790 ECCLESIASTICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



of sacrilege, perjury, incontinence/ &c., fell under the &quot; arbitration of 

 the Church.&quot; 



And at the same time there had been developed a body 

 of canon law derived from papal judgments. These encroach 

 ments of ecclesiastical jurisdiction on the sphere of civil 

 jurisdiction, led eventually to struggles for supremacy; until 

 in the thirteenth century, ecclesiastical jurisdiction tegan to 

 be restricted, and has since become relatively small in range. 



636. Along with a large share in the administration 

 of justice possessed by priests in countries where, or times&quot; 

 when, they are supposed to be inspired with divine wisdom, 

 or utterers of divine injunctions, priests also have in such 

 places and times, a large share in the control of State-affairs 

 as ministers or advisers. 



In some cases the political ruler seeks their aid not 

 because he believes they have supernatural wisdom but 

 because they are useful controlling agents. Says Cruikshank, 

 &quot; many, also, among the higher and more intelligent ranks of 

 the natives [of the Gold Coast], who have very little faith in 

 the Fetish, [or fetish-man] acknowledge its value as an engine 

 of civil government.&quot; The Fijian chiefs admitted &quot; that they 

 have little respect for the power of the priests, and use them 

 merely to govern the people.&quot; Or, as Williams says, &quot; a good 

 understanding exists between the chief and the priests, and 

 the latter take care to make the gods utterances to agree 

 with the wishes of the former.&quot; Probably a kindred rela 

 tion exists in Abyssinia, where the king of Shoa rules his 

 people &quot; principally through the church.&quot; 



In other and more numerous cases, however, the power c f 

 the priest (or the medicine-man, or the man uniting both 

 characters,) as political counsellor, results from belief in 

 his supernatural knowledge. Writing of the Marutse, 

 Holub says that in King Sepopo s employment were &quot;two 

 old wizen-looking magicians or doctors, . . . who exercised 

 almost a supreme control over state affairs.&quot; Similarly, 



