produce, who contributed no affistance whatever to the production. When years perhaps of care and toil have matured an improvement, when the hufbandman fees new crops ripening to his fkill and industry, the moment he is ready to put his fickle to the grain, he finds himself compelled to divide his harveft with a ftranger. Tithes are a tax not only upon induftry, but upon that industry which feeds mankind; upon that species of exertion, which it is the aim of all wife laws to cherish and promote; and to uphold and excite which, composes, as we have seen, the main benefit that the community receives from the whole fyftem of trade, and the fuccefs of commerce. And together with the more general inconveniency that attends the exaction of tithes, there is this additional evil, in the mode at leaft according to which they are collected at present, that they operate as a bounty upon pafturage. The burthen of the tax falls with its chief, if not with its whole weight, upon tillage; that is to say, upon that precife mode of cultivation, which, as hath been shown above, it is the business of the state to relieve and remunerate, in preference to every other. No measure of fuch exten

five

five concern appears to me so practicable, nor any fingle alteration fo beneficial, as the converfion of tithes into corn rents. This commutation, I am convinced, might be fo adjusted, as to fecure to the tithe-holder a complete and perpetual equivalent for hist intereft, and to leave to induftry its full operation and entire reward.

CHAP.

CHA P. XII.

Of War, and of Military Eftablishments.

ECAUSE the Chriftian fcriptures deas scribe wars as what they are, as crimes or judgments, some have been led to believe that it is unlawful for a Chriftian to bear arms. But it should be remembered, that it may be neceffary for individuals to unite their force, and for this end to refign themselves to the direction of a common will, and yet it may be true, that that will is often actuated by criminal motives, and often determined to deftructive purposes. Hence, although the origin of wars be ascribed in fcripture to the operation of lawless and malignant paffions, and tho' war itself be enumerated amongst the foreft calamities with which a land can be visited, the profeffion of a foldier is no where for bidden or condemned. When the foldiers demanded of John the Baptift, And what 6 fhall we do?' he faid unto them, Do 'violence to no man, neither accufe any

*

falfly,

falfly, and be content with your wages.' In which answer we do not find that, in order to prepare themfelves for the reception of the kingdom of God, it was required of foldiers to relinquish their profeffion, but only that they fhould beware of the vices of which that profeffion, it : may be prefumed, was juftly accused. The precept, be content with your wages,' fupposed them to continue in their situation. It was of a Roman centurion that Christ pronounced that memorable eulogy, 'I have not found fo great faith, no; not in Ifrael.' + The first gentile convert who was received into the Christian church, and to whom the gofpel was imparted by the immediate and especial direction of Heaven, held the fame station and in the hiftory of this tranfaction we discover not the fmalleft intimation, that Cornelius upon becoming a Chriftian quitted the service of the Roman legion, that his profeffion was objected to, or his continuance in it considered as in any wife inconfiftent with his new character.

In applying the principles of morality to the affairs of nations, the difficulty * Luke iii. 14. + Luke vii. 9. I Acts x. 1.

which meets us arifes from hence, that the particular confequence fometimes appears to exceed the value of the general rule. In this circumstance is founded the only distinction that exifts between the cafe of independent ftates, and of independent individuals. In the transactions of private perfons, no advantage, that results from the breach of a general law of justice, can compensate to the public for the violation of the law in the concerns of empire, this may fometimes be doubted. Thus, that the faith of promises ought to be maintained, as far as is lawful, and as far as was intended by the parties, whatever inconveniency either of them may fuffer by his fidelity, in the intercourse of private life is feldom difputed; because it is evident to almost every man who reflects upon the fubject, that the common happiness gains more by the preservation of the rule, than it could do by the removal of the inconveniency. But when the adherence to a public treaty would enflave a whole people, would block up feas, rivers, or harbours, depopulate cities, condemn fertile. regions to eternal defolation, cut off a country from its fources of provifion, or deprive it of those commercial advantages,