762 , THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF

possessor even of the small one to pay court to his patron, bythe vile arts of flattery and assentation, in order to get abetter. In all the presbyterian churches, where the rights ofpatronage are thoroughly established, it is by nobler andbetter arts that the established clergy in general endeavour togain the favour of their superiors ; by their learning, by theirreproachable regularity of their life, and by the faithful anddiligent discharge of their duty. Their patrons even fre-quently complain of the independency of their spirit, whichthey are apt to construe into ingratitude for past favours, butwhich at worst, perhaps, is seldom any more than that indif-ference which naturally arises from the consciousness that nofurther favours of the kind are ever to be expected. There isscarce perhaps to be found anywhere in Europe a morelearned, decent, independent, and respectable set of men,than the greater part of the presbyterian clergy of Holland,Geneva, Switzerland, and Scotland .

Where the church benefices are all nearly equal, none ofthem can be very great; and this mediocrity of benefice,though it may no doubt be carried too far, has, however, somevery agreeable effects. Nothing but the most exemplarymorals can give dignity to a man of small fortune. Thevices of levity and vanity necessarily render him ridiculous,and are, besides, almost as ruinous to him as they are to thecommon people. In his own conduct, therefore, he is obligedto follow that system of morals which the common peoplerespect the most, lie gains their esteem and affection by thatplan of life which his own interest and situation would leadhim to follow. The common people look upon him with thatkindness with which we naturally regard one who approachessomewhat to our own condition, but who, we think, ought tobe in a higher. Their kindness naturally provokes his kind-ness. He becomes careful to instruct them, and attentive toassist and relieve them. He does not even despise the preju-dices of people who are disposed to be so favourable to him,and never treats them with those contemptuous and arrogantairs which we so often meet with in the proud dignitaries ofopulentand well-endowed churches. The presbyterian clergy,accordingly, have more influence over the minds of the com-mon people than perhaps the clergy of any established church.It is accordingly in presbyterian countries only that wc everfind the common people converted, without persecution, com-pletely, and almost to a man, to the established church.