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
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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
They did not want to separate from their church. Thy wanted to make themselves, and their church pure, or free of fault.
The Catholic Church made its own laws and possessed land. The Roman Catholic Church collected taxes, service fees, and even accepted gifts from people who wanted a guaranteed "spot" in Heaven. The Church also had the power to influence kings and rulers. The Church helped by publicly supporting the kings and in return, the Church was given reasonable amounts of land and the clergy were given essential positions inside of the King's Court, which gave the Church the ability to manipulate policy and laws. The Church made many laws that include the involuntary conversions of heretics and the stifling of anti-church influences that could persuade other people to leave the Church and become heretics. This showed the immense authority that the Roman Catholic Church had over the people. Blasphemy (the speaking against God or anything that was considered sacred) was deemed as a capital crime (meaning it was punished by death).
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.
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.
Some people like Emmanuel Sieyès, middle-class writer who was taken by the Enlightenment ideas, believed that all of French Society lay on the backs of the third estate. On the contrary, Robespierre, the monarch at the time, believed that the third estate did not have the power to do anything important to society. The third estate had to pay taxes like the Gabelle and Taille while the first and seconds estates did not have to pay any taxes to the king. Also, the third estates had less of a representation in voting. The first and second estate could outvote the third estate every time and this was a huge inequality. The condition of the third estate was horrible but a good portion of this third estate was the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie had some wealth and social class, so they influenced the rest of the third estate about their rights, while also inspiring some lower clergies and provincial nobles and thus led to a group of rebellious people to fight the monarchy. This fight for political representation and political rights was only one cause of the French Revolution. Another causes lies in the French Monarchs: Louis XlV, Louis XV, and Louis XVl. When Louis XlV was ruling, the monarchy had unlimited power and was known as a
...T AMENDMENT BECAUSE THE PRAYERS GIVEN BEFORE EACH MEETING SHOWED ENDORSEMENT AND COERCION OF A PARTICULAR FAITH.
The Rise in Political Power of 17th Century England and France In the seventeenth century, the political power of the Parliament in England, and the Monarchy in France increased greatly. These conditions were inspired by three major changes: the aftermath of the reformation, the need for an increased governmental financing, and the reorganizing of central governments. These three points were each resolved in a different way in both England and in France. The first major point which eventually increased political power was
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)
The Age of Enlightenment saw many great changes in Western Europe. It was an age of reason and philosophes. During this age, changes the likes of which had not been seen since ancient times took place. Such change affected evert pore of Western European society. Many might argue that the Enlightenment really did not bring any real change, however, there exists and overwhelming amount of facts which prove, without question, that the spirit of the Enlightenment was one of change-specifically change which went against the previous teachings of the Catholic Church. Such change is apparent in the ideas, questions, and philosophies of the time, in the study of science, and throughout the monarchial system.
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"),...
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.
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
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.