the spirit of laws-第129章

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They　still　remember　in　Rome　a　certain　memorial　sent　thither　on　some　disputes　with　the　clergy；　in　which　was　this　maxim：　〃The　clergy　ought　to　contribute　to　the　expenses　of　the　state；　let　the　Old　Testament　say　what　it　will。〃　They　concluded　from　this　passage　that　the　author　of　this　memorial　was　better　versed　in　the　language　of　the　tax…gatherers　than　in　that　of　religion。

6。　Of　Monasteries。　The　least　degree　of　common　sense　will　let　us　see　that　bodies　designed　for　a　perpetual　continuance　should　not　be　allowed　to　sell　their　funds　for　life；　nor　to　borrow　for　life；　unless　we　want　them　to　be　heirs　to　all　those　who　have　no　relatives　and　to　those　who　do　not　choose　to　have　any。　These　men　play　against　the　people；　but　they　hold　the　bank　themselves。

7。　Of　the　Luxury　of　Superstition。　〃Those　are　guilty　of　impiety　towards　the　gods；〃　says　Plato；＇15＇　〃who　deny　their　existence；　or　who；　while　they　believe　it；　maintain　that　they　do　not　interfere　with　what　is　done　below；　or；　in　fine；　who　think　that　they　can　easily　appease　them　by　sacrifices：　three　opinions　equally　pernicious。〃　Plato　has　here　said　all　that　the　clearest　light　of　nature　has　ever　been　able　to　say　in　point　of　religion。　The　magnificence　of　external　worship　has　a　principal　connection　with　the　institution　of　the　state。　In　good　republics；　they　have　curbed　not　only　the　luxury　of　vanity；　but　even　that　of　superstition。　They　have　introduced　frugal　laws　into　religion。　Of　this　number　are　many　of　the　laws　of　Solon；　many　of　those　of　Plato　on　funerals；　adopted　by　Cicero；　and；　in　fine；　some　of　the　laws　of　Numa　on　sacrifices。＇16＇

Birds；　says　Cicero；＇17＇　and　paintings　begun　and　finished　in　a　day　are　gifts　the　most　divine。　We　offer　common　things；　says　a　Spartan；　that　we　may　always　have　it　in　our　power　to　honour　the　gods。

The　desire　of　man　to　pay　his　worship　to　the　deity　is　very　different　from　the　magnificence　of　this　worship。　Let　us　not　offer　our　treasures　to　him　if　we　are　not　proud　of　showing　that　we　esteem　what　he　would　have　us　despise。

〃What　must　the　gods　think　of　the　gifts　of　the　impious；〃　said　the　admirable　Plato；　〃when　a　good　man　would　blush　to　receive　presents　from　a　villain？〃

Religion　ought　not；　under　the　pretence　of　gifts；　to　draw　from　the　people　what　the　necessity　of　the　state　has　left　them；　but　as　Plato　says；＇18＇　〃The　chaste　and　the　pious　ought　to　offer　gifts　which　resemble　themselves。〃

Nor　is　it　proper　for　religion　to　encourage　expensive　funerals。　What　is　there　more　natural　than　to　take　away　the　difference　of　fortune　in　a　circumstance　and　in　the　very　moment　which　equals　all　fortunes？

8。　Of　the　Pontificate。　When　religion　has　many　ministers　it　is　natural　for　them　to　have　a　chief　and　for　a　sovereign　pontiff　to　be　established。　In　monarchies；　where　the　several　orders　of　the　state　cannot　be　kept　too　distinct；　and　where　all　powers　ought　not　to　be　lodged　in　the　same　person；　it　is　proper　that　the　pontificate　be　distinct　from　the　empire。　The　same　necessity　is　not　to　be　met　with　in　a　despotic　government；　the　nature　of　which　is　to　unite　all　the　different　powers　in　the　same　person。　But　in　this　case　it　may　happen　that　the　prince　may　regard　religion　as　he　does　the　laws　themselves；　as　dependent　on　his　own　will。　To　prevent　this　inconvenience；　there　ought　to　be　monuments　of　religion；　for　instance；　sacred　books　which　fix　and　establish　it。　The　King　of　Persia　is　the　chief　of　the　religion；　but　this　religion　is　regulated　by　the　Koran。　The　Emperor　of　China　is　the　sovereign　pontiff；　but　there　are　books　in　the　hands　of　everybody　to　which　he　himself　must　conform。　In　vain　a　certain　emperor　attempted　to　abolish　them；　they　triumphed　over　tyranny。

9。　Of　Toleration　in　point　of　Religion。　We　are　here　politicians；　and　not　divines；　but　the　divines　themselves　must　allow；　that　there　is　a　great　difference　between　tolerating　and　approving　a　religion。

When　the　legislator　has　believed　it　a　duty　to　permit　the　exercise　of　many　religions；　it　is　necessary　that　he　should　enforce　also　a　toleration　among　these　religions　themselves。　It　is　a　principle　that　every　religion　which　is　persecuted　becomes　itself　persecuting；　for　as　soon　as　by　some　accidental　turn　it　arises　from　persecution；　it　attacks　the　religion　which　persecuted　it；　not　as　religion；　but　as　tyranny。

It　is　necessary；　then；　that　the　laws　require　from　the　several　religions；　not　only　that　they　shall　not　embroil　the　state；　but　that　they　shall　not　raise　disturbances　among　themselves。　A　citizen　does　not　fulfil　the　laws　by　not　disturbing　the　government；　it　is　requisite　that　he　should　not　trouble　any　citizen　whomsoever。

10。　The　same　Subject　continued。　As　there　are　scarcely　any　but　persecuting　religions　that　have　an　extraordinary　zeal　for　being　established　in　other　places　（because　a　religion　that　can　tolerate　others　seldom　thinks　of　its　own　propagation）；　it　must　therefore　be　a　very　good　civil　law；　when　the　state　is　already　satisfied　with　the　established　religion；　not　to　suffer　the　establishment　of　another。＇19＇

This　is　then　a　fundamental　principle　of　the　political　laws　in　regard　to　religion；　that　when　the　state　is　at　liberty　to　receive　or　to　reject　a　new　religion　it　ought　to　be　rejected；　when　it　is　received　it　ought　to　be　tolerated。

11。　Of　changing　a　Religion。　A　prince　who　undertakes　to　destroy　or　to　change　the　established　religion　of　his　kingdom　must　greatly　expose　himself。　If　his　government　be　despotic；　he　runs　a　much　greater　risk　of　seeing　a　revolution　arise　from　such　a　proceeding；　than　from　any　tyranny　whatsoever；　and　a　revolution　is　not　an　uncommon　thing　in　such　states。　The　reason　of　this　is　that　a　state　cannot　change　its　religion；　manners　and　customs　in　an　instant；　and　with　the　same　rapidity　as　the　prince　publishes　the　ordinance　which　establishes　a　new　religion。

Besides；　the　ancient　religion　is　connected　with　the　constitution　of　the　kingdom　and　the　new　one　is　not；　the　former　agrees　with　the　climate　and　very　often　the　new　one　is　opposed　to　it。　Moreover；　the　citizens　become　disgusted　with　their　laws；　and　look　upon　the　government　already　established　with　contempt；　they　conceive　a　jealousy　against　the　two　religions；　instead　of　a　firm　belief　in　one；　in　a　word；　these　innovations　give　to　the　state；　at　least　for　some　time；　both　bad　citizens　and　bad　believers。

12。　Of　penal　Laws。　Penal　laws　ought　to　be　avoided　in　respect　to　religion：　they　imprint　fear；　it　is　true；　but　as　religion　has　also　penal　laws　which　inspire　the　same　passion；　the　one　is　effaced　by　the　other；　and　between　these　two　different　kinds　of　fear　the　mind　becomes　hardened。

The　threatenings　of　religion　are　so　terrible；　and　its　promises　so　great；　that　when　they　actuate　the　mind；　whatever　efforts　the　magistrate　may　use　to　oblige　us　to　renounce　it；　he　seems　to　leave　us　nothing　when　he　deprives　us　of　the　exercise　of　our　religion；　and　to　bereave　us　of　nothing　when　we　are　allowed　to　profess　it。

It　is　not；　therefore；　by　filling　the　soul　with　the　idea　of　this　great　object；　by　hastening　her　approach　to　that　critical　moment　in　which　it　ought　to　be　of　the　highest　importance；　that　religion　can　be　most　successfully　attacked：　a　more　certain　way　is　to　tempt　her　by　favours；　by　the　conveniences　of　life；　by　hopes　of　fortune；　not　by　that　which　revives；　but　by　that　which　extinguishes　the　sense　of　her　duty；　not　by　that　which　shocks　her；　but　by　that　which　throws　her　into　indifference　at　the　time　when　other　passions　actuate　the　mind；　and　those　which　religion　inspires　are　hushed　into　silence。　As　a　general　rule　in　changing　a　religion　the　invitations　should　be　much　stronger　than　the　penalties。

The　temper　of　the　human　mind　has　appeared　even　in　the　nature　of　punishments。　If　we　take　a　survey　of　the　persecutions　in　Japan；＇20＇　we　shall　find　that　they　were　more　shocked　at　cruel　torments　than　at　long　sufferings；　which　rather　weary　than　affright；　which　are　the　more　difficult　to　surmount；　from　their　appearing　less　difficult。

In　a　word；　history　sufficiently　informs　us　that　penal　laws　have　never　had　any　other　effect　than　to　destroy。

13。　A　most　humble　Remonstrance　to　the　Inquisitors　of　Spain　and　Portugal。　A　Jewess　of　ten　years　of　age；　who　was　burned　at　Lisbon　at　the　last　auto…da…fé；　gave　occasion　to　the　following　little　piece；　the　most　idle；　I　believe；　that　ever　was　written。　When　we　attempt　to　prove　things　so　evident　w