wealbk05-第29部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Many　of　them；　perhaps　the　greater　part　of　them；　have　even

endeavoured　to　gain　credit　by　refining　upon　this　austere　system；

and　by　carrying　it　to　some　degree　of　folly　and　extravagance；　and

this　excessive　rigour　has　frequently　recommended　them　more　than

anything　else　to　the　respect　and　veneration　of　the　common　people。

　　　　　A　man　of　rank　and　fortune　is　by　his　station　the

distinguished　member　of　a　great　society；　who　attend　to　every　part

of　his　conduct；　and　who　thereby　oblige　him　to　attend　to　every

part　of　it　himself。　His　authority　and　consideration　depend　very

much　upon　the　respect　which　this　society　bears　to　him。　He　dare

not　do　anything　which　would　disgrace　or　discredit　him　in　it；　and

he　is　obliged　to　a　very　strict　observation　of　that　species　of

morals；　whether　liberal　or　austere；　which　the　general　consent　of

this　society　prescribes　to　persons　of　his　rank　and　fortune。　A　man

of　low　condition；　on　the　contrary；　is　far　from　being　a

distinguished　member　of　any　great　society。　While　he　remains　in　a

country　village　his　conduct　may　be　attended　to；　and　he　may　be

obliged　to　attend　to　it　himself。　In　this　situation；　and　in　this

situation　only；　he　may　have　what　is　called　a　character　to　lose。

But　as　soon　as　he　comes　into　a　great　city　he　is　sunk　in　obscurity

and　darkness。　His　conduct　is　observed　and　attended　to　by　nobody；

and　he　is　therefore　very　likely　to　neglect　it　himself；　and　to

abandon　himself　to　every　sort　of　low　profligacy　and　vice。　He

never　emerges　so　effectually　from　this　obscurity；　his　conduct

never　excites　so　much　the　attention　of　any　respectable　society；

as　by　his　becoming　the　member　of　a　small　religious　sect。　He　from

that　moment　acquires　a　degree　of　consideration　which　he　never　had

before。　All　his　brother　sectaries　are；　for　the　credit　of　the

sect；　interested　to　observe　his　conduct；　and　if　he　gives　occasion

to　any　scandal；　if　he　deviates　very　much　from　those　austere

morals　which　they　almost　always　require　of　one　another；　to　punish

him　by　what　is　always　a　very　severe　punishment；　even　where　no

civil　effects　attend　it；　expulsion　or　excommunication　from　the

sect。　In　little　religious　sects；　accordingly；　the　morals　of　the

common　people　have　been　almost　always　remarkably　regular　and

orderly；　generally　much　more　so　than　in　the　established　church。

The　morals　of　those　little　sects；　indeed；　have　frequently　been

rather　disagreeably　rigorous　and　unsocial。

　　　　　There　are　two　very　easy　and　effectual　remedies；　however；　by

whose　joint　operation　the　state　might；　without　violence；　correct

whatever　was　unsocial　or　disagreeably　rigorous　in　the　morals　of

all　the　little　sects　into　which　the　country　was　divided。

　　　　　The　first　of　those　remedies　is　the　study　of　science　and

philosophy；　which　the　state　might　render　almost　universal　among

all　people　of　middling　or　more　than　middling　rank　and　fortune；

not　by　giving　salaries　to　teachers　in　order　to　make　them

negligent　and　idle；　but　by　instituting　some　sort　of　probation；

even　in　the　higher　and　more　difficult　sciences；　to　be　undergone

by　every　person　before　he　was　permitted　to　exercise　any　liberal

profession；　or　before　he　could　be　received　as　a　candidate　for　any

honourable　office　of　trust　or　profit。　If　the　state　imposed　upon

this　order　of　men　the　necessity　of　learning；　it　would　have　no

occasion　to　give　itself　any　trouble　about　providing　them　with

proper　teachers。　They　would　soon　find　better　teachers　for

themselves　than　any　whom　the　state　could　provide　for　them。

Science　is　the　great　antidote　to　the　poison　of　enthusiasm　and

superstition；　and　where　all　the　superior　ranks　of　people　were

secured　from　it；　the　inferior　ranks　could　not　be　much　exposed　to

it。

　　　　　The　second　of　those　remedies　is　the　frequency　and　gaiety　of

public　diversions。　The　state；　by　encouraging；　that　is　by　giving

entire　liberty　to　all　those　who　for　their　own　interest　would

attempt　without　scandal　or　indecency；　to　amuse　and　divert　the

people　by　painting；　poetry；　music；　dancing；　by　all　sorts　of

dramatic　representations　and　exhibitions；　would　easily　dissipate；

in　the　greater　part　of　them；　that　melancholy　and　gloomy　humour

which　is　almost　always　the　nurse　of　popular　superstition　and

enthusiasm。　Public　diversions　have　always　been　the　objects　of

dread　and　hatred　to　all　the　fanatical　promoters　of　those　popular

frenzies。　The　gaiety　and　good　humour　which　those　diversions

inspire　were　altogether　inconsistent　with　that　temper　of　mind

which　was　fittest　for　their　purpose；　or　which　they　could　best

work　upon。　Dramatic　representations；　besides；　frequently　exposing

their　artifices　to　public　ridicule；　and　sometimes　even　to　public

execration；　were　upon　that　account；　more　than　all　other

diversions；　the　objects　of　their　peculiar　abhorrence。

　　　　　In　a　country　where　the　law　favoured　the　teachers　of　no　one

religion　more　than　those　of　another；　it　would　not　be　necessary

that　any　of　them　should　have　any　particular　or　immediate

dependency　upon　the　sovereign　or　executive　power；　or　that　he

should　have　anything　to　do　either　in　appointing　or　in　dismissing

them　from　their　offices。　In　such　a　situation　he　would　have　no

occasion　to　give　himself　any　concern　about　them；　further　than　to

keep　the　peace　among　them　in　the　same　manner　as　among　the　rest　of

his　subjects；　that　is；　to　hinder　them　from　persecuting；　abusing；

or　oppressing　one　another。　But　it　is　quite　otherwise　in　countries

where　there　is　an　established　or　governing　religion。　The

sovereign　can　in　this　case　never　be　secure　unless　he　has　the

means　of　influencing　in　a　considerable　degree　the　greater　part　of

the　teachers　of　that　religion。

　　　　　The　clergy　of　every　established　church　constitute　a　great

incorporation。　They　can　act　in　concert；　and　pursue　their　interest

upon　one　plan　and　with　one　spirit；　as　much　as　if　they　were　under

the　direction　of　one　man；　and　they　are　frequently；　too；　under

such　direction。　Their　interest　as　an　incorporated　body　is　never

the　same　with　that　of　the　sovereign；　and　is　sometimes　directly

opposite　to　it。　Their　great　interest　is　to　maintain　their

authority　with　the　people；　and　this　authority　depends　upon　the

supposed　certainty　and　importance　of　the　whole　doctrine　which

they　inculcate；　and　upon　the　supposed　necessity　of　adopting　every

part　of　it　with　the　most　implicit　faith；　in　order　to　avoid

eternal　misery。　Should　the　sovereign　have　the　imprudence　to

appear　either　to　deride　or　doubt　himself　of　the　most　trifling

part　of　their　doctrine；　or　from　humanity　attempt　to　protect　those

who　did　either　the　one　or　the　other；　the　punctilious　honour　of　a

clergy　who　have　no　sort　of　dependency　upon　him　is　immediately

provoked　to　proscribe　him　as　a　profane　person；　and　to　employ　all

the　terrors　of　religion　in　order　to　oblige　the　people　to　transfer

their　allegiance　to　some　more　orthodox　and　obedient　prince。

Should　he　oppose　any　of　their　pretensions　or　usurpations；　the

danger　is　equally　great。　The　princes　who　have　dared　in　this

manner　to　rebel　against　the　church；　over　and　above　this　crime　of

rebellion　have　generally　been　charged；　too；　with　the　additional

crime　of　heresy；　notwithstanding　their　solemn　protestations　of

their　faith　and　humble　submission　to　every　tenet　which　she

thought　proper　to　prescribe　to　them。　But　the　authority　of

religion　is　superior　to　every　other　authority。　The　fears　which　it

suggests　conquer　all　other　fears。　When　the　authorized　teachers　of

religion　propagate　through　the　great　body　of　the　people　doctrines

subversive　of　the　authority　of　the　sovereign；　it　is　by　violence

only；　or　by　the　force　of　a　standing　army；　that　he　can　maintain

his　authority。　Even　a　standing　army　cannot　in　this　case　give　him

any　lasting　security；　because　if　the　soldiers　are　not　foreigners；

which　can　seldom　be　the　case；　but　drawn　from　the　great　body　of

the　people；　which　must　almost　always　be　the　case；　they　are　likely

to　be　soon　corrupted　by　those　very　doctrines。　The　revolutions

which　the　turbulence　of　the　Greek　clergy　was　continually

occasioning　at　Constantinople；　as　long　as　the　eastern　empire

subsisted；　the　convulsions　which；　during　the　course　of　several

centuries；　the　turbulence　of　the　Roman　clergy　was　continually

occasioning　in　every　part　of　Europe；　sufficiently　demonstrate　how

precarious　and　insecure　must　always　be　the　situation　of　the

sovereign　who　has　no　proper　means　of　influencing　the　clergy　of

the　established　and　governing　religion　of　his　country。

　　　　　Articles　of　faith；　as　well　as　all　other　spiritual　matters；

it　is　evident　enough；　are　not　within　the　proper　department　of　a

temporal　sovereign；　who；　though　he　may　be　very　well　qualified　for

protecting；　is　seldom　supposed　to　be　so　for　instructing　the

people。　With　regard　to　such　matters；　therefore；　his　authority　can

seldom　be　sufficient　to　counterbalance　the　united　authority　of

the　clergy　of　the　established　church。　The　public　tranquillity；

however；　and　his　own　security；　may　frequently　depend　upon　the

doctrines　which　they　may　think　proper　to　propagate　concerning

such　matters。　As　he　c