wealbk05-第37章

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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