the spirit of laws-第114节

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　why　the　Tartars　have　in　all　times　given　so　great　a　toleration；＇7＇　why　the　barbarous　nations；　who　conquered　the　Roman　empire　did　not　hesitate　a　moment　to　embrace　Christianity；　why　the　savages　of　America　have　so　little　fondness　for　their　own　religion；　why；　since　our　missionaries　have　built　churches　in　Paraguay；　the　natives　of　that　country　have　become　so　zealous　for　ours。

As　the　deity　is　the　refuge　of　the　unhappy；　and　none　are　more　unhappy　than　criminals；　men　have　been　naturally　led　to　think　temples　an　asylum　for　those　wretches。　This　idea　appeared　still　more　natural　to　the　Greeks；　where　murderers；　chased　from　their　city　and　the　presence　of　men；　seemed　to　have　no　houses　but　the　temples；　nor　other　protectors　than　the　gods。

At　first　these　were　only　designed　for　involuntary　homicides；　but　when　the　people　made　them　a　sanctuary　for　those　who　had　committed　great　crimes　they　fell　into　a　gross　contradiction。　If　they　had　offended　men；　they　had　much　greater　reason　to　believe　they　had　offended　the　gods。

These　asylums　multiplied　in　Greece。　The　temples；　says　Tacitus；＇8＇　were　filled　with　insolvent　debtors　and　wicked　slaves；　the　magistrate　found　it　difficult　to　exercise　his　office；　the　people　protected　the　crimes　of　men　as　the　ceremonies　of　the　gods；　at　length　the　senate　was　obliged　to　retrench　a　great　number　of　them。

The　laws　of　Moses　were　perfectly　wise。　The　man　who　involuntarily　killed　another　was　innocent；　but　he　was　obliged　to　be　taken　away　from　before　the　eyes　of　the　relatives　of　the　deceased。　Moses　therefore　appointed　an　asylum　for　such　unfortunate　people。＇9＇　The　perpetrators　of　great　crimes　deserved　not　a　place　of　safety；　and　they　had　none：＇10＇　the　Jews　had　only　a　portable　tabernacle；　which　continually　changed　its　place；　this　excluded　the　idea　of　a　sanctuary。　It　is　true　that　they　had　afterwards　a　temple；　but　the　criminals　who　would　resort　thither　from　all　parts　might　disturb　the　divine　service。　If　persons　who　had　committed　manslaughter　had　been　driven　out　of　the　country；　as　was　customary　among　the　Greeks；　they　had　reason　to　fear　that　they　would　worship　strange　gods。　All　these　considerations　made　them　establish　cities　of　safety；　where　they　might　stay　till　the　death　of　the　high…priest。

4。　Of　the　Ministers　of　Religion。　The　first　men；　says　Porphyry；＇11＇　sacrificed　only　vegetables。　In　a　worship　so　simple；　every　one　might　be　priest　in　his　own　family。

The　natural　desire　of　pleasing　the　deity　multiplied　ceremonies。　Hence　it　followed；　that　men　employed　in　agriculture　became　incapable　of　observing　them　all　and　of　filling　up　the　number。

Particular　places　were　consecrated　to　the　gods；　it　then　became　necessary　that　they　should　have　ministers　to　take　care　of　them；　in　the　same　manner　as　every　citizen　took　care　of　his　house　and　domestic　affairs。　Hence　the　people　who　have　no　priests　are　commonly　barbarians；　such　were　formerly　the　Pedalians；＇12＇　and　such　are　still　the　Wolgusky。＇13＇

Men　consecrated　to　the　deity　ought　to　be　honoured；　especially　among　people　who　have　formed　an　idea　of　a　personal　purity　necessary　to　approach　the　places　most　agreeable　to　the　gods；　and　for　the　performance　of　particular　ceremonies。

The　worship　of　the　gods　requiring　a　continual　application；　most　nations　were　led　to　consider　the　clergy　as　a　separate　body。　Thus；　among　the　Egyptians；　the　Jews；　and　the　Persians；＇14＇　they　consecrated　to　the　deity　certain　families　who　performed　and　perpetuated　the　service。　There　have　been　even　religions　which　have　not　only　estranged　ecclesiastics　from　business；　but　have　also　taken　away　the　embarrassments　of　a　family；　and　this　is　the　practice　of　the　principal　branch　of　Christianity。

I　shall　not　here　treat　of　the　consequences　of　the　law　of　celibacy：　it　is　evident　that　it　may　become　hurtful　in　proportion　as　the　body　of　the　clergy　may　be　too　numerous；　and；　in　consequence　of　this；　that　of　the　laity　too　small。

By　the　nature　of　the　human　understanding　we　love　in　religion　everything　which　carries　the　idea　of　difficulty；　as　in　point　of　morality　we　have　a　speculative　fondness　for　everything　which　bears　the　character　of　severity。　Celibacy　has　been　most　agreeable　to　those　nations　to　whom　it　seemed　least　adapted；　and　with　whom　it　might　be　attended　with　the　most　fatal　consequences。　In　the　southern　countries　of　Europe；　where；　by　the　nature　of　the　climate；　the　law　of　celibacy　is　more　difficult　to　observe；　it　has　been　retained；　in　those　of　the　north；　where　the　passions　are　less　lively；　it　has　been　banished。　Further；　in　countries　where　there　are　but　few　inhabitants　it　has　been　admitted；　in　those　that　are　vastly　populous　it　has　been　rejected。　It　is　obvious　that　these　reflections　relate　only　to　the　too　great　extension　of　celibacy；　and　not　to　celibacy　itself。

5。　Of　the　Bounds　which　the　Laws　ought　to　prescribe　to　the　Riches　of　the　Clergy。　As　particular　families　may　be　extinct；　their　wealth　cannot　be　a　perpetual　inheritance。　The　clergy　is　a　family　which　cannot　be　extinct；　wealth　is　therefore　fixed　to　it　for　ever；　and　cannot　go　out　of　it。

Particular　families　may　increase；　it　is　necessary　then　that　their　wealth　should　also　increase。　The　clergy　is　a　family　which　ought　not　to　increase；　their　wealth　ought　then　to　be　limited。

We　have　retained　the　regulations　of　the　Levitical　laws　as　to　the　possessions　of　the　clergy；　except　those　relating　to　the　bounds　of　these　possessions；　indeed；　among　us　we　must　ever　be　ignorant　of　the　limit　beyond　which　any　religious　community　can　no　longer　be　permitted　to　acquire。

These　endless　acquisitions　appear　to　the　people　so　unreasonable　that　he　who　should　speak　in　their　defence　would　be　regarded　as　an　idiot。

The　civil　laws　find　sometimes　many　difficulties　in　altering　established　abuses；　because　they　are　connected　with　things　worthy　of　respect；　in　this　case　an　indirect　proceeding　would　be　a　greater　proof　of　the　wisdom　of　the　legislator　than　another　which　struck　directly　at　the　thing　itself。　Instead　of　prohibiting　the　acquisitions　of　the　clergy；　we　should　seek　to　give　them　a　distaste　for　them；　to　leave　them　the　right　and　to　take　away　the　deed。

In　some　countries　of　Europe；　a　respect　for　the　privileges　of　the　nobility　has　established　in　their　favour　a　right　of　indemnity　over　immovable　goods　acquired　in　mortmain。　The　interest　of　the　prince　has　in　the　same　case　made　him　exact　a　right　of　amortisation。　In　Castile；　where　no　such　right　prevails；　the　clergy　have　seized　upon　everything。　In　Aragon；　where　there　is　some　right　of　amortisation；　they　have　obtained　less；　in　France；　where　this　right　and　that　of　indemnity　are　established；　they　have　acquired　less　still；　and　it　may　be　said　that　the　prosperity　of　this　kingdom　is　in　a　great　measure　owing　to　the　exercise　of　these　two　rights。　If　possible；　then；　increase　these　rights；　and　put　a　stop　to　the　mortmain。

Render　the　ancient　and　necessary　patrimony　of　the　clergy　sacred　and　inviolable；　let　it　be　fixed　and　eternal　like　that　body　itself；　but　let　new　inheritances　be　out　of　their　power。

Permit　them　to　break　the　rule　when　the　rule　has　become　an　abuse；　suffer　the　abuse　when　it　enters　into　the　rule。

They　still　remember　in　Rome　a　certain　memorial　sent　thither　on　some　disputes　with　the　clergy；　in　which　was　this　maxim：　〃The　clergy　ought　to　contribute　to　the　expenses　of　the　state；　let　the　Old　Testament　say　what　it　will。〃　They　concluded　from　this　passage　that　the　author　of　this　memorial　was　better　versed　in　the　language　of　the　tax…gatherers　than　in　that　of　religion。

6。　Of　Monasteries。　The　least　degree　of　common　sense　will　let　us　see　that　bodies　designed　for　a　perpetual　continuance　should　not　be　allowed　to　sell　their　funds　for　life；　nor　to　borrow　for　life；　unless　we　want　them　to　be　heirs　to　all　those　who　have　no　relatives　and　to　those　who　do　not　choose　to　have　any。　These　men　play　against　the　people；　but　they　hold　the　bank　themselves。

7。　Of　the　Luxury　of　Superstition。　〃Those　are　guilty　of　impiety　towards　the　gods；〃　says　Plato；＇15＇　〃who　deny　their　existence；　or　who；　while　they　believe　it；　maintain　that　they　do　not　interfere　with　what　is　done　below；　or；　in　fine；　who　think　that　they　can　easily　appease　them　by　sacrifices：　three　opinions　equally　pernicious。〃　Plato　has　here　said　all　that　the　clearest　light　of　nature　has　ever　been　able　to　say　in　point　of　religion。　The　magnificence　of　external　worship　has　a　principal　connection　with　the　institution　of　the　state。　In　good　republics；　they　have　curbed　not　only　the　luxury　of　vanity；　but　even　that　of　superstition。　They　have　introduced　frugal　laws　into　religion。　Of　this　number　are　many　of　the　laws　of　Solon；　many　of　those　of　Plato　on　funerals；　adopted　by　Cicero；　and；　in　fine；　some　of　the　laws　of　Numa　on　sacrifices。＇16＇

Birds；　says　Cicero；＇17＇　and　paintings　begun　and　finished　in　a　day　are　gifts　the　most　divine。　We　offer　common　things；　says　a　Spartan；　that　we　may　always　have　it　in　our　power　to　honour　the　gods。

The　desire　of　man　to　pay　his　worship　to　the　deity　is　very　different　from　the　magnificence　of　this　worship。　Let　us　not　offer　our　treasures　to　him　if　we　are　not　proud　of　showing　that　we　esteem　what　he　would　have　us　despise。

〃What　must　the　gods　think　of　the　gifts　of　the　impious；〃　said　the　admirable　Plato；　〃when　a　good　man　would　blush　to　receive　presents　from　a　villain？〃

Religion　ought　not；　under　the　pretence　of　gifts；　to　draw　from　the