1821 Oct. 27 B ? ┴

To Toreno

3 o

Letter VII Religion

§ Positions on priestly influence

Divide[?]? 1

1

On this subject /[…?]/ the subject of priestly influence having once touched upon it, and seen at the same time what is done in relation to it in the Constitutional and the proposed Penal Code /both Codes/, I know not how to avoid submitting to you some of my own notices in relation to this subject /it/, before I speak of those by which the arrangements I see in those several Codes in relation to this same subject My notions on this subject stand expressed in the following propositions

1. In so far as either in the way /by means/ of punishment or by means of reward a government gives any support to priestly influence it produces the effect is preponderantly or rather purely mischievous.

2. In so far for the support so given punishment is employed the character of the government is tyrannical.

3. In so far as for the support so given reward is employed the government is predatory, wasteful corrupt and corruptive. In a representative government, the effect is to corrupt the peoples representatives: to engage them in a confederacy with the temporal rulers for the promotion of the particular interest of the confederacy to the sacrifice of the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Of the matter of reward The whole mass is the fruit of depredation, the expenditure of it is so much waste, and this waste , with or without design on the part of those by whom it is thus employed, operates on the people’s representatives with a corruptive effect

4. In alliance with government, receiving support from it and giving support to it priestly influence operates by the whole amout of it in opposition to the greatest happiness of the greatest number of the people.

5. If to an absolute Monarchy having an Ecclesiastical , a limited Monarchy limited by a Representative body be substituted, the priestly order will of course, so long as any chance of restoration for the old despotism appears be ardent in their endeavours to promote it, and will thereby be in a state of hostility with the new Government and the people.