Gladstone’sdoctrines，asitwouldbetoaccuseLockeofwishingforanarchy，becauseherefutedFilmer’spatriarchaltheoryofgovernment，ortoaccuseBlackstoneofrecommendingtheconfiscationofecclesiasticalproperty，becausehedeniedthattherightoftherectortotithewasderivedfromtheLeviticallaw。Itistobeobserved，thatMr。Gladstonerestshiscaseonentirelynewgrounds，anddoesnotdiffermorewidelyfromusthanfromsomeofthosewhohavehithertobeenconsideredasthemostillustriouschampionsoftheChurch。HeisnotcontentwiththeEcclesiasticalPolity，andrejoicesthatthelatterpartofthatcelebratedwork\"doesnotcarrywithittheweightofHooker’splenaryauthority。\"HeisnotcontentwithBishopWarburton’sAllianceofChurchandState。\"Thepropositionsofthatworkgenerally，\"hesays，\"aretobereceivedwithqualification\";andheagreeswithBolingbrokeinthinkingthatWarburton’swholetheoryrestsonafiction。HeisstilllesssatisfiedwithPaley’sdefenceoftheChurch，whichhepronouncestobe\"taintedbytheoriginalviceoffalseethicalprinciples，andfulloftheseedsofevil。\"HeconceivesthatDr。Chalmershastakenapartialviewofthesubject，and\"putforthmuchquestionablematter。\"Intruth，onalmosteverypointonwhichweareopposedtoMr。Gladstone，wehaveonoursidetheauthorityofsomedivine，eminentasadefenderofexistingestablishments。
Mr。Gladstone’swholetheoryrestsonthisgreatfundamentalproposition，thatthepropagationofreligioustruthisoneoftheprincipalendsofgovernment，asgovernment。IfMr。Gladstonehasnotprovedthisproposition，hissystemvanishesatonce。
Wearedesirous，beforeweenteronthediscussionofthisimportantquestion，topointoutclearlyadistinctionwhich，thoughveryobvious，seemstobeoverlookedbymanyexcellentpeople。Intheiropinion，tosaythattheendsofgovernmentaretemporalandnotspiritualistantamounttosayingthatthetemporalwelfareofmanisofmoreimportancethanhisspiritualwelfare。Butthisisanentiremistake。Thequestionisnotwhetherspiritualinterestsbeorbenotsuperiorinimportancetotemporalinterests;butwhetherthemachinerywhichhappensatanymomenttobeemployedforthepurposeofprotectingcertaintemporalinterestsofasocietybenecessarilysuchamachineryasisfittedtopromotethespiritualinterestsofthatsociety。
Withoutadivisionoflabourtheworldcouldnotgoon。Itisofverymuchmoreimportancethatmenshouldhavefoodthanthattheyshouldhavepianofortes。Yetitbynomeansfollowsthateverypianofortemakeroughttoaddthebusinessofabakertohisown;for，ifhedidso，weshouldhavebothmuchworsemusicandmuchworsebread。Itisofmuchmoreimportancethattheknowledgeofreligioustruthshouldbewiselydiffusedthanthattheartofsculptureshouldflourishamongus。YetitbynomeansfollowsthattheRoyalAcademyoughttounitewithitspresentfunctionsthoseoftheSocietyforPromotingChristianKnowledge，todistributetheologicaltracts，tosendforthmissionaries，toturnoutNollekensforbeingaCatholic，BaconforbeingaMethodist，andFlaxmanforbeingaSwedenborgian。FortheeffectofsuchfollywouldbethatweshouldhavetheworstpossibleAcademyofArts，andtheworstpossibleSocietyforthePromotionofChristianKnowledge。Thecommunity，itisplain，wouldbethrownintouniversalconfusion，ifitweresupposedtobethedutyofeveryassociationwhichisformedforonegoodobjecttopromoteeveryothergoodobject。
Astosomeoftheendsofcivilgovernment，allpeopleareagreed。Thatitisdesignedtoprotectourpersonsandourproperty;thatitisdesignedtocompelustosatisfyourwants，notbyrapine，butbyindustry;thatitisdesignedtocompelustodecideourdifferences，notbythestronghand，butbyarbitration;thatitisdesignedtodirectourwholeforce，asthatofoneman，againstanyothersocietywhichmayofferusinjury;thesearepropositionswhichwillhardlybedisputed。