Page 39 - 15 The Bible and the French Revolution

the good of others. The rich had found no

rebuke for their oppression of the poor, the

poor no help for their servitude and

degradation. The selfishness of the wealthy

and powerful grew more and more apparent

and oppressive. For centuries the greed and

profligacy of the noble resulted in grinding

extortion toward the peasant. The rich

wronged the poor, and the poor hated the

rich.

In many provinces the estates were held by

the nobles, and the laboring classes were

only tenants; they were at the mercy of their

landlords and were forced to submit to their

exorbitant demands. The burden of

supporting both the church and the state fell

upon the middle and lower classes, who were

heavily taxed by the civil authorities and by

the clergy. “The pleasure of the nobles was