Reafons why the community

a civil eftablifh

ment of religion.

that the adoption of religion is the free act of each of them, they agree to acknowledge and declare by a public civil act of that power, which is avowedly in them, that a particular religion is that, in the adoption of which the majority does concur. And because the majority does thus concur in its adoption, they think proper to appropriate a certain part of the national fund, of which they are the difpenfers, to the maintenance and support of the minifters of this religion, and they invest them, according to their degrees, with certain civil or legal rights, benefits, and advantages; and in these alone confifts the civil establishment of a religion. In justice, however, to the majority of our community, who infift upon fuch an incorporation of an ecclefiaftical with the civil establishment of the ftate, I cannot omit to lay before my readers fome of the many reasons and motives for fuch their determination.

* "I affure you, I do not aim at fingulachufe to make rity. I give you opinions, which have been accepted amongft us from very early times. to this moment, with a continued and general approbation, and which indeed are fo worked into my mind, that I am unable to

Mr. Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France, p. 147, 148.

diftinguish

diftinguifh what I have learned from others, from the refults of my own meditation.

"It is on fuch principles that the majority of the people of England, far from thinking a religious national establishment unlawful, hardly think it lawful to be without one. In France you are wholly mistaken, if do not believe us above all other things attached to it, and beyond all other nations ; and when this people has acted unwifely and unjuftifiably in its favour (as in fome inftances they have done most certainly) in their very errors you will at leaft difcover their

you

zeal.

"This principle runs through the whole fyftem of their polity. They do not confider their church establishment as convenient, but as effential to their state; not as a thing heterogeneous and feparable, fomething added for accommodation; what they may either keep up or lay afide, according to their temporary ideas of convenience. They confider it as the foundation of their whole conftitution, with which, and with every part of which, it holds an indiffoluble union. Church and state are ideas infeparable in their minds, and scarcely is the one ever mentioned without mentioning the other."

The majority

the whole,

though their

reafons be lefs Convincing than

thofe of the mi

nority.

I do not wifh, much lefs do I undertake to prove, that Mr. Burke's reafons for thinking a religious eftablishment in our conftitution profound and extenfive wisdom, are stronger and more conclufive, than Dr. Priestley's are for thinking it the extreme of folly, and very mifchievous. But I do contend, that confidering Mr. Burke and Dr. Priestley as two individual members of the English community, each of them has an equal right to form his own mind upon this fubject, as well as upon every other fubject of legiflation; and that very fame right does every other individual of the

muft conclude nine millions poffefs. It fuffices therefore, that a majority of thefe nine millions chufe to have fuch a religious establishment; it is evident, from what has been before said, that the minority, though they should be actuated by the better reafons, will neverthelefs be concluded by the act of the majority, though the latter fhould be influenced by the weaker reafons. This is a fundamental principle of fociety, and confequently of all civil government. If it be once broken in upon, an irreparable breach will be immediately made in the conftitution, that will enfure and accelerate the total diffolution of government; for no human law can have force or efficacy upon

upon any other principle. If this principle be withdrawn from one law, it is withdrawn from all; and then the firmest bulwark of the wifeft legiflators will crumble into an impalpable fubftance, and be irrevocably scattered by the weakest breath that reaches it. Hence may be seen the difference between principles and rules; the former are univerfally and unexceptionably true and applicable to all poffible cafes; the latter admit of exceptions, which are even faid to ftrengthen and establish the rule.

A principiis nunquam recedendum: True principle will carry us through every difficulty, that can poffibly be ftarted by the enemies of our conftitution; for I must ever call those enemies to the ftate, who difavow and oppose the fundamental principles of our conftitution and government. The most feeling ground, upon which Dr. Priestley feems to combat against the civil establishment of a religion in a ftate, is that of the maintenance provided and fecured by the ftate, for the minifters, teachers, and guardians of their religion. that the church of England would have the impudence, if it had the power, to collect its

"Let it not be faid Dr. Priest'ey

Priestley's Letters to Mr. Burke, Let. vi. p. 59.

tythes

diflatisfied with tythes.

The obligation

to pay tithes

tythes from every country in Christendom, though every parifh fhould be a finecure, and all their bishops be denominated in partibus. Let there be an appearance, at least, which now there is not, of fome regard to religion in the cafe, and not to mere revenue. Often as I have urged this fubject, and many as have been thofe, who have animadverted upon my writings, hardly any have touched upon this; they feel it to be tender ground; they can, however, keep an obftinate filence; they can fhut their ears and turn their eyes to other objects, when it is not to their purpose to attend to this."

Were I merely answering the objections of equal upon all. Dr. Priestley, I fhould content myself with infifting, that the majority of the community had chofen to incorporate an ecclefiaftical establishment as an effential part in their civil conftitution; that this ecclefiaftical eftablishment fhould be guided and preferved by bifhops, and their inferior clergy; that they fhould be maintained by certain portions or allotments of the national produce or property; and that therefore the diffenting minority were effectually bound, as members of the community, to contribute their quota in tythes, or otherwife, towards the maintenance of that clergy, to whom the act of the

majority