scheme of an ALLIANCE that human policy and pure religion could have produced. Nor have the succeeding ages been remiss or negligent, as fit opportunities offered, to remedy those irregularities. Of this honour, no small share is due to the clergy; so false are the calumnies of their enemies, that they are always backward in reformations. For it was the clergy which, in the reign of Charles the Second, freely gave up to the legislature their ancient practice of taxing themselves. In which they acted with the greatest justice as well as generosity. For the custom of taxing themselves arose from the claim to their revenues by divine right: whereas these being, indeed, the state's donation, an endowment at the time of the ALLIANCE, the state had a right to tax them as it did its lay-fees*. However this be, as there have been many

and

Quoad reditus qui vulgo spirituales dicuntur, magna ecclesiarum pars, cum decimis & oblationibus, laïcis in feudum datæ fuerant a Pippino, Carolo Magno,. & Ludovico Pio, cum consensu ecclesiæ Gallicana; quæ deinde ecclesiasticis viris concessæ sunt ex permissu regum. Itaque principes non destituti sunt ratione ut contendant servitia & debita feudorum in hujuscemodi reditibus imposita, extincta non esse vi consensus regii adhibiti liberalitati laicorum erga ecclesias, qui ea ad ipsas transtulerunt.-Legitimum et æquum est, quod feuda ad ecclesiam pertinentia iisdem legibus subjecta sunt, quibus cætera tenentur.-Permissus est deinde principibus usufructus redituum ecclesiæ vacantis, contra quam priscæ regulæ statuerunt. Si quis vero inquiret in causas tam maguæ immutationis, is reperiet eam esse profectam ex immutatione quæ facta est in conditione & qualitate bonorum ab ecclesia possessorum. Quemadmodum enim in republica quoddam bonorum genus extat quod vulgo feudum vocant. Incognitum Romano juri, ideoque novis constitutionibus & antiquarum legum dispositioni contrariis inductum, sic, cum ecclesiæ regum beneficio donatæ fuissent bonis hujuscemodi, necessarium prorsus fuit, ut illæ possiderent feuda iis conditionibus quas in prima feudorum origine invexit publica utilitas. Ergo personæ ecclesiastica quæ feuda possidebant, per consequentiam fiebant vasalli regum,

and long, and, as it would seem hitherto, fruitless debates, concerning tythes, bishops seats in parliament, spiritual courts, convocation, and supremacy, in which men have run into the most contrary conclusions, I judged it not amiss to draw out corollaries concerning each of them, that may possibly contribute something towards the putting an end to these ill-founded controversies.

Such then is the uncommon excellence of our happy constitution: And, struck with the beauty of so just and generous a plan of power, a late noble writer, who regarded it no otherwise than as it concerned the state, thus forcibly expresses himself." Some men "there are, the PESTS OF SOCIETY I think them, who "pretend a great regard to religion in general, but "who take every opportunity of declaiming publicly "against that system of religion, or, at least, against "that CHURCH ESTABLISHMENT which is received in "Britain *." In truth, this is bearing hard on our new guardians of liberty; who, when they have generously taken up an office they were not called to, and asked nothing for it but the modest title of FREETHINKERS, are to be called pests of society by the poLITICIAN; and branded with the odious name of infidel by the clergy. However, the author above quoted cannot deny, but that they pretend a great regard to religion in general: and this justice is due to them, that

they

illisque præstare tenebantur homagium & juramentum fidelitatis, itemque certum militum numerum juxta valorem feudorum. Unde sequitur necessario regem post obitum episcopi quod eo casu feudum vacet, illud ad se recipere posse ac retinere, donec novus episcopus investituram feudi receperit, homagiumque ac jura. mentum fidelitatis præstiterit. Interim tamen regi competit jus quoddam fruendi reditibus, dum custodia durat. Marca, 1. viii. C. 19. 22. F. T.

* Dissert. on Parties, p. 148.

they are no enemies to the name: for that, I suppose, he means by religion in general. Ideal christianity they could well away with: real christianity somewhat offends them. It does more so under the form of a society: but most of all when that society becomes established. They could be well content to accept it under the fashionable notion of a divine philosophy in the mind; especially if that philosophy were to be received in England on the footing which, Cicero tells us, the Greek philosophy was received in Rome; DISPUTANDI CAUSA, NON ITA VIVENDI *. But to take it for service, and with the magistrate's stamp to make it current, revolts these great and free spirits. So that, even to those ingaged in the cause of a court and ministry, or intrusted in the service of a church, they must speak their mind against so intolerable a grievance. However, a Religion, blessed be God, we yet have; and even an established one. It enjoys this advantage for the service it does the state; and that it may no longer be envied the privileges, consequent thereto, I shall now shew, that the CHRISTIAN, of all religious societies, is best fitted to assist the civil magistrate, who is the minister of God unto us for good.

I. Its superior excellence in this service, above the ancient PAGAN RELIGIONS of Greece and Rome, is seen in its being infinitely better fitted than those to fall into a firm and lasting society. It is to be observed, that unity in the object of faith, and agreement to a formulary of dogmatic theology, as the terms of communion, is the great foundation and ⚫ bond of a religious society. Now, in all the Pagan religions, there was only conformity in national cere

* Orat. pro Mar.

monies;

monies; there being no room for the object of faith, or a formulary of dogmatic theology; for as to matters of belief and opinion, it was not judged of moment to determine whether their Gods were real persons, or only the symbols of natural powers. And the few speculative points taught in their MYSTERIES, were altogether subservient to the interests of morality. Hence it happened, that these societies, being without their true foundation and support, were, when they became established, soon lost and absorbed in the state *.

II. As christianity was superior to Pagan religion, in its CAPACITY for forming a society: so it is superior to pure NATURAL RELIGION, in being thus actually formed, by divine appointment; while natural religion needed to be formed only by human. Were there no other evidence that christianity composed a society of divine appointment than only this, that the body of the faithful is called the KINGDOM of Christ, this would be sufficient to convince those who know the general meaning of the word, and the peculiar use of it in the Jewish economy. But when, in consequence of his right of KINGSHIP, Jesus, and, by his substitution, the apostles, go on to appoint officers, degrees of subordination, and exercise of power, one may well wonder at the strength of that complexion which can hold out against such force of evidence. But something, you must think, there was, which made it worth their while not to be convinced. They imagined, if they could but persuade us, that christianity made no society of divine appointment, it was no society at all; and consequently a creature of the state.

This

* See The Divine Legation of Moses, b.ii. sect. 1. and sect. 5.

sub fin,

was

was so flattering a conclusion, that they may well be excused a little obstinacy in encountering what obstructed their advances to it. But we have shewn, that let the point of divine institution be determined how it will, yet Religion naturally and necessarily composes a society, sovereign, and independent of the civil. Very idly therefore were their pains employed, had they proved what they attempted. But to persist against evidence and reason, in support of what can do them no service, must render them doubly ridiculous.

III. Again, as the Christian is superior to natural religion in being a society by divine appointment; so it is superior to the JEWISH, in being perfectly free; and independent of the civil*. The JEWISH religion was, like the true natural, which it ratified, essentially fitted to compose a society: and, like the Christian (of which it was the first rudiment) made a society by divine appointment. But then unlike the Christian in this, that it was not left independent of civil government, to unite with it, at its pleasure, on terms agreed upon; but was, for great and wise reasons, at once united to it by God himself. Which also God was pleased to do, not by way of ALLIANCE, as between two bodies that were to continue distinct; and might be separated, from whence results an established religion of the nature above ex

* Sunt ab ipso Deo tum religio tum imperium ita constituta, ut & vera religio sine adjuncto sibi imperio, & verum ac legiti mum imperium sine adjuncta sibi vera religione esse possit. Bossuet, l. v. c. 5. F. T.

+ See The Divine Legation of Moses, b. iv.

↑ Veluti in unum coierunt Christiana fides & regum imperium, nullo partium detrimento, adeo ut regni summo jure nihil per Christianam professionem decesserit-Conjunctæ quidem fuerunt in hoc regno duæ illæ potestates, ecclesiasticæ & civiles, sed sine confusione personarum & munerum. Marca, 1. ii. c. 1. F. T.

plained,