the origins of contemporary france-2-第59章

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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　of　ten　of　them；　in　the　diocese　above　named；

from　1850　to　1860；　scarcely　one　lay　functionary　was　nominated

without　the　consent　or　intervention　of　the　cardinal…archbishop。＇70＇

To　comprehend　the　spirit；　discipline；　and　influence　of　our

contemporary　clergy；　go　back　to　the　source　of　it；　and　you　will　find

it　in　the　decree　of　the　Constituent　Assembly。　　A　natural

organization　cannot　be　broken　up　with　impunity；　it　forms　anew；

adapting　itself　to　circumstances；　and　closes　up　its　ranks　in

proportion　to　its　danger。



But　even　if；　according　to　the　maxims　of　the　Assembly；　faith　and

worship　are　free；　as　far　as　the　sovereign　State　is　concerned；　the

churches　are　subjects。　For　these　are　societies；　administrations；

and　hierarchies；　and　no　society；　administration；　or　hierarchy　may

exist　in　the　State　without　entering　into　its　…departments　under

the　title　of　subordinate；　delegate；　or　employee。　　A　priest　is　now

essentially　a　salaried　officer　like　the　rest；　a　functionary＇71＇

presiding　over　matters　pertaining　to　worship　and　morality。　　If　the

State　is　disposed　to　change　the　number；　the　mode　of　nomination；　the

duties　and　the　posts　of　its　engineers；　it　is　not　bound　to　assemble

its　engineers　and　ask　their　permission；　least　of　all　that　of　a

foreign　engineer　established　at　Rome。　　If　it　wishes　to　change　the

condition　of　〃its　ecclesiastical　officers；〃　its　right　to　do　so　is

the　same；　and　therefore　unquestioned。　　There　is　no　need　of　asking

anybody's　consent　in　the　exercise　of　this　right；　and　it　allows　no

interference　between　it　and　its　clerks。　　The　Assembly　refuses　to

call　a　Gallican　council；　it　refuses　to　negotiate　with　the　Pope；　and；

on　its　own　authority　alone；　it　recasts　the　whole　Constitution　of　the

Church。　　Henceforth　this　branch　of　the　public　administration　is　to

be　organized　on　the　model　of　the　others。　　　　　In　the　first

place＇72＇　　the　diocese　is　to　be　in　extent　and　limits　the　same　as　the

French　department；　consequently；　all　ecclesiastical　districts　are

marked　out　anew；　and　forty…eight　episcopal　sees　disappear。　　　　In

the　second　place；　the　appointed　bishop　is　forbidden　〃to　refer　to　the

Pope　to　obtain　any　confirmation　whatever。〃　All　he　can　do　is　to　write

to　him　〃in　testimony　of　the　unity　of　faith　and　of　the　communion

which　he　is　to　maintain　with　him。〃　The　bishop　is　thus　no　longer

installed　by　his　canonical　chief；　and　the　Church　of　France　becomes

schismatic。　　　　In　the　third　place；　the　metropolitan　or　bishop　is

forbidden　to　exact　from　the　new　bishops　or　curés　〃any　oath　other

than　that　they　profess　the　Catholic；　Apostolic；　and　Roman　religion。〃

Assisted　by　his　council　he　may　examine　them　on　their　doctrine　and

morals；　and　refuse　them　canonical　installation；　but　in　this　case　his

reasons　must　be　given　in　writing；　and　be　signed　by　himself　and　his

council。　　His　authority；　in　other　respects；　does　not　extend　beyond

this　for　it　is　the　civil　tribunal　which　decides　between　contending

parties。　　Thus　is　the　catholic　hierarchy　broken　up；　the

ecclesiastical　superior　has　his　hands　tied；　if　he　still　delegates

sacerdotal　functions　it　is　only　as　a　matter　of　form。　　Between　the

curé　and　the　bishop　subordination　ceases　to　exist　just　as　it　has

ceased　to　exist　between　the　bishop　and　the　Pope；　and　the　Church　of

France　becomes　Presbyterian。　　　　The　people　now；　in　effect；　choose

their　own　ministers；　as　they　do　in　the　Presbyterian　church；　the

bishop　is　appointed　by　the　electors　of　the　department；　the　cure　by

the　district　electors；　and；　what　is　an　extraordinary　aggravation；

these　need　not　be　of　his　communion。　　It　is　of　no　consequence　whether

the　electoral　Assembly　contains；　as　at　N？mes；　Montauban；　Strasbourg；

and　Metz；　a　notable　proportion　of　Calvinists；　Lutherans；　and　Jews；

or　whether　its　majority；　furnished　by　the　club；　is　notoriously

hostile　to　Catholicism；　and　even　to　Christianity　itself。　　The　bishop

and　the　curé　must　be　chosen　by　the　electoral　body；　the　Holy　Ghost

dwells　with　it；　and　with　the　civil　t