the origins of contemporary france-5-第58章

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*　First；　vows　of　chastity；　poverty　and　obedience；　that　is　to　say；　the

steady　and　voluntary　repression　of　the　most　powerful　animal　instinct

and　of　the　strongest　worldly　appetites；

*　Next；　unceasing　prayer；　especially　prayer　in　common；　where　the

emotion　of　the　prostrate　soul　increases　through　the　emotion　of　the

souls　that　surround　it；　in　the　same　degree；　active　piety；　meaning　by

this　the　doing　of　good　works；　education　and　charity；　especially　the

accomplishment　of　repulsive　tasks；　such　as　attending　the　sick；　the

infirm；　the　incurable；　idiots；　maniacs　and　repentant　prostitutes；

*　Finally；　the　strict　daily　rule　which；　a　sort　of　rigorous　and　minute

countersign；　enjoining　and　compelling　the　repetition　of　the　same　acts

at　the　same　hours；　renders　habit　the　auxiliary　of　will；　adds

mechanical　enthusiasm　to　a　serious　determination；　and　ends　in　making

the　task　easy。



Hence；　communities　of　men　and　of　women；　congregations　and　convents；

these　likewise；　the　same　as　the　sacraments；　the　priesthood　and　the

hierarchy；　form　a　body　along　with　belief　and　thus　constitute　the

inseparable　organs　of　faith。



Before　1789；　the　ignorant　or　indifferent　Catholic；　the　peasant　at　his

plow；　the　artisan　at　his　work…bench；　the　good　wife　attending　to　her

household；　were　unconscious　of　this　innermost　suture。　Thanks　to　the

Revolution；　they　have　acquired　the　sentiment　of　it　and　even　the

physical　sensation。　They　had　never　asked　themselves　in　what　respect

orthodoxy　differed　from　schism；　nor　how　positive　religion　was　opposed

to　natural　religion；　it　is　the　civil　organization　of　the　clergy　which

has　led　them　to　distinguish　the　difference　between　the　unsworn　curé

and　the　interloper；　between　the　right　mass　and　the　wrong　mass；　it　is

the　prohibition　of　the　mass　which　has　led　them　to　comprehend　its

importance；　it　is　the　revolutionary　government　which　has　transformed

them　into　theologians　and　canonists。＇79＇　　Compelled；　under　the　Reign

of　Terror；　to　sing　and　dance　before　the　goddess　Reason；　and　next；

in　the　temple　of　the　〃étre　Supreme；〃　subjected；　under　the　Directory；

to　the　new…fangled　republican　calendar；　and　to　the　insipidity　of

the　decade　festivals；　they　have　measured；　with　their　own　eyes；　the

distance　which　separates　a　present；　personal；　incarnate　deity；　redeemer

and　savior；　from　a　deity　without　form　or　substance；　or；　in　any

event；　absent；　a　living；　revealed；　and　time…honored　religion；　and

an　abstract；　manufactured；　improvised　religion；　their　spontaneous

worship；　which　is　an　act　of　faith；　and　a　worship　imposed　on　them

which　is　only　frigid　parade；　their　priest；　in　a　surplice；　sworn　to

continence；　delegated　from　on　high　to　open　out　to　them　the　infinite

perspectives　of　heaven　or　hell　beyond　the　grave；　and　the　republican

substitute；　officiating　in　a　municipal　scarf；　Peter　or　Paul；　a

lay…man　like　themselves；　more　or　less　married　and　convivialist；

sent　from　Paris　to　preach　a　course　of　Jacobin　morality。＇80＇　…

Their　attachment　to　their　clergy；　to　the　entire　body　regular　and

secular；　is　due　to　this　contrast。　Previously；　they　were　not　always

well…disposed　to　it；　the　peasantry；　nowhere；　were　content

to　pay　tithes；　and　the　artisan；　as　well　as　the　peasant；　regarded　the

idle；　well…endowed；　meditative　monks　as　but　little　more　than　so　many

fat　drones。　The　man　of　the　people　in　France；　by　virtue　of　being　a

Gaul；　has　a　dry；　limited　imagination；　he　is　not　inclined　to

veneration；　but　is　rather　mocking；　critical　and　insubordinate　at　the

powers　above　him；　with　a　hereditary　undertone　of　distrust　and　envy　at

every　man　who　wears　a　cloth　suit　and　who　eats　and　drinks　without　doing

manual　labor。　…　At　this　time；　his　clergy　do　not　excite　his　envy；　but

his　pity；　monks　and　nuns；　cure's　and　prelates；　roofless；　without

bread；　imprisoned；　transported；　guillotined；　or；　at　best；　fugitives；

hunted　down　and　more　unfortunate　than　wild　beasts　…　it　is　he　who；

during　the　persecutions　of　the　years　II；　IV　and　VI；　harbors　them；

conceals　them；　lodges　them　and　feeds　them。　He　sees　them　suffering　for

their　faith；　which　is　his　faith；　and；　before　their　constancy；　equal　to

that　of　the　legendary　martyrs；　his　indifference　changes　into　respect

and　next　into　zeal。　From　the　year　IV；＇81＇　the　orthodox　priests　have

again　recovered　their　place　and　ascendancy　in　his　soul　which　the　creed

assigns　to　them；　they　have　again　become　his　serviceable　guides；　his

accepted　directors；　the　only　warranted　interpreters　of　Christian

truth；　the　only　authorized　dispensers　and　ministers　of　divine　grace。

He　attends　their　mass　immediately　on　their　return　and　will　put　up　with

no　other。　Brutalized　as　he　may　be；　or　indifferent　and　dull；　and　his

mind　filled　with　nothing　but　animal　concerns；　he　needs　them；＇82＇　he

misses　their　solemnities；　the　great　festivals；　the　Sunday；　and　this

privation　is　a　periodical　want　both　for　eyes　and　ears；　he　misses　the

ceremonial；　the　lights；　the　chants；　the　ringing　of　the　bells；　the

morning　and　evening　Angelus。　…　Thus；　whether　he　knows　it　or　not；　his

heart　and　senses　are　Catholic＇83＇　and　he　demands　the　old　church　back

again。　Before　the　Revolution；　this　church　lived　on　its　own　revenues；

70；000　priests；　37；000　nuns；　23；000　monks；　supported　by　endowments；

cost　the　State　nothing；　and　scarcely　anything　to　the　tax…payer；　at　any

rate；　they　cost　nothing　to　the　actual；　existing　tax…payer　not　even　the

tithes；　for；　established　many　centuries　ago；　the　tithes　were　a　tax　on

the　soil；　not　on　the　owner　in　possession；　nor　on　the　farmer　who　tilled

the　ground；　who　has　purchased　or　hired　it　with　this　tax　deducted。　In

any　case；　the　real　property　of　the　Church　belonged　to　it；　without

prejudice　to　anybody；　through　the　strongest　legal　and　most　legitimate

of　property　titles；　the　last　will　and　testament　of　thousands　of　the

dead；　its　founders　and　benefactors。　All　is　taken　from　it；　even　the

houses　of　prayer　which；　in　their　use；　disposition　and　architecture；

were；　in　the　most　manifest　manner；　Christian　works　and　ecclesiastical

objects；　38；000　parsonages；　4000　convents；　over　40；000　parochial

churches；　cathedrals　and　chapels。　Every　morning；　the　man　or　woman　of

the　people；　in　whom　the　need　of　worship　has　revived；　passes　in　front

of　one　of　these　buildings　robbed　of　its　cult；　these　declare　aloud　to

them　through　their　form　and　name　what　they　have　been　and　what　they

should　be　to…day。　This　voice　is　heard　by　incredulous　philosophers　and

former　Conventionalists；＇84＇　all　Catholics　hear　it；　and　out　of　thirty…

five　millions　of　Frenchmen；＇85＇　thirty…two　millions　are　Catholics。





VII。　The　Confiscated　Property。



Reasons　for　the　concordat。　…　Napoleon's　economical　organization　of　the

Church　institution。　…　A　good　bargainer。　…　Compromise　with　the　old

state　of　things。



How　withstand　such　a　just　complaint；　the　universal　complaint　of　the

destitute；　of　relatives；　and　of　believers？　…　The　fundamental

difficulty　reappears；　the　nearly　insurmountable　dilemma　into　which　the

Revolution　has　plunged　every　steady　government；　that　is　to　say　the

lasting　effect　of　revolutionary　confiscations　and　the　conflict　which

sets　two　rights　to　the　same　property　against　each　other；　the　right　of

the　despoiled　owner　and　the　right　of　the　owner　in　possession。　This

time；　again　the　fault　is　on　the　side　of　the　State；　which　has　converted

itself　from　a　policeman　into　a　brigand　and　violently　appropriated　to

itself　the　fortune　of　the　hospitals；　schools；　and　churches；　the　State

must　return　this　in　money　or　in　kind。　In　kind；　it　is　no　longer　able；

everything　has　passed　out　of　its　hands；　it　has　alienated　what　it

could；　and　now　holds　on　only　to　the　leavings。　In　money；　nothing　more

can　be　done；　it　is　itself　ruined；　has　just　become　bankrupt；　lives　on

expedients　from　day　to　day　and　has　neither　funds　nor　credit。　Nobody

dreams　of　taking　back　property　that　is　sold；　nothing　is　more　opposed

to　the　spirit　of　the　new　Régime：　not　only　would　this　be　a　robbery　as

before；　since　its　buyers　have　paid　for　it　and　got　their　receipts；　but

again；　in　disputing　their　title　the　gov