The repentance1 of man is accepted by God as virtue2, and perhaps the finest institution of antiquity3 was that solemn ceremony which repressed crimes by announcing that they would be punished, and at the same time soothed4 the despair of the guilty by permitting them to redeem6 their transgressions7 by appointed modes of penance8. Remorse9, it is to be remembered, must necessarily have preceded expiation10, for diseases are older than medicine, and necessities than relief.
There was, then, previously11 to all public and legal forms of worship, a natural and instinctive12 religion which inflicted13 grief upon the heart of any one who, through ignorance or passion, had committed an inhuman14 action. A man in a quarrel has killed his friend, or his brother, or a jealous and frantic15 lover has taken the life of her without whom he felt as if it were impossible to live. The chief of a nation has condemned16 to death a virtuous17 man and useful citizen. Such men, if they retain their senses and sensibility, become overwhelmed by despair. Their consciences pursue and haunt them; two courses only are open to them, reparation or to become hardened in guilt5. All who have the slightest feeling remaining choose the former; monsters adopt the latter.
As soon as religion was established, expiations were admitted. The ceremonies attending them were, unquestionably, ridiculous; for what connection is there between the water of the Ganges and a murder? How could a man repair homicide by bathing? We have already commented on the excess of absurdity18 and insanity19 which can imagine that what washes the body, washes the soul also, and expunges20 from it the stain of evil actions.
The water of the Nile had afterwards the same virtue as that of the Ganges; other ceremonies were added to these ablutions. The Egyptians took two he-goats and drew lots which of the two should be cast out loaded with the sins of the guilty. This goat was called Hazazel, the expiator21. What connection is there, pray, between a goat and the crime of a human being?
It is certainly true that in after times this ceremony was sanctified among our fathers the Jews, who adopted many of the Egyptian rites22; but the souls of the Jews were undoubtedly23 purified, not by the goat but by repentance.
Jason, having killed Absyrtus, his brother-in-law, went, we are told, with Medea, who was more guilty than himself, to be absolved24 by Circe, the queen and priestess of ?a, who passed in those days for a most powerful sorceress. Circe absolved them with a sucking pig and salt cakes. This might possibly be a very good dish, but it could neither compensate25 for the blood of Absyrtus, nor make Jason and Medea more worthy26 people, unless while eating their pig they also manifested the sincerity27 of their repentance.
The expiation of Orestes, who had avenged28 his father by the murder of his mother, consisted in going and stealing a statue from the Tartars of the Crimea. The statue was probably extremely ill executed, and there appeared nothing to be gained by such an enterprise. In later times these things were contrived30 better: mysteries were invented, and the offenders32 might obtain absolution at these mysteries by submitting to certain painful trials, and swearing to lead a new life. It is from this oath that the persons taking it had attached to them, among all nations, a name corresponding to that of initiated33 “qui ineunt vitam novam,” — who begin a new career, who enter upon the path of virtue.
We have seen under the article on “Baptism” that the Christian34 catechumens were not called initiated till after they had been baptized.
It is indisputable, that persons had not their sins washed away in these mysteries, but by virtue of their oath to become virtuous: the hierophant in all the Grecian mysteries, when dismissing the assembly, pronounced the two Egyptian words, “Koth, ompheth,” “watch, be pure”; which at once proves that the mysteries came originally from Egypt, and that they were invented solely35 for the purpose of making mankind better.
Wise men, we thus see, have, in every age, done all in their power to inspire the love of virtue, and to prevent the weakness of man from sinking under despair; but, at the same time there have existed crimes of such magnitude and horror that no mystery could admit of their expiation. Nero, although an emperor, could not obtain initiation36 into the mysteries of Ceres. Constantine, according to the narrative37 of Zosimus, was unable to procure38 the pardon of his crimes: he was polluted with the blood of his wife, his son, and all his relations. It was necessary, for the protection of the human race, that crimes so flagitious should be deemed incapable39 of expiation, that the prospect40 of absolution might not invite to their committal, and that hideous41 atrocity42 might be checked by universal horror.
The Roman Catholics have expiations which they call penances43. We have seen, under the article on “Austerities,” how grossly so salutary an institution has been abused.
According to the laws of the barbarians44 who subverted45 the Roman Empire, crimes were expiated46 by money. This was called compounding: “Let the offender31 compound by paying ten, twenty, thirty shillings.” Two hundred sous constituted the composition price for killing47 a priest, and four hundred for killing a bishop48; so that a bishop was worth exactly two priests.
After having thus compounded with men, God Himself was compounded with, when the practice of confession49 became generally established. At length Pope John XXII. established a tariff50 of sins.
The absolution of incest, committed by a layman51, cost four livres tournois: “Ab incestu pro29 laico in foro conscienti? turonenses quatuor.” For a man and woman who have committed incest, eighteen livres tournois, four ducats, and nine carlines. This is certainly unjust; if one person pays only four livres tournois, two persons ought not to pay more than eight.
Even crimes against nature have actually their affixed52 rates, amounting to ninety livres tournois, twelve ducats, and six carlines: “Cum inhibitione turonenses 90, ducatos 12, carlinos 90,” etc.
It is scarcely credible53 that Leo X. should have been so imprudent as to print this book of rates or indulgences in 1514, which, however, we are assured he did; at the same time it must be considered that no spark had then appeared of that conflagration54, kindled55 afterwards by the reformers; and that the court of Rome reposed56 implicitly57 upon the credulity of the people, and neglected to throw even the slightest veil over its impositions. The public sale of indulgences, which soon followed, shows that that court took no precaution whatever to conceal58 its gross abominations from the various nations which had been so long accustomed to them. When the complaints against the abuses of the Romish church burst forth59, it did all in its power to suppress this publication, but all was in vain.
If I may give my opinion upon this book of rates, I must say that I do not believe the editions of it are genuine; the rates are not in any kind of proportion and do not at all coincide with those stated by d’Aubigné, the grandfather of Madame de Maintenon, in the confession of de Sancy. Depriving a woman of her virginity is estimated at six gros, and committing incest with a mother or a sister, at five gros. This is evidently ridiculous. I think that there really was a system of rates or taxes established for those who went to Rome to obtain absolution or purchase dispensations, but that the enemies of the Holy See added largely, in order to increase the odium against it. Consult Bayle, under the articles on “Bank,” “Dupinet,” “Drelincourt.”
It is at least positively60 certain that these rates were never authorized61 by any council; that they constituted an enormous abuse, invented by avarice62, and respected by those who were interested in its not being abolished. The sellers and the purchasers equally found their account in it; and accordingly none opposed it before the breaking out of the disturbances63 attending the Reformation. It must be acknowledged that an exact list of all these rates or taxes would be eminently64 useful in the formation of a history of the human mind.
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1
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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2
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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transgressions
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| n.违反，违法，罪过( transgression的名词复数 ) | |
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penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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expiation
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| n.赎罪，补偿 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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expunges
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| v.擦掉( expunge的第三人称单数 )；除去；删去；消除 | |
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expiator
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| n.偿罪者，补偿者 | |
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rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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absolved
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| 宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责） | |
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compensate
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| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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offender
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| n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者 | |
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offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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41
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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42
atrocity
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| n.残暴，暴行 | |
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43
penances
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| n.（赎罪的）苦行，苦修( penance的名词复数 ) | |
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44
barbarians
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| n.野蛮人( barbarian的名词复数 )；外国人；粗野的人；无教养的人 | |
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45
subverted
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| v.颠覆，破坏（政治制度、宗教信仰等）( subvert的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某人）道德败坏或不忠 | |
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46
expiated
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| v.为（所犯罪过）接受惩罚，赎（罪）( expiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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48
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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49
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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50
tariff
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| n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表 | |
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51
layman
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| n.俗人，门外汉，凡人 | |
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52
affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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53
credible
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| adj.可信任的，可靠的 | |
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conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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authorized
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| a.委任的，许可的 | |
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avarice
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| n.贪婪；贪心 | |
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disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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