The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23

that the number was as high as sixty thou
sand; but many other priests, and by far
the greater part Of the Bishops, refused to
do so. In March and April, 1871, commune
cations at last arrived from Rome which
showed that the non-jurors had rightly
interpreted the silence OF Plus vi. The
Pope's intimation that he might take strong
measures, like those which his predecessors
had used on similar occasions, no doubt
strengthened the non-juring Bishops and
priests, and many laymen. in their resistance
10 the Civil Constitution. Thenceforth,
in the eyes Of most Of the faithful laity,
the non-juring priests were the only true
pastors.
v.
The Legislative Assembly, which sue
ceeded the National Assembly on September
30, 1871, made itself a party to the religious
struggle, and betrayed antagonism to
Christianity at every point. As early as
November 20 il issued a decree that all nom
Turing priests should forfeit their stipends,
and somewhat later forbade priests and
Bishops to wear clerical dress, a prohibition,
however, which was constantly ignored.
On May ~, 1892. the Legislative Assembly
permitted the departmental authorities to
Danish any priest who should be accused
by twenty citizens Of being a perturbdteur.
In the following August a new law ordered
all non-iuring priests to leave the kingdom
within fourteen days, but many of the nom
iurists chose rather to live in hiding than
10 emiRrate. There were laymen who con-
sidered the churches desecrated by the
services Of those priests who had taken
the oath. and consequently they fore
gathered in c~hurchyards, and in long for
saken chapels and meeting houses, where
non-juring priests would hold services.
All over France, too, n~on-juring priests
secretly baptized children and held con-
fessions.
In the National Convention, which sue
ceeded in September, 1892, the Legislative
Assembly, and which numbered among its
members Gregoire and fifteen other Bishops
who had taken the oath, besides some
priests, there was, to begin with, a strenu-
GUS opposition to the anti-C Christian spirit
which had recently been manifested. A
motion made by Cambon to free the nation
from defraying the cost OF divine service,
and Of the maintenance Of priests, met
with resistance. Daubermesnil, who was
by no means an adherent OF orthodox Roman
Catholicism, maintained that priests were
useful to the republic because they preached
love Of the laws and obedience to the au-
thorities, and kept the flre Of liberty burning
in the hearts of their fellow citizens. Catho-
lie oitizens Of Paris petitioned the Conven-
ton to retain the budget for public wor-
ship, and Gregoire, who on November 80,
1892, sat for the fifteenth and last time In
the presidential chair, still wearing his
episcopal dress, 30 guided h stormy pro-
ceedings that the session decided that the
maintenance OF divine service and Of the
clergy should not be given up.
p The waves ran high, however, and when
Gregoire returned from Savoy to Paris in
Nav, 1893, he found the aspect OF the Ma
tional Convention quite altered. By Sep
TENDER OF that year not only had the
budget Of public worship been abolished,
but atheism was solemnly proclaimed and
religious persecution systematically en-
ployed. BY the end of October, 1893. out
of forty-two Bishops n priests who had
taken the oath and been chosen "a the Con-
v~ention, Gregoire was the only one who
persisted in wearing a garb the color of
which showed that he was, and meant TO
remain, a Bishop. The worship OF loo
was now superseded by the worship Of a
goddess OF reason" n although in
December, 1893, theI were still in Paris
two or three small chapels in which re-
ligious services we're held, even these we're
presently closed. NeveTt heless, before six
months had passed France tired OF the new
religion, and on May !, 1874, Robespierre
made an end of the worship OF reason"
by declaring that the French nation be-
lieved in the existence OF a Supreme Being
and the immortality of he soul.
The ninth OF Thernidor July -, 1870
made no immediate change as regards
religion, many Of the Thermidorians being
in reality as much Terrorists az the two
Robespierres and Saint-Just had been.
Nevertheless, on December 81, 1874, Gre
gOire made a speech in the Convention in
favor OF freedom OF worship, which at first
was listened TO with applause, though after
ward his voice was drowned by shouts and
Kisses. The courageous action OF Gregoire
90 efectually mooted the question of relig-
ious liberty that il could no longer be hushed
and stifed. The Convention at last had to
give way 10 public opinion, and on Febru-
airy 81, 1895, Boissy d'Anglas induced it to
decree that while the republic would not
subsidize any form Of worship nor supply
places for religious assemblies, nor houses
for the clergy to live in, the exercise Of
worship ought not to be interfered with.
inasmuch as religious liberty was a right Of
man. Less than four months later a now
decree granted temporarily to the citizens
and the m the free use of h build
ings that we're originally intended for
divine worship; but nobody could obtain
permission 10 exercise any religious func-
lions without first promising TO obey the
Ia VS. OF the republic. Immediately after
the bestowal Of religious liberty it became
evident that the priests who had not taken
the oath to observe the Civil Constitution
had more followers than the others. The
former low went so far as to r~ebaptize and
remarry those persons who had been chris
tened and married by the constitutional
Bishops and priests. These proceedings
and the royalistic agitation of which those
clergy who had not taken the oath were often
guilty stirred the wrath of the Convention
and in two new DEGREES precautions were
taken against the non-jurors.
vi.
On the whole, when the National ON
vention was succeeded by the Directory