HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
ples, temper, and views of Jesus 
Christ, the apostles and primitive 
Christians. At the same time, it was 
observed,as well it might be, that the 
constitutional reforming clergy were 
as much to be suspeéted as any of 
the old clergy, in the preceding 
period of private or selfish passions. 
It is something carnal and develish, 
not pure, disinterested, and benevo- 
lent, thar is, for the most part, at the 
bottom of that zeal which is mani- 
fested for the overthrow of religious 
establishments. The new clergy past 
severe censures upon those ecclesias- 
tics who had swerved from their reli- 
gion, or violated its discipline, or the 
vows they had made, and the obli- 
gations they had contraéted on their 
entrance into the service of the 
church. They published also some 
pastoral letters, containing theirsen- 
timents onseveral points of conse- 
quence. They disclaimed all tem- 
poral authority, declaring the go- 
vernment of the Christian republic 
to be purely spiritual. Charity was 
its essential character, and it re- 
quired no submission to its precepts, 
that was not warranted by reason. 
Its true spirit was moderation, and 
the very reverse of tyranny. They 
asserted, however, at the same time, 
that the authority of the church 
was vested in the episcopal order, 
but rejeéted the supremacy of the 
pope, allowing him only the first 
rank among the bishops. 
Notwithstanding the caution 
which the circumstances of the 
times imposed upon them, they 
scrupled notto condemn some things 
that were sanétioned by the law. 
They severely reprobated those re- 
lating to divorce, and censured no 
Jess violently the matrimonial con- 
neGtions, formed by ecclesiastics, 
during the disorders of the revolu- 
[185 
tion, and the licentiousness of man- 
ners it had occasioned. They stig- 
matized, as guilty of sacrilege, those 
laymen who had taken upon them 
to officiate asthe ministers of reli- 
gion, in the meetings held for the 
celebration of divine service, and in 
the absence of regular clergymen. 
This latter was deemed an att of 
unseasonable severity, by the impar- 
tial, who disregarding the scrupulous 
nicety that diétated it, thought that 
it betrayed too marked a preposses- 
sion for the dignity of the eccle- 
siastical order. This occasional 
exercise of the priestly funétion was 
denominated laicism, and represent- 
ed as sacrilegious usurpation of the 
sacerdotal rights. 
The ultimate intent of the con- 
stitutional prelates, who had been 
concerned in those meetings and 
publications, was, to procure a con- 
vention of a more numerous as- 
sembly than their own, which con- 
sisted only of thirty-four, in order to 
settle definitively the affairs of the 
Gallican church : but tbe govern- 
ment did not incline to permit the 
formation of any body of men into 
a national synod or council. It ap- 
prehended that the claims of such 
a meeting might be such, and its 
influence so prevailing, as to en- 
danger the authority of the state, 
and. to create disturbances that 
might lead to serious consequences. 
The advocates of government plead- 
ed on this occasion the precedent 
of England, where the convocation 
of its bishops and clergy has for 
many years, though suffered to 
meet, been prohibited to aét, For 
these reasons, the direétory ordered 
a number of ecclesiastics, met for 
the purpose of holding a synod, te 
be dispersed; this happened in the | 
month of March, 1796; since when, 
no 
