of the love of their subjects, God's law is sometimes
obliged to comply with the wise intentions of the temporal sovereign;
but more often the sovereign authority is obliged to retreat before the
Divine authority, that is to say, before the interests of the clergy.
Nothing is more dangerous for a prince, than to meddle with
ecclesiastical affairs (to put his hands into the holy-water pot), that
is to say, to attempt the reform of abuses consecrated by religion. God
is never more angry than when the Divine rights, the privileges, the
possessions, and the immunities of His priests are interfered with.

Metaphysical speculations or the religious opinions of men, never
influence their conduct except when they believe them conformed to their
interests. Nothing proves this truth more forcibly than the conduct of a
great number of princes in regard to the spiritual power, which we see
them very often resist. Should not a sovereign who is persuaded of the
importance and the rights of religion, conscientiously feel himself
obliged to receive with respect the orders of his priests, and consider
them as commandments of the Deity? There was a time when the kings and
the people, more conformable, and convinced of the rights of the
spiritual power, became its slaves, surrendered to it on all occasions,
and were but docile instruments in its hands; this happy time is no
more. By a strange inconsistency, we sometimes see the most religious
monarchs oppose the enterprises of those whom they regard as God's
ministers. A sovereign who is filled with religion or respect for his
God, ought to be constantly prostrate before his priests, and regard
them as his true sovereigns. Is there a power upon the earth which has
the right to measure itself with that of the Most High?

CLXXIV.--CREEDS ARE BURDENSOME AND RUINOUS TO THE MAJORITY OF NATIONS.

Have the princes who believe themselves interested in propagating the
prejudices of their subjects, reflected well upon the effects which are
produced by privileged demagogues, who have the right to speak when they
choose, and excite in the name of Heaven the passions of many millions
of their subjects? What ravages would not these holy haranguers cause
should they conspire to disturb a State, as they have so often done?

Nothing is more onerous and more ruinous for the greatest part of the
nations than the worship of their Gods! Everywhere their ministers not
only rank as the first order in t