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im or her to the family or the state； though it is possible that the law is not always strictly observed； and that individuals sometimes enter a convent for the sake of getting rid of those duties； or the equally important duty of taking care of themselves。 But by asserting the divine origin of government； Christianity consecrates civil authority； clothes it with a religious character； and makes civil disobedience； sedition； insurrection； rebellion； revolution； civil turbulence of any sort or degree； sins against God as well as crimes against the state。 For the same reason she makes usurpation； tyranny； oppression of the people by civil rulers； offences against God as well as against society； and cognizable by the spiritual authority。
After the establishment of the Christian church； after its public recognition； and when conflicting claims arose between the two powersthe civil and the ecclesiasticalthis doctrine of the divine origin of civil government was abused； and turned against the church with most disastrous consequences。 While the Roman Empire of the West subsisted； and even after its 118 fall； so long as the emperor of the East asserted and practically maintained his authority in the Exarchate of Ravenna and the Duchy of Rome； the Popes comported themselves； in civil matters； as subjects of the Roman emperor； and set forth no claim to temporal independence。 But when the emperor had lost Rome； and all his possessions in Italy； had abandoned them； or been deprived of them by the barbarians； and ceased to make any efforts to recover them； the Pope was no longer a subject； even in civil matters； of the emperor； and owed him no civil allegiance。 He became civilly independent of the Roman Empire； and had only spiritual relations with it。 To the new powers that sprang up in Europe he appears never to have acknowledged any civil subjection； and uniformly asserted； in face of them； his civil as well as spiritual independence。
This civil independence the successors of Charlemagne； who pretended to be the successors of the Roman Emperors of the West； and called their empire the Holy Roman Empire； denied； and maintained that the Pope owed them civil allegiance； or that； in temporals； the emperor was the Pope's superior。 If； said the emperor； or his lawyers for him； the civil power is from God； as it must be； since non est potestas 119 nisi a Deo； the state stands on the same footing with the church； and the imperial power emanates from as high a source as the Pontifical。 The emperor is then as supreme in temporals as the Pope in spirituals； and as the emperor is subject to the pope in spirituals； so must the Pope be subject to the emperor in temporals。 As at the time when the dispute arose； the temporal interests of churchmen were so interwoven with their spiritual rights； the pretensions of the emperor amounted practically to the subjection in spirituals as well as temporals of the ecclesiastical authority to the civil； and absorbed the church in the state； the reasoning was denied； and churchmen replied： The Pope represents the spiritual order； which is always and everywhere supreme over the temporal； since the spiritual order is the divine sovereignty itself。 Always and everywhere； then； is the Pope independent of the emperor； his superior； and to subject him in any thing to the emperor would be as repugnant to reason as to subject the soul to the body； the spirit to the flesh； heaven to earth； or God to man。
If the universal supremacy claimed for the Pope； rejoined the imperialists； be conceded； the state would be absorbed in the church； the autonomy of civil society would be destroyed； and 120 civil rulers would have no functions but to do the bidding of the clergy。 It would establish a complete theocracy； or； rather； clerocracy； of all possible governments the government the most odious to mankind； and the most hostile to social progress。 Even the Jews could not； or would not； endure it； and prayed God to give them a king； that they might be like other nations。
In the heat of the controversy neither party clearly and distinctly perceived the true state of the question； and each was partly right and partly wrong。 The imperialists wanted room for the free activity of civil society； the church wanted to establish in that society the supremacy of the moral order； or the law of God； without which governments can have no stability； and society no real well…being。 The real solution of the difficulty was always to be found in the doctrine of the church herself； and had been given time and again by her most approved theologians。 The Pope； as the visible head of the spiritual society； is； no doubt； superior to the emperor； not precisely because he represents a superior order； but because the church； of which he is the visible chief； is a supernatural institution； and holds immediately from God； whereas civil society； 121 represented by the emperor； holds from God only mediately； through second causes； or the people。 Yet； though derived from God only through the people； civil authority still holds from God； and derives its right from Him through another channel than the church or spiritual society； and； therefore； has a right； a sacredness； which the church herself gives not； and must recognize and respect。 This she herself teaches in teaching that even infidels； as we have seen； may have legitimate government； and since； though she interprets and applies the law of God； both natural and revealed； she makes neither。
Nevertheless； the imperialists or the statists insisted on their false charge against the Pope； that he labored to found a purely theocratic or clerocratic government； and finding themselves unable to place the representative of the civil society on the same level with the representative of the spiritual； or to emancipate the state from the law of God while they conceded the divine origin or right of government； they sought to effect its independence by asserting for it only a natural or purely human origin。 For nearly two centuries the most popular and influential writers on government have rejected the divine origin and ground of civil authority； 122 and excluded God from the state。 They have refused to look beyond second causes； and have labored to derive authority from man alone。 They have not only separated the state from the church as an external corporation； but from God as its internal lawgiver； and by so doing have deprived the state of her sacredness； inviolability； or hold on the conscience； scoffed at loyalty as a superstition； and consecrated not civil authority； but what is called 〃the right of insurrection。〃 Under their teaching the age sympathizes not with authority in its efforts to sustain itself and protect society； but with those who conspire against itthe insurgents； rebels； revolutionists seeking its destruction。 The established government that seeks to enforce respect for its legitimate authority and compel obedience to the laws； is held to be despoti