STATE PAPERS. 
copal sees vacant, interdict the apo- 
stolic functions to those who held 
them by divine mission, and replace 
them by false titularies destitute of 
all canonical appointment, but add 
all the horrors of persecution, de- 
‘liver over the ministers of religion 
to the unbridled fury of a mad po- 
pulace, put fetters on them, banish 
them, and issue decrees against 
them dictated by the most inhuman 
fanaticism. 
They even aim to overthrow re- 
ligion itself, by ill-treating its mi- 
nisters in the cruelest manner. 
Enemies to all authority know that 
religion is the surest pledge for the 
obedience of the people; that there 
is no religion without form of wor- 
ship, and no form of worship with- 
out ministers ; no ministers without 
a regular institution; and no re- 
gard for established ministers if 
their income is uncertain and pre- 
carious, 
It is therefore in consequence of 
their system of absolute independ- 
ence that they wish to destroy re- 
ligion, by destroying at once its 
worship, its ministers, the laws of 
their institution, and the respect 
due to their condition. 
Their cavillers, publicly profess- 
ing atheism and immorality, labour 
incessantly to take away from the 
eople the consolation and the sa- 
utary restraint of religious ideas; 
encouragements and even rewards 
_ are solemnly decreed in favour of 
scandal and impiety; the churches 
prophaned and shut against the Ca- 
tholics; the priests pursued to the 
foot of the altar, and aged pastors 
sacrificed without pity ; insults 
which put modesty to the blush 
multiplied, tolerated, and authoris- 
ed even in the most sacred sanctua- 
ries ; complaints made for no other 
Vor. XXXIV. 
257 
purpose but to provoke fresh vio-_ 
lences; and the administrators of 
justice standing by, either as tame” 
spectators or accomplices in all’ 
those enormities. 
Such has been the consequence” 
of the fatal combination of the 
spirit of revolt and philosophical 
fanaticism.—The most execrable 
means have been employed for three 
years past to form, support, and 
propagate this fatal conspiracy 
against all laws human and divine. 
Its authors began their reign by 
corruption, by artifice, and popular 
hypocrisy: they have maintained 
it by fire and the sword. Their 
daggers and their incendiary torch- 
es threatened whoever dared to 
avow themselves attached to lawful 
authority. These novel factious 
innovators have employed in the 
conquest and the progress of their 
usurpations all the poison of ca- 
lumny, the inquisition of odious 
enquiry, the tyranny of oppressive 
means, the seduction of influence 
over credulity, and the terror of 
power over weakness. 
Such are the arms with which 
they have dared to declare war a- 
gainst all empires, openly to pro- 
claim their seditious doctrines, and 
to effect it by means of emissaries, 
disturbers of the people, preachers 
of regicide, and instigators to insur- 
rections, which they have not blush- 
ed to call the most sacred of duties, 
One would think that the remedy 
for such diabolicai phrenzy would 
be found in the excesses which it 
has promoted,—in the indignation 
which it excites,—in the contempt 
which it deserves.—But its pro- 
gress has pointed out to sovereigns 
that it is high time to unite their 
forces, to check the contagion in 
its birth ; to bring those to reason 
R again 
