The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

22 PROGRESS OF ECCLESIASTICAL SUPREMACY.«-^ world. It was now seen what a tower of strength was Rome.Her prestige alone had lifted her bishop from the humblerank of presbyter to the pre-eminent dignity of arch-patriarch; and in this she gave the world a pledge of the futuredominion and grandeur of her popes.A gradation of rank and titles, however suitableto thegenius and conducive to the ends of a temporal monarchy,consorts but ill with the character and objects of a spiritualkingdom : in fact, it forms a positive and powerful obstructionto thedevelopment of the one and the attainment ofthe other. It is only as a spiritual agent that the Churchcan be serviceable to society: she can make the task ofgovernment easy only by eradicating the passions of thehuman heart. A sound policy would have dictated thenecessity of preservingintact the spiritual element, seeingthe Church is powerful in proportion as she is spiritual.With a most infatuated persistency, the very opposite policywas pursued. Religion was robbed of her rights as a coordinatepower.of state;She was bound round with the trappingsthe spiritual was enchained, the carnal had freescope given it, and then the Church was asked to do heroffice as a spiritual institute ! A defunct organization, shewas required to impart life !The condition under which alone it appears possible forboth Church and State to preserve their independence andvigour, is not incorporation^ but co-ordination. God createdsociety as he created man at the beginning, not one, butTWAIN. There is a secular body and there is a spiritualbody upon the earth. We must accept the fact, and dealwith it in such a way as willallow of the great ends beinggained which God intended to serve by ordaining this orderof things.If we attempt to incorporate the two,—the commonerror hitherto,—we contradict the design of God, bymaking one what he created twain. All former attempts atamalgamation have ended in the dominancy of the one principle,the subserviency of the other, and the corruption andinjury of both. If, on the other hand, we aim at effecting