The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-02-01
THE CONTEMPLATED UNION OF CHURCH AND
CpATE

The union Of Church and State has everywhere and in all
ages contributed to the degradation of religion by
and the time converting it into instrument of po-
ca despotsm, and establishing union between what is
purely spiritual and what n exclusively temporal This is
the worst species of aagamaton and has failed
beget spurious Of Christians whose devotion to
gion is for the most part little else than abject de-
pendence the State which always retains the disribu-
ton of the oaves and fishes Interested and selfish
tiyes thus become inseparaby associated with religion
and if the temptation great it difficult to predict
which will predominant In its first ages Christianity
unquestionably far pure than in subsequent times
and great was that the primitive Christians
far from looking to subunary honors and rewards offered
up all these the shrine their faith and were content TO
become prosecuted exiles living in and deserts
stead of reveling in wealth and power
In what called the middle ages OF Europe the Church
and State issue but after long and bloody con-
tests the former attained complete ascendency. The
Sovereign Ponti mp and pulled down kings pleasure
and absoved the people from their allegiance the proud
est powerful monarchs Of Europe ofciaed at his
sirrup grooms and he planted his foot the necks Of
emperors But the reign Of the Church did last many
ages and this not without frequent renewals of the old
contest with the State Finding at length that both were
equally weakened by these perpetual conflicts they by
grees compromise for maintaining their mutual
authority From rivals they became partners and what
they could not do separately they accomplished by uniting
together.
This union fatal in the end the rights of the peo-
pie While in state Of hostility and struggling for
tendency they in eounerbaaneed each other
because they Obliged make frequent appeals to the
people who after ALL the great arbiters in questions
like these The Church became their protector from tbs
expressions Of the State aud the defended them from
the exacons of the Church But the they began
to hunt in couples the game down without mercy
The Church, from being the protector Of the people be-
came instrument in expressing them and though the
Reformation shook the Papal authority It's centre and
dimmed the lusre of the triple crown only deprived the
Sovereign Pontif Of his authority place the hands
Of temporal prince The Church aud the State continued
before and indvisibe and the only difference Il
that in the dark ages the State the tool Of the Church
whereas in this advanced period when men are
blinded with Of light the Church is either the Tool
Of the State least equal sharer in the Joint stock
company. la short in the present condition of Europe
the established Church whether Protestant Catholic or
Greek has become of the great pillars Of despotism
and such in for its fun share Of that wide
spread dsaecon which has been produced by an abuse
Of the civil power 70 the purposes Of oppression.
This we aPPrehend is the great source Of that inf
deity which 50 extensively prevails in Germany, France