observed by Machiavel, revived, in the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries, the languishing
faith and devotion of the catholic church.
In Roman catholic countries, the spirit of
devotion is supported altogether by the
monks, and by the poorer parochial clergy.
The great dignitaries of the church, with all
the accomplishments of gentlemen and men
of the world, and sometimes with those of
men of learning, are careful to maintain the
necessary discipline over their inferiors, but
seldom give themselves any trouble about the
instruction of the people.
"Most of the arts and professions in a
state," says by far the most illustrious philosopher
and historian of the present age, "are
of such a nature, that, while they promote the
interests of the society, they are also useful
or agreeable to some individuals; and, in
that case, the constant rule of the magistrate,
except, perhaps, on the first introduction of
any art, is, to leave the profession to itself,
and trust its encouragement to the individuals
who reap the benefit of it. The artisans,
finding their profits to rise by the favour
of their customers, increase, as much as possible,
their skill and industry; and as matters
are not disturbed by any injudicious tampering,
the commodity is always sure to be at
all times nearly proportioned to the demand."
"But there are also some callings which,
though useful and even necessary in a state,
bring no advantage or pleasure to any individual;
and the supreme power is obliged to
alter its conduct with regard to the retainers
of those professions. It must give them
public encouragement in order to their subsistence;
and it must provide against that
negligence to which they will naturally be
subject, either by annexing particular honours
to profession, by establishing a long
subordination of ranks, and a strict dependence,
or by some other expedient. The
persons employed in the finances, fleets, and
magistracy, are instances of this order of
men.
"It may naturally be thought, at first
sight, that the ecclesiastics belong to the first
class, and that their encouragement, as well
as that of lawyers and physicians, may safely
be entrusted to the liberality of individuals,
who are attached to their doctrines, and who
find benefit or consolation from their spiritual
ministry and assistance. Their industry and
vigilance will, no doubt, be whetted by such
an additional motive; and their skill in the
profession, as well as their address in governing
the minds of the people, must receive
daily increase, from their increasing practice,
study, and attention.
"But if we consider the matter more closely,
we shall find that this interested diligence
of the clergy is what every wise legislator will
study to prevent; because, in every religion
except the true, it is highly pernicious, and it
has even a natural tendency to pervert the
truth, by infusing into it a strong mixture of
superstition, folly, and delusion. Each
ghostly practitioner, in order to render himself
more precious and sacred in the eyes of
his retainers, will inspire them with the most
violent abhorrence of all other sects, and
continually endeavour, by some novelty, to
excite the languid devotion of his audience.
No regard will be paid to truth, morals, or
decency, in the doctrines inculcated. Every
tenet will be adopted that best suits the disorderly
affections of the human frame. Customers
will be drawn in each conventicle by
new industry and address, in practising on
the passions and credulity of the populace.
And, in the end, the civil magistrate will find
that he has dearly paid for his intended frugality,
in saving a fixed establishment for the
priests; and that, in reality, the most decent
and advantageous composition, which he can
make with the spiritual guides, is to bribe
their indolence, by assigning stated salaries
to their profession, and rendering it superfluous
for them to be farther active, than
merely to prevent their flock from straying in
quest of new pastors. And in this manner
ecclesiastical establishments, though commonly
they arose at first from religious views,
prove in the end advantageous to the political
interests of society."
But whatever may have been the good or
bad effects of the independent provision of
the clergy, it has, perhaps, been very seldom
bestowed upon them from any view to those
effects. Times of violent religious controversy
have generally been times of equally
violent political faction. Upon such occasions,
each political party has either found it,
or imagined it, for his interest, to league itself
with some one or other of the contending
religious sects. But this could be done only
by adopting, or, at least, by favouring the
tenets of that particular sect. The sect
which had the good fortune to be leagued
with the conquering party necessarily shared
in the victory of its ally, by whose favour
and protection it was soon enabled, in some
degree, to silence and subdue all its adversaries.
Those adversaries had generally leagued
themselves with the enemies of the conquering
party, and were, therefore the enemies
of that party. The clergy of this particular
sect having thus become complete masters of
the field, and their influence and authority
with the great body of the people being in
its highest vigour, they were powerful enough
to overawe the chiefs and leaders of their
own party, and to oblige the civil magistrate
to respect their opinions and inclinations.
Their first demand was generally that he
should silence and subdue all their adversaries;
and their second, that he should bestow
an independent provision on themselves.
As they had generally contributed a good