RELIGION. 



whom it (Iocs not comprehend to privntion.", botli of emolu- 

 ment and honour, has a tendency to difcourage every eflort 

 for improving its conftitution, and enlarging its boundaries. 

 Some have alfo been of opinion that it reltrains freedom of 

 inqui-y, emhurrafies integrity, and too much difpofcs the 

 iniinftrufted and uniiirormed to intolerance and perfec\ition. 

 From whom, it has been faid, is a reform to be expefted, 

 but from tliofe who have reafon for wifliing every thing to 

 continue in ilatu quo J The dignitaries of the church, 

 whofe emoluments induce them to rell fatisfied, and the 

 ruling magitlrates of the Rate, who wifti things to remain 

 quiet, and the great body of the laity, connefted in one way 

 or other with eccleliaftical eltablilhments, cannot be luppofed 

 to be very anxious about a change in the conftitution of the 

 church : nor will they be at a lofs for plaufible reafons for 

 refitting any material alteration. The church and the Hate 

 are fo incorporated, that nothi.ig but a revolution, as it lias 

 been faid, in the latter, would caufe any very important 

 amendment in the former. Neverthelefs, reformers have 

 maintained, that if the liturgy, clergy, articles, canons, 

 with all the ceremonies and rites of the ellablillied church, 

 were entirely vanilhed from the land ; if its immenfe revenues 

 were applied to eafe our heavy taxes, and for the pay- 

 ment of the public debts ; and if preachers were paid 

 only by voluntary contributions ; the Itate would not 

 fullain fo ed'ential a lofs and damage, that it could not 

 thenceforward polTibly fubfitt. Would, fay they, the 

 Britifli monarchy be overthrown ; our courts of judicature 

 be fhut up ; the courts of law be ftopped ; parliaments no 

 more meet ; commerce and trade ttagnate, becaufe the na- 

 tional church was no more ? On the contrary, however 

 great the convulfion might be, the goverr.ment, both civil 

 and military, might remain the very fame. A timely re- 

 formation, however, would, as they imagine, prevent its 

 total deftrudlion, and contribute to its permanence and pro- 

 fperity. 



Some notice rtiould here be taken of the learned War- 

 burton's famous argument in favour of an eflablidied cli-urch. 

 The church, fays this prelate, has, by contraft or alliance, 

 refigned her fupremacy in matters ecclefiaiUcal, and her in- 

 dependency, to the ftate. In confequence of this, the ftate 

 hath drawn up for her articles of faith, and forms of public 

 worfhip, which it requires the church to fubfcribe and ufe. 

 This alliance is a mere phantom, created by the warm imagi- 

 nation of the paradoxical bilbop, whofe ingenuity and learn- 

 ing have not been fufficient to render it popular, even among 

 the molt zealous advocates of religious ellablirtiments. 

 Neither ourhittory nor our laws know any thing at all of it. 

 The nature of our conftiti-.tion utterly difowHs it ; and 

 avows the church to be not an ally, but a fubjett to the 

 flate. ^n alliance fuppofes independency in the pawers be- 

 tween which it fubfifts. But it is needlefs to enlarge on this 

 topic. 



Whilft it is allowed that religion has an influence on the 

 conduft of men in this life, it is pleaded, on the other hand, 

 that this beneficial influence of religion is promoted in all 

 denominations of Chrittians, and as much in thofe which 

 are reprobated by the ilate as in thofe which are encouraged 

 by it. It has been alfo faid, that the fubjeft of religion is 

 fo interefting to the generality of mankind, that if govern- 

 ment did not interfere, the contention about it would be fo 

 violent, that the public peace could not be preferved. To 

 this argument in favour of ellabliftiments, it has been re- 

 plied, that thefe contentions are much increafed by the favour 

 fhewn to one mode of religion, and the opprobrium which is 

 confequently thrown on the reft ; and that, where temporal 

 intercll is not concerned, mere opinions will not occafion any 



9 



differences at whiclj government need to be alarmed. Chrif- 

 tianity was introduced and oilabliflied, and fubfiflcd for 

 about three hunch-cd years, without any favour or protedmn 

 from tlie governing powers ; and the example of America, 

 iu fonie provincis of which tlierc is, ftridly fpeaking, no 

 eftabliflimcnt of religion, and in which numerous forms of 

 religion are openly profefl'ed, ferves to ftew, tliat the want of 

 an eftablilhmeiit is attended with no danger to the ftate. 

 It is farther objefted, that the ftate, by undertaking the 

 care of religion, the trutii and utility of which will, under 

 providence, cnfure its permanence, has taken upon itfelf a 

 great, dangerous, and unneceflary burden ; and from its jea- 

 loufy of fedtarics, often deprives itfelf of the fervices of fome 

 ot Its beft and nioft able fubjefts ; and at fome times it has 

 been induced to perfecute and dcttroy them, becaufe if they 

 were left tree, and even fuffered to live, it was apprehended 

 their principles might fpread to the rilk of the eftabliftiment. 

 To the national eftabliftiment of our owji country, the en- 

 lightened advocates of which abhor and difcountenance into- 

 lerance and perfecution, it has been objefted, that it de- 

 privcs the people of the choice of their own teachers and paf- 

 tors ; that it impofes fubfcription to creeds of doubtful evi- 

 dence, and the obfervance of forms of queftionable utility, 

 on its own minifters ; that it renders the fupport of them 

 burdenfomc to thofe who avail tljemfelves of their labours, 

 and to others who derive no benefit from them ; and that it 

 excludes by obnoxious ftatutes a confiderable clafs of loyal 

 fubjefts from offices which they are competent to difcharge, 

 as well as emoluments and honours of which they have a right 

 to participate. See Dissenters, Subscription, Test, 

 and Tythes. 



We now proceed to ftate the arguments that have been 

 urged in favoirt- of national eftabliftiments of religion ; and 

 we fliall here avail ourfelvea of the reafoning of an excellent 

 writer, who has done ample juftice to the fubjeft, and who, 

 at the fame time, has difcufled it with a liberality and mode- 

 ration, which have a tendency to conciliate thofe whofe fen> 

 tiraents may be different from his own. " A religious efta- 

 bliftiment," he fays, " is no part of Chriftianity ; it is only 

 the means of inculcating it." It cannot be proved, that 

 any form of church government has been laid down in the 

 Chriftian, as it had been in the Jewilh fcriptures, with a view 

 of fixing a conftitution for fucceeding ages ; and which con- 

 ftitution, confequently, the difciples of Chrift woidd, every 

 where, and at all times, by the very law of their religion, 

 be obliged to adopt. Certainly no command for this pur- 

 pofe was delivered by Chrift himfelf ; and though the apof. 

 ties ordained biftiops and preftyters among their firft con- 

 verts, and appointed alfo deacons and deaconeffes, inverting 

 them with funftions different from any that now fubfift, fuch 

 offices were at firil erefted in the Chriftian church, as the 

 good order, the iiiftruftion, and the exigencies of the fo- 

 ciety at that time required, without any declared defign of 

 regulating the appointment, authority, or diftinftion of 

 Chriftian minifters under future circumftances. After this 

 concefiion, our author founds the authority of a church 

 eftabliftiment in its utility ; and in judging of the compara- 

 tive excellence of different eftablifliments, he fuggefts, that 

 the fingle view, under which we ought to confider any of 

 them, is that of " a fcheme of inftruftion," and the fingle 

 end we ought to propofe by them is, " the prefervation and 

 communication of religious knowledge." Every other idea, 

 and every other end that have been mixed with this, as the 

 making of the ciuirch an engine, or even an ally of the 

 ftate ; converting it into the means of ftrengthening, or of 

 diffufiiig influence ; or regarding it as a fupport of regal, in 

 oppofition to popular forms of government, have ferved only 



to 



