The French Revolution and the Bible

[Translation: The [legislative] council took up their agenda, motivated by this that Reason and Truth would no longer permit any illusion to impinge upon the sights or imagination of the people. We recall here two citations from our preamble [to our constitution]: the motion against the bell towers and the order for the demolition of the sculptures of [the cathedral of] Notre Dame. The Monitor does not name the author of the motion. The Journal de Paris, 1793 n. CCCXVIII tells us that it was Hébert. This paper says: "Members of the popular Society of the Museum entered the council meeting crying out, Long live [human] reason!. They carried a stick holding the smoking remains of a book and announced that the books of scripture portions, the missals, the schedules of holy activities, and the Old and New Testaments, expiated (paid the penalty) in a large fire in the plaza of the Temple of Reason, for all their foolish insults which they had committed against the human species. — Hébert then told the counsel that in the section of Bonne-Nouvelle [a subdivision of Paris in effect during the Revolution], every decadi [the ten-day week of the Revolution], in the temple of Reason, we will have a course on morals; adding that the parishioners of the area had torn down [or "vandalized"] their bell tower. He proposed that, following this example, all the bell towers of Paris be torn down because they seemed to thwart the principle of equality. The council adopted the principle, and sent their action to the department [area government]."]

Le conseil passa à l'ordre du jour, motivé sur ce que la Raison et la Vérité, ne permettaient plus qu'aucun simulacre frappât les regards ou l'imagination du peuple. Nous rappellerons ici deux citations de notre préambule, la motion contre les clochers, et l'arrêté pour la démolition des sculptures de Notre-Dame. Le Moniteur ne nomme pas l'auteur de la motion. Le Journal de Paris, 1793, n. CCCXVIII, nous apprend que ce fut Hébert. Cette feuille dit: « La société populaire du Muséum entre au conseil en criant: Vive la Raison! et porte au bout d'un bâton les restes d'un livre encore fumant, elle annonce que les bréviaires, les missels, les heures de Sainte-Brigitte, l'ancien et le nouveau Testament, ont expié, dans un grand feu, sur la place du temple de la Raison, toutes les sottises qu'ils ont fait commettre à l'espèce humaine. — Hébert instruit ensuite le conseil que, dans la section de Bonne-Nouvelle, on fera, chaque décadi, dans le temple de la Raison, un cours de morale; il ajoute que cette section a fait abaitre son clocher; il propose en conséquence que l'on abatte tous les clochers de Paris, parce qu'ils semblent contrarier les principes de l'égalité. Le counseil adopte le principe, et renvoie cet arrété au département. »

Buchez, Philippe-Joseph-Benjamin and Prosper-Charles Roux, Histoire Parlementaire de la Révolution Francaise, Paris: Paulin, Libraire, 1837, v. 30, pp. 200-201.

The French Revolution Predicted One Hundred Years in Advance (2)

'Tis to be observed, that in the Text, 'tis not in the streets, in the plural, as the French translation reads; 'tis in the street, in the singular. And I cannot hinder my self from believing, that this hath a particular regard to France, which at this day is certainly the most eminent Countrey, which belongs to the popish Kingdom. Her King is called the eldest Son of the Church, the most Christian King, i. e. the most popish, according to the dialect of Rome. The Kings of France have by their liberalities made the Popes great at this day; it is the most flourishing State of Europe. It is in the middle of the popish Empire, betwixt Italy, Spain, Germany, England, exactly as a street or place of concourse is in the middle of a City. [...] In a word, 'tis the place or street of the great City. And I believe, that 'tis particularly in France, that the witnesses must remain dead; i.e. that the profession of the true Religion must be utterly abolisht.

Jurieu, Peter, The Accomplishment of the Scripture Prophecies, 2 vols., London: printed in the year 1687, vol. 2, ch. 13, pp. 247-248.

The French Revolution Predicted One Hundred Years in Advance

Now what is this tenth part of this City, which shall fall? In my opinion, we cannot doubt that 'tis France. This Kingdom is the most considerable part, or piece of the ten horns, or States, which once made up the great Babylonian City [...] This tenth part of the City shall fall, with respect to the Papacy; it shall break with Rome, and the Roman Religion.

Jurieu, Peter, The Accomplishment of the Scripture Prophecies, 2 vols., London: printed in the year 1687, vol. 2, ch. 13, p. 265.

The French Revolution and the Jesuits

The Jesuits and their friends ascribe the French Revolution to their suppression.

Steinmetz, Andrew, History of the Jesuits, 2 vols., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Lea and Blanchard, 1848, vol. 2, p. 471.