PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

alld oj"'l o/eratloIZ. 417
other elld that hath been mixed with this, as the
making of the church an engine, or even an ally, of
the state; converting it into the means of strengthening
or diffusing influence; or regarding it as a sup ..
port rf regal in opposition to popular forms of gov~
ernlller!t, ha\re served only to d t'base the institution,
alld to introdtlCe into it nUlnerous corruptions and
abllses.
The nodon of a religious J-stai?li~!:tment com pre.
hends three· things_; '!. c}e~y, or· an order of men
sec1uJeut'i·om other pro essiofl!', to attend upon the
offices of religion; aJegal Erovi~ion for the maiI1!e~ance
of tbe clergy; and the ronfining_of tb~_provision
to }he teachp..rs of a par!ic.ular ~.~ct o,L Chtistia,nTty.
If anyone of these three thin~s be wanting; if there
be 110 clergy, as atnongst the Quakers ; or, if the
clergy have no other provision than what they derive
from the voluntary contribution of their hearers; or,
if the provi~ion \vhich the laws assign to the support
of religion be extended to va.rious sects and denOlll-
\...,.:
illations of Christians, th·ere exists no national religion,
or establi:-hed church, accllrding to the sense
\\'I-lich these ternlS are usually made to convey. He,
tllcrefore, \\'ho \t,-ould clef"end ecci~siastical establish.'
ments, must show the. separate utility of these thre¢
e:,scI1ticll parts of their con!\titution.
I. "l'llc question fir~t in order llpan tl1e subject", "
as well as the lllL)St fundamental in its importance, -L~
is, \\-llttI1er the kIlowledge a~ld profession of Chris-v.
tianit)! can be Il1aintained ill ~ co unt! y, wl-thout a class
of men set apart by public authority to the study and
teaching ot religion, and to tl1e conducting of public
\vorship; a11d f01" the\~e purposes secluded froPl
other E:lnpl{)yme!lts. I add this la~t circumstaI~cr,
becau ',e in it consists, as I take it, tl1e Stlbstal1ce of the
controversy. Now it 111ust be remembered that
Chri~tiarNty is an historical religion, founded in facts
which are related to have passed, upon discourses
".rhich \vere held, and letters ~llicIl were written, in
a remote age and di.;tant country of tbe world, as
wdl as under a state of life and manners, and during
the prcvalency of oj);uio)1