ves　into　slavery；　to　escape　the　fiscal　　burdens　imposed。　　There　are　actually　imperial　edicts　extant　　forbidden　freemen　to　sell　themselves　as　slaves。　　Thus　ended　the　　Roman　federative　system；　and　it　is　difficult　to　discover　in　　Europe　the　elements　of　a　federative　system　that　could　have　a　　more　favorable　result。
  409　Now；　the　political　destiny　or　mission　of　the　United　States　is；　in　　common　with　the　European　nations；　to　eliminate　the　barbaric　　elements　retained　by　the　Roman　constitution；　and　specially　to　　realize　that　philosophical　division　of　the　powers　of　government　　which　distinguish　it　from　both　imperial　and　democratic　centralism　　on　the　one　hand；　and；　on　the　other；　from　the　checks　and　balances　　or　organized　antagonisms　which　seek　to　preserve　liberty　by　　obstructing　the　exercise　of　power。　　No　greater　problem　in　　statesmanship　remains　to　be　solved；　and　no　greater　contribution　　to　civilization　to　be　made。　　Nowhere　else　than　in　this　New　World；　　and　in　this　New　World　only　in　the　United　States；　can　this　problem　　be　solved；　or　this　contribution　be　made；　and　what　the　　Graeco…Roman　republic　began　be　completed。
  But　the　United　States　have　a　religious　as　well　as　a　political　　destiny；　for　religion　and　politics　go　together。　　Church　and　　state；　as　governments；　are　separate　indeed；　but　the　principles　on　　which　the　state　is　founded　have　their　origin　and　ground　in　the　　spiritual　orderin　the　principles　revealed　or　affirmed　by　　religionand　are　inseparable　from　them。　　There　is　no　state　　without　God；　any　more　than　there　is　a　church　without　Christ　or　　the　Incarnation。　　An　atheist　may　be　a　politician；　but　if　there　　were　410　　　　　　no　God　there　could　be　no　politics。　theological　principles　　are　the　basis　of　political　principles。　　The　created　universe　is　a　　dialectic　whole；　distinct　but　inseparable　from　its　Creator；　and　　all　its　parts　cohere　and　are　essential　to　one　another。　　All　has　　its　origin　and　prototype　in　the　Triune　God；　and　throughout　　expresses　unity　in　triplicity　and　triplicity　in　unity；　without　　which　there　is　no　real　being　and　no　actual　or　possible　life。　　　Every　thing　has　its　principle；　medium；　and　end。　　Natural　society　　is　initial；　civil　government　is　medial；　the　church　is　　teleological；　but　the　three　are　only　distinctions　in　one　　indissoluble　whole。
  Man；　as　we　have　seen；　lives　by　communion　with　God　through　the　　Divine　creative　act；　and　is　perfected　or　completed　only　through　　the　Incarnation；　in　Christ；　the　Word　made　flesh。　　True；　he　　communes　with　God　through　his　kind；　and　through　external　nature；　　society　in　which　he　is　born　and　reared；　and　property　through　　which　he　derives　sustenance　for　his　body；　but　these　are　only　　media　of　his　communion　with　God；　the　source　of　lifenot　either　　the　beginning　or　the　end　of　his　communion。　　They　have　no　life　in　　themselves；　since　their　being　is　in　God；　and；　of　themselves；　can　　impart　none。　　They　are　in　the　order　of　second　causes；　and　second　411　causes；　without　the　first　cause；　are　nought。　　Communion　which　　stops　with　them；　which　takes　them　as　the　principle　and　end；　　instead　of　media；　as　they　are；　is　the　communion　of　death；　not　of　　life。　　As　religion　includes　all　that　relates　to　communion　with　　God；　it　must　in　some　form　be　inseparable　from　every　living　act　of　　man；　both　individually　and　socially；　and；　in　the　long　run；　men　　must　conform　either　their　politics　to　their　religion　or　their　　religion　to　their　politics。　　Christianity　is　constantly　at　work；　　moulding　political　society　in　its　own　image　and　likeness；　and　　every　political　system　struggles　to　harmonize　Christianity　with　　itself。　　If；　then；　the　United　States　have　a　political　destiny；　　they　have　a　religious　destiny　inseparable　from　it。
  The　political　destiny　of　the　United　States　is　to　conform　the　　state　to　the　order　of　reality；　or；　so　to　speak；　to　the　Divine　　Idea　in　creation。　　Their　religious　destiny　is　to　render　　practicable　and　to　realize　the　normal　relations　between　church　　and　state；　religion　and　politics；　as　concreted　in　the　life　of　the　　nation。
  In　politics；　the　United　States　are　not　realizing　a　political　　theory　of　any　sort　whatever。　　They；　on　the　contrary；　are　　successfully　refuting　all　political　theories；　making　away　with　　them；　and　establishing　the　statenot　on　a　theory；　not　412　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　on　an　　artificial　basis　or　a　foundation　laid　by　human　reason　or　will；　　but　on　reality；　the　eternal　and　immutable　principles　in　relation　　to　which　man　is　created。　　They　are　doing　the　same　in　regard　to　　religious　theories。　　Religion　is　not　a　theory；　a　subjective　view；　　an　opinion；　but　is；　objectively；　at　once　a　principle；　a　law；　and　　a　fact；　and；　subjectively；　it　is；　by　the　aid　of　God's　grace；　　practical　conformity　to　what　is　universally　true　and　real。　　The　　United　States；　in　fulfilment　of　their　destiny；　are　making　as　sad　　havoc　with　religious　theories　as　with　political　theories；　and　are　　pressing　on　with　irresistible　force　to　the　real　or　the　Divine　　order　which　is　expressed　in　the　Christian　mysteries；　which　exists　　independent　of　man's　understanding　and　will；　and　which　man　can　　neither　make　nor　unmake。
  The　religious　destiny　of　the　United　States　is　not　to　create　a　new　　religion　nor　to　found　a　new　church。　　All　real　religion　is　　catholic；　and　is　neither　new　nor　old；　but　is　always　and　　everywhere　true。　　Even　our　Lord　came　neither　to　found　a　new　　church　nor　to　create　a　new　religion；　but　to　do　the　things　which　　had　been　foretold；　and　to　fulfil　in　time　what　had　been　determined　　in　eternity。　　God　has　himself　founded　the　church　on　catholic　　principles；　or　principles　al…　413　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ways　and　everywhere　real　principles。　　　His　church　is　necessarily　catholic；　because　founded　on　catholic　　dogmas；　and　the　dogmas　are　catholic；　because　they　are　universal　　and　immutable　principles；　having　their　origin　and　ground　in　the　　Divine　Being　Himself；　or　in　the　creative　act　by　which　He　produces　　and　sustains　all　things。　　Founded　on　universal　and　immutable　　principles；　the　church　can　never　grow　old　or　obsolete；　but　is　the　　church　for　all　times　and　Places；　for　all　ranks　and　conditions　of　　men。　　Man　cannot　change　either　the　church　or　the　dogmas　of　faith；　　for　they　are　founded　in　the　highest　reality；　which　is　above　him；　　over　him；　and　independent　of　him。　　Religion　is　above　and　　independent　of　the　state；　and　the　state　has　nothing　to　do　with　　the　church　or　her　dogmas；　but　to　accept　and　conform　to　them　as　it　　does　to　any　of　the　facts　or　principles　of　science；　to　a　　mathematical　truth；　or　to　a　physical　law。
  But　while　the　church；　with　her　essential　constitution；　and　her　　dogmas　are　founded　in　the　Divine　order；　and　are　catholic　and　　unalterable；　the　relations　between　the　civil　and　ecclesiastical　　authorities　may　be　changed　or　modified　by　the　changes　of　time　and　　place。　　These　relations　have　not　been　always　the　same；　but　have　　dif…　414　　　　fered　in　different　ages　and　countries。　　During　the　first　three　　centuries　of　our　era　the　church　had　no　legal　status；　and　was　　either　connived　at　or　persecuted　by　the　state。　　Under　the　　Christian　emperors　she　was　recognized　by　the　civil　law；　her　　prelates　had　exclusive　jurisdiction　in　mixed　civil　and　　ecclesiastical　questions；　and　were　made；　in　some　sense；　civil　　magistrates；　and　paid　as　such　by　the　empire。　　Under　feudalism；　　the　prelates　received　investiture　as　princes　and　barons；　and　　formed　alone；　or　in　connection　with　the　temporal　lords；　an　estate　　in　the　kingdom。　　The　Pope　became　a　temporal　prince　and　suzerain；　　at　one　time；　of　a　large　part　of　Europe；　and　exercised　the　　arbitratorship　in　all　grave　questions　between　Christian　　sovereigns　themselves；　and　between　them　and　their　subjects。　　　Since　the　downfall　of　feudalism　and　the　establishment　of　modern　　centralized　monarchy；　the　church　has　been　robbed　of　the　greater　　part　of　her　temporal　possessions；　and　deprived；　in　most　　countries；　of　all　civil　functions；　and　treated　by　the　state　　either　as　an　enemy　or　as　a　slave。
  In　all　the　sectarian　and　schismatic　states　of　the　Old　World；　the　　national　church　is　held　in　strict　subjection　to　the　civil　　authority；　as　in　Great　Britain　and　Russia；　and　is　the　slave　of　415　the　state；　in　the　other　states　of　Europe；　as　France；　Austria；　　Spain；　and　Italy；　she　is　treated　with　distrust　by　the　civil　　government；　and　allowed　hardly　a　shadow　of　freedom　and　　independence。　　In　France；　which　has　the　proud　title　of　eldest　　daughter　of　the　church；　Catholics；　as　such；　are　not　freer　than　　they　are　in　Turkey。　　All　religious　are　said　to　be　free；　and　all　　are　free；　except　the　religion　of　the　majority　of　Frenchmen。　　The　　emperor；　because　nominally　a　Catholic；　takes　it　upon　himself　to　　concede　the　church　just　as　much　and　just　as　little　freedom　in　the　　empire　as　he　judges　expedient　for　his　own　secular　interests。　　In　　Italy；　Spain；　Portugal；　Mexico；　and　the　Central　and　South　　American　states；　the　policy　of　the　civil　authorities　is　the　same；　　or　worse。　　It　may　be　safely　asserted　that；　except　in　the　United　　States；　the　church　is　either　held　by　the　civil　power　in　　subjection；　or　treated　as　an　enemy。　　The　relation　is　not　that　of　　union　and　harmony；　but　that　of　antagonism；　to　the　grave　detriment　　of　both　religion　and　civilization。
  It　is　impossible；　even　if　it　were　desirable；　to　restore　the　　mixture　of　civil　and　ecclesiastical　governm