There have been, in all ages, men who know how to profit by the errors
of mankind. Priests of all religions, have laid the foundations of their
greatness, power, and riches, on the fears of the vulgar. No religion
has, however, had so many reasons as the Christian, for subjecting
people to the priesthood. The first preachers of the gospel, the
Apostles, are represented as divine men, inspired by God, and sharing
his omnipotence. If each individual among their successors has not
enjoyed the same privileges in the opinion of all Christians, yet the
body of priests, or Church, is never abandoned by the Holy Ghost, but
always illuminated thereby. They collectively, at all times, possess
infallibility, and consequently their decisions become perpetual
revelations, equally sacred with those of God himself.
Such being the attributes of the priesthood, this body must in virtue
of the prerogatives they hold from Christ himself have a right to
unconditional submission from men and nations. The enormous power they
have so long exercised is not, therefore, surprising. It should be
unlimited, since it is founded on the authority of the Almighty. It
should be despotic, because men have no right to resist divine power. It
must degenerate into abuse, for the priesthood is exercised by men whom
impunity always renders licentious and corrupt.
In the infancy of Christianity, the Apostles, commissioned by Jesus
Christ, preached the gospel to Jews and Gentiles. The novelty of their
doctrine, as we have already seen, procured them many proselytes among
the vulgar. The new Christians, inflamed with ardour for their new
opinions, formed in every city particular congregations, under the
government of men appointed by the Apostles. The latter having received
the faith at first hand, retained the inspection and direction of the
different Christian societies they had formed. Such appears to have been
the origin of Bishops or inspectors, which are perpetuated in the Church
to this day;1 an origin in which the princes of modern Christianity
sufficiently pride themselves. It is known that, in this infant sect,
the associates held, their goods in common. This duty appears to have
been rigorously exacted; for, by the command of St. Peter, two new
Christians were smitten to death, for having withheld some part of
their own property. The funds resulting from this practice, were at the
disposal of the Apostles; to this, commission the Bishops, inspectors,
or priests succeeded, when they became successors of the Apostles; and
as the priests must live by the altar, we may suppose that they paid
themselves, and not illiberally, for their instructions, out of the
public treasury. Those who attempted new spiritual conquests were,
probably, obliged to content themselves with the voluntary contributions
of their converts. However this may be, the treasures accumulated,
through the credulous piety of the faithful, became an object of the
avarice of priests, and begat discord among them. Each one wished to
govern, and have the disposal of the riches of the community. Hence the
cabals and factions which we find growing up with the church of God.
The priests were always first to wander from the principles of
their religion. Their own ambition and avarice always contradict the
disinterested maxims they teach to others.
1 Saint Jerome highly disapproved the distinction of bishops
and priests or curates. He pretends, that priests and
bishops were according to St. Paul, the same thing, before,
says he, by the instigation of the Devil, there were
destinations in religion. At this day, bishops, who do
nothing, enjoy great revenues; while innumerable curates,
who labour, are dying with hunger.
So long as the Christian: religion was much depressed and persecuted,
discordant Bishops and priests combated in secret, and the noise of
their quarrels did not spread far abroad. But when Constantine wished
to secure to himself a party, the obscurity of which had favoured its
increase, until now become very numerous, the face of every thing in
the church was changed. Christian leaders, transformed to courtiers; and
seduced by authority, fought openly. They engaged sovereigns in their
quarrels, and persecuted their rivals. Laden by degrees with riches and
honours; they would no longer be recognized as the successors of the
poor and humble Apostles, sent by Christ to preach his doctrine.. They
became princes, and, supported, by the strongest arms, opinions, they
found themselves able to give laws to nations, and put the world in
confusion.
Under Constantine the Pontificate had been by a shameful imprudence
separated from the empire. The Emperors soon found they had cause to
repent this oversight. The Bishop of Rome, that former mistress of the
world, whose name still sounded awful in the ears of nations, knew how
to make a skilful advantage of the troubles of the empire, invaded by
barbarians, and the weakness of Emperors, too remote to watch over his
conduct. By dint of plots and intrigues, the Roman pontiff at length
seated himself on the throne of the Cæsars. It was for him that Emilius
and Scipio had fought. He was, in fine, looked upon in the west, as the
monarch of the Church, the universal Bishop, the Vicar of Jesus. Christ
upon earth, and the infallible organ of God. Although these haughty
titles were rejected in the East, the Roman, pontiff reigned, without
contest, in the greater part of the Christian world. He was a God
upon earth; through the imbecility of kings, he became arbiter of
their destinies, and founded a theocracy or divine government, of which
himself was chief, and they were his lieutenants. When they had the
audacity to become disobedient to him, he dethroned them, or excited
their subjects to rebellion. In a word, his spiritual arms were, through
a long succession of ages, stronger than the temporal ones of his
opponents. Nations had the stupidity to obey him, and the distribution
of crowns was in his power. To secure his dominion over princes, he
sowed divisions among them; and his empire would still retain its extent
and vigour, if a gradual increase of knowledge had not, in spite of
religious opposition, made its way among mankind, and kings, acting
inconsistently with their religion, listened to ambition rather than
duty. If the ministers of the church have received their power from
Christ himself, to resist these his representatives is, in feet,
to revolt against him. Kings, as well as subjects, cannot throw off
allegiance to God without a crime. The spiritual authority proceeding
from God, must, of right, have jurisdiction over temporal authority
proceeding from man. A prince, who is a true Christian, must become a
servant of the church, and, at best, the first slave of the clergy.
Let us not, then, be surprized, that, in the ages of ignorance, priests,
being most readily obeyed by people, more attached to heavenly than
earthly interests, were more powerful than kings. Among superstitious
nations the pretended voice of God and his interests is more listened
to than that of duty, justice, and reason. A good Christian, piously
submissive to the church, must be blind and unreasonable, whenever the
church commands him to be so. The power that has a right to render us
absurd, has the right to render us criminal.
Besides, those that derive their power from God can be subject to no
other power. Thus, the independence of the Christian clergy is founded
upon the principles of their religion. Of this circumstance, they have
taken care to profit, and impressed with this idea, they, after being
enriched by the generosity of kings and people, have always proved
ungrateful to the true sources of their own opulence and privileges.
What had been given this body, through surprize or impudence, it was
found impossible to recover from their hands. They foresaw, that future
generations, breaking loose from the fetters of prejudice, might tear
from them the donations they had gained by the extortions of terror,
and the evils of imposture. They, therefore, persuaded mankind that they
held from God alone what had been given them by their fellow-mortals:
and by a miracle of credulity, they were believed on their word.
Thus the interests of the clergy became separated from those of society.
Men devoted to God, and chosen to be his ministers, were no longer
confounded with the profane. Laws and civil tribunals renounced all
power over them. They could be judged only by members of their own body.
Hence the greatest excesses were often committed by them with impunity;
and their persons, at the disposal of God alone, were sacred and
inviolable. Their possessions, although they contributed nothing to
public charges, or, at least, no more than they pleased; were defended
and enlarged by fanatic sovereigns, who hoped thereby to conciliate the
favour of Heaven. In fact, those reverend wolves in shepherds' clothing,
under pretence of feeding with instruction, devoured with avarice,
and, secure in their disguise, fattened on the blood of their flocks,
unpunished and unsuspected. From their instructions for eighteen hundred
years past, what advantages have nations derived? Have these infallible
men found it possible to agree among themselves, on the most essential
points of a religion, revealed by God himself? Strange, indeed, is that
revelation, which needs continual commentaries, and interpretations.
What must be thought of these divine writings, which every sect
understands so differently? Those who are incessantly fed with the
gospel, do not understand these matters better, nor are they more
virtuous than others. They are commanded to obey the Church, and the
Church is never at accord with itself. She is eternally busied in
reforming, explaining, pulling down, and building up her holy doctrines.
Her ministers have, at will, created new doctrines unknown to Christ and
the Apostles. Every age has brought forth new mysteries, new ceremonies,
and new articles of faith. Notwithstanding the inspirations of the Holy
Ghost, this religion has never attained to that clearness, simplicity,
and consistency, which are the only indubitable proofs of a good system.
Neither councils, nor canons, nor the mass of decrees and laws, which
form the code of the Church, have ever yet been able to fix the objects
of her belief.
Were a sensible heathen desirous of embracing Christianity, he would be,
at the first step, thrown into perplexity, at the sight of the numerous
variety of sects, each of which pretends to conform precisely to the
word of God, and travel in the only sure road to salvation. When he
finds that these different-sects regard each other with horror that
they all deal out damnation: to all whose opinions differ from their
own; that they all unite their efforts to banish peace-from society;
that always, when power is in their hands, they persecute and inflict
the most refined cruelties on each other, for which shall he determine?
For, let us not be deceived--Christians, not satisfied with enforcing
by violence an exterior submission to the ceremonies of their religion,
have invented an art unknown to heathen superstitions, that of
tormenting the conscience, and exercising a tyranny over the mind
itself. The zeal of the ministers of the church is not limited to
exteriors; they steal into the foldings of the heart, and insolently
violate the most secret sanctuaries of thought.1 And-for this sacrilege,
their justification is a pretended interest in the salvation of souls.