In any nation’s history, one can find times where authority figures try to oppress the voice of its people, and the people revolt to attempt to change where they have been wronged. During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, there was a representative assembly in France called the Estates-General. It was divided into three estates. The First Estate represented 1% of the population, consisted of higher clergy in the Catholic Church who took advantage of their power against the rest of the population, causing vocal criticism of the Church to rise. The commoners believed their Church had become corrupt through its position in relation to the government. They did not support how the Church condemned new ideas brought about by the Enlightenment, …show more content…
Over time, the firm faith and devotion of the followers eventually diminished, and it would never regain its strength again. The First Estate caused its own decrease of power in France by its abuse of power in not providing aid and support to its followers in their endeavors.
Growing criticism of the Catholic Church began with the Enlightenment era. With new scientific ideas and more rational thinking came doubt in all the Church had taught. Philosophes, upper-class intellectuals of the Enlightenment movement, were the first ones to vocally criticize the Church (Betros). At the time, what the Church taught was what the people knew to be true. The philosophes appreciated the value of the Church promoting moral ethics, but did not agree with its close links to the monarchy and influence over the people. Many Enlightenment scientists published their ideas
…show more content…
One of the ways they did so was through the institution of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. It was a constitution that the people hoped the pope would accept as it would restore some faith back into the Catholic Church. The beliefs and tradition of the church would not allow the pope to support it and this is because the Civil Constitution of the Clergy would make the Catholic Church subordinate to the government of France (“The French Revolution”). There were multiple parts to the document. Priests were elected by the people as well as be paid by the state, and they were to conform to the eighty-three civil departments. Pieces of land the Church owned were also to be given away or sold. All privileges that the Church possessed due to ties to the government would be stripped away (Latrielle). Their goal was for the government to establish spiritual ties to the Church. Many such as A.-G. Camus felt that this would be better for the Church looking into the future and it would be a way to reinvigorate Christianity in the nation (Miller). Either way, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy was instituted and indignation of the Church progressed even further and led to the revolution.This document caused many divisions among the clergy, and caused many lower clergy to feel abandoned. All religious were required to take an oath stating they supported the
...narch be removed if he was a representative of God? With the separation of God and the state, the idea that the monarch also had to obey all of the laws of the land were also introduced. Such was a great change from the ways of the past and embodied the spirit of the Enlightenment.
They did not want to separate from their church. Thy wanted to make themselves, and their church pure, or free of fault.
... the religious persecutions that were carried out by the Roman Catholic Church started to subside and the relationship between the Church and the State became a dichotomy.
The Opposition to the Henrican Reformation The English reformation is widely discussed amongst historians; it was a process that saw the removal of the longstanding Papal influence and the beginnings of a new English Church. The reformation was believed to be a quick process, imposed upon the country from above. The decrees, acts and events of the reformation forced drastic changes upon both the English clergy, masses and the Papacy. These changes were unpopular and discontent was widespread. In spite of such feelings the reformation experienced little delay and monarchical power over the English Church continued to increase.
From the beginning of the Christian church, there have been multiple clashes over what powers go to the state and what powers go to the church. One of the most prominent disputes was in the late eleventh century over which side would be able to appoint bishops and other churchmen, otherwise know as investiture. The church and Pope Gregory VII believed they had the right to solely pick churchmen because they believed the church and pope were all-powerful. Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, however wanted this power to protect the state. When Henry IV became emperor he was young which gave Pope Gregory the opportunity to take advantage of Henry and change the church. As Henry grew up knowing this, he became weary of Gregory’s intention and always payed attention to Gregory’s actions. Regarding investiture, the state had the most compelling argument because they had valid evidence while the church opposed values on which they stood and eventually abandoned their claim.
The incredulity primarily revolved around the skepticism of religious doctrine, the institutionalized church, and government authority. What the philosophes believed during the Enlightenment was a sharp departure from much of the traditional social thinking which led to skepticism against previous authority, such as the Church, as well as what it stated to be true. Baron d' Holbach in the System of Nature (Document 3) revealed that the Enlightened man is someone who thinks for himself, therefore, should not hold the so called truths by the Church authority and Classical philosophers to be true. Holbach conveyed that to not base truths upon those of the supposed authority because it has been frequently proven incorrect. This ties into what Lester G. Crocker stated in The Age of Enlightenment (Document 4) that philosophes believed that the proper business of churches was only the salvation of souls. To consider what the Church stated to be true in science, government, or economics is mistaken. Baron de Montesquieu in The Spirit of the Laws (Document 8) described the process of Check and Balances which in simpler terms is the sharing of power in the government. He paraded against institutions with absolute monarchical powers such as the Church because they could create and enforce tyrannical laws.
...T AMENDMENT BECAUSE THE PRAYERS GIVEN BEFORE EACH MEETING SHOWED ENDORSEMENT AND COERCION OF A PARTICULAR FAITH.
The social condition in France before the French Revolution was very poor. The society was divided into three estates: first estate, second estate, and third Estate. The first and the second estates were made up of the Clergy
All people have power, some people are just more powerful than others. Having power is the ability to create change. Examples of power being used wrongly is during the French revolution, and the residential school crisis. During the French revolution, two examples were shown of people abusing their power. King Louie XVI raised taxes so that he could buy things that he and his wife Marie Antoinette wanted, and took away rights from the third estate. In the residential schools crisis, the teachers, priests and nuns had power over the students and abused the students in different ways. Superior people take away the rights from those who are below them, but they end up corrupt.
For many people, this caused more unity in England and increased power. In France, the decision was made to unify the country through the establishment of a single religious authority, the Catholic Church. The king of France became the heart of this policy, which gave him control of religion when this went into effect. The next major point was the increase in need for governmental financing. In England, taxing had become under the control of Parliament.
The Enlightenment had its roots in the scientific and philosophical movements of the 17th century. It was, in large part, a rejection of the faith-based medieval world view for a way of thought based on structured inquiry and scientific understanding. It stressed individualism, and it rejected the church's control of the secular activities of men. Among the movement's luminaries were Descartes, Newton, and Locke. They, among others, stressed the individual's use of reason to explain and understand the world about himself in all of its aspects. Important principles of the Enlightenment included the use of science to examine all aspects of life (this was labeled "reason"),...
The periods during the Reformation, Industrial Revolution, and the World at War all experienced religious and church conflicts. During the Renaissance and Reformation (1330 – 1650), the fundamental practices of the church came under fire. The church at this time was the largest and most political body. The pope, himself, was the most recognizable political figure. It was due to this authority that the church and its pope were more interested in political issues and less with the spiritual needs of the people (McGraw-Hill, p. 76). Many of the Roman Catholic Church’s high priests had bought their way into position and had very little religious experience. Often the only members of the community that were literate were the clergy thus adding to their control of the common people.
An Analysis of the Absolute Monarchy of France in the 17th Century This historical study will define the absolute monarchy as it was defied through the French government in the 17th century. The term ‘absolute” is defined I the monarchy through the absolute control over the people through the king and the royal family. All matters of civic, financial, and political governance was controlled through the king’s sole power as the monarchical ruler of the French people. In France, Louis XIII is an important example of the absolute monarchy, which controlled all facts of military and economic power through a single ruler. Udder Louis XIII’s reign, the consolidation of power away from the Edicts of Nantes to dominant local politics and sovereignty
Each social class in France has its own reasons for wanting a change in government. The aristocracy was upset by the king’s power, while the Bourgeoisie was upset by the privileges of the aristocracy. The peasants and urban workers were upset by their burdensome existence. The rigid, unjust social structure meant that citizens were looking for change because “all social classes.had become uncomfortable and unhappy with the status quo.” (Nardo, 13)
This was resented by both the lower clergy and the peasants, who would have preferred for their money to go to their parish priests, or curé.