wealbk05-第25章

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disdains　to　use　the　good　instrument；　except　when　he　cannot　or

dare　not　use　the　bad　one。　The　French　government　could　and　durst

use　force；　and　therefore　disdained　to　use　management　and

persuasion。　But　there　is　no　order　of　men；　it　appears；　I　believe；

from　the　experience　of　all　ages；　upon　whom　it　is　so　dangerous；　or

rather　so　perfectly　ruinous；　to　employ　force　and　violence；　as

upon　the　respected　clergy　of　any　established　church。　The　rights；

the　privileges；　the　personal　liberty　of　every　individual

ecclesiastic　who　is　upon　good　terms　with　his　own　order　are；　even

in　the　most　despotic　governments；　more　respected　than　those　of

any　other　person　of　nearly　equal　rank　and　fortune。　It　is　so　in

every　gradation　of　despotism；　from　that　of　the　gentle　and　mild

government　of　Paris　to　that　of　the　violent　and　furious　government

of　Constantinople。　But　though　this　order　of　men　can　scarce　ever

be　forced；　they　may　be　managed　as　easily　as　any　other；　and　the

security　of　the　sovereign；　as　well　as　the　public　tranquillity；

seems　to　depend　very　much　upon　the　means　which　he　has　of　managing

them；　and　those　means　seem　to　consist　altogether　in　the

preferment　which　he　has　to　bestow　upon　them。

　　　　　In　the　ancient　constitution　of　the　Christian　church；　the

bishop　of　each　diocese　was　elected　by　the　joint　votes　of　the

clergy　and　of　the　people　of　the　episcopal　city。　The　people　did

not　long　retain　their　right　of　election；　and　while　they　did

retain　it；　they　almost　always　acted　under　the　influence　of　the

clergy；　who　in　such　spiritual　matters　appeared　to　be　their

natural　guides。　The　clergy；　however；　soon　grew　weary　of　the

trouble　of　managing　them；　and　found　it　easier　to　elect　their　own

bishops　themselves。　The　abbot；　in　the　same　manner；　was　elected　by

the　monks　of　the　monastery；　at　least　in　the　greater　part　of　the

abbacies。　All　the　inferior　ecclesiastical　benefices　comprehended

within　the　diocese　were　collated　by　the　bishop；　who　bestowed　them

upon　such　ecclesiastics　as　he　thought　proper。　All　church

preferments　were　in　this　manner　in　the　disposal　of　the　church。

The　sovereign；　though　he　might　have　some　indirect　influence　in

those　elections；　and　though　it　was　sometimes　usual　to　ask　both

his　consent　to　elect　and　his　approbation　of　the　election；　yet　had

no　direct　or　sufficient　means　of　managing　the　clergy。　The

ambition　of　every　clergyman　naturally　led　him　to　pay　court　not　so

much　to　his　sovereign　as　to　his　own　order；　from　which　only　he

could　expect　preferment。

　　　　　Through　the　greater　part　of　Europe　the　Pope　gradually　drew

to　himself　first　the　collation　of　almost　all　bishoprics　and

abbacies；　or　of　what　were　called　Consistorial　benefices；　and

afterwards；　by　various　machinations　and　pretences；　of　the　greater

part　of　inferior　benefices　comprehended　within　each　diocese；

little　more　being　left　to　the　bishop　than　what　was　barely

necessary　to　give　him　a　decent　authority　with　his　own　clergy。　By

this　arrangement　the　condition　of　the　sovereign　was　still　worse

than　it　had　been　before。　The　clergy　of　all　the　different

countries　of　Europe　were　thus　formed　into　a　sort　of　spiritual

army；　dispersed　in　different　quarters；　indeed；　but　of　which　all

the　movements　and　operations　could　now　be　directed　by　one　head；

and　conducted　upon　one　uniform　plan。　The　clergy　of　each

particular　country　might　be　considered　as　a　particular　detachment

of　that　army；　or　which　the　operations　could　easily　be　supported

and　seconded　by　all　the　other　detachments　quartered　in　the

different　countries　round　about。　Each　detachment　was　not　only

independent　of　the　sovereign　of　the　country　in　which　it　was

quartered；　and　by　which　it　was　maintained；　but　dependent　upon　a

foreign　sovereign；　who　could　at　any　time　turn　its　arms　against

the　sovereign　of　that　particular　country；　and　support　them　by　the

arms　of　all　the　other　detachments。

　　　　　Those　arms　were　the　most　formidable　that　can　well　be

imagined。　In　the　ancient　state　of　Europe；　before　the

establishment　of　arts　and　manufactures；　the　wealth　of　the　clergy

gave　them　the　same　sort　of　influence　over　the　common　people　which

that　of　the　great　barons　gave　them　over　their　respective　vassals；

tenants；　and　retainers。　In　the　great　landed　estates　which　the

mistaken　piety　both　of　princes　and　private　persons　had　bestowed

upon　the　church；　jurisdictions　were　established　of　the　same　kind

with　those　of　the　great　barons；　and　for　the　same　reason。　In　those

great　landed　estates；　the　clergy；　or　their　bailiffs；　could　easily

keep　the　peace　without　the　support　or　assistance　either　of　the

king　or　of　any　other　person；　and　neither　the　king　nor　any　other

person　could　keep　the　peace　there　without　the　support　and

assistance　of　the　clergy。　The　jurisdictions　of　the　clergy；

therefore；　in　their　particular　baronies　or　manors；　were　equally

independent；　and　equally　exclusive　of　the　authority　of　the　king's

courts；　as　those　of　the　great　temporal　lords。　The　tenants　of　the

clergy　were；　like　those　of　the　great　barons；　almost　all　tenants

at　will；　entirely　dependent　upon　their　immediate　lords；　and

therefore　liable　to　be　called　out　at　pleasure　in　order　to　fight

in　any　quarrel　in　which　the　clergy　might　think　proper　to　engage

them。　Over　and　above　the　rents　of　those　estates；　the　clergy

possessed　in　the　tithes；　a　very　large　portion　of　the　rents　of　all

the　other　estates　in　every　kingdom　of　Europe。　The　revenues

arising　from　both　those　species　of　rents　were；　the　greater　part

of　them；　paid　in　kind；　in　corn；　wine；　cattle　poultry；　etc。　The

quantity　exceeded　greatly　what　the　clergy　could　themselves

consume；　and　there　were　neither　arts　nor　manufactures　for　the

produce　of　which　they　could　exchange　the　surplus。　The　clergy

could　derive　advantage　from　this　immense　surplus　in　no　other　way

than　by　employing　it；　as　the　great　barons　employed　the　like

surplus　of　their　revenues；　in　the　most　profuse　hospitality；　and

in　the　most　extensive　charity。　Both　the　hospitality　and　the

charity　of　the　ancient　clergy；　accordingly；　are　said　to　have　been

very　great。　They　not　only　maintained　almost　the　whole　poor　of

every　kingdom；　but　many　knights　and　gentlemen　had　frequently　no

other　means　of　subsistence　than　by　travelling　about　from

monastery　to　monastery；　under　pretence　of　devotion；　but　in

reality　to　enjoy　the　hospitality　of　the　clergy。　The　retainers　of

some　particular　prelates　were　often　as　numerous　as　those　of　the

greatest　lay…lords；　and　the　retainers　of　all　the　clergy　taken

together　were；　perhaps；　more　numerous　than　those　of　all　the

lay…lords。　There　was　always　much　more　union　among　the　clergy　than

among　the　lay…lords。　The　former　were　under　a　regular　discipline

and　subordination　to　the　papal　authority。　The　latter　were　under

no　regular　discipline　or　subordination；　but　almost　always　equally

jealous　of　one　another；　and　of　the　king。　Though　the　tenants　and

retainers　of　the　clergy；　therefore；　had　both　together　been　less

numerous　than　those　of　the　great　lay…lords；　and　their　tenants

were　probably　much　less　numerous；　yet　their　union　would　have

rendered　them　more　formidable。　The　hospitality　and　charity　of　the

clergy；　too；　not　only　gave　them　the　command　of　a　great　temporal

force；　but　increased　very　much　the　weight　of　their　spiritual

weapons。　Those　virtues　procured　them　the　highest　respect　and

veneration　among　all　the　inferior　ranks　of　people；　of　whom　many

were　constantly；　and　almost　all　occasionally；　fed　by　them。

Everything　belonging　or　related　to　so　popular　an　order；　its

possessions；　its　privileges；　its　doctrines；　necessarily　appeared

sacred　in　the　eyes　of　the　common　people；　and　every　violation　of

them；　whether　real　or　pretended；　the　highest　act　of　sacrilegious

wickedness　and　profaneness。　In　this　state　of　things；　if　the

sovereign　frequently　found　it　difficult　to　resist　the　confederacy

of　a　few　of　the　great　nobility；　we　cannot　wonder　that　he　should

find　it　still　more　so　to　resist　the　united　force　of　the　clergy　of

his　own　dominions；　supported　by　that　of　the　clergy　of　all　the

neighbouring　dominions。　In　such　circumstances　the　wonder　is；　not

that　he　was　sometimes　obliged　to　yield；　but　that　he　ever　was　able

to　resist。

　　　　　The　privilege　of　the　clergy　in　those　ancient　times　（which　to

us　who　live　in　the　present　times　appear　the　most　absurd）；　their

total　exemption　from　the　secular　jurisdiction；　for　example；　or

what　in　England　was　called　the　benefit　of　the　clergy；　were　the

natural　or　rather　the　necessary　consequences　of　this　state　of

things。　How　dangerous　must　it　have　been　for　the　sovereign　to

attempt　to　punish　a　clergyman　for　any　crime　whatever；　if　his　own

order　were　disposed　to　protect　him；　and　to　represent　either　the

proof　as　insufficient　for　convicting　so　holy　a　man；　or　the

punishment　as　too　severe　to　be　inflicted　upon　one　whose　person

had　been　rendered　sacred　by　religion？　The　sovereign　could；　in

such　circumstances；　do　no　better　than　leave　him　to　be　tried　by

the　ecclesiastical　courts；　who；　for　the　honour　of　their　own

order；　were　interested　to　restrain；　as　much　as　possible；　every

member　of　it　from　committing　enormous　crimes；　or　even　from　giving

occasion　to　such　gross　scandal　as　might　disgust　the　minds　of　the

people。

　　　　　In　the　state　in　which　things　were　through　the　greater　part

of　Europe　during　the　tenth；　eleventh；　twelfth；　and　thirteenth

centuries；　and　for　some　time　both　before　and　after　that　period；

the　constitution　of　the　Church　of　Rome　may　be　considered　as　the

most　formidable　combination　that　ever　was　formed　against　the

authority　and　security　of　civil　government；　as　well　as　against

the　liberty；　reason；　and　happiness　of　mankind；　which　can　flourish

only　where　civil　government　is　able　to　protect　them。　In　that

constitution　the　grossest　delusions　of　superstition　were

supported　in　such　a　manner　by　the　private　interests　of　so　great　a

number　of　people　as　put　them　out　of　all　danger　from　any　assault

of　human　reason：　because　though　human　reason　might　perhaps　have

been　able　to　unveil；　even　to　the　eyes　of　the　common　people；　some

of　the　delusions　of　superstition；　it　could　never　have　dissolved

the　ties　of　private　interest。　Had　this　constitution　been　attacked

by　no　other　enemies　but　the　feeble　efforts　of　human　reason；　it

must　have　endured　for　ever。　But　that　immense　and　well…built

fabric；　which　all　the　wisdom　and　virtue　of　man　could　never　have

shaken；　much　less　have　overturned；　was　by　the　natural　course　of

things；　first　weakened；　and　afterwards　in　part　destroyed；　and　is

now　likely；　in　the　course　of　a　few　centuries　more；　perhaps；　to

crumble　into　ruins　altogether。

　　　　　The　gradual　improvements　of　arts；　manufactures；　and

commerce；　the　same　causes　which　destroyed　the　power　of　the　great

barons；　destroyed　in　the　same　manner；　through　the　greater　part　of

Europe；　the　whole　temporal　power　of　the　clergy。　In　the　produce　of

arts；　manufactures；　and　commerce；　the　clergy；　like　the　great

barons；　found　something　for　which　they　could　exchange　their　rude

produce；　and　thereby　discovered　the　means　of　spending　their　wh