the origins of contemporary france-2-第58章

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of　public　worship；　or　to　keep　up　the　hospitals；　asylums；　and

schools。　　Not　only　do　all　obligations　and　all　productive　real

property　find　their　way　into　the　great　national　crucible　to　be

converted　into　assignats＇61＇；　but　a　number　of　special　buildings；　all

monastic　real　estate　and　a　portion　of　the　ecclesiastical　real

estate；　diverted　from　its　natural　course；　becomes　swallowed　up　in

the　same　gulf。　　At　Besan？on；＇62＇　three　churches　out　of　eight；　with

their　land　and　treasure；　the　funds　of　the　chapter；　all　the　money　of

the　monastic　churches；　the　sacred　vessels；　shrines；　crosses；

reliquaries；　votive　offerings；　ivories；　statues；　pictures；　tapestry；

sacerdotal　dresses　and　ornaments；　plate；　jewels　and　precious

furniture；　libraries；　railings；　bells；　masterpieces　of　art　and　of

piety；　all　are　broken　up　and　melted　in　the　Mint；　or　sold　by　auction

for　almost　nothing。　　This　is　the　way　in　which　the　intentions　of　the

founders　and　donors　are　carried　out。　　　　How　are　so　many

communities；　which　are　deprived　of　their　rentals；　to　support　their

schools；　hospices；　and　asylums？　Even　after　the　decree＇63＇　which；

exceptionally　and　provisionally；　orders　the　whole　of　their　revenue

to　be　accounted　for　to　them；　will　it　be　paid　over　now　that　it　is

collected　by　a　local　administration　whose　coffers　are　always　empty；

and　whose　intentions　are　almost　always　hostile？　Every　establishment

for　benevolent　and　educational　purposes　is　evidently　sinking；　now

that　the　special　streams　which　nourished　them　run　into　and　are　lost

in　the　dry　bed　of　the　public　treasury。＇64＇　　Already；　in　1790；　there

are　no　funds　with　which　to　pay　the　monks　and　nuns　their　small

pensions　for　their　maintenance。　　In　Franche…Comté　the　Capuchins　of

Baume　have　no　bread；　and；　to　live；　they　are　obliged　to　re…sell；　with

the　consent　of　the　district；　a　portion　of　the　stores　of　their

monastery　which　had　been　confiscated。　　The　Ursuline　nuns　of　Ornans

live　on　the　means　furnished　them　by　private　individuals　in　order　to

keep　up　the　only　school　which　the　town　possesses。　　The　Bernardine

nuns　of　Pontarlier　are　reduced　to　the　lowest　stage　of　want：　〃We　are

satisfied；〃　the　district　reports；　〃that　they　have　nothing　to　put

into　their　mouths。　　We　have　to　contribute　something　every　day

amongst　ourselves　to　keep　them　from　starving。〃＇65＇　　Only　too

thankful　are　they　when　the　local　administration　gives　them　something

to　eat；　or　allows　others　to　give　them　something。　　In　many　places　it

strives　to　famish　them；　or　takes　delight　in　annoying　them。　　In

March；　1791；　the　department　of　Doubs；　in　spite　of　the　entreaties　of

the　district；　reduces　the　pension　of　the　Visitant　nuns　to　one

hundred　and　one　livres　for　the　choristers；　and　fifty　for　the　lay…

sisters。　　Two　months　before　this；　the　municipality　of　Besan？on；

putting　its　own　interpretation　on　the　decree　which　allowed　nuns　to

dress　as　they　pleased；　enjoins　them　all；　including　even　the　sisters

of　charity；　to　abandon　their　old　costume；　which　few　among　them　had

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　centur