wealbk05-第33章

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people　by　painting；　poetry；　music；　dancing；　by　all　sorts　of

dramatic　representations　and　exhibitions；　would　easily　dissipate；

in　the　greater　part　of　them；　that　melancholy　and　gloomy　humour

which　is　almost　always　the　nurse　of　popular　superstition　and

enthusiasm。　Public　diversions　have　always　been　the　objects　of

dread　and　hatred　to　all　the　fanatical　promoters　of　those　popular

frenzies。　The　gaiety　and　good　humour　which　those　diversions

inspire　were　altogether　inconsistent　with　that　temper　of　mind

which　was　fittest　for　their　purpose；　or　which　they　could　best

work　upon。　Dramatic　representations；　besides；　frequently　exposing

their　artifices　to　public　ridicule；　and　sometimes　even　to　public

execration；　were　upon　that　account；　more　than　all　other

diversions；　the　objects　of　their　peculiar　abhorrence。

　　　　　In　a　country　where　the　law　favoured　the　teachers　of　no　one

religion　more　than　those　of　another；　it　would　not　be　necessary

that　any　of　them　should　have　any　particular　or　immediate

dependency　upon　the　sovereign　or　executive　power；　or　that　he

should　have　anything　to　do　either　in　appointing　or　in　dismissing

them　from　their　offices。　In　such　a　situation　he　would　have　no

occasion　to　give　himself　any　concern　about　them；　further　than　to

keep　the　peace　among　them　in　the　same　manner　as　among　the　rest　of

his　subjects；　that　is；　to　hinder　them　from　persecuting；　abusing；

or　oppressing　one　another。　But　it　is　quite　otherwise　in　countries

where　there　is　an　established　or　governing　religion。　The

sovereign　can　in　this　case　never　be　secure　unless　he　has　the

means　of　influencing　in　a　considerable　degree　the　greater　part　of

the　teachers　of　that　religion。

　　　　　The　clergy　of　every　established　church　constitute　a　great

incorporation。　They　can　act　in　concert；　and　pursue　their　interest

upon　one　plan　and　with　one　spirit；　as　much　as　if　they　were　under

the　direction　of　one　man；　and　they　are　frequently；　too；　under

such　direction。　Their　interest　as　an　incorporated　body　is　never

the　same　with　that　of　the　sovereign；　and　is　sometimes　directly

opposite　to　it。　Their　great　interest　is　to　maintain　their

authority　with　the　people；　and　this　authority　depends　upon　the

supposed　certainty　and　importance　of　the　whole　doctrine　which

they　inculcate；　and　upon　the　supposed　necessity　of　adopting　every

part　of　it　with　the　most　implicit　faith；　in　order　to　avoid

eternal　misery。　Should　the　sovereign　have　the　imprudence　to

appear　either　to　deride　or　doubt　himself　of　the　most　trifling

part　of　their　doctrine；　or　from　humanity　attempt　to　protect　those

who　did　either　the　one　or　the　other；　the　punctilious　honour　of　a

clergy　who　have　no　sort　of　dependency　upon　him　is　immediately

provoked　to　proscribe　him　as　a　profane　person；　and　to　employ　all

the　terrors　of　religion　in　order　to　oblige　the　people　to　transfer

their　allegiance　to　some　more　orthodox　and　obedient　prince。

Should　he　oppose　any　of　their　pretensions　or　usurpations；　the

danger　is　equally　great。　The　princes　who　have　dared　in　this

manner　to　rebel　against　the　church；　over　and　above　this　crime　of

rebellion　have　generally　been　charged；　too；　with　the　additional

crime　of　heresy；　notwithstanding　their　solemn　protestations　of

their　faith　and　humble　submission　to　every　tenet　which　she

thought　proper　to　prescribe　to　them。　But　the　authority　of

religion　is　superior　to　every　other　authority。　The　fears　which　it

suggests　conquer　all　other　fears。　When　the　authorized　teachers　of

religion　propagate　through　the　great　body　of　the　people　doctrines

subversive　of　the　authority　of　the　sovereign；　it　is　by　violence

only；　or　by　the　force　of　a　standing　army；　that　he　can　maintain

his　authority。　Even　a　standing　army　cannot　in　this　case　give　him

any　lasting　security；　because　if　the　soldiers　are　not　foreigners；

which　can　seldom　be　the　case；　but　drawn　from　the　great　body　of

the　people；　which　must　almost　always　be　the　case；　they　are　likely

to　be　soon　corrupted　by　those　very　doctrines。　The　revolutions

which　the　turbulence　of　the　Greek　clergy　was　continually

occasioning　at　Constantinople；　as　long　as　the　eastern　empire

subsisted；　the　convulsions　which；　during　the　course　of　several

centuries；　the　turbulence　of　the　Roman　clergy　was　continually

occasioning　in　every　part　of　Europe；　sufficiently　demonstrate　how

precarious　and　insecure　must　always　be　the　situation　of　the

sovereign　who　has　no　proper　means　of　influencing　the　clergy　of

the　established　and　governing　religion　of　his　country。

　　　　　Articles　of　faith；　as　well　as　all　other　spiritual　matters；

it　is　evident　enough；　are　not　within　the　proper　department　of　a

temporal　sovereign；　who；　though　he　may　be　very　well　qualified　for

protecting；　is　seldom　supposed　to　be　so　for　instructing　the

people。　With　regard　to　such　matters；　therefore；　his　authority　can

seldom　be　sufficient　to　counterbalance　the　united　authority　of

the　clergy　of　the　established　church。　The　public　tranquillity；

however；　and　his　own　security；　may　frequently　depend　upon　the

doctrines　which　they　may　think　proper　to　propagate　concerning

such　matters。　As　he　can　seldom　directly　oppose　their　decision；

therefore；　with　proper　weight　and　authority；　it　is　necessary　that

he　should　be　able　to　influence　it；　and　be　can　influence　it　only

by　the　fears　and　expectations　which　he　may　excite　in　the　greater

part　of　the　individuals　of　the　order。　Those　fears　and

expectations　may　consist　in　the　fear　of　deprivation　or　other

punishment；　and　in　the　expectation　of　further　preferment。

　　　　　In　all　Christian　churches　the　benefices　of　the　clergy　are　a

sort　of　freeholds　which　they　enjoy；　not　during　pleasure；　but

during　life　or　good　behaviour。　If　they　held　them　by　a　more

precarious　tenure；　and　were　liable　to　be　turned　out　upon　every

slight　disobligation　either　of　the　sovereign　or　of　his　ministers；

it　would　perhaps　be　impossible　for　them　to　maintain　their

authority　with　the　people；　who　would　then　consider　them　as

mercenary　dependents　upon　the　court；　in　the　security　of　whose

instructions　they　could　no　longer　have　any　confidence。　But　should

the　sovereign　attempt　irregularly；　and　by　violence；　to　deprive

any　number　of　clergymen　of　their　freeholds；　on　account；　perhaps；

of　their　having　propagated；　with　more　than　ordinary　zeal；　some

factious　or　seditious　doctrine；　he　would　only　render；　by　such

persecution；　both　them　and　their　doctrine　ten　times　more　popular；

and　therefore　ten　times　more　troublesome　and　dangerous；　than　they

had　been　before。　Fear　is　in　almost　all　cases　a　wretched

instrument　of　government；　and　ought　in　particular　never　to　be

employed　against　any　order　of　men　who　have　the　smallest

pretensions　to　independency。　To　attempt　to　terrify　them　serves

only　to　irritate　their　bad　humour；　and　to　confirm　them　in　an

opposition　which　more　gentle　usage　perhaps　might　easily　induce

them　either　to　soften　or　to　lay　aside　altogether。　The　violence

which　the　French　government　usually　employed　in　order　to　oblige

all　their　parliaments；　or　sovereign　courts　of　justice；　to

enregister　any　unpopular　edict；　very　seldom　succeeded。　The　means

commonly　employed；　however；　the　imprisonment　of　all　the

refractory　members；　one　would　think　were　forcible　enough。　The

princes　of　the　house　of　Stewart　sometimes　employed　the　like　means

in　order　to　influence　some　of　the　members　of　the　Parliament　of

England；　and　they　generally　found　them　equally　intractable。　The

Parliament　of　England　is　now　managed　in　another　manner；　and　a

very　small　experiment　which　the　Duke　of　Choiseul　made　about

twelve　years　ago　upon　the　Parliament　of　Paris；　demonstrated

sufficiently　that　all　the　parliaments　of　France　might　have　been

managed　still　more　easily　in　the　same　manner。　That　experiment　was

not　pursued。　For　though　management　and　persuasion　are　always　the

easiest　and　the　safest　instruments　of　governments；　as　force　and

violence　are　the　worst　and　the　most　dangerous；　yet　such；　it

seems；　is　the　natural　insolence　of　man　that　he　almost　always

disdains　to　use　the　good　instrument；　except　when　he　cannot　or

dare