It is not sufficient, that sovereigns are persuaded of the influence of religion on the morality and happiness of men; they ought to make use of proper means to maintain this salutary action; and, of course, every part of public worship becomes of the greatest importance. Educated in a religion, thought by some to approach nearer the first ideas of christianity, yet as it has adopted several principles by no means consonant with the Catholic faith, it would be unwise in me to discuss any of the questions which divide the two churches; and I should do it without any good accruing from it, so much are we disposed to refer to early prejudices, the ideas which are most intimately blended with the sentiments and feeling of a man; we like to take a general view, and this method agrees with our indolence; but it leads us often astray. I think, however, that the minds of the people are now sufficiently enlightened, to permit me to advise the superiors of both church and state, to examine attentively, if it is not full time to make more use of the vulgar tongue, and if we are not warned, by the present depravity of morals, to alter the manner of performing divine service in this respect.

It is only during an interval of the grand mass that the priest addresses to country people some words of exhortation in their own language; it was natural to consider this moment as the most proper to dispose the mind to respect and attention; but perhaps, even the pomp of an august ceremony, by attracting strongly the imagination, withdraws the generality from the importance of the other parts of divine worship; and it frequently happens in country places, that many people go out of the church during the sermon, and return at the moment of consecration.

I think also, that public prayers should always be in the vulgar tongue, and they might easily be made interesting and affecting, as there are not any religious discourses which sympathize more with human weakness; and as our wants and anxieties may be made use of to raise us towards the Supreme Being, the best of all bands might be chosen to win the multitude.

I must observe besides, that part of the country people, especially in harvest time, and other seasons, when the husbandman is particularly busy, assist only at early mass, and then they see but a part of the religious ceremonies^[4]. And, if the practice and liberty of working on a Sunday was more extended, the inhabitants of the country, still more confined to the first mass, would hear neither prayers nor instructive discourses in their own language during the whole year.

Certainly there must be something altered in these religious institutions in order to make them more efficaciously serve to support morality, and comfort the most numerous class of the human race. Country people, whose labour produces our wealth, ought to be taken care of with paternal anxiety; and since they are not exposed to those disorderly passions which find nourishment in a metropolis; since mild and prudent means still suffice to maintain them in the habit of duty; both the superiors in church and state have to answer, in some measure, for the corruption of their manners and dispositions.