the ancien regime-第13章

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〃Fama；〃　from　her　whom　Virgil　described　in　the　AEneid　as　the　ugliest；

the　falsest；　and　the　cruellest　of　monsters。



From　〃Fama；〃　from　rumours；　hearsays；　exaggerations；　scandals；

superstitions；　public　opinionswhether　from　the　ancient　public

opinion　that　the　sun　went　round　the　earth；　or　the　equally　public

opinion；　that　those　who　dared　to　differ　from　public　opinion　were

hateful　to　the　deity；　and　therefore　worthy　of　deathfrom　all　these

blasts　of　Fame's　lying　trumpet　they　helped　to　deliver　men；　and　they

therefore　helped　to　insure　something　like　peace　and　personal

security　for　those　quiet；　modest；　and　generally　virtuous　men；　who；

as　students　of　physical　science；　devoted　their　lives；　during　the

eighteenth　century；　to　asking　of　natureWhat　are　the　facts　of　the

case？



It　was　no　coincidence；　but　a　connection　of　cause　and　effect；　that

during　the　century　of　philosopher　sound　physical　science　throve；　as

she　had　never　thriven　before；　that　in　zoology　and　botany；　chemistry

and　medicine；　geology　and　astronomy；　man　after　man；　both　of　the

middle　and　the　noble　classes；　laid　down　on　more　and　more　sound；

because　more　and　more　extended　foundations；　that　physical　science

which　will　endure　as　an　everlasting　heritage　to　mankind；　endure；

even　though　a　second　Byzantine　period　should　reduce　it　to　a　timid

and　traditional　pedantry；　or　a　second　irruption　of　barbarians　sweep

it　away　for　awhile；　to　revive　again　（as　classic　philosophy　revived

in　the　fifteenth　century）　among　new　and　more　energetic　races；　when

the　kingdom　of　God　shall　have　been　taken　away　from　us；　and　given　to

a　nation　bringing　forth　the　fruits　thereof。



An　eternal　heritage；　I　say；　for　the　human　race；　which　once　gained；

can　never　be　lost；　which　stands；　and　will　stand；　marches；　and　will

march；　proving　its　growth；　its　health；　its　progressive　force；　its

certainty　of　final　victory；　by　those　very　changes；　disputes；

mistakes；　which　the　ignorant　and　the　bigoted　hold　up　to　scorn；　as

proofs　of　its　uncertainty　and　its　rottenness；　because　they　never

have　dared　or　cared　to　ask　boldlyWhat　are　the　facts　of　the　case？

and　have　never　discovered　either　the　acuteness；　the　patience；　the

calm　justice；　necessary　for　ascertaining　the　facts；　or　their　awful

and　divine　certainty　when　once　ascertained。



＇But　these　philosophers　（it　will　be　said）　hated　all　religion。



Before　that　question　can　be　fairly　discussed；　it　is　surely　right　to

consider　what　form　of　religion　that　was　which　they　found　working

round　them　in　France；　and　on　the　greater　part　of　the　Continent。　　The

quality　thereof　may　have　surely　had　something　to　do　（as　they

themselves　asserted）　with　that　〃sort　of　rage〃　with　which　（to　use　M。

de　Tocqueville's　words）　〃the　Christian　religion　was　attacked　in

France。〃



M。　de　Tocqueville　is　of　opinion　（and　his　opinion　is　likely　to　be

just）　that　〃the　Church　was　not　more　open　to　attack　in　France　than

elsewhere；　that　the　corruptions　and　abuses　which　had　been　allowed　to

creep　into　it　were　less；　on　the　contrary；　there　than　in　most

Catholic　countries。　　The　Church　of　France　was　infinitely　more

tolerant　than　it　ever　had　been　previously；　and　than　it　still　was

among　other　nations。　　Consequently；　the　peculiar　causes　of　this

phenomenon〃　（the　hatred　which　it　aroused）　〃must　be　looked　for　less

in　the　condition　of　religion　than　in　that　of　society。〃



〃We　no　longer；〃　he　says；　shortly　after；　〃ask　in　what　the　Church　of

that　day　erred　as　a　religious　institution；　but　how　far　it　stood

opposed　to　the　political　revolution　which　was　at　hand。〃　　And　he　goes

on　to　show　how　the　principles　of　her　ecclesiastical　government；　and

her　political　position；　were　such　that　the　philosophes　must　needs

have　been　her　enemies。　　But　he　mentions　another　fact　which　seems　to

me　to　belong　neither　to　the　category　of　religion　nor　to　that　of

politics；　a　fact　which；　if　he　had　done　us　the　honour　to　enlarge　upon

it；　might　have　led　him　and　his　readers　to　a　more　true　understanding

of　the　disrepute　into　which　Christianity　had　fallen　in　France。



〃The　ecclesiastical　authority　had　been　specially　employed　in　keeping

watch　over　the　progress　of　thought；　and　the　censorship　of　books　was

a　daily　annoyance　to　the　philosophes。　　By　defending　the　common

liberties　of　the　human　mind　against　the　Church；　they　were　combating

in　their　own　cause：　　and　they　began　by　breaking　the　shackles　which

pressed　most　closely　on　themselves。〃



Just　so。　　And　they　are　not　to　be　blamed　if　they　pressed　first　and

most　earnestly　reforms　which　they　knew　by　painful　experience　to　be

necessary。　　All　reformers　are　wont　thus　to　begin　at　home。　　It　is　to

their　honour　if；　not　content　with　shaking　off　their　own　fetters；

they　begin　to　see　that　others　are　fettered　likewise；　and；　reasoning

from　the　particular　to　the　universal；　to　learn　that　their　own　cause

is　the　cause　of　mankind。



There　is；　therefore；　no　reason　to　doubt　that　these　men　were　honest；

when　they　said　that　they　were　combating；　not　in　their　own　cause

merely；　but　in　that　of　humanity；　and　that　the　Church　was　combating

in　her　own　cause；　and　that　of　her　power　and　privilege。　　The　Church

replied　that　she；　too；　was　combating　for　humanity；　for　its　moral　and

eternal　well…being。　　But　that　is　just　what　the　philosophes　denied。

They　said　（and　it　is　but　fair　to　take　a　statement　which　appears　on

the　face　of　all　their　writings；　which　is　the　one　key…note　on　which

they　ring　perpetual　changes）；　that　the　cause　of　the　Church　in　France

was　not　that　of　humanity；　but　of　inhumanity；　not　that　of　nature；　but

of　unnature；　not　even　that　of　grace；　but　of　disgrace。　　Truely　or

falsely；　they　complained　that　the　French　clergy　had　not　only

identified　themselves　with　the　repression　of　free　thought；　and　of

physical　science；　especially　that　of　the　Newtonian　astronomy；　but

that　they　had　proved　themselves　utterly　unfit；　for　centuries　past；

to　exercise　any　censorship　whatsoever　over　the　thoughts　of　men：

that　they　had　identified　themselves　with　the　cause　of　darkness；　not

of　light；　with　persecution　and　torture；　with　the　dragonnades　of

Louis　XIV。；　with　the　murder　of　Calas　and　of　Urban　Grandier；　with

celibacy；　hysteria；　demonology；　witchcraft；　and　the　shameful　public

scandals；　like　those　of　Gauffredi；　Grandier；　and　Pere　Giraud；　which

had　arisen　out　of　mental　disease；　with　forms　of　worship　which　seemed

to　them　（rightly　or　wrongly）　idolatry；　and　miracles　which　seemed　to

them　（rightly　or　wrongly）　impostures；　that　the　clergy　interfered

perpetually　with　the　sanctity　of　family　life；　as　well　as　with　the

welfare　of　the　state；　that　their　evil　counsels；　and　specially　those

of　the　Jesuits；　had　been　patent　and　potent　causes　of　much　of　the

misrule　and　misery　of　Louis　XIV。's　and　XV。's　reigns；　and　that　with

all　these　heavy　counts　against　them；　their　morality　was　not　such　as

to　make　other　men　more　moral；　and　was　notat　least　among　the

hierarchyimproving；　or　likely　to　improve。　　To　a　Mazarin；　a　De

Retz；　a　Richelieu　（questionable　men　enough）　had　succeeded　a　Dubois；

a　Rohan；　a　Lomenie　de　Brienne；　a　Maury；　a　Talleyrand；　and　at　the

revolution　of　1789　thoughtful　Frenchmen　asked；　once　and　for　all；

what　was　to　be　done　with　a　Church　of　which　these　were　the

hierophants？



Whether　these　complaints　affected　the　French　Church　as　a　〃religious〃

institution；　must　depend　entirely　on　the　meaning　which　is　attached

to　the　word　〃religion〃：　　that　they　affected　her　on　scientific；

rational；　and　moral　grounds；　independent　of　any　merely　political

one；　is　as　patent　as　that　the　attack　based　on　them　was　one…sided；

virulent；　and　often　somewhat　hypocritical；　considering　the　private

morals　of　many　of　the　assailants。　　We　knowor　ought　to　knowthat

within　that　religion　which　seemed　to　the　philosophes　（so　distorted

and　defaced　had　it　become）　a　nightmare　dream；　crushing　the　life　out

of　mankind；　there　lie　elements　divine；　eternal；　necessary　for　man　in

this　life　and　the　life　to　come。　　But　we　are　bound　to　askHad　they　a

fair　chance　of　knowing　what　we　know？　　Have　we　proof　that　their

hatred　was　against　all　religion；　or　only　against　that　which　they　saw

around　them？　　Have　we　proof　that　they　would　have　equally　hated；　had

they　been　in　permanent　contact　with　them；　creeds　more　free　from

certain　faults　which　seemed　to　them；　in　the　case　of　the　French

Church；　ineradicable　and　inexpiable？　　Till　then　we　must　have

charitywhich　is　justiceeven　for　the　philosophes　of　the

eighteenth　century。



This　view　of　the　case　had　been　surely　overlooked　by　M。　de

Tocqueville；　when　he　tried　to　explain　by　the　fear　of　revolutions；

the　fact　that　both　in　America　and　in　England；　〃while　the　boldest

political　doctrines　of　the　eighteenth…century　philosophers　have　been

adopted；　their　anti…religious　doctrines　have　made　no　way。〃



He　confesses　that；　〃Among　the　English；　French　irreligious　philosophy

had　been　preached；　even　before　the　greater　part　of　the　French

philosophers　were　born。　　It　was　Bolingbroke　who　set　up　Voltaire。

Throughout　the　eighteenth　century　infidelity　had　celebrated

champions　in　England。　　Able　writers　and　profound　thinkers　espoused

that　cause；　but　they　were　never　able　to　render　it　triumphant　as　in

France。〃　　Of　these　facts　there　can　be　no　doubt：　　but　the　cause　which

he　gives　for　the　failure　of　infidelity　will　surely　sound　new　and

strange　to　those　who　know　the　English　literature　and　history　of　that

century。　　It　was；　he　says；　〃inasmuch　as　all　those　who　had　anything

to　fear　from　revolutions；　eagerly　came　to　the　rescue　of　the

established　faith。〃　　Surely　there　was　no　talk　of　revolutions；　no

wish；　expressed　or　concealed；　to　overthrow　either　government　or

society；　in　the　aristocratic　clique　to　whom　English　infidelity　was

confined。　　Such　was；　at　least；　the　opinion　of　Voltaire；　who　boasted

that　〃All　the　works　of　the　modern　philosophers　together　would　never

make　as　much　noise　in　the　world　as　was　made　in　former　days　by　the

disputes　of　the　Cordeliers　about　the　shape　of　their　sleeves　and

hoods。〃　　If　（as　M。　de　Tocqueville　says）　Bolingbroke　set　up　Voltaire；

neither　master　nor　pupil　had　any　more　leaning　than　Hobbes　had　toward

a　democracy　which　was　not　dreaded　in　those　days　because　it　had　never

been　heard　of。　　And　if　（as　M。　de　Tocqueville　heartily　allows）　the

English　apologists　of　Christianity　triumphed；　at　least　for　the　time

being；　the　cause　of　their　triumph　must　be　sought　in　the　plain　fact

that　such　men　as　Berkeley；　Butler；　and　Paley；　each　according　to　his

light；　fought　the　battle　fairly；　on　the　common　ground　of　reason　and

philosophy；　instead　of　on　that　of　tradition　and　authority；　and　that

the　forms　of　Christianity　current　in　Englandwhether　Quaker；

Puritan；　or　Anglicanoffended；　less　than　that　current　in　France；

the　common…sense　and　the　human　instincts　of　the　many；　or　of　the

sceptics　themselves。＇



But　the　eighteenth　century　saw　another　movement；　all　the　more

powerful；　perhaps；　because　it　was　continually　changing　its　shape；

even　its　purpose；　and　gaining　fresh　life　and　fresh　adherents　with

every　change。　　Prop