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