第 34 节
作者:
嘟嘟 更新:2021-04-30 16:07 字数:9322
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 possible;
proportioned to the nature of the service。 If any service is very
much underpaid; it is very apt to suffer by the meanness and
incapacity of the greater part of those who are employed in it。
If it is very much overpaid; it is apt to suffer; perhaps; still
more by their negligence and idleness。 A man of a large revenue;
whatever may be his profession; thinks he ought to live like
other men of large revenues; and to spend a great part of his
time in festivity; in vanity; and in dissipation。 But in a
clergyman this train of life not only consumes the time which
ought to be employed in the duties of his function; but in the
eyes of the common people destroys almost entirely that sanctity
of character which can alone enable him to perform those duties
with proper weight and authority。
PART 4
Of the Expense of Supporting the Dignity of the Sovereign
Over and above the expenses necessary for enabling the
sovereign to perform his several duties; a certain expense is
requisite for the support of his dignity。 This expense varies
both with the different periods of improvement; and with the
different forms of government。
In an opulent and improved society; where all the different
orders of people are growing every day more expensive in their
houses; in their furniture; in their tables; in their dress; and
in their equipage; it cannot well be expected that the sovereign
should alone hold out against the fashion。 He naturally;
therefore; or rather necessarily; becomes more expensive in all
those different articles too。 His dignity even seems to require
that he should become so。
As in point of dignity a monarch is more raised above his
subjects than the chief magistrate of any republic is ever
supposed to be above his fellow…citizens; so a greater expense is
necessary for supporting that higher dignity。 We naturally expect
more splendour in the co