All this Mr. McLeod has well proved, and from those
sources of argument particularly which belong to his profession. On one
question only I differ from him, and it is that which constitutes the
subject of his first discourse, the right of discussing public affairs
in the pulpit. I add the last words, because I admit the right in
general conversation and in writing; in which last form it has been
exercised in the valuable book you have now favored me with.
The mass of human concerns, moral and physical, is so vast, the field of
knowledge requisite for man to conduct them to the best advantage is so
extensive, that no human being can acquire the whole himself, and much
less in that degree necessary for the instruction of others. It has of
necessity, then, been distributed into different departments, each
of which, singly, may give occupation enough to the whole time and
attention of a single individual. Thus we have teachers of Languages,
teachers of Mathematics, of Natural Philosophy, of Chemistry, of
Medicine, of Law, of History, of Government, &c. Religion, too, is a
separate department, and happens to be the only one deemed requisite
for all men, however high or low. Collections of men associate together,
under the name of congregations, and employ a religious teacher of the
particular sect of opinions of which they happen to be, and contribute
to make up a stipend as a compensation for the trouble of delivering
them, at such periods as they agree on, lessons in the religion they
profess.
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