the origins of contemporary france-2-第52节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　means　of　replacing。　　　Helplessness；　indifference；　or

malevolence；　such　are　the　various　dispositions　which　are　encountered

among　the　new　authorities　whose　duty　it　is　to　support　and　protect

them。　　To　let　loose　persecution　there　is　now　only　needed　a　decree

which　puts　the　civil　power　in　conflict　with　religious　convictions。

That　decree　is　promulgated；　and；　on　the　12th　of　July；　1790；　the

Assembly　establishes　the　civil　constitution　of　the　clergy。



Notwithstanding　the　confiscation　of　ecclesiastical　property；　and　the

dispersion　of　the　monastic　communities；　the　main　body　of　the

ecclesiastical　corps　remains　intact：　seventy　thousand　priests　ranged

under　the　bishops；　with　the　Pope　in　the　center　as　the　commander…in…

chief。　　There　is　no　corporation　more　solid；　more　incompatible；　or

more　attacked。　　For；　against　it　are　opposed　implacable　hatreds　and

fixed　opinions：　the　Gallicanism　of　the　jurists　who；　from　St。　　Louis

downwards；　are　the　adversaries　of　ecclesiastical　power；　the　doctrine

of　the　Jansenists　who；　since　Louis　XIII。；　desire　to　bring　back　the

Church　to　its　primitive　form；　and　the　theory　of　the　philosophers

who；　for　sixty　years；　have　considered　Christianity　as　a　mistake　and

Catholicism　as　a　scourge。　　At　the　very　least　the　institution　of　a

clergy　in　Catholicism　is　condemned；　and　they　think　that　they　are

moderate　if　they　respect　the　rest。



〃WE　MIGHT　CHANGE　THE　RELIGION；〃



say　the　deputies　in　the　tribune。＇66＇　　Now；　the　decree　affects

neither　dogma　nor　worship；　it　is　confined　to　a　revision　of　matters

of　discipline；　and　on　this　particular　domain　which　is　claimed　for

the　civil　power；　it　is　pretended　that　demolition　and　re…construction

may　be　effected　at　discretion　without　the　concurrence　of　the

ecclesiastical　power。



Here　there　is　an　abuse　of　power；　for　an　ecclesiastical　as　well　as

civil　society　has　the　right　to　choose　its　own　form；　its　own

hierarchy；　its　own　government。　　…　On　this　point；　every　argument　that

can　be　advanced　in　favor　of　the　former　can　be　repeated　in　favor　of

the　latter；　and　the　moment　one　becomes　legitimate　the　other　becomes

legitimate　also。　　The　justification　for　a　civil　or　of　a　religious

community　or　society　may　be　the　performance　of　a　long　series　of

services　which；　for　centuries；　it　has　rendered　to　its　members；　the

zeal　and　success　with　which　it　discharges　its　functions；　the

feelings　of　gratitude　they　entertain　for　it；　the　importance　they

attribute　to　its　offices；　the　need　they　have　of　it；　and　their

attachment　to　it；　the　conviction　imprinted　in　their　minds　that

without　it　they　would　be　deprived　of　a　benefit　upon　which　they　set

more　store　than　upon　any　other。　　This　benefit；　in　a　civil　society；

is　the　security　of　persons　and　property。　　In　the　religious　society

it　is　the　eternal　salvation　of　the　soul。　　iii　In　all　other

particulars　the　resemblance　is　complete；　and　the　titles　of　the

Church　are　as　good　as　those　of　the　State。　　Hence；　if　it　be　just　for

one　to　be　sovereign　and　free　on　its　own　domain；　it　is　just　for　the

other　to　be　equally　sovereign　and　free；　If　the　Church　encroaches

when　it　assumes　to　regulate　the　constitution　of　the　State；　then　the

State　also　encroaches　when　it　pretends　to　regulate　the　constitution

of　the　Church。　　If　the　former　claims　the　respect　of　the　latter　on

its　domain；　the　latter　must　show　equal　respect　for　the　former　on　its

ground。　　The　boundary…line　between　the　two　territories　is；

undoubtedly；　not　clearly　defined　and　frequent　contests　arise　between

the　two。　　Sometimes　these　may　be　forestalled　or　terminated　by　each

shutting　itself　up　within　a　wall　of　separation；　and　by　their

remaining　as　much　as　possible　indifferent　to　each　other；　as　is　the

case　in　America。　　At　another；　they　may；　by　a　carefully　considered

contract；＇67＇　each　accord　to　the　other　specific　rights　on　the

intermediate　zone；　and　both　exercise　their　divided　authority　on　that

zone；　which　is　the　case　in　France。　　In　both　cases；　however；　the　two

powers；　like　the　two　societies；　must　remain　distinct。　　It　is

necessary　for　each　of　them　that　the　other　should　be　an　equal；　and

not　a　subordinate　to　which　it　prescribes　conditions。　　Whatever　the

civil　system　may　be；　whether　monarchical　or　republican；　oligarchic

or　democratic；　the　Church　abuses　its　credit　when　it　condemns　or

attacks　it。　　Whatever　may　be　the　ecclesiastical　system；　whether

papal；　Episcopalian；　Presbyterian；　or　congregational；　the　State

abuses　its　strength　when；　without　the　assent　of　the　faithful；　it

abolishes　their　systems　or　imposes　a　new　one　upon　them。　　Not　only

does　it　violate　right；　but　its　violence；　most　frequently；　is

fruitless。　　It　may　strike　as　it　will；　the　root　of　the　tree　is　beyond

its　reach；　and；　in　the　unjust　war　which　it　wages　against　an

institution　as　vital　as　itself；　it　often　ends　in　getting　the　worst

of　it。



Unfortunately；　the　Assembly；　in　this　as　in　other　matters；　being

preoccupied　with　principles；　fails　to　look　at　practical　facts；　and；

aiming　to　remove　only　the　dead　bark；　it　injures　the　living　trunk。　

For　many　centuries；　and　especially　since　the　Council　of　Trent；　the

vigorous　element　of　Catholicism　is　much　less　religion　itself　than

the　Church。　　Theology　has　retired　into　the　background；　while

discipline　has　come　to　the　front。　　Believers　who；　according　to

Church　law；　are　required　to　regard　spiritual　authority　as　dogma；　in

fact　attach　their　faith　to　the　spiritual　authority　much　more　than　to

the　dogma。　　…



Catholic　Faith　insists；　in　relation　to　discipline　as　well　as　to

dogma；　that　if　one　rejects　the　decision　of　the　Roman　Church　one

ceases　to　be　a　Catholic；　that　the　constitution　of　the　Church　is

monarchical；　that　the　ordaining　of　priests　and　bishops　is　made　from

above　so　that　without　communion　with　the　Pope；　its　supreme　head；　one

is　schismatic　and　that　no　schismatic　priest　legitimately　can　perform

a　holy　service；　and　that　no　true　faithful　may　attend　his　service　or

receive　his　blessings　without　committing　a　sin。　…　It　is　a　fact　that

the　faithful；　apart　from　a　few　Jansenists；　are　neither　theologians

nor　canonists；　that　they　read　neither　prayers　nor　scriptures；　and　if

they　accept　the　creed；　it　is　in　a　lump；　without　investigation；

confiding　in　the　hand　which　presents　it；　that　their　obedient

conscience　is　in　the　keeping　of　this　pastoral　guide；　that　the　Church

of　the　third　century　is　of　little　consequence　to　them；　and　that；　as

far　as　the　true　form　of　the　actual　Church　goes；　the　doctor　whose

advice　they　follow　is　not　St。　　Cyprian；　of　whom　they　know　nothing；

but　their　visible　bishop　and　their　living　curé。

Put　these　two　premises　together　and　the　conclusion　is　self…evident：

it　is　clear　that　they　will　not　believe　that　they　are　baptized；

absolved；　or　married　except　by　this　curé　authorized　by　this　bishop。

Let　others　be　put　in　their　places　whom　they　condemn；　and　you

suppress　worship；　sacraments；　and　the　most　precious　functions　of

spiritual　life　to　twenty…four　millions　of　French　people；　to　all　the

peasantry；　all　the　children；　and　to　almost　all　the　women；　you　stir

up　in　rebellion　against　you　the　two　greatest　forces　which　move　the

mind；　conscience　and　habit。　　　　And　observe　the　result　of　this。

You　not　only　convert　the　State　into　a　policeman　in　the　service　of

heresy；　but　also；　through　this　fruitless　and　tyrannous　attempt　of

Gallican　Jansenism；　you　bring　into　permanent　discredit　Gallican

maxims　and　Jansenist　doctrines。　　You　cut　away　the　last　two　roots　by

which　a　liberal　sentiment　still　vegetated　in　orthodox　Catholicism。

You　throw　the　clergy　back　on　Rome；　you　attach　them　to　the　Pope　from

whom　you　wish　to　separate　them；　and　deprive　them　of　the　national

character　which　you　wish　to　impose　on　them。　　They　were　French；　and

you　render　them　Ultramontane。＇68＇　　They　excited　ill…will　and　envy；

and　you　render　them　sympathetic　and　popular。　　They　were　a　divided

body；　and　you　give　them　unanimity。　　They　were　a　straggling　militia；

scattered　about　under　several　independent　authorities；　and　rooted　to

the　soil　through　the　possession　of　the　ground；　thanks　to　you；　they

are　to　become　a　regular；　manageable　army；　emancipated　from　every

local　attachment；　organized　under　one　head；　and　always　prepared　to

take　the　field　at　the　word　of　command。　　Compare　the　authority　of　a

bishop　in　his　diocese　in　1789　with　that　of　a　bishop　sixty　years

later。　　In　1789；　the　Archbishop　of　Besan？on；　out　of　fifteen　hundred

offices　and　benefices；　had　the　patronage　of　one　hundred；　In　ninety…

three　incumbencies　the　selections　were　made　by　the　metropolitan

chapter；　in　eighteen　it　was　made　by　the　chapter　of　the　Madeleine；　in

seventy　parishes　by　the　noble　founder　or　benefactor。　　One　abbé　had

thirteen　incumbencies　at　his　disposal；　another　thirty…four；　another

thirty…five；　a　prior　nine；　an　abbess　twenty；　five　communes　directly

nominated　their　own　pastor；　while　abbeys；　priories　and　canonries

were　in　the　hands　of　the　King。＇69＇　　At　the　present　day　（1880）　in　a

diocese　the　bishop　appoints　all　the　curés　or　officiating　priests；

and　may　deprive　nine　out