Letters on England [9]
in which no
legislator had ever been happy but himself. After having resided
some years in Pennsylvania he left it, but with great reluctance, in
order to return to England, there to solicit some matters in favour
of the commerce of Pennsylvania. But he never saw it again, he
dying in Ruscombe, in Berkshire, in 1718.
I am not able to guess what fate Quakerism may have in America, but
I perceive it dwindles away daily in England. In all countries
where liberty of conscience is allowed, the established religion
will at last swallow up all the rest. Quakers are disqualified from
being members of Parliament; nor can they enjoy any post or
preferment, because an oath must always be taken on these occasions,
and they never swear. They are therefore reduced to the necessity
of subsisting upon traffic. Their children, whom the industry of
their parents has enriched, are desirous of enjoying honours, of
wearing buttons and ruffles; and quite ashamed of being called
Quakers they become converts to the Church of England, merely to be
in the fashion.
LETTER V.--ON THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
England is properly the country of sectarists. Multae sunt
mansiones in domo patris mei (in my Father's house are many
mansions). An Englishman, as one to whom liberty is natural, may go
to heaven his own way.
Nevertheless, though every one is permitted to serve God in whatever
mode or fashion he thinks proper, yet their true religion, that in
which a man makes his fortune, is the sect of Episcopalians or
Churchmen, called the Church of England, or simply the Church, by
way of eminence. No person can possess an employment either in
England or Ireland unless he be ranked among the faithful, that is,
professes himself a member of the Church of England. This reason
(which carries mathematical evidence with it) has converted such
numbers of Dissenters of all persuasions, that not a twentieth part
of the nation is out of the pale of the Established Church. The
English clergy have retained a great number of the Romish
ceremonies, and especially that of receiving, with a most scrupulous
attention, their tithes. They also have the pious ambition to aim
at superiority.
Moreover, they inspire very religiously their flock with a holy zeal
against Dissenters of all denominations. This zeal was pretty
violent under the Tories in the four last years of Queen Anne; but
was productive of no greater mischief than the breaking the windows
of some meeting-houses and the demolishing of a few of them. For
religious rage ceased in England with the civil wars, and was no
more under Queen Anne than the hollow noise of a sea whose billows
still heaved, though so long after the storm when the Whigs and
Tories laid waste their native country, in the same manner as the
Guelphs and Ghibelins formerly did theirs. It was absolutely
necessary for both parties to call in religion on this occasion; the
Tories declared for Episcopacy, and the Whigs, as some imagined,
were for abolishing it; however, after these had got the upper hand,
they contented themselves with only abridging it.
At the time when the Earl of Oxford and the Lord Bolingbroke used to
drink healths to the Tories, the Church of England considered those
noblemen as the defenders of its holy privileges. The lower House
of Convocation (a kind of House of Commons) composed wholly of the
clergy, was in some credit at that time; at least the members of it
had the liberty to meet, to dispute on ecclesiastical matters, to
sentence impious books from time to time to the flames, that is,
books written against themselves. The Ministry which is now
composed of Whigs does not so much as allow those gentlemen to
assemble, so that they are at this time reduced (in the obscurity of
their respective parishes) to the melancholy occupation of praying
for the prosperity of the Government whose tranquillity
legislator had ever been happy but himself. After having resided
some years in Pennsylvania he left it, but with great reluctance, in
order to return to England, there to solicit some matters in favour
of the commerce of Pennsylvania. But he never saw it again, he
dying in Ruscombe, in Berkshire, in 1718.
I am not able to guess what fate Quakerism may have in America, but
I perceive it dwindles away daily in England. In all countries
where liberty of conscience is allowed, the established religion
will at last swallow up all the rest. Quakers are disqualified from
being members of Parliament; nor can they enjoy any post or
preferment, because an oath must always be taken on these occasions,
and they never swear. They are therefore reduced to the necessity
of subsisting upon traffic. Their children, whom the industry of
their parents has enriched, are desirous of enjoying honours, of
wearing buttons and ruffles; and quite ashamed of being called
Quakers they become converts to the Church of England, merely to be
in the fashion.
LETTER V.--ON THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
England is properly the country of sectarists. Multae sunt
mansiones in domo patris mei (in my Father's house are many
mansions). An Englishman, as one to whom liberty is natural, may go
to heaven his own way.
Nevertheless, though every one is permitted to serve God in whatever
mode or fashion he thinks proper, yet their true religion, that in
which a man makes his fortune, is the sect of Episcopalians or
Churchmen, called the Church of England, or simply the Church, by
way of eminence. No person can possess an employment either in
England or Ireland unless he be ranked among the faithful, that is,
professes himself a member of the Church of England. This reason
(which carries mathematical evidence with it) has converted such
numbers of Dissenters of all persuasions, that not a twentieth part
of the nation is out of the pale of the Established Church. The
English clergy have retained a great number of the Romish
ceremonies, and especially that of receiving, with a most scrupulous
attention, their tithes. They also have the pious ambition to aim
at superiority.
Moreover, they inspire very religiously their flock with a holy zeal
against Dissenters of all denominations. This zeal was pretty
violent under the Tories in the four last years of Queen Anne; but
was productive of no greater mischief than the breaking the windows
of some meeting-houses and the demolishing of a few of them. For
religious rage ceased in England with the civil wars, and was no
more under Queen Anne than the hollow noise of a sea whose billows
still heaved, though so long after the storm when the Whigs and
Tories laid waste their native country, in the same manner as the
Guelphs and Ghibelins formerly did theirs. It was absolutely
necessary for both parties to call in religion on this occasion; the
Tories declared for Episcopacy, and the Whigs, as some imagined,
were for abolishing it; however, after these had got the upper hand,
they contented themselves with only abridging it.
At the time when the Earl of Oxford and the Lord Bolingbroke used to
drink healths to the Tories, the Church of England considered those
noblemen as the defenders of its holy privileges. The lower House
of Convocation (a kind of House of Commons) composed wholly of the
clergy, was in some credit at that time; at least the members of it
had the liberty to meet, to dispute on ecclesiastical matters, to
sentence impious books from time to time to the flames, that is,
books written against themselves. The Ministry which is now
composed of Whigs does not so much as allow those gentlemen to
assemble, so that they are at this time reduced (in the obscurity of
their respective parishes) to the melancholy occupation of praying
for the prosperity of the Government whose tranquillity