第 33 节
作者:嘟嘟      更新:2021-04-30 16:07      字数:9322
  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