the origin of the distinction of ranks-第46章

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me　Father；　and　as　all　equally　the　objects　of　his　paternal　care　and　affection；　should　inspire　them　with　compassion　for　the　miseries　of　each　other；　and　should　teach　the　opulent　and　the　proud　to　consider　those　who　are　depressed　with　labour　and　penury　as　creatures　of　the　same　species；　to　treat　them　with　mildness　and　humanity；　and　to　soften　the　rigours　to　which　their　severe　and　unequal　fortune　has　unavoidably　subjected　them。　But　it　does　not　seem　to　have　been　the　intention　of　Christianity　to　alter　the　civil　rights　of　mankind；　or　to　abolish　those　distinctions　of　rank　which　were　already　established。　There　is　no　precept　of　the　gospel　by　which　the　authority　of　the　master　is　in　any　respect　restrained　or　limited；　but；　on　the　contrary；　there　are　several　passages　from　which　it　may　be　inferred　that　slaves；　even　after　they　had　embraced　the　Christian　religion；　were　not　absolved　from　any　part　of　the　duties　formerly　incumbent　upon　them。（13*）　　　　　We　accordingly　find　that　slavery　remained　all　over　Europe　for　several　centuries　after　Christianity　became　the　established　religion：　not　to　mention　that　this　institution　is　still　retained　in　Russia；　in　Poland；　in　Hungry；　and　in　several　parts　of　Germany；　and　that　it　is　at　present　admitted；　without　limitation；　in　the　colonies　which　belong　to　the　European　nations；　whether　in　Asia；　Africa；　or　America。　The　Quakers　of　Pennsylvania；　are　the　first　body　of　men　in　those　countries；　who　have　discovered　any　scruples　upon　that　account；　and　who　seem　to　have　thought　that　the　abolition　of　this　practice　is　a　duty　they　owe　to　religion　and　humanity。　　　　　It　has　likewise　been　imagined　that　the　state　of　the　clergy；　their　great　influence　and　ambition；　together　with　that　opposition　between　the　civil　and　ecclesiastical　powers；　which　subsisted　for　a　long　time　in　most　of　the　nations　of　Europe　were　favourable　to　the　lower　ranks　of　men；　and　contributed　to　limit　and　destroy　the　ancient　practice　of　villanage。　The　learning；　the　ideas　of　policy；　and；　above　all；　the　peaceable　manners　of　ecclesiastics；　naturally　produced　an　aversion　to　the　disorders　incident　to　the　feudal　governments；　and　disposed　them　to　shelter　the　weak　and　defenceless　from　the　tyranny　of　their　superiors。　　　　　In　those　dark　and　superstitious　ages；　the　church　was；　at　the　same　time；　most　successful　in　establishing　her　authority　over　the　lowest　and　most　ignorant　of　the　people；　and　was　therefore　led；　in　a　particular　manner；　to　exert　her　power　and　abilities　in　protecting　that　order　of　men　by　which　she　was　most　firmly　supported。　As　dying　persons　were　frequently　inclined　to　make　considerable　donations　for　pious　uses；　it　was　more　immediately　for　the　interest　of　churchmen；　that　people　of　inferior　condition　should　be　rendered　capable　of　acquiring　property；　and　should　have　the　free　disposal　of　what　they　had　acquired。　　　　　The　progress　of　ecclesiastical　rapacity　seems　at　length　to　have　produced　a　custom　that　villains；　who　obtained　their　liberty　by　the　influence　of　the　clergy；　should　reward　their　benefactors；　and　that　the　manumission　should；　for　this　reason；　be　confirmed　by　the　church。　In　these　circumstances；　the　ministers　of　religion　did　not　fail　to　recommend　the　manumission　of　slaves；　as　an　action　highly　proper　to　atone　for　the　offences　of　a　sinner。　and　ecclesiastical　censures　were；　in　some　cases；　inflicted　upon　the　master；　when　he　refused　to　allow　his　villains　the　liberty　of　alienating　their　goods　by　a　testament。　So　much　does　this　appear　to　have　been　an　object　of　attention；　that　a　bull　was　published　by　Pope　Alexander　III　exhorting　the　Christian　world　to　a　general　emancipation　of　the　villains。　　　　　It　was　not；　however；　to　be　expected　that；　from　such　interested　views；　the　clergy　would　be　disposed　to　strike　at　the　root　of　servitude；　or　to　employ　their　casuistry　in　overthrowing　an　institution　upon　which　so　great　a　part　of　their　own　property　depended。　Like　physicians；　they　were　far　from　thinking　it　necessary　to　swallow　that　medicine　which　they　had　prescribed　to　the　people；　and　while　they　appeared　so　extremely　liberal　with　regard　to　the　estates　of　the　laity；　they　held　a　very　different　conduct　with　relation　to　the　villains　in　their　own　possession。　These　being　appropriated　to　pious　uses；　and　being　only　held　in　usufruct；　were　not　to　be　alienated　by　the　present　incumbent。　Thus　we　meet　with　many　ecclesiastical　regulations；　both　in　France　and　Germany；　by　which　it　is　provided　that　no　bishop；　or　priest；　shall　manumit　a　slave　in　the　patrimony　of　the　church；　without　purchasing　two　others　of　equal　value　to　be　put　in　his　place。（14*）　　　　　The　state　of　the　civil　government；　in　most　of　the　countries　of　Europe；　may　be　regarded　as　another　circumstance　which　had　some　influence　in　abolishing　domestic　slavery。　From　the　aristocratical　constitution　established　in　these　kingdoms；　the　sovereign　was　engaged　in　long　and　violent　struggles　with　his　barons；　and　being　often　incapable　of　carrying　his　measures　by　direct　force；　he　was　obliged　to　employ　every　artifice　that　his　situation　would　admit；　in　order　to　humble　his　rivals；　and　reduce　them　under　subjection。　For　this　purpose　he　frequently　exerted　his　authority　in　protecting　the　villains　from　the　tyranny　of　the　master；　and　thus　endeavoured　to　undermine　the　power　of　the　nobles；　by　withdrawing　the　submission　of　their　immediate　dependents。　　　　　While　the　monarch　was；　upon　this　account；　endeavouring　to　protect　the　villains　possessed　by　his　barons；　and　to　raise　them　to　such　a　condition　as　might　render　them　less　dependent　upon　their　masters；　he　found　means　of　deriving　some　revenue　from　the　people　of　that　class；　upon　pretence　of　confirming；　by　royal　authority；　the　privileges　that　were　bestowed　upon　them。　Other　reasons；　in　the　mean　time；　induced　the　sovereign　to　give　particular　encouragement　to　the　bond…men　upon　his　own　demesnes；　as　these；　under　the　shelter　of　the　crown；　had　been　enabled　to　acquire　a　degree　of　opulence；　not　only　by　their　advances　in　agriculture；　but　also　by　their　application　to　trade　and　manufactures；　and　consequently　were　in　a　condition　to　purchase　freedom　and　immunities　by　pecuniary　compositions；　or　by　submitting　to　regular　duties　for　the　support　of　government。　From　such　political　considerations；　we　find　that　repeated　efforts　were　made；　and　many　regulations　were　introduced　by　different　princes　of　Europe；　for　extending　and　securing　the　liberties　and　rights　of　the　lower　and　more　industrious　part　of　their　subjects。　　　　　In　this　manner　domestic　slavery；　having　gradually　declined　for　ages；　has　at　last　been　exploded　from　the　greater　part　of　Europe。　In　several　European　kingdoms；　this　has　happened；　from　the　natural　progress　of　manners；　and　without　any　express　interposition　of　the　legislature。　Thus　in　England；　the　peasants　having；　in　consequence　of　their　situation；　acquired　successive　privileges；　many　of　them　were　promoted　to　the　rank　of　vassals　or　free…holders；　while　the　rest；　advancing　more　slowly；　have　remained　in　the　condition　of　those　who　are　called　copy…holders　at　present。　So　late　as　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth　it　appears　that　real　bond…men　were　still　to　be　found　in　many　parts　of　the　kingdom。（15*）　　　　　In　Scotland　the　slavery　of　the　villains；　which　was　probably　of　a　similar　nature　to　what　obtained　in　the　other　countries　of　Europe；　appear　in　like　manner　to　have　gone　into　disuse　without　any　aid　of　statute；　but　the　period　when　this　change　was　effected　has　not　been　ascertained　by　lawyers　or　historians。　　　　　The　remains　of　bondage　which　are　still　to　be　found　in　the　case　of　colliers　and　salters　in　Scotland；　and　of　those　who　work　in　the　mines　in　some　other　parts　of　Europe；　are　sufficient　to　point　out　the　chief　circumstance；　from　which；　in　all　other　cases；　the　ancient　institution　has　been　so　generally　abolished。　In　a　coal…work；　as　the　different　workmen　are　collected　in　one　place；　instead　of　being　scattered；　like　the　ordinary　peasants；　over　an　extensive　territory；　they　were　capable　of　being　put　under　the　care　of　an　overseer；　who　might　compel　them　to　labour；　and　the　master　did　not　so　immediately　feel　the　necessity　of　resigning　that　authority　over　them　with　which　he　was　invested。　　　　　After　domestic　liberty　had　been　thus；　in　a　great　measure；　established　in　those　European　nations　which　had　made　the　greatest　improvement　in　agriculture；　America　was　discovered；　the　first　settlers　in　which；