，或类似的东西；也就是说，通过战争传播宗教，或通过血腥迫害强迫良心；历史对比：指伊斯兰教的吉哈德观念。立场：培根明确反对武力传教和宗教迫害
37except it be in cases of overt scandal, blasphemy, or intermixture of practice against the state; much less to nourish seditions, to authorize conspiracies and rebellions, to put the sword into the people’s hands, and the like, tending to the subversion of all government, which is the ordinance of God;除非在公开丑闻、亵渎或反对国家的行为混合的情况下；更不用说滋养煽动、授权阴谋和叛乱、将剑交到人民手中等倾向于颠覆所有政府的行为，而政府是神的 ordinance；限定条件：培根允许国家镇压公开反社会和反国家的宗教行为。神学观点：政府是神设立的（《罗马书》13:1-2）
38for this is but to dash the first table against the second, and so to consider men as Christians, as we forget that they are men.因为这只是将第一块法版与第二块法版相撞，如此考虑人作为基督徒，以至于我们忘记他们是人。十诫引用：第一块法版关乎神人关系，第二块关乎人际关系。警告：不能因宗教热情忽视基本人性
39Lucretius the poet, when he beheld the act of Agamemnon, that could endure the sacrificing of his own daughter, exclaimed;— “Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum.”诗人卢克莱修目睹阿伽门农能够忍受牺牲自己女儿的行为时，惊呼：—"宗教竟能诱人作如此恶事。"文学引用：卢克莱修《物性论》1.101。历史：希腊神话中阿伽门农献祭女儿伊菲革涅亚。批判：宗教狂热导致的非人道行为
40What would he have said, if he had known of the massacre in France, or the powder treason of England?如果他知道了法国的大屠杀或英格兰的火药阴谋，他会说什么？历史事件："法国大屠杀"指1572年圣巴托洛缪大屠杀；"火药阴谋"指1605年天主教徒企图炸毁国会的事件
41He would have been seven times more epicure and atheist than he was; for as the temporal sword is to be drawn with great circumspection in cases of religion, so it is a thing monstrous to put it into the hands of the common people;他会比他原本更加伊壁鸠鲁主义和無神论七倍；因为正如在宗教案件中应当极其谨慎地拔出世俗之剑，将它交到普通人手中也是一件 monstrous 的事；哲学派别：伊壁鸠鲁主义被视为无神论的代名词。政治观点：培根反对民众暴力，主张国家垄断武力
42let that be left unto the Anabaptists, and other furies.让那留给再洗礼派和其他狂怒者。历史指涉：再洗礼派激进分子曾建立明斯特公社（1534-1535）。贬义："furies"（狂怒者）表示极端狂热分子
43It was great blasphemy when the devil said, “I will ascend and be like the Highest;” but it is greater blasphemy to personate God, and bring him in saying, “I will descend, and be like the prince of darkness;”魔鬼说"我要升到天上，与至高者同等"是大的亵渎；但假冒神，并让他说"我要降下，与黑暗之王同等"是更大的亵渎；圣经引用：《以赛亚书》14:14中撒旦的傲慢。对比：假冒神行恶比撒旦的傲慢更亵渎
44and what is it better, to make the cause of religion to descend to the cruel and execrable actions of murdering princes, butchery of people, and subversion of states and governments?使宗教事业堕落到谋杀君主、屠杀人民和颠覆国家政府的残酷和可憎行为，又好在哪里？修辞问句：加强语气谴责宗教暴力。列举：三种最严重的政治罪行
45Surely, this is to bring down the Holy Ghost, instead of the likeness of a dove, in the shape of a vulture or raven; and to set out of the bark of a Christian church a flag of a bark of pirates and assassins;当然，这是将圣灵以秃鹰或乌鸦的形状而非鸽子的形象降下；并在基督教会的船上升起海盗和刺客船的旗帜；圣经象征：圣灵如鸽子（《马太福音》3:16）。对比：暴力将圣灵变成掠食性鸟类。比喻：教会如船，暴力如海盗旗
46therefore, it is most necessary that the church by doctrine and decree, princes by their sword, and all learnings, both Christian and moral, as by their Mercury rod, do damn and send to hell forever those facts and opinions tending to the support of the same, as hath been already in good part done.因此，最重要的是，教会通过教义和法令，君主通过他们的剑，所有学问，包括基督教和道德的，如同通过他们的墨丘利杖，谴责并将那些支持此类行为的事实和意见永远送入地狱，正如已经部分完成的那样。神话引用：墨丘利的杖可使入睡或唤醒。解决方案：三方合作镇压极端主义。现实注意：培根注意到已有措施在实施
47Surely, in counsels concerning religion, that counsel of the apostle would be prefixed: “Ira hominis non implet justitiam Dei;”当然，在关于宗教的忠告中，使徒的忠告应当放在首位："人的怒气并不成就神的义；"圣经引用：《雅各书》1:20。核心原则：人的愤怒不能实现神的正义
48and it was a notable observation of a wise father, and no less ingenuously confessed, that those which held and persuaded pressure of consciences, were commonly interested therein themselves for their own ends.一位智慧教父的显著观察，并且他坦率地承认，那些主张和劝说压迫良心的人，通常是为了自己的目的而对此感兴趣。心理学洞察：宗教压迫者常有自己的私利。批判：揭示宗教迫害背后的利益动机