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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

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　particu