the origins of contemporary france-2-第44章

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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　toleration。＇80＇　　He　is

driven　out　of　his　parish；　consigned　to　the　county　town；　and　kept　in

a　safe　place。　　The　Directory　of　Aisne　denounces　him　as　a　disturber

of　the　public　peace；　and　forbids　him；　under　severe　penalties；　from

administering　the　sacraments。　　The　municipality　of　Cahors　shuts　up

particular　churches　and　orders　the　nonjuring　ecclesiastics　to　leave

the　town　in　twenty…four　hours。　　The　electoral　corps　of　Lot　denounces

them　publicly　as　〃ferocious　brutes；〃　incendiaries；　and　provokers　of

civil　war。　　The　Directory　of　the　Bas…Rhin　banishes　them　to

Strasbourg　or　to　fifteen　leagues　from　the　frontier。　　At　Saint…Leon

the　bishop　is　forced　to　fly。　　At　Auch　the　archbishop　is　imprisoned；

at　Lyons　M。　　de　Boisboissel；　grand　vicar；　is　confined　in　Pierre…

Encize；　for　having　preserved　an　archiepiscopal　mandate　in　his　house；

brutality　is　everywhere　the　minister　of　intolerance。　　A　certain　cure

of　Aisne　who；　in　1789；　had　fed　two　thousand　poor；　having　presumed　to

read　from　his　pulpit　a　pastoral　charge　concerning　the　observance　of

Lent；　the　mayor　seizes　him　by　the　collar　and　prevents　him　from　going

to　the　altar；　〃two　of　the　National　Yeomanry〃　draw　their　sabers　on

him；　and　forthwith　lead　him　away　bareheaded；　not　allowing　him　to

return　to　his　house；　and　drive　him　to　a　distance　of　two　leagues　by

beat　of　drum　and　under　escort。　　At　Paris；　in　the　church　of　Saint…

Eustache；　the　curé　is　greeted　with　outcries；　a　pistol　is　pointed　at

his　head；　he　is　seized　by　the　hair；　struck　with　fists；　and　only

reaches　the　sacristy　through　the　intervention　of　the　National　Guard。

In　the　church　of　the　Théatins；　rented　by　the　orthodox　with　all　legal

formality；　a　furious　band　disperses　the　priests　and　their

assistants；　upsets　the　altar　and　profanes　the　sacred　vessels。　　A

placard；　posted　up　by　the　department；　calls　upon　the　people　to

respect　the　law；　〃I　saw　it；〃　says　an　eye…witness；　〃torn　down　amidst

imprecations　against　the　department；　the　priests；　and　the　devout。

One　of　the　chief　haranguers；　standing　on　the　steps　terminated　his

speech　by　stating　that　schism　ought　to　be　stopped　at　any　cost；　that

no　worship　but　his　should　be　allowed；　that　women　should　be　whipped

and　priests　knocked　on　the　head。〃　And；　in　fact；　〃a　young　lady

accompanied　by　her　mother　is　whipped　on　the　steps　of　the　church。〃

Elsewhere　nuns　are　the　sufferers；　even　the　sisters　of　Saint…Vincent

de　Paul；　and；　from　April；　1793；　onward；　the　same　outrages　on　modesty

and　against　life　are　propagated　from　town　to　town。　　At　Dijon；　rods

are　nailed　fast　to　the　gates　of　all　the　convents；　at　Montpellier；

two　or　three　hundred　ruffians；　armed　with　large　ironbound　sticks；

murder　the　men　and　outrage　the　women。　　　　Nothing　remains　but　to

put　the　gangsters　under　the　shelter　of　an　amnesty；　which　is　done　by

the　Constituent　Assembly；　and　to　legally　sanction　the　animosity　of

local　administrations；　which　is　done　by　the　Legislative

Assembly。＇81＇　　Henceforth　the　nonjuring　ecclesiastics　are　deprived

of　their　sustenance；　they　are　declared　〃　suspected　of　revolt　against

the　law　and　of　evil　intentions　against　the　country。〃　…　Thus；　says　a

contemporary　Protestant；　〃on　the　strength　of　these　suspicions　and

these　intentions；　a　Directory；　to　which　the　law　interdicts　judicial

functions；　may　arbitrarily　drive　out　of　his　house　the　minister　of　a

God　of　peace　and　charity；　grown　gray　in　the　shadow　of　the　altar〃

Thus；　〃everywhere；　where　disturbances　occur　on　account　of　religious

opinions；　and　whether　these　troubles　are　due　to　the　frantic

scourgers　of　the　virtuous　sisters　of　charity　or　to　the　ruffians

armed　with　cow…hides　who；　at　N？mes　and　Montpellier；　outrage　all　the

laws　of　decorum　and　of　liberty　for　six　whole　months；　the　non…juring

priests　are　to　be　punished　with　banishment。　　Torn　from　their

families　whose　means　of　living　they　share；　they　are　sent　away　to

wander　on　the　highways；　abandoned　to　public　pity　or　ferocity　the

moment　any　scoundrel　chooses　to　excite　a　disturbance　that　h