Some intact and suitably brief history can be found at the following links.
Did medieval peasants work hard?
Did medieval peasants have any privileges?
In short being a peasant is far more pleasant than being a voter, though it's not like being a voter has no advantages at all.
Note that voters can be conscripted; while serfs could be levied, taking a serf for the army would cause the lord to bill you for lost human capital. "Excuse me, I need him to farm this plot." Further, lords recognized voters/peasants are merchant-caste and basically useless in a fight, something Napoleon didn't learn before Waterloo.
In addition, note that Christianity between about 500-1100 was hardly Sophist at all, which is why Sophists call the period a dark age. Instead it largely performed correctly as a religion. E.g. even if the Pope tried to tell you what to do, it is likely the message would simply be lost before it got to you, so he couldn't be a busybody.
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