diocese　the　bishop　appoints　all　the　curés　or　officiating　priests；
  and　may　deprive　nine　out　of　ten　of　them；　in　the　diocese　above　named；
  from　1850　to　1860；　scarcely　one　lay　functionary　was　nominated
  without　the　consent　or　intervention　of　the　cardinal…archbishop。＇70＇
  To　comprehend　the　spirit；　discipline；　and　influence　of　our
  contemporary　clergy；　go　back　to　the　source　of　it；　and　you　will　find
  it　in　the　decree　of　the　Constituent　Assembly。　　A　natural
  organization　cannot　be　broken　up　with　impunity；　it　forms　anew；
  adapting　itself　to　circumstances；　and　closes　up　its　ranks　in
  proportion　to　its　danger。
  But　even　if；　according　to　the　maxims　of　the　Assembly；　faith　and
  worship　are　free；　as　far　as　the　sovereign　State　is　concerned；　the
  churches　are　subjects。　For　these　are　societies；　administrations；
  and　hierarchies；　and　no　society；　administration；　or　hierarchy　may
  exist　in　the　State　without　entering　into　its　…departments　under
  the　title　of　subordinate；　delegate；　or　employee。　　A　priest　is　now
  essentially　a　salaried　officer　like　the　rest；　a　functionary＇71＇
  presiding　over　matters　pertaining　to　worship　and　morality。　　If　the
  State　is　disposed　to　change　the　number；　the　mode　of　nomination；　the
  duties　and　the　posts　of　its　engineers；　it　is　not　bound　to　assemble
  its　engineers　and　ask　their　permission；　least　of　all　that　of　a
  foreign　engineer　established　at　Rome。　　If　it　wishes　to　change　the
  condition　of　〃its　ecclesiastical　officers；〃　its　right　to　do　so　is
  the　same；　and　therefore　unquestioned。　　There　is　no　need　of　asking
  anybody's　consent　in　the　exercise　of　this　right；　and　it　allows　no
  interference　between　it　and　its　clerks。　　The　Assembly　refuses　to
  call　a　Gallican　council；　it　refuses　to　negotiate　with　the　Pope；　and；
  on　its　own　authority　alone；　it　recasts　the　whole　Constitution　of　the
  Church。　　Henceforth　this　branch　of　the　public　administration　is　to
  be　organized　on　the　model　of　the　others。　　　　　In　the　first
  place＇72＇　　the　diocese　is　to　be　in　extent　and　limits　the　same　as　the
  French　department；　consequently；　all　ecclesiastical　districts　are
  marked　out　anew；　and　forty…eight　episcopal　sees　disappear。　　　　In
  the　second　place；　the　appointed　bishop　is　forbidden　〃to　refer　to　the
  Pope　to　obtain　any　confirmation　whatever。〃　All　he　can　do　is　to　write
  to　him　〃in　testimony　of　the　unity　of　faith　and　of　the　communion
  which　he　is　to　maintain　with　him。〃　The　bishop　is　thus　no　longer
  installed　by　his　canonical　chief；　and　the　Church　of　France　becomes
  schismatic。　　　　In　the　third　place；　the　metropolitan　or　bishop　is
  forbidden　to　exact　from　the　new　bishops　or　curés　〃any　oath　other
  than　that　they　profess　the　Catholic；　Apostolic；　and　Roman　religion。〃
  Assisted　by　his　council　he　may　examine　them　on　their　doctrine　and
  morals；　and　refuse　them　canonical　installation；　but　in　this　case　his
  reasons　must　be　given　in　writing；　and　be　signed　by　himself　and　his
  council。　　His　authority；　in　other　respects；　does　not　extend　beyond
  this　for　it　is　the　civil　tribunal　which　decides　between　contending
  parties。　　Thus　is　the　catholic　hierarchy　broken　up；　the
  ecclesiastical　superior　has　his　hands　tied；　if　he　still　delegates
  sacerdotal　functions　it　is　only　as　a　matter　of　form。　　Between　the
  curé　and　the　bishop　subordination　ceases　to　exist　just　as　it　has
  ceased　to　exist　between　the　bishop　and　the　Pope；　and　the　Church　of
  France　becomes　Presbyterian。　　　　The　people　now；　in　effect；　choose
  their　own　ministers；　as　they　do　in　the　Presbyterian　church；　the
  bishop　is　appointed　by　the　electors　of　the　department；　the　cure　by
  the　district　electors；　and；　what　is　an　extraordinary　aggravation；
  these　need　not　be　of　his　communion。　　It　is　of　no　consequence　whether
  the　electoral　Assembly　contains；　as　at　N？mes；　Montauban；　Strasbourg；
  and　Metz；　a　notable　proportion　of　Calvinists；　Lutherans；　and　Jews；
  or　whether　its　majority；　furnished　by　the　club；　is　notoriously
  hostile　to　Catholicism；　and　even　to　Christianity　itself。　　The　bishop
  and　the　curé　must　be　chosen　by　the　electoral　body；　the　Holy　Ghost
  dwells　with　it；　and　with　the　civil　tribunals；　and　these　may　install
  its　elect　in　spite　of　any　resistance。　　　　To　complete　the
  dependence　of　the　clergy；　every　bishop　is　forbidden　to　absent
  himself　more　than　fifteen　days　without　permission　from　the
  department；　every　curé　the　same　length　of　time　without　the
  permission　of　the　district；　even　to　attend　upon　a　dying　father　or　to
  undergo　the　operation　of　lithotomy。　　In　default　of　this　permission
  his　salary　is　suspended：　as　a　functionary　under　salary；　he　owes　all
  his　time　to　his　bureau；　and　if　he　desires　a　leave　of　absence　he　must
  ask　for　it　from　his　chiefs　in　the　H？tel…de…Ville。＇73＇　　　He　must
  assent　to　all　these　innovations；　not　only　with　passive　obedience；
  but　by　a　solemn　oath。　　All　old　or　new　ecclesiastics；　archbishops；
  bishops；　curés；　vicars；　preachers；　hospital　and　prison　chaplains；
  superiors　and　directors　of　seminaries；　professors　of　seminaries　and
  colleges；　are　to　state　in　writing　that　they　are　ready　to　take　this
  oath：　moreover；　they　must　take　it　publicly；　in　church；　〃in　the
  presence　of　the　general　council；　the　commune；　and　the　faithful；〃　and
  promise　〃to　maintain　with　all　their　power〃　a　schismatic　and
  Presbyterian　Church。　　　　For　there　can　be　no　doubt　about　the　sense
  and　bearing　of　the　prescribed　oath。　　It　was　all　very　well　to
  incorporate　it　with　a　broader　one；　that　of　maintaining　the
  Constitution。　　But　the　Constitution　of　the　clergy　is　too　clearly
  comprised　in　the　general　Constitution；　like　a　chapter　in　a　book；　and
  to　sign　the　book　is　to　sign　the　chapter。　　Besides；　in　the　formula　to
  which　the　ecclesiastics　in　the　Assembly　are　obliged　to　swear　in　the
  tribune；　the　chapter　is　precisely　indicated；　and　no　exception　or
  reservation　is　allowed。＇74＇　　The　Bishop　of　Clermont；　with　all　those
  who　have　accepted　the　Constitution　in　full；　save　the　decrees
  affecting　spiritual　matters；　are　silenced。　　Where　the　spiritual
  begins　and　where　it　ends　the　Assembly　knows　better　than　they；　for　it
  has　defined　this；　and　it　imposes　its　definition　on　canonist　and
  theologian；　it　is；　in　its　turn；　the　Pope；　and　all　consciences　must
  bow　to　its　decision。　　Let　them　take　the　〃oath；　pure　and　simple；〃　or
  if　they　do　not　they　are　'refractory。〃　The　fiat　goes　forth；　and　the
  effect　of　it　is　immense；　for；　along　with　the　clergy；　the　law　reaches
  to　laymen。　　On　the　one　hand；　all　the　ecclesiastics　who　refuse　the
  oath　are　dismissed。　　If　they　continue　〃to　interfere　with　public
  functions　which　they　have　personally　or　corporately　exercised〃　they
  〃shall　be　prosecuted　as　disturbers　of　the　peace；　and　condemned　as
  rebels　against　the　law；〃　deprived　of　all　rights　as　active　citizens；
  and　declared　incompetent　to　hold　any　public　office。　　This　is　the
  penalty　already　inflicted　on　the　nonjuring　bishop　who　persists　in
  considering　himself　a　bishop；　who　ordains　priests　and　who　issues　a
  pastoral　letter。　　Such　is　soon　to　be　the　penalty　inflicted　on　the
  nonjuring　curé　who　presumes　to　hear　confession　or　officiate　at　a
  mass。＇75＇　　On　the　other　hand；　all　citizens　who　refuse　to　take　the
  prescribed　oath；　all　electors；　municipal　officers；　judges　and
  administrative　agents；　shall　lose　their　right　of　suffrage；　have
  their　functions　revoked；　and　be　declared　incompetent　for　all　public
  duties。＇76＇　　The　result　is　that　scrupulous　Catholics　are　excluded
  from　every　administrative　post；　from　all　elections；　and　especially
  from　ecclesiastical　elections；　from　which　it　follows　that；　the
  stronger　one's　faith　the　less　one's　share　in　the　choice　of　a
  priest。＇77＇　　　What　an　admirable　law；　that　which；　under　the　pretext
  of　doing　away　with　ecclesiastical　abuses；　places　the　faithful；　lay
  or　clerical；　outside　the　pale　of　the　law！
  This　soon　becomes　apparent。　　One　hundred　and　thirty　four
  archbishops；　bishops；　and　coadjutors　refuse　to　take　the　oath；　there
  are　only　four　of　them　who　do　so；　three　of　whom；　MM。　　de　Talleyrand；
  de　Jarente；　and　de　Brienne；　are　unbelievers　and　notorious　for　their
  licentiousness；　the　others　are　influenced　by　their　consciences；
  above　all；　by　their　esprit　de　corps　and　a　point　of　honor。　　Most　of
  the　curés　rally　around　this　staff　of　officers。　　In　the　diocese　of
  Besan？on；＇78＇　out　of　fourteen　hundred　priests；　three　hundred　take
  the　oath；　a　thousand　refuse　it；　and　eighty　retract。　　In　the
  department　of　Doubs；　only　four　consent　to　swear。　　In　the　department
  of　Lozère；　there　are　only　〃ten　out　of　two　hundred　and　fifty。〃　　It　is
  stated　positively；〃　writes　the　best　informed　of　all　observers　that
  everywhere　in　France　two…thirds　of　the　ecclesiastics　have　refused
  the　oath；　or　have　only　taken　it　with　the　same　reservations　as　the
  Bishop　of　Clermont。〃
  Thus；　out　of　seventy　thousand　priests；　forty…six　thousand　are　turned
  out　of　office；　and　the　majority　of　their　parishioners　are　on　their
  side。　　This　is　apparent　in　the　absence　of　electors　convoked　to
  replace　them：　at　Bordeaux　only　four　hundred　and　fifty　came　to　the
  poll　out　of　nine　hundred；　while　elsewhere　the　summons　brings
  together　o