wealbk05-第38章

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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

studies；　and　he　immediately　followed　the　advice。　The　observation

of　Mr。　de　Voltaire　may　be　applied；　I　believe；　not　only　to　France；

but　to　all　other　Roman　Catholic　countries。　We　very　rarely　find；

in　any　of　them；　an　eminent　man　of　letters　who　is　a　professor　in　a

university；　except；　perhaps；　in　the　professions　of　law　and

physic；　professions　from　which　the　church　is　not　so　likely　to

draw　them。　After　the　Church　of　Rome；　that　of　England　is　by　far

the　richest　and　best　endowed　church　in　Christendom。　In　England；

accordingly；　the　church　is　continually　draining　the　universities

of　all　their　best　and　ablest　members；　and　an　old　college　tutor；

who　is　known　and　distinguished　in　Europe　as　an　eminent　man　of

letters；　is　as　rarely　to　be　found　there　as　in　any　Roman　Catholic

country。　In　Geneva；　on　the　contrary；　in　the　Protestant　cantons　of

Switzerland；　in　the　Protestant　countries　of　Germany；　in　Holland；

in　Scotland；　in　Sweden；　and　Denmark；　the　most　eminent　men　of

letters　whom　those　countries　have　produced；　have；　not　all　indeed；

but　the　far　greater　part　of　them；　been　professors　in

universities。　In　those　countries　the　universities　are　continually

draining　the　church　of　all　its　most　eminent　men　of　letters。

　　　　　It　may；　perhaps；　be　worth　while　to　remark　that；　if　we　expect

the　poets；　a　few　orators；　and　a　few　historians；　the　far　greater

part　of　the　other　eminent　men　of　letters；　both　of　Greece　and

Rome；　appear　to　have　been　either　public　or　private　teachers；

generally　either　of　philosophy　or　of　rhetoric。　This　remark　will

be　found　to　hold　true　from　the　days　of　Lysias　and　Isocrates；　of

Plato　and　Aristotle；　down　to　those　of　Plutarch　and　Epictetus；　of

Suetonius　and　Quintilian。　To　impose　upon　any　man　the　necessity　of

teaching；　year　after　year；　any　particular　branch　of　science；

seems；　in　reality；　to　be　the　most　effectual　method　for　rendering

him　completely　master　of　it　himself。　By　being　obliged　to　go　every

year　over　the　same　ground；　if　he　is　good　for　anything；　he

necessarily　becomes；　in　a　few　years；　well　acquainted　with　every

part　of　it：　and　if　upon　any　particular　point　he　should　form　too

hasty　an　opinion　one　year；　when　he　comes　in　the　course　of　his

lectures　to　reconsider　the　same　subject　the　year　thereafter；　he

is　very　likely　to　correct　it。　As　to　be　a　teacher　of　science　is

certainly　the　natural　employment　of　a　mere　man　of　letters；　so　is

it　likewise；　perhaps；　the　education　which　is　most　likely　to

render　him　a　man　of　solid　learning　and　knowledge。　The　mediocity

of　church　benefices　naturally　tends　to　draw　the　greater　part　of

men　of　letters；　in　the　country　where　it　takes　place；　to　the

employment　in　which　they　can　be　the　most　useful　to　the　public；

and；　at　the　same　time；　to　give　them　the　best　education；　perhaps；

they　are　capable　of　receiving。　It　tends　to　render　their　learning

both　as　solid　as　possible；　and　as　useful　as　possible。

　　　　　The　revenue　of　every　established　church；　such　parts　of　it

excepted　as　may　arise　from　particular　lands　or　manors；　is　a

branch；　it　ought　to　be　observed；　of　the　general　revenue　of　the

state　which　is　thus　diverted　to　a　purpose　very　different　from　the

defence　of　the　state。　The　tithe；　for　example；　is　a　real　land…tax；

which　puts　it　out　of　the　power　of　the　proprietors　of　land　to

contribute　so　largely　towards　the　defence　of　the　state　as　they

otherwise　might　be　able　to　do。　The　rent　of　land；　however；　is；

according　to　some；　the　sole　fund；　and；　according　to　others；　the

principal　fund；　from　which；　in　all　great　monarchies；　the

exigencies　of　the　state　must　be　ultimately　supplied。　The　more　of

this　fund　that　is　given　to　the　church；　the　less；　it　is　evident；

can　be　spared　to　the　state。　It　may　be　laid　down　as　a　certain

maxim　that；　all　other　things　being　supposed　equal；　the　richer　the

church；　the　poorer　must　necessarily　be；　either　the　sovereign　on

the　one　hand；　or　the　people　on　the　other；　and；　in　all　cases；　the

less　able　must　the　state　be　to　defend　itself。　In　several

Protestant　countries；　particularly　in　all　the　Protestant　cantons

of　Switzerland；　the　revenue　which　anciently　belonged　to　the　Roman

Catholic　Church；　the　tithes　and　church　lands；　has　been　found　a

fund　sufficient；　not　only　to　afford　competent　salaries　to　the

established　clergy；　but　to　defray；　with　little　or　no　addition；

all　the　other　expenses　of　the　state。　The　magistrates　of　the

powerful　canton　of　Berne；　in　particular；　have　accumulated　out　of

the　savings　from　this　fund　a　very　large　sum；　supposed　to　amount

to　several　millions；　part　of　which　is　deposited　in　a　public

treasure；　and　part　is　placed　at　interest　in　what　are　called　the

public　funds　of　the　different　indebted　nations　of　Europe；　chiefly

in　those　of　France　and　Great　Britain。　What　may　be　the　amount　of

the　whole　expense　which　the　church；　either　of　Berne；　or　of　any

other　Protestant　canton；　costs　the　state；　I　do　not　pretend　to

know。　By　a　very　exact　account　it　appears　that；　in　1755；　the　whole

revenue　of　the　clergy　of　the　Church　of　Scotland；　including　their

glebe　or　church　lands；　and　the　rent　of　their　manses　or

dwelling…houses；　estimated　according　to　a　reasonable　valuation；

amounted　only　to　L68；514　1s。　5　1/12d。　This　very　moderate　revenue

affords　a　decent　subsistence　to　nine　hundred　and　forty…four

ministers。　The　whole　expense　of　the　church；　including　what　is

occasionally　laid　out　for　the　building　and　reparation　of

churches；　and　of　the　manses　of　ministers；　cannot　well　be　supposed

to　exceed　eighty　or　eighty…five　thousand　pounds　a　year。　The　most

opulent　church　in　Christendom　does　not　maintain　better　the

uniformity　of　faith；　the　fervour　of　devotion；　the　spirit　of

order；　regularity；　and　austere　morals　in　the　great　body　of　the

people；　than　this　very　poorly　endowed　Church　of　Scotland。　All　the

good　effects；　both　civil　and　religious；　which　an　established

church　can　be　supposed　to　produce；　are　produced　by　it　as

completely　as　by　any　other。　The　greater　part　of　the　Protestant

churches　of　Switzerland；　which　in　general　are　not　better　endowed

than　the　Church　of　Scotland；　produce　those　effects　in　a　still

higher　degree。　In　the　greater　part　of　the　Protestant　cantons

there　is　not　a　single　person　to　be　found　who　does　not　profess

himself　to　be　of　the　established　church。　If　he　professes　himself

to　be　of　any　other；　indeed；　the　law　obliges　him　to　leave　the

canton。　But　so　severe；　or　rather　indeed　so　oppressive　a　law；

could　never　have　been　executed　in　such　free　countries　had　not　the

diligence　of　the　clergy　beforehand　converted　to　the　established

church　the　whole　body　of　the　people；　with　the　exception　of；

perhaps；　a　few　individuals　only。　In　some　parts　of　Switzerland；

accordingly；　where；　from　the　accidental　union　of　a　Protestant　and

Roman　Catholic　country；　the　conversion　has　not　been　so　complete；

both　religions　are　not　only　tolerated　but　established　by　law。

　　　　　The　proper　performance　of　every　service　seems　to　require

that　its　pay　or　recompense　should　be；　as　exactly　as　poss