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

4-i2 of Religious Establishments,.
impossible to engage men of worth and ability in so
precarious and humiliating a profession.
/ If in deference, then, tl> these reasons, it be admit ..
( ted, that a legal provi~ion for t~e ~Iergy, c~mpulsory
I
\
upon those who contribute to It, IS expedIent; the
next question will be .. Whether this provision should
be confined to one sect of Christianity, or extended
I indifferently to aU? Now, it should be oberved, that
I this question never 1I11l offer itself where the people
: are agreed in thier religious opinions; anrj thai it
never ought to arise, where a syste~ may be fran-led
of doctrines and worship wide enough to comprehend
their disagreement; and whic9 might satisfy all
by uniting all in the articles of their common faith,
and in a .mode of divine worship, that omits every
\ subject of controversy or offence.-Where such a
comprehension is practicable, the comprehending religion
ought to be made that of the state. But ii'
this be despaired of; if religious opinions exi~t, not
only so various, but so contradictory ~ as tc, render it
, impossible to reconcile them to each other, or to any
(l1}e confession of faith, rule of discipline, or form of
worship; if, consequently, separate congregations
and different sects must unavoidably continue in the
country; under such circumstances, whether the laws
\ ought to establish one sect in preference to the rest,
that is~ whether they ought to confer the provision
as~igned to the maintenance. oL.rdigion upon the
; teachers of one syste~QLdoctriIK~ alone .. hec~riles a
, question of necessa!y ~iscussiu.Y}-.aud of great imp..()rtance.
And whatever we may determine concerning
:\peculative rights and ab,tract proprieties, w hen we
~et about the framing of an ecclesiastical constitution
adapt~d to real life, and to the actual ~tate of religion
:in th~ country, we sh'lll fiIld this que~tioIl very llcar­
Iy related to, a~d principally inJeed dependant upon
:,mothcr; .namely., " In what way. or by WhOill ought
I .. f 1-· b · 1 ", ,,. • •
[ 1~111Inlst·.~rs 0 re IglOO to e appOI/lfeu ; II rhespeLles
of patronage be retainf>d -to which we arc acc:tJ::.tomeJ
in this country, and which allows priv:l~t! individuals
to nominate teach~rs of r~ligion f{H" di~(ricts and con·
gregations to which they ;4.(C absolute stranger~ ;