May I be permitted to repeat that the French revolution is not like anything that was ever witnessed in the world in bygone times. It is essentially satanical. Never will it be wholly extinguished except by the contrary principle, and never will the French people resume their place until they have acknowledged this truth. ...
The greatest mark of respect and of profound esteem that can be shown them [the French noble classes], is to remind them that the French revolution—which they would, no doubt, have redeemed with the last drop of their blood—was, nevertheless, in a great measure their own work. So long as a pure aristocracy (in other words, an aristocracy professing, with enthusiasm, national dogmas) surrounds the throne, it is immoveable, even although it should happen to be filled by weakness or error; but if the baronage becomes apostate, there is no longer any safety for the throne, even if it were occupied by a St. Louis or a Charlemagne; and this is more true as regards France than any other country. By their monstrous alliance with the bad principle during last [18th] century, the French nobility ruined everything....
[T]he anti-religious fury of last century against all Christian truths and institutions, was directed against the Holy See. The conspirators were sufficiently aware—they knew, unfortunately, much better than the multitude of well-intentioned men, that Christianity is wholly based upon the Sovereign Pontiff. Against this foundation, therefore, they directed all their efforts. ... [W]ithout the Sovereign Pontiff the whole edifice of Christianity is undermined, and only requires, in order to be utterly demolished, the development of certain circumstances ... .
Meanwhile, facts are not silent. Were Protestants ever known to amuse themselves writing books against the Greek, Nestorian, or Syriac churches, which profess dogmas that Protestantism abhors? They do no such thing. On the contrary, they protect those churches, they compliment them, and show themselves ready to unite with them, always holding as a true ally every enemy of the Holy See. The infidel, on the other hand, laughs at all dissenters, and makes use of them all, quite sure that all, more or less, and each one of them in his way, will forward his great work, the destruction of Christianity.
Joseph de Maistre
Du Pape
[Recess continues.]
