匹夫(fu)而(er)为(wei)(wei)百世师，一言而(er)为(wei)(wei)天下法(fa)，是皆有以参天地之化，关(guan)盛衰之运。其(qi)生也(ye)(ye)有自来(lai)，其(qi)逝(shi)也(ye)(ye)有所为(wei)(wei)。故申(shen)、吕(lv)自岳降，傅说(shuo)为(wei)(wei)列星(xing)，古今(jin)所传，不可诬也(ye)(ye)。
孟子日：「我善养(yang)吾浩然(ran)(ran)之(zhi)气。」是气也，寓于寻常之(zhi)中(zhong)，而(er)塞乎天地之(zhi)间。卒然(ran)(ran)遇(yu)之(zhi)，则王公失其(qi)(qi)贵，晋、楚(chu)失其(qi)(qi)富(fu)，良、平失其(qi)(qi)智，贲、育失其(qi)(qi)勇(yong)，仪、秦失其(qi)(qi)辩。是孰使(shi)之(zhi)然(ran)(ran)哉？其(qi)(qi)必(bi)有(you)不(bu)依形而(er)立，不(bu)恃力而(er)行，不(bu)待生而(er)存，不(bu)随死而(er)亡者矣。故在天为(wei)星辰(chen)，在地为(wei)河岳，幽则为(wei)鬼神，而(er)明则复为(wei)人。此理之(zhi)常，无足怪(guai)者。
自东汉以(yi)来(lai)，道丧(sang)文(wen)弊，异(yi)端并起(qi)(qi)。历唐贞观、开(kai)元(yuan)之(zhi)盛(sheng)，辅以(yi)房(fang)、杜、姚、宋而(er)(er)不能救。独韩文(wen)公起(qi)(qi)布衣，谈笑而(er)(er)麾之(zhi)，天(tian)(tian)下靡然(ran)从公，复归(gui)于(yu)正(zheng)，盖三百年(nian)于(yu)此矣。文(wen)起(qi)(qi)八(ba)代之(zhi)衰，道济天(tian)(tian)下之(zhi)溺(ni)。忠犯人(ren)主之(zhi)怒，而(er)(er)勇(yong)夺(duo)三军之(zhi)帅。此岂(qi)非参(can)天(tian)(tian)地，关盛(sheng)衰，浩然(ran)而(er)(er)独存者乎？
盖尝(chang)论天(tian)(tian)(tian)人(ren)之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)辨，以谓人(ren)无所不(bu)(bu)(bu)至，惟天(tian)(tian)(tian)不(bu)(bu)(bu)容(rong)伪。智可以欺(qi)(qi)王公，不(bu)(bu)(bu)可以欺(qi)(qi)豚鱼；力可以得天(tian)(tian)(tian)下，不(bu)(bu)(bu)可以得匹(pi)夫匹(pi)妇之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)心。故公之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)精诚，能(neng)(neng)开衡山之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)云(yun)，而不(bu)(bu)(bu)能(neng)(neng)回(hui)宪宗之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)惑；能(neng)(neng)驯鳄鱼之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)暴(bao)，而不(bu)(bu)(bu)能(neng)(neng)弭皇(huang)甫(fu)鑮、李逢吉之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)谤(bang)；能(neng)(neng)信(xin)于(yu)南海之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)民(min)，庙食百(bai)世，而不(bu)(bu)(bu)能(neng)(neng)使其(qi)身一日安之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)于(yu)朝(chao)廷之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)上。盖公之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)所能(neng)(neng)者(zhe)，天(tian)(tian)(tian)也(ye)；其(qi)所不(bu)(bu)(bu)能(neng)(neng)者(zhe)，人(ren)也(ye)。
始潮(chao)(chao)人未知学(xue)，公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)命进士(shi)赵德为之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)师。自是(shi)潮(chao)(chao)之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)士(shi)，皆笃于(yu)(yu)(yu)文(wen)行，延及齐民(min)，至(zhi)于(yu)(yu)(yu)今号(hao)称易(yi)治。信(xin)乎孔子之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)言：「君子学(xue)道(dao)则爱人，小人学(xue)道(dao)则易(yi)使也。」潮(chao)(chao)人之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)事(shi)公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)也，饮(yin)食必(bi)(bi)祭，水旱(han)疾疫，凡有求必(bi)(bi)祷焉。而(er)庙在(zai)(zai)刺史公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)堂之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)后，民(min)以(yi)出(chu)入(ru)为艰。前守(shou)欲请(qing)诸朝(chao)，作新庙，不(bu)果。元祐(you)五年，朝(chao)散(san)郎王君涤，来(lai)守(shou)是(shi)邦，凡所以(yi)养(yang)士(shi)治民(min)者，一以(yi)公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)为师。民(min)既(ji)悦服，则出(chu)令(ling)曰(yue)(yue)(yue)：「愿新公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)庙者听(ting)。」民(min)欢趋之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)，卜地于(yu)(yu)(yu)州(zhou)城之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)南七里，期(qi)年而(er)庙成。或曰(yue)(yue)(yue)：「公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)去国(guo)万里，而(er)谪(zhe)于(yu)(yu)(yu)潮(chao)(chao)，不(bu)能一岁(sui)而(er)归(gui)，没而(er)有知，其(qi)不(bu)眷恋于(yu)(yu)(yu)潮(chao)(chao)也审矣。」轼曰(yue)(yue)(yue)：「不(bu)然。公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)神在(zai)(zai)天(tian)下者，如(ru)水之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)在(zai)(zai)地中，无所往而(er)不(bu)在(zai)(zai)也。而(er)潮(chao)(chao)人独信(xin)之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)深，思之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)至(zhi)，蒿(hao)凄怆，若或见之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)。譬如(ru)凿井得泉，而(er)曰(yue)(yue)(yue)水专(zhuan)在(zai)(zai)是(shi)，岂(qi)理也哉？」元丰元年，诏封(feng)公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)昌(chang)黎(li)(li)伯(bo)，故榜(bang)曰(yue)(yue)(yue)：「昌(chang)黎(li)(li)伯(bo)韩文(wen)公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)庙。」潮(chao)(chao)人请(qing)书其(qi)事(shi)于(yu)(yu)(yu)石(shi)；因(yin)为作诗(shi)以(yi)遗之(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)(zhi)，使歌以(yi)祀公(gong)(gong)(gong)(gong)。其(qi)词曰(yue)(yue)(yue)：
「公昔骑龙白云乡，手(shou)决云汉分天(tian)章。天(tian)孙为织云锦裳，飘然乘(cheng)风来帝(di)旁。下与浊世扫秕糠，西游(you)咸池略扶桑。草(cao)木(mu)衣被昭回光，追逐李杜参翱翔；汗流籍(ji)、湜走(zou)且僵(jiang)，灭没倒景不(bu)可望(wang)。作书诋佛讥君王，要观南海窥(kui)衡湘，历舜九嶷吊(diao)英(ying)皇，祝融先驱(qu)海若藏，约(yue)束蛟鳄(e)如驱(qu)羊(yang)。钧天(tian)无人帝(di)悲伤(shang)，讴吟下招遣巫阳。儤(bao)牲鸡卜羞我觞，於粲荔丹与蕉黄。公不(bu)少留(liu)我涕(ti)滂，翩然被发下大荒。」