Two different cordials， one reinforcing the other， are mixed together in this drink， both being of high flavor and so rank as to burn an ordinary mouth. On the one hand， with the freedom of language and the boldness of deduction characteristic of the method， the sentiment of the priest's dignity is exalted. What is the priest？ "He is， between God who is in heaven and the man who tries to find him on earth， a being， God and man， who brings these nearer by his symbolizing both.[81] . . I do not flatter you with pious hyperboles in calling you gods； this is not a rhetorical falsehood. . . . You are creators similar to Mary in her cooperation in the Incarnation. . . . You are creators like God in time. . . . You are creators like God in eternity. Our creation on our part， our daily creation， is nothing less than the Word made flesh itself. . . . God may create other worlds， he cannot so order it that any act under the sun can be greater than your sacrifice； for， at this moment， he reposes in your hands all that he has and all that he is. . . . I am not a little lower than the cherubim and seraphim in the government of the world， Iam far above them； they are only the Servants of God， we are his coadjutors. . . . The angels， who behold the vast riches passing through our hands daily， are amazed at our prerogative. . . . Ifulfill three sublime functions in relation to the god of our altars -I cause him to descend， I administer his body， I am his custodian. . .
. Jesus dwells under your lock and key； his hours of reception begin and end through you， he does not move without your permission， he gives no benediction without your assistance， he bestows nothing except at your hands， and his dependence is so dear to him that， for eighteen hundred years， he has not left the Church for one moment to lose himself on the glory of his Father." - On the other hand， they are made to drink in full draughts the sentiment of subordination， which they imbibe to their very marrow.[82] "Ecclesiastical obedience is . . . a love of dependence， a violation of judgment. . . . Would you know what it is as to the extent of sacrifice？ A voluntary death， the sepulcher of the will， says Saint Climaque. . . . There is a sort of real presence infused into those who command us. . . ." Let us be careful not to fall "into the crafty opposition of liberal Catholicism. . . . Liberalism， in its consequences， is social atheism. . . . Unity， in Roman faith， is not sufficient； let us labor together in the unity of the Roman spirit； for that， let us always judge Rome with the optimism of affection. . . . Each new dogmatic definition produces its own advantages： that of the Immaculate Conception has given us Lourdes and its truly ？cumenical wonders."Nothing of all this is too much， and， in the face of the exigencies of modern times， it scarcely suffices. Now that society has become incredulous， indifferent or， at the least， secular， the priest must possess the two intense and master ideas which support a soldier abroad among insurgents or barbarians， one being the conviction that he is of a species and essence apart， infinitely superior to the common herd； and the other is the thought that he belongs to his flag， to his chiefs， especially to the commanding general， and that he has given himself up entirely to prompt obedience， to obeying every order issued without question or doubt.[83] Thus， in that parish where the permanent curé was once installed， especially in the rural districts，[84] the legal and popular governor of all souls， his successor， the removable desservant， is merely a resident bailiff， a sentry in his box， at the opening of a road which the public at large no longer travel. From time to time he hails you！ But scarcely any one listens to him. Nine out of ten men pass at a distance， along a newer， more convenient and broader road. They either nod to him afar off or give him the go-by. Some are even ill-disposed， watching him or denouncing him to the ecclesiastic or lay authorities on which he depends. He is expected to make his orders respected and yet not hated， to be zealous and yet not importunate， to act and yet not efface himself： he succeeds pretty often， thanks to the preparation just described， and， in his rural sentry-box， patient， resigned， obeying his orders， he mounts guard lonely and in solitude， a guard which， for the past fifteen years， (from 1870-1885) is disturbed and anxious and becoming singularly difficult.
Notes：
[1] Artaud， "Histoire de Pie VII.， I.， 167.
[2] Comte d'Haussonville， "L'église romaine et le premier Empire， IV.，378， 415. (Instructions for the ecclesiastical commission of 1811.) "The Pope exercised the authority of universal bishop at the time of the re-establishment of the cult in France.... The Pope， under the warrant of an extraordinary and unique case in the Church， acted， after the Concordat， as if he had absolute power over the bishops."(Speech by Bigot de Préameneu， Minister of Worship， at the national council， June 20， 1811.) This act was almost universal in the history of the church， and the court of Rome started from this sort of extraordinary act， passed by it at the request of the sovereign， in order to enforce its ideas of arbitrary rule over the bishops."[3] So stated by Napoleon.
[4] Bossuet， "？uvres complètes， XXXII.， 415. (Defensio declarationis cleri gallicani， lib. VIII， caput 14). - "Episcopos， licet pap？ divino jure subditos， ejusdem esse ordinis， ejusdem caracteris， sive， ut loquitur Hieronymus， ejusdem meriti， ejusdem， sacerdotii， collegasque et coepiscopos appelari constat， scitumque illud Bernardi ad Eugenium papam： Non es dominus episcoporum， sed unus ex illis."[5] Comte Boulay (de la Meurthe)， "les Négociations du Concordat，" p.
35. - There were 50 vacancies in 135 dioceses， owing to the death of their incumbents.
