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higher ranks of life; are very apt to neglect altogether the

means of maintaining their influence and authority with the

lower。 They are listened to; esteemed; and respected by their

superiors; but before their inferiors they are frequently

incapable of defending; effectually and to the conviction of such

hearers; their own sober and moderate doctrines against the most

ignorant enthusiast who chooses to attack them。

     The followers of Zwingli; or more properly those of Calvin;

on the contrary; bestowed upon the people of each parish;

whenever the church became vacant; the right of electing their

own pastor; and established at the same time the most perfect

equality among the clergy。 The former part of this institution;

as long as it remained in vigour; seems to have been productive

of nothing but disorder and confusion; and to have tended equally

to corrupt the morals both of the clergy and of the people。 The

latter part seems never to have had any effects but what were

perfectly agreeable。

     As long as the people of each parish preserved the right of

electing their own pastors; they acted almost always under the

influence of the clergy; and generally of the most factious and

fanatical of the order。 The clergy; in order to preserve their

influence in those popular elections; became; or affected to

become; many of them; fanatics themselves; encouraged fanaticism

among the people; and gave the preference almost always to the

most fanatical candidate。 So small a matter as the appointment of

a parish priest occasioned almost always a violent contest; not

only in one parish; but in all the neighbouring parishes; who

seldom failed to take part in the quarrel。 When the parish

happened to be situated in a great city; it divided all the

inhabitants into two parties; and when that city happened either

to constitute itself a little republic; or to be the head and

capital of a little republic; as is the case with many of the

considerable cities in Switzerland and Holland; every paltry

dispute of this kind; over and above exasperating the animosity

of all their other factions; threatened to leave behind it both a

new schism in the church; and a new faction in the state。 In

those small republics; therefore; the magistrate very soon found

it necessary; for the sake of preserving the public peace; to

assume to himself the right of presenting to all vacant

benefices。 In Scotland; the most extensive country in which this

Presbyterian form of church government has ever been established;

the rights of patronage were in effect abolished by the act which

established Presbytery in the beginning of the reign of William

III。 That act at least put it in the power of certain classes of

people in each parish to purchase; for a very small price; the

right of electing their own pastor。 The constitution which this

act established was allowed to subsist for about two…and…twenty

years; but was abolished by the 10th of Queen Anne; c。 12; on

account of the confusions and disorders which this more popular

mode of; election had almost everywhere occasioned。 In so

extensive a country as Scotland; however; a tumult in a remote

parish was not so likely to give disturbance to government as in

a smaller state。 The 10th of Queen Anne restored the rights of

patronage。 But though in Scotland the law gives the benefice

without any exception to the person presented by the patron; yet

the church requires sometimes (for she has not in this respect

been very uniform in her decisions) a certain concurrence of the

people before she will confer upon the presentee what is called

the cure of souls; or the ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the

parish。 She sometimes at least; from an affected concern for the

peace of the parish; delays the settlement till this concurrence

can be procured。 The private tampering of some of the

neighbouring clergy; sometimes to procure; but more frequently to

prevent; this concurrence; and the popular arts which they

cultivate in order to enable them upon such occasions to tamper

more effectually; are perhaps the causes which principally keep

up whatever remains of the old fanatical spirit; either in the

clergy or in the people of Scotland。

     The equality which the Presbyterian form of church

government establishes among the clergy; consists; first; in the

equality of authority or ecclesiastical jurisdiction; and;

secondly; in the equality of benefice。 In all Presbyterian

churches the equality of authority is perfect: that of benefice

is not so。 The difference; however; between one benefice and

another is seldom so considerable as commonly to tempt the

possessor even of the small one to pay court to his patron by the

vile arts of flattery and assentation in order to get a better。

In all the Presbyterian churches; where the rights of patronage

are thoroughly established; it is by nobler and better arts that

the established clergy in general endeavour to gain the favour of

their superiors; by their learning; by the irreproachable

regularity of their life; and by the faithful and diligent

discharge of their duty。 Their patrons even frequently complain

of the independency of their spirit; which they are apt to

construe into ingratitude for past favours; but which at worst;

perhaps; is seldom any more than that indifference which

naturally arises from the consciousness that no further favours

of the kind are ever to be expected。 There is scarce perhaps to

be found anywhere in Europe a more learned; decent; independent;

and respectable set of men than the greater part of the

Presbyterian clergy of Holland; Geneva; Switzerland; and

Scotland。

     Where the church benefices are all nearly equal; none of

them can be very great; and this mediocrity of benefice; though

it may no doubt be carried; too far; has; however; some very

agreeable effects。 Nothing but the most exemplary morals can give

dignity to a man of small fortune。 The vices of levity and vanity

necessarily render him ridiculous; and are; besides; almost as

ruinous to him as they are to the common people。 In his own

conduct; therefore; he is obliged to follow that system of morals

which the common people respect the most。 He gains their esteem

and affection by that plan of life which his own interest and

situation would lead him to follow。 The common people look upon

him with that kindness with which we naturally regard one who

approaches somewhat to our own condition; but who; we think;

ought to be in a higher。 Their kindness naturally provokes his

kindness。 He becomes careful to instruct them; and attentive to

assist and relieve them。 He does not even despise the prejudices

of people who are disposed to be so favourable to him; and never

treats them with those contemptuous and arrogant airs which we so

often meet with in the proud dignitaries of opulent and

well…endowed churches。 The Presbyterian clergy; accordingly; have

more influence over the minds of the common people than perhaps

the clergy of any other established church。 It is accordingly in

Presbyterian countries only that we ever find the common people

converted; without persecution; completely; and almost to a man;

to the established church。

     In countries where church benefices are the greater part of

them very moderate; a chair in a university is generally a better

establishment than a church benefice。 The universities have; in

this case; the picking and choosing of their members from all the

churchmen of the country; who; in every country; constitute by

far the most numerous class of men of letters。 Where church

benefices; on the contrary; are many of them very considerable;

the church naturally draws from the universities the greater part

of their eminent men of letters; who generally find some patron

who does himself honour by procuring them church preferment。 In

the former situation we are likely to find the universities

filled with the most eminent men of letters that are to be found

in the country。 In the latter we are likely to find few eminent

men among them; and those few among the youngest members of the

society; who are likely; too; to be drained away from it before

they can have acquired experience and knowledge enough to be of

much use to it。 It is observed by Mr。 de Voltaire; that Father

Porrie; a Jesuit of no great eminence in the republic of letters;

was the only professor they had ever had in France whose works

were worth the reading。 In a country which has produced so many

eminent men of letters; it must appear somewhat singular that

scarce one of them should have been a professor in a university。

The famous Gassendi was; in the beginning of his life; a

professor in the University of Aix。 Upon the first dawning of his

genius; it was represented to him that by going into the church

he could easily find a much more quiet and comfortable

subsistence; as well as a better situation for pursuing his

st

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