the origins of contemporary france-2-第60章

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

dwells　with　it；　and　with　the　civil　tribunals；　and　these　may　install

its　elect　in　spite　of　any　resistance。　　　　To　complete　the

dependence　of　the　clergy；　every　bishop　is　forbidden　to　absent

himself　more　than　fifteen　days　without　permission　from　the

department；　every　curé　the　same　length　of　time　without　the

permission　of　the　district；　even　to　attend　upon　a　dying　father　or　to

undergo　the　operation　of　lithotomy。　　In　default　of　this　permission

his　salary　is　suspended：　as　a　functionary　under　salary；　he　owes　all

his　time　to　his　bureau；　and　if　he　desires　a　leave　of　absence　he　must

ask　for　it　from　his　chiefs　in　the　H？tel…de…Ville。＇73＇　　　He　must

assent　to　all　these　innovations；　not　only　with　passive　obedience；

but　by　a　solemn　oath。　　All　old　or　new　ecclesiastics；　archbishops；

bishops；　curés；　vicars；　preachers；　hospital　and　prison　chaplains；

superiors　and　directors　of　seminaries；　professors　of　seminaries　and

colleges；　are　to　state　in　writing　that　they　are　ready　to　take　this

oath：　moreover；　they　must　take　it　publicly；　in　church；　〃in　the

presence　of　the　general　council；　the　commune；　and　the　faithful；〃　and

promise　〃to　maintain　with　all　their　power〃　a　schismatic　and

Presbyterian　Church。　　　　For　there　can　be　no　doubt　about　the　sense

and　bearing　of　the　prescribed　oath。　　It　was　all　very　well　to

incorporate　it　with　a　broader　one；　that　of　maintaining　the

Constitution。　　But　the　Constitution　of　the　clergy　is　too　clearly

comprised　in　the　general　Constitution；　like　a　chapter　in　a　book；　and

to　sign　the　book　is　to　sign　the　chapter。　　Besides；　in　the　formula　to

which　the　ecclesiastics　in　the　Assembly　are　obliged　to　swear　in　the

tribune；　the　chapter　is　precisely　indicated；　and　no　exception　or

reservation　is　allowed。＇74＇　　The　Bishop　of　Clermont；　with　all　those

who　have　accepted　the　Constitution　in　full；　save　the　decrees

affecting　spiritual　matters；　are　silenced。　　Where　the　spiritual

begins　and　where　it　ends　the　Assembly　knows　better　than　they；　for　it

has　defined　this；　and　it　imposes　its　definition　on　canonist　and

theologian；　it　is；　in　its　turn；　the　Pope；　and　all　consciences　must

bow　to　its　decision。　　Let　them　take　the　〃oath；　pure　and　simple；〃　or

if　they　do　not　they　are　'refractory。〃　The　fiat　goes　forth；　and　the

effect　of　it　is　immense；　for；　along　with　the　clergy；　the　law　reaches

to　laymen。　　On　the　one　hand；　all　the　ecclesiastics　who　refuse　the

oath　are　dismissed。　　If　they　continue　〃to　interfere　with　public

functions　which　they　have　personally　or　corporately　exercised〃　they

〃shall　be　prosecuted　as　disturbers　of　the　peace；　and　condemned　as

rebels　against　the　law；〃　deprived　of　all　rights　as　active　citizens；

and　declared　incompetent　to　hold　any　public　office。　　This　is　the

penalty　already　inflicted　on　the　nonjuring　bishop　who　persists　in

considering　himself　a　bishop；　who　ordains　priests　and　who　issues　a

pastoral　letter。　　Such　is　soon　to　be　the　penalty　inflicted　on　the

nonjuring　curé　who　presumes　to　hear　confession　or　officiate　at　a

mass。＇75＇　　On　the　other　hand；　all　citizens　who　refuse　to　take　the

prescribed　oath；　all　electors；　municipal　officers；　judges　and

administrative　agents；　shall　lose　their　right　of　suffrage；　have

their　functions　revoked；　and　be　declared　incompetent　for　all　public

duties。＇76＇　　The　result　is　that　scrupulous　Catholics　are　excluded

from　every　administrative　post；　from　all　elections；　and　especially

from　ecclesiastical　elections；　from　which　it　follows　that；　the

stronger　one's　faith　the　less　one's　share　in　the　choice　of　a

priest。＇77＇　　　What　an　admirable　law；　that　which；　under　the　pretext

of　doing　away　with　ecclesiastical　abuses；　places　the　faithful；　lay

or　clerical；　outside　the　pale　of　the　law！



This　soon　becomes　apparent。　　One　hundred　and　thirty　four

archbishops；　bishops；　and　coadjutors　refuse　to　take　the　oath；　there

are　only　four　of　them　who　do　so；　three　of　whom；　MM。　　de　Talleyrand；

de　Jarente；　and　de　Brienne；　are　unbelievers　and　notorious　for　their

licentiousness；　the　others　are　influenced　by　their　consciences；

above　all；　by　their　esprit　de　corps　and　a　point　of　honor。　　Most　of

the　curés　rally　around　this　staff　of　officers。　　In　the　diocese　of

Besan？on；＇78＇　out　of　fourteen　hundred　priests；　three　hundred　take

the　oath；　a　thousand　refuse　it；　and　eighty　retract。　　In　the

department　of　Doubs；　only　four　consent　to　swear。　　In　the　department

of　Lozère；　there　are　only　〃ten　out　of　two　hundred　and　fifty。〃　　It　is

stated　positively；〃　writes　the　best　informed　of　all　observers　that

everywhere　in　France　two…thirds　of　the　ecclesiastics　have　refused

the　oath；　or　have　only　taken　it　with　the　same　reservations　as　the

Bishop　of　Clermont。〃



Thus；　out　of　seventy　thousand　priests；　forty…six　thousand　are　turned

out　of　office；　and　the　majority　of　their　parishioners　are　on　their

side。　　This　is　apparent　in　the　absence　of　electors　convoked　to

replace　them：　at　Bordeaux　only　four　hundred　and　fifty　came　to　the

poll　out　of　nine　hundred；　while　elsewhere　the　summons　brings

together　only　〃a　third　or　a　quarter〃　In　many　places　there　are　no

candidates；　or　those　elected　decline　to　accept。　　They　are　obliged；

in　order　to　supply　their　places；　to　hunt　up　unfrocked　monks　of　a

questionable　character。　　There　are　two　parties；　after　this；　in　each

parish；　two　faiths；　two　systems　of　worship；　and　permanent　discord。

Even　when　the　new　and　the　old　curés　are　accommodating；　their

situations　bring　them　into　conflict。　　To　the　former　the　latter　are

〃intruders。〃　To　the　latter　the　former　are　〃　refractories。〃　By　virtue

of　his　being　a　guardian　of　souls；　the　former　cannot　dispense　with

telling　his　parishioners　that　the　intruder　is　excommunicated；　that

his　sacraments　are　null　or　sacrilegious；　and　that　it　is　a　sin　to

attend　his　mass。　　By　virtue　of　his　being　a　public　functionary；　the

latter　does　not　fail　to　write　to　the　authorities　that　the　〃

refractory　〃　entraps　the　faithful；　excites　their　consciences；　saps

the　Constitution；　and　that　he　ought　to　be　put　down　by　force。　　In

other　words；　the　former　draws　everybody　away　from　the　latter；　while

the　latter　sends　the　gendarmes　against　the　former；　and　persecution

begins。　…　In　a　strange　reversal；　it　is　the　majority　which　undergoes

persecution；　and　the　minority　which　carries　it　out。　　The　mass　of　the

constitutional　curé　is；　everywhere；　deserted。＇79＇　In　La　Vendée　there

are　ten　or　twelve　present　in　the　church　out　of　five　or　six　hundred

parishioners；　on　Sundays　and　holidays　whole　villages　and　market…

towns　travel　from　one　to　two　leagues　off　to　attend　the　orthodox

mass；　the　villagers　declaring　that　〃if　the　old　curé　can　only　be

restored　to　them；　they　will　gladly　pay　a　double　tax。〃　In　Alsace；

〃nine　tenths；　at　least；　of　the　Catholics　refuse　to　recognize　the

legally　sworn　priests。〃　The　same　spectacle　presents　itself　in

Franche…Comté；　Artois；　and　in　ten　of　the　other　provinces。　　

Finally；　as　in　a　chemical　composition；　the　analysis　is　complete。

Those　who　believe；　or　who　recover　their　belief；　are　ranged　around

the　old　curé；　all　who；　through　conviction　or　tradition；　hold　to　the

sacraments；　all　who；　through　faith　or　habit；　wish　or　feel　a　need　to

attend　the　mass。　　The　auditors　of　the　new　curé　consist　of

unbelievers；　deists；　the　indifferent　members　of　the　clubs　and　of　the

administration；　who　resort　to　the　church　as　to　the　H？tel…de…ville　or

to　a　popular　meeting；　not　through　religious　but　through　political

zeal；　and　who　support　the　〃intruder〃　in　order　to　sustain　the

Constitution。　　All　this　does　not　secure　to　him　very　fervent

followers；　but　it　provides　him　with　very　zealous　defenders；　and；　in

default　of　the　faith　which　they　do　not　possess；　they　give　the　force

which　is　at　their　disposal。　　All　means　are　proper　against　an

intractable　bishop　or　curé；　not　only　the　law　which　they　aggravate

through　their　forced　interpretation　of　it　and　through　their

arbitrary　verdicts；　but　also　the　riots　which　they　stir　up　by　their

instigation　and　which　they　sanction　by　their　tolerati