These are the grand lines of the new ecclesiastical establishment， and the general connections by which the Catholic Church， like an apartment in a building， finds itself included in and incorporated with the State. It need not disconnect itself under the pretext of making itself more complete； there it is， built and finished； it cannot add to or go beyond this； no collateral and supplementary constructions are requisite which， through their independence， would derange the architectural whole， no monastic congregations， no body of regular clergy； the secular clergy suffices. "Never[57] has it been contested that the public power had the right to dissolve arbitrary institutions which do not insist on the essence of religion and which are judged suspicious or troublesome to the State." As a principle， all religious communities should be judged in this way； for they are spontaneous bodies； they form their own organization， and without the aid of the State， through the free will of their members； they live apart， according to the proper and peculiar statute which they adopt， outside of lay society， alongside of the established Church， under distinct chiefs chosen by themselves， sometimes under foreign ones， all more or less independent， all， through interest and by instinct， gathered around the Holy See， which， against diocesan authority and episcopal jurisdiction， serves them as protector. Formerly， the monks[58] formed the Pope's militia； they recognized no other sovereign， and thus were they more to be feared by governments than the secular clergy. The latter， without them， "would never have caused embarrassment；" henceforth there will be no other body.[59] "I want bishops， curés， vicars， and that's all！ Religious communities have been allowed to re-establish themselves against my instructions； - Iam informed that， at Beauvais， the Jesuits have formed establishments under the name of the Fathers of Faith. It should not be allowed " -and he prohibits it by decree.[60] He dissolves "all associations formed under the pretext of religion and unauthorized." He decides that， in future， "no aggregation or association of men or of women shall be formed under pretext of religion unless formally authorized；"he enjoins the prosecuting attorneys of his courts "to prosecute even by extra proceedings all persons of both sexes who directly or indirectly violate this decree." He reserves to himself， however， the faculty of authorizing communities by which he can profit， and， in fact， he authorizes several of these as instruments which society needs， or which are useful to the State， especially nursing or teaching sisters of charity，[61] the brethren of Christian schools，[62] and， first in rank， the Lazarists and the Fathers of foreign missions.[63] "These monks，" he says，[64] will be of great service in Asia， in Africa， and in America. I will send them to procure information on the state of the country. Their robe protects them， while it is a cover to political and commercial designs. . . . Iwill allow them a capital to start with of 15，000 francs rental. . . .
They cost little， are respected by savages， and， having no official character， can not compromise the government." Moreover， "religious zeal leads them to undertake work and to face perils which are beyond the strength of a civil agent." - Of course， as they are "secret diplomatic agents，" the government must keep them in hand and direct them. Consequently， "their superior must no longer reside in Rome， but at Paris." The same precaution is taken with reference to other congregations， which， in teaching or in charity， become regular auxiliaries of the lay power. "The general-superior of the Sisters of Charity will live in Paris[65]； the entire body will then be in the hands of the government." As to the brethren of the Christian schools， Napoleon absorbs these in his university.[66] "They must be licensed by the grand-master，[67] who will certify to their internal regulations， accept their oaths， prescribe a special costume， and superintend their schools." Observe the exigencies of the government at this point， its measures for controlling the religious orders authorized by it. Abbé Hanon，[68] the common superior of the Sisters of Saint-Vincent de Paul， having refused to place Madame L？titia (Napoleon's mother) at the head of the council of the order， is carried off at night and shut up at Fenestrelles，[69] while the Sisters， who， following the instructions of their founder， refuse to recognize a superior appointed by the civil power， are treated in the same manner as formerly the nuns of Port-Royal.[70]
"It is time to put an end to this scandal of the Sisters of Charity in rebellion against their superiors. It is my intention to suppress all the houses which， in twenty-four hours after the notice you give them， do not return to subordination. You will replace the houses suppressed， not by Sisters of the same order， but by those of another order of charity. The Sisters at Paris will lose their influence， which will be a good thing."Whatever the communities may be， the authorization by which they organize is merely a favor， and every favor granted may be withdrawn.
"I will have no more missions of any kind.[71] I established missionaries in Paris and gave them a house： I cancel it all. I am content with religion at home； I do not care to spread it abroad. . .
. I make you responsible if (in a month from this) on the first of October there are any missions or congregations still existing in France." -Thus does the regular clergy live， under a revocable title， by toleration， despotically， suspended by a thread which， perhaps to-morrow， may be cut at the masters pleasure.
VII.