The celibate priesthood, an army (Pufendorf, An introduction to the history of ... Europe, 7th ed., cor. & impr., 1711)

Text: "And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered." Daniel 8:12

Quote:


   §. 32. The Subjects of this Ecclesiastical Monarchy may properly be divided into two several Sorts; the first comprehends the whole Clergy, the second all the rest of Christendom, as far as they profess the Roman Catholick Religion, which is commonly call'd the Laity. The first may be compar'd to the standing Army of a Prince, who thereby maintains his Conquests; the rest are to be deem'd as Subjects that are Tributaries to the Prince, and are oblig'd to maintain those standing Forces at their Charge. The first have this particular Obligation upon them, that they must abstain from Marriage. This is done under pretence of a special Holiness, and that thereby they may be the more fit to perform their Duty without any hindrance; but the true Reason is, that they should not prefer the Interest and Welfare of their Wife and Children, before that of the Church, and in Consideration thereof, not side with those Princes, under whose Jurisdiction they live, or that they should not enrich their Children with the Revenues of the Church, but be the more ready upon all Occasions to execute the Pope's Will, especially againft such Princes, under whose Protection they live. For since Wife and Children are esteem'd the dearest Pledges, not to be left to the Discretion of an enrag'd Enemy, they could the easier despise the Anger of their Princes, if they had no other Care to take but for themselves, a single Man not needing to fear a Livelihood in any Place whatever. And it has been the main Endeavour of the Popes to exempt the Clergy by all means from the Jurisdiction of the Civil Magistrates, and to make them only dependent on himself. But those who have been so busie to force Celibacy upon the Clergy, were forgetful in not prescribing them at the same time a Recipe against Incontinency, which they seem to stand in great need of. How vast a Number there is of this sort of People, may be best judg'd out of what is related of Pope Paul IV. who us'd to brag, that he had 288000 Parishes and 44000 Monasteries under his Jurisdiction, if he did not mistake in his Account, especially as to the Monasteries. The Clergy may again be subdivided into two sorts, viz. those who are bare Priests and Ecclesiasticks, and those who have engag'd themselves by a particular Vow, as the Monks and Jesuits, who are to be esteem'd the Pope's.

Pufendorf, Samuel, Freiherr von, An introduction to the history of the principal kingdoms and states of Europe, made English from the original High-Dutch, 7th ed., cor. & impr., London: Printed for Dan. Midwinter; and Maurice Atkins, 1711, pp. 445-446.

Online Source: archive.org/details/introductiontohi00pufe

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