distinguish 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 eftablishment unlawful, hardly think it lawful to be without one. In France you are wholly mistaken, if you do not believe us above all other things. attached to it, and beyond all other nations ; and when this people has acted unwifely and unjustifiably in its favour (as in some inftances they have done most certainly) in their very errors you will at leaft discover their 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 muft conclude the whole,

though their

reafons be lefs Convincing than

thofe of the minority.

I do not wifh, much lefs do I undertake to prove, that Mr. Burke's reafons for thinking a religious establishment 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 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 faid, that the minority, though they should be actuated by the better reafons, will nevertheless 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 firmeft bulwark of the wifeft legiflators will crumble into an impalpable substance, 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 disavow and oppofe the fundamental principles of our conftitution and government. The most feeling ground, upon which Dr. Priestley seems to combat against the civil establishment of a religion in a state, is that of the maintenance provided and fecured by the ftate, for the minifters, teachers, and guardians of their religion. * "Let it not be faid that the church of England would have the

impudence, if it had the power, to collect its

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

tythes

Dr. Priestley diffatisfied with tythes.

The obligation

to pay tithes

tythes from every country in Christendom, though every parish should be a finecure, and all their bishops be denominated in partibus. Let there be an appearance, at least, whichnow there is not, of fome regard to religion. in the case, 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 commu

nity had chofen to incorporate an ecclefiaftical establishment as an effential part in their civil conftitution; that this ecclefiaftical eftablifhment should be guided and preferved by bishops, and their inferior clergy; that they should 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

majority had given not only a legal fubfiftence, but a legal right to poffefs, enjoy, and defend the maintenance and civil advantages allotted to them by the community; for these they do not enjoy by virtue of their fpiritual ordination, but as the free and voluntary gift or offering of the community. This alfo is a direct emanation from the fovereignty of the people.

Since Dr. Priestley, though avowedly of the diffenting minority, fo warmly infifts upon the folly and mifchief of fupporting a religious eftablishment, I fhall take the liberty of submitting to the public fome of the reasons and motives, that appear to have operated in favour of it upon the majority of this community; for he certainly will not refuse to the majority of the community, the right of grounding their acts upon reafons and motives; nor can he prevent those reasons and motives from operating their effect upon fuch individuals as may feel their force.

*«So tenacious are we of the old eccle- Reafons why fiaftical modes and fashions of inftitution, that the majority very little alteration has been made in them

fince the fourteenth or fifteenth century, adhering in this particular, as in all things elfe,

Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France, p. 148, 149, 150.

to

prefer their

prefent religious fyftem.