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[ "Apologie de l'État Religieux" (1775), with statistics. Since 1768 the decline is "frightful." "It is easy to foresee that in ten or twelve years most of the regular bodies will be absolutely extinct, or reduced to a state of feebleness akin to death.">[
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[ Sanzay, I. 224 (November, 1790). At Besançon, out of 266 monks, "79 only showed any loyalty to their engagements or any affection for their calling." Others preferred to abandon it, especially all the Dominicans but five, all but one of the bare footed Carmelites, and all the Grand Carmelites. The same disposition is apparent throughout the department, as, for instance, with the Benedictines of Cluny except one, all the Minimes but three, all the Capuchins but five, the Bernandins, Dominicans, and Augustins, all preferring to leave.—Montalembert, "Les Moines d'Occident," introduction, pp. 105-164. Letter of a Benedictine of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to a Benedictine of Vannes. "Of all the members of your congregation which come here to lodge, I have scarcely found one capable of edifying us. You may probably say the same of those who came to you from our place."—Cf. in the "Mémoires" of Merlin de Thionville the description of the Chartreuse of Val St. Pierre.]
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[ Ch. Guerin, "Revue des Questions Historiques" (July 1, 1875; April 1, 1876).—Abbé Guettée, "Histoire de l'Eglise de France," XII, 128. ("Minutes of the meeting of l'Assemblée du Clergé," in 1780.)—"Archives nationales," official reports and memorandums of the States-General in 1789. The most obnoxious proceeding to the chiefs of the order is the postponement of the age at which vows may be taken, it being, in their view, the ruin of their institutions.—"The Ancient Régime," p. 403.]
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[ In order for a modern uninstructed non-believing reader to understand the motivation which moved thousands of self-less sisters and brothers to do their useful and kind work read St. Matthew chapter 25, verses 31 to 46 where Jesus predicts how he will sit in judgment on mankind and separate the sheep from the goats. (SR.)]
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[ "The Ancient Régime," P.33—Cf. Guerin "The monastery of the Trois-Rois, in the north of Franche-Comté, founded four villages collected from foreign colonists. It is the only center of charity and civilization in a radius of three leagues. It took care of two hundred of the sick in a recent epidemic; it lodges the troops which pass from Alsace into Franche-Comté, and in the late hailstorm it supplied the whole neighborhood with food.">[