Iturn，however，totheprofessionwhichwasmoredirectlyconnectedwiththeintellectualdevelopmentofthecountry。Thenatureofthechurchestablishmentgivesthemostobviousillustrationoftheconnectionbetweentheintellectualpositionontheonehandandthesocialandpoliticalorderontheother，thoughIdonotpresumetodecidehowfareithershouldberegardedaseffectandtheotherascause。
WhatisthechurchofEngland?Somepeopleapparentlybelievethatitisabodypossessingandtransmittingcertainsupernaturalpowers。Thisviewwasinabeyanceforthetimeforexcellentreasons，and，trueorfalse，isnoanswertotheconstitutionalquestion。Itdoesnotenableustodefinewhatwastheactualbodywithwhichlawyersandpoliticianshavetodeal。
Thebestanswertosuchquestionsinordinarycasewouldbegivenbydescribingtheorganisationofthebodyconcerned。Wecouldthensaywhatistheauthoritywhichspeaksinitsname；andwhatisthelegislaturewhichmakesitslaws，altersitsarrangements，anddefinesthetermsofmembership。ThesupremelegislatureofthechurchofEnglandmightappeartobeparliament。ItistheActofUniformitywhichdefinestheprofessionofbeliefexactedfromtheclergy；andnoalterationcouldbemadeinregardtotherightsanddutiesoftheclergyexceptbyparliamentaryauthority。Thechurchmightthereforeberegardedassimplythereligiousdepartmentofthestate。Since1688，however，thetheoryandthepracticeoftolerationhadintroduceddifficulties。
Nonconformitywasnotbyitselfpunishablethoughitexposedamantocertaindisqualifications。Thestate，therefore，recognisedthatmanyofitsmembersmightlegallybelongtootherchurches，althoughithad，asWarburtonargued，formedan’alliance’withthedominantchurch。Thespiritoftolerationwasspreadingthroughoutthecentury。Theoldpenallaws，duetothestrugglesoftheseventeenthcentury，werebecomingobsoleteinpracticeandweregraduallybeingrepealed。TheGordonriotsof1780showedthatafanaticalspiritmightstillbearousedinamobwhichwantedanexcuseforplunder；butthelawswerenotexplicitlydefendedbyreasonablepersonsandwerebeinggraduallyremovedbylegislationtowardstheendofthecentury。Although，therefore，parliamentwaskeptfreefrompapists，itcouldhardlyregardchurchandstateasidentical，orconsideritselfasentitledtoactastherepresentativebodyofthechurch。Nootherbody，indeed，couldchangethelawsofthechurch；
butparliamentrecogniseditsownincompetencetodealwiththem。Towardstheendofthecentury，variousattemptsweremadetorelaxthetermsofsubscription。Itwasproposed，forexample，tosubstituteaprofessionofbeliefintheBibleforasubscriptiontotheThirty-NineArticles。ButtheHouseofCommonssensiblyrefusedtoexposeitselfbyventuringuponanytheologicalinnovations。Abodymoreludicrouslyincompetentcouldhardlyhavebeeninvented。
HencewemustsaythatthechurchhadeithernOsupremebodywhichcouldspeakinitsnameandmodifyitscreed，itsritual，itsdiscipline，orthedetailsofitsorganisation；orelse，thattheonlybodywhichhadintheoryarighttointerferewasdoomed，bysufficientconsiderations，toabsoluteinaction。Thechurch，fromasecularpointofview，wasnotsomuchadepartmentofthestateasanaggregateofoffices，thefunctionsofwhichwereprescribedbyunalterabletradition。Itconsistedofanumberofbishops，deansandchapters，rectors，vicars，curates，andsoforth，manyofwhomhadcertainproprietaryrightsintheirposition，andwhowereboundbylawtodischargecertainfunctions。Butthechurch，consideredasawhole，couldhardlybecalledanorganismatall，or，ifanorganism，itwasanorganismwithitscentralorganinapermanentstateofparalysis。Thechurch，again，inthisstatewasessentiallydependentupontherulingclasses。Aglanceatthepositionoftheclergyshowstheirprofessionalposition。Attheirheadwerethebishops，someofthemenjoyingprincelyrevenues，whileothersweresopoorastorequirethattheirincomesshouldbeekedoutbydeaneriesorlivingsheldincommendam。Thegreatsees，suchasCanterbury，Durham，Ely，andWinchester，werevaluedatbetween£；20，000and£；30，000ayear；
whilethesmaller，Llandaff，Bangor，Bristol，andGloucester，wereworthlessthan£；2000。Thebishopshadpatronagewhichenabledthemtoprovideforrelativesorfordeservingclergymen。Theaverageincomesoftheparochialclergy，meanwhile，weresmall。In1809theywerecalculatedtobeworth£；255，whilenearlyfourthousandlivingswereworthunder£；150；andtherewerefourorfivethousandcurateswithverysmallpay。Theprofession，therefore，offeredagreatmanyblankswithafewenormousprizes。Howwerethoseprizesgenerallyobtained?WhenthereformerspublishedtheBlackBookin1820，theygavealistofthebishopsholdingseesinthelastyearofGeorgeIII；
and，asmostofthesegentlemenwereontheirpromotionattheendofthepreviouscentury。Igivethelistinanote。18*
Thereweretwenty-sevenbishopricsincludingSodorandMan。Oftheseelevenwereheldbymembersofnoblefamilies；fourteenwereheldbymenwhohadbeentutorsin，orinotherwayspersonallyconnectedwiththeroyalfamilyorthefamiliesofministersandgreatmen；andoftheremainingtwo，onerestedhisclaimuponpoliticalwritingindefenceofPitt，whiletheotherseemstohavehadthesupportofagreatcitycompany。Thesystemoftranslationenabledthegovernmenttokeepahanduponthebishops。TheirelevationtothemorevaluableplacesorleavetoholdsubsidiaryprefermentsdependedupontheirvotesintheHouseofLords。Sofar，then，assecularmotivesoperated，thetendencyofthesystemwasclear。IfProvidencehadassignedtoyouadukeforafatheroranuncle，prefermentwouldfalltoyouasofright。Amanofrankwhotakesordersshouldberewardedforhiscondescension。
Ifthatqualificationbenotsecured，Youshouldaimatbeingtutorinagreatfamily，accompanyaladonthegrandtour，orwritesomepamphletonagreatman’sbehalf。PaleygainedcreditforindependenceatCambridge，andspokewithcontemptofthepracticeof’rooting，’thecantphraseforpatronagehunting。ThetextwhichhefacetiouslysuggestedforasermonwhenPittvisitedCambridge，’Thereisayoungmanherewhohassixloavesandtwofishes，butwhataretheyamongsomany?’hitoffthespiritinwhichaministerwasregardedattheuniversities。ThememoirsofBishopWatsonillustratethesamesentiment。HelivedinhispleasantcountryhouseatWindermere，nevervisitinghisdiocese，andaccordingtoDeQuincey，talkingSocinianismathistable。Hefelthimselftobeadeeplyinjuredman，becauseministershadneverfoundanopportunityfortranslatinghimtoaricherdiocese，althoughhehadwrittenagainstPaineandGibbon。Iftheywouldnotrewardtheirfriends，heargued，whyshouldhetakeuptheircausebydefendingChristianity?
Thebishopswereeminentlyrespectable。Theydidnotleadimmorallives，andiftheygavealargeshareofprefermenttotheirfamilies，thatatleastwasadomesticvirtue。Someofthem，BishopBarringtonofDurham，forexample，tookaleadinphilanthropicmovements；and，ifconsideredsimplyasprosperouscountrygentlemen，littlefaultcouldbefoundwiththem。While，however，everycommonplacemotivepointedsodirectlytowardsacareerofsubserviencytotherulingclassamongthelaity，itcouldnotbeexpectedthattheyshouldtakealoftyviewoftheirprofession。TheAnglicanclergywerenotliketheIrishpriesthood，inclosesympathywiththepeasantry，orliketheScottishministers，theorgansofstrongconvictionsspreadingthroughthegreatmassofthemiddleandlowerclasses。Amanofenergy，whotookhisfaithseriously，was，liketheEvangelicalclergy，outoftheroadtopreferment，or，likeWesley，mightfindnoroomwithinthechurchatall。Hiscolleaguescalledhiman’enthusiast，’anddislikedhimasabusybodyifnotafanatic。Theywerebybirthandadoptionthemselvesmembersoftherulingclass；manyofthemweretheyoungersonsofsquires，andheldtheirlivingsinvirtueoftheirbirth。Advowsonsarethelastofficestoretainaproprietarycharacter。
ThechurchofthatdayowedsucharepresentativeasHorneTooketothesystemwhichenabledhisfathertoprovideforhimbybuyingaliving。Fromthehighesttothelowestranksofclergy，thechurchwasasMatthewArnoldcouldstillcallit，an’appendageofthebarbarians。’Theclergy，thatis，asawhole，wereanintegralbutasubsidiarypartofthearistocracyorthegreatlandedinterest。Theiradmirersurgedthatthesystemplantedacultivatedgentlemanineveryparishinthecountry。Theiropponentsreplied，likeJohnSterling，thathewasa’blackdragoonwithhorsemeatandman’smeat’——
partofthegarrisondistributedthroughthecountrytosupportthecauseofpropertyandorder。Inanycasetheinstinctiveprepossessions，thetastesandfavouritepursuitsoftheprofessionwereessentiallythoseoftheclasswithwhichitwassointimatelyconnected。ArthurYoung，19*speakingoftheFrenchclergy，observesthatatleasttheyarenotpoachersandfoxhunters，whodividetheirtimebetweenhunting，drinking，andpreaching。YoudonotinFrancefindsuchadvertisementsashehadheardofinEngland，’Wantedacuracyinagoodsportingcountry，wherethedutyislightandtheneighbourhoodconvivial。’Theproperexerciseforacountryclergyman，heratherquaintlyobserves，isagriculture。Theidealparson，thatis，shouldbeasquireincanonicaldress。TheclergyoftheeighteenthcenturyprobablyvariedbetweentheextremesrepresentedbyTrulliberandtheVicarofWakefield。Manyofthemwereexcellentpeople，withamildtasteforliterature，contributingtotheGentleman’sMagazine，investigatingtheantiquitiesoftheircounty，occasionallyconfutingadeist，exertingasoundjudgmentincultivatingtheirglebesorimprovingthebreedofcattle，andrespectedbothbysquireandfarmers。The’Squarson，’inSydneySmith’sfacetiousphrase，wastheidealclergyman。Thepurelysacerdotalqualities，goodorbad，wereataminimum。Crabbe，himselfatypeoftheclass，hasleftadmirableportraitsofhisfellows。Profoundvenerationforhisnoblepatronsandheartydislikeforintrusivedissenterswerecombinedinhisowncasewithapuredomesticlife，akeeninsightintotheuglierrealitiesofcountrylifeandagoodsoundworkingmorality。MissAusten，whosaidthatshecouldhavebeenCrabbe’swife，hasgivenmoredelicatepicturesoftheclergymanasheappearedatthetea-tablesofthetime。Hevariesaccordingtoherfromthesquire’sexcellentyoungerbrother，whoissimplyasquireinawhiteneckcloth，tothesillybutstillrespectablesycophant，whofirmlybelieveshisladypatronesstobeakindoflocaldeity。Manyoftherealmemoirsofthedaygivepleasantexamplesofthequietandamiablelivesofthelessambitiousclergy。ThereisthecharmingGilbertWhite1720-1793placidlystudyingthewaysoftortoises，andunconsciouslycomposingabookwhichbreathesanundyingcharmfromitsatmosphereofpeacefulrepose；WilliamGilpin1724-1804foundingandendowingparishschools，teachingthecatechism，anddescribinghisvacationtoursinnarrativeswhichhelpedtospreadaloveofnaturalscenery；andthomasGisborne1758-1846，squireandclergyman，afamouspreacheramongtheevangelicalsandapoetafterthefashionofCowper，wholovedhisnativeNeedwoodForestasWhitelovedSelborneandGilpinlovedthewoodsofBoldre；andCowperhimself1731-1800who，thoughnotaclergyman，livedinaclericalatmosphere，andwhosegentleandplayfulenjoymentofquietcountryliferelievesthepainfullydeeppathosofhisdisorderedimagination；andtheexcellentW。
L。Bowles1762-1850，whosesonnetsfirstwokeColeridge’simagination，whospenteighty-eightyearsinanamiableandblamelesslife，andwascountry-gentleman，magistrate，antiquary，clergyman，andpoet。20*Suchnamesareenoughtorecallatypewhichhasnotquitevanished，andwhichhasgatheredanewcharminmorestirringandfretfultimes。Thesemostexcellentpeople，however，werenotlikelytobeprominentinmovementsdestinedtobreakuptheplacidenvironmentoftheirlivesnor，intruth，tobesourcesofanygreatintellectualstir。
VI。THEUNIVERSITIES
Theeffectoftheseconditionsisperhapsbestmarkedinthestateoftheuniversities。Universitieshaveatdifferentperiodsbeengreatcentresofintellectuallife。TheEnglishuniversitiesoftheeighteenthcenturyaregenerallynotedonlyasembodimentsofslothandprejudice。ThejudgmentsofWesleyandGibbonandAdamSmithandBenthamcoincideinregardtoOxford；