over the clergy; at the same time that the sciences, reputed profane, had passed the bounds within which the church had confined the deductions drawn from the principles of divine morality founded by Jesus. The pope and his cardinals possessed no longer sufficient capacity to direct the Christian clergy; and the Christian clergy were no longer in a condition to conduct the body of the faithful.
Besides, the court of Rome lost at this time a great part of the support which it had hitherto found in the class of plebeians against that of the patricians, and in the class of burgesses against the nobles and the feudal power.
The divine founder of Christianity had recommended to his followers, to work without ceasing to elevate the lower classes of society, and to diminish the importance of those who were invested with the right of commanding and making laws.
Until the 15th century, the church had followed pretty exactly this Christian direction; almost all the cardinals, and all the popes, had been taken from the class of plebeians, and often selected from families employed in the meanest pursuits.
By this policy, the clergy had striven with perseverance to diminish the importance and consideration of the aristocracy of birth, and to superinduce the aristocracy of talent.
At the end of the 15th century, the sacred college entirely changed its system; it renounced a Christian system, to adopt a worldly policy. The spiritual power ceased to strive with the temporal power; it no longer identified itself with the lowest classes of society; it no longer endeavoured to give them importance; it no more exerted itself to supplant the aristocracy of birth by the aristocracy of talent; it formed a plan of conduct, the object of which was to preserve the importance and the wealth acquired by the labours of the church militant, and to enjoy them in idleness, without giving themselves the trouble to fulfil any function truly useful to society.
To effect this object, the sacred college placed itself
