It appears by the writings attributed to Paul himself that the empire
which he exercised over the members whom he had added to his sect, was
not one of mildness. In proof of this, may be cited the manner in which
this spiritual despot speaks to the faithful of Corinth. "Moreover (says
he) I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you, I came not
as yet into Corinth."* Again, "For to this end also did I write, that I
might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things**". He
threatens the Corinthians, and says to them, "if I come again I will
not spare." Again he justifies the tone in which he talks, by saying,
"Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I
should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given
me to edification, and not to destruction."*** It is probably by virtue
of this right of chastising, here assumed by St. Paul, that the Pontiffs
and Priests of the Christians have since arrogated to themselves an
unlimited spiritual power over, the thoughts of their subjects. Their
empire extended itself by degrees over their persons; Christian priests,
exceeding the Apostle to whom the Lord had given this power to
edify, availed themselves of it to destroy those whom they found not
sufficiently submissive to their decisions. If St. Paul did not exercise
over his sheep a power so extensive, it is doubtless because he had not,
like our pastors, princes, magistrates and soldiers under his orders,
capable of executing his holy will: with his imperious temper we may
justly conclude that he would have conducted himself much in the same
manner as some fathers of the church, the Pontiffs of Rome, or the Holy
Inquisition.
We see also that the Apostle, not satisfied with being sole judge in
spiritual affairs, was desirous of the power of deciding in civil suits.
"Dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the
unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall
judge the world?****" This passage evidently proves that the Apostle
in the depth of his policy had already formed the design of making
the saints, i. e. the clergy, masters of the fortunes as well as the
consciences of the faithful. In fact, he adds, know ye not that we shall
judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? We cannot
sufficiently admire the moderation of the Christian clergy, in not
having rigorously acted up to the letter of this decisive text, which
formally gives them the right of judging in all temporal affairs, or the
concerns of this life. Indeed it appears according to this passage, that
Christians in their transactions, ought to have no other judges, or even
sovereigns, than the church. It is from these maxims, that our priests
have become censors, or a kind of magistrates, who interfere with every
thing, and set themselves up for the judges of the legitimacy of civil
acts, of births and marriages, of which they have made themselves
masters; in a few words, they seize upon man the moment he is born, and
regulate all his motions until his death. It is from these pretences,
that the popes have impudently arrogated the power of disposing of
crowns, of exciting insurrections and wars, and of deciding upon the
rights of sovereigns and people.
* 2 Corinthians, chap. i. ver. 23.
** 2 Corinthians, chap. ii. ver. 9.
*** 2 Corinthians, chap. xiii. ver. 2. and 10.
**** 1 Corinthians, chap. vi. ver. 1. and 2.
It is by no means surprising that the heads of the Christian church,
have at all times held up St. Paul, as a man divinely inspired; have
for a distinction entitled him, the Apostle, have inculcated for his
writings the most profound veneration, and have caused them to be
considered, as the oracles of the Holy Ghost. This Apostle was evidently
the architect of the church. We may consider him especially as the
founder of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. It is to him that are owing the
prerogatives, privileges, divine rights and pretences of the clergy.
St. Paul established bishops, assigned them their rights, and in his
writings laid the foundations of that spiritual power, which has since
become so formidable to temporal authority. How could the inventor of so
many useful things, fail to be regarded as the organ of the divinity.
Nevertheless, if we read the gospels with the slightest attention, we
shall find that Jesus has no where spoken of this hierarchy or power,
nor of the prerogatives of the clergy; on the contrary, we see him'
incessantly preaching to his apostles, equality, humility and poverty.
But in that as in many other instances, our Apostle thought himself
at liberty to correct the institutions of Christ, who on all occasions
shewed himself unfavourable to priests. These changes effected by
Paul are sufficient to make us acquainted with his secret policy. He
endeavoured apparently to make himself the spiritual and temporal
head of the churches, which he had by his labours, founded among the
Gentiles, with whom, as we have shewn, he had more success than amongst
the Jews. It was to gain them over that he became all things to all
men, that he dispensed them, as we have said, from the most essential
ordinances of the Mosaic law. In short he had the secret of insinuating
himself, into the minds of idolators, whom he sometimes took by surprize
accommodating himself to their capacities, and giving them as he himself
has said, sometimes milk, and at others, solid food. As we have already
sufficiently shewn, Paul after his successes with the Gentiles, gave
himself little trouble respecting the converted Jews, or with his elder
brethren in the apostle-ship; and openly declared himself against the
Mosaic law. As we have seen be went himself to Jerusalem, to solicit a
decree, to dispense the Gentiles from the rite of circumcision; this he
had much at heart, feeling how necessary this indulgence was, in order
to secure his new subjects. Thus it was he who enlarged the breach,
though small in its origin, which separated the Jews from the
Christians, or Nazarenes. This conduct naturally displeased the rest of
the apostles, who appeared, even after the council, always attached
to the Jewish ordinances, but who on this occasion, found themselves
compelled to cede to Paul, or at least to temporize with a man who had
gained an ascendancy over them.