242 Government, Laws, [Part II. 



to be as great a liar as Stewart, and I were to be 

 told by a parson, whom I knew to be as great a liar as 

 myself, that 1 should certainly go to hell if 1 did not 

 leave off lying. Would his words have any effect upon 

 me 1 No : because I should conclude, that if he thought 

 what he said, he would not be such a liar himself. I 

 should rely upon the parson generally, or I should not. 

 If I did, I should think myself safe until I out-lied hira ; 

 and, if I did not rely on him generally, of what use 

 would he be to me ? 



440. Thus, then, if men be sincere about religion ; if 

 it be Jiot all a mere matter of form, it must always be 

 of the greatest consequence, that the example of the 

 teacher correspond with his teaching. And the most 

 likely way to insure this, is to manage things so that he 

 may, in the first place, be selected by the people, and, 

 in the second place, have no rewards in view other than 

 those Avhich are to be given in consequence of his per- 

 severance in a line of good conduct. 



441 . And thus it is with the clergy in America, who 

 are duly and amply rewarded for their diligence, and 

 very justly respected for the piety, talent, and zeal 

 which they discover ; but, who have no tenure of their 

 places other than that of the will of the congregation. 

 Hence it rarely indeed happens, that there is seen 

 amongst them an impious, an immoral, or a despicable 

 man. Whether the teaching of even these Reverend 

 persons have any very great effect in producing virtue 

 and happiness amongst men, is a question upon which 

 men may, without deservang to be burnt aUve, take the 

 liberty to differ; especially since the world has con- 

 stantly before its eyes a society, who excel in all the 

 rhristian virtues, who practise that simphcity which 

 otiiers teach, who, in the great work of charity, really 

 and truly hide from the left hand that which the right 

 hand doeth ; and who know nothing of Bishop, Priest, 

 Deacon, or Teacher of any description. Yes, since we 

 have the Quakers constantly before our eyes, we may, 

 without deserving to be burnt alive, question the utility 

 of paying any parsons or religious teachers at all. But, 

 the worst of it is, we are apt to confound things ; as we 

 have, by a figure of speech, got to call a building a 



