Priests are the actors of something which is supernatural, either in the way of ideals, gods, or saviours, and they have to make people believe in them; in this they find their calling, this is the purpose of their instincts; in order to make it as credible as possible, they have to exert themselves to the utmost extent in the art of posing; their actor's sagacity must, above all, aim at giving them _a clean conscience,_ by means of which, alone, it is possible to persuade effectively. 139. The priest wishes to make it an understood thing, that he is the _highest type_ of man, that he rules,--even over those who wield the power,--that he is indispensable and unassailable,--that he is the _strongest power_ in the community, not by any means to be replaced or undervalued. _Means thereto_: he alone is cultured; he alone is the _man of virtue_; he alone has _sovereign power over himself_: he alone is, in a certain sense, God, and ultimately goes back to the Godhead; he alone is the middleman between God and _others_; the Godhead administers punishment to every one who puts the priest at a disadvantage, or who thinks in opposition to him. _Means thereto: Truth_ exists. There is only one way of attaining to it, and that is to become a priest. Everything good, which relates either to order, nature, or tradition, is to be traced to the wisdom of the priests. The Holy Book is their work. The whole of nature is only a fulfilment of the maxims which it contains. No other _source of goodness_ exists than the priests. Every other kind of perfection, even the _warrior's,_ is different in rank from that of the priests. _Consequence_: If the priest is to be the _highest_ type, then the _degrees_ which lead to his _virtues_ must be the degrees of value among men. _Study, emancipation from material things, inactivity, impassibility, absence of passion, solemnity_;--the opposite of all this is found in the _lowest_ type of man. The priest has taught a kind of morality which conduced to his being considered the _highest type_ of man. He conceives a _type_ which is the _reverse_ of his own: the Chandala. By making _these_ as contemptible as possible, some strength is lent to the _order of castes._ The priest's excessive fear of _sensuality_ also implies that the latter is the most serious threat to the _order of castes_ (that is to say, _order_ in general).... Every "free tendency" _in puncto puncti overthrows_ the laws of marriage. 140. The _philosopher_ considered as the development of the _priestly_ type:--He has the heritage of the priest in his blood; even as a rival he is compelled to fight with the same weapons as the priest of his time;--he aspires to the _highest authority._