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

420 Of ReligioUI Establishmentj,
regular ministry-keeps up in the country: with such
aids, and under such circumstance~, tile defects of a
plan may not be much felt, although the plan itself
be altogether unfit for general imitation. .
, 2. If then an order of clergy be necessary, if it be
,necessary also to seclude them from the employments
; and profits of other professions; it is evident they
I ought to be enabled to derive a maintenance from
( their own.! Now this maintenance must either del
pend upon the voluntary contributioIlS of their hearers,
or arise from revenues as.signed by authority of
.Jaw. To the scheme of voluntary contribution there
exists tllis insurnlountable objection, that fe\v \voulll
ultimately contribute any thing ~tt all. Ho\vever
the zeal of a sect, or the novelty of a change, might
support such an experiment for a \\:-hile, no reliance
could be placed upon it as a general and permanent
~rovi~ion. It is at all times a bad constitution,
; which presents temptations of interest in opposition
: "-0 the duties of religion; or which n1~lke' the (~ffices
I of religion expensive. to those wl10 attend l!pOn
them; or which allows pretences of con· cience to be
an excuse for not :-;haring in a public burthen. If, by
declining to frequent religious assenlblies, men could
save their nloney, at tIle same tiine tl1at tIley induI.
ged their indolenc~ and tho ir disinclination to exercises
of seriousness al1d. reflecti()11; or if, by di,sentin~
from the national religion, thpy could be excused
from contril1ut-ing to t!Je ~upport of tIle nlillisters of
religion, it is t