THE WEALTH OF NATIONS.

739

ARTICLE III-

Of the Expense of the Institutions for the Instructionof People of all Ages.

The institutions for the instruction of people of all ages arechiefly those for religious instruction. This is a species of in-struction of which the object is not so much to rentier thepeople good citizens in this world, as to prepare them for an-other and a better world in the life to come. The teachersof the doctrine which contains this instruction, in the samemanner as other teachers, may-either depend altogether fortheir subsistence upon the voluntary contributions of theirhearers; or they may derive it from some other fund to whichthe law of their country may entitle them ; such as a landedestate, a tythe or land tax, an established salary or stipend.Their exertion, their zeal and industry, arc likely to be muchgreater in the former situation than in the latter. In thisrespect the teachers of new religions have always had a con-siderable advantage in attacking those ancient and establishedsystems, of which the clergy, reposing themselves upon theirbenefices, had neglected to keep up the fervour of faith anddevotion in the great body of the people; and having giventhemselves up to indolence, were become altogether incapa-ble of making any vigorous exertion in defence even of theirown establishment. The clergy of an established and well-endowed religion frequently become men of learning and ele-gance, who possess all the virtues of gentlemen, or which canrecommend them to the esteem of gentlemen; but they areapt gradually to lose the qualities, both good and bad, whichgave them authority and influence with the inferior ranks ofpeople, and which had perhaps been the original causes ofthe success and establishment of their religion. Such a clergy,when attacked by a set of popular and bold, though perhapsstupid and ignorant enthusiasts, feel themselves as perfectlydefenceless as the indolent, eileminate, and full-fed nations ofthe southern parts of Asia, when they were invaded by theactive, hardy, and hungry Tartars of the north. Such a clergy,upon such an emergency, have commonly no other resourcethan to call upon the civil magistrate to persecute, destroy,or drive out their adversaries, as disturbers of the publicpeace. It was thus that the Roman catholic clergy called