64 Contemporary Evolution. 



tible force of the adverse current he has in vain tried to 

 stem. 



It is true, again, the northern emperor is the crowned 

 king of Prussia ; he has repeatedly protested that his 

 power has a divine sanction, and he has been ever per- 

 sonally opposed to the anti-Christian policy in which he 

 is now engaged. His crown, however (like that of Na- 

 poleon I.), was placed upon his head by his own hand 

 an act in itself virtually amounting to repudiation of 

 a Christian theocratic basis, while the actions of his 

 government have rapidly become more and more pro- 

 foundly anti-Christian. 



To sum up, then, the results of our survey : it may be 

 asserted that since the days of St. Louis one movement 

 has in the main continued almost uninterruptedly, in 

 spite of actions of an apparently conflicting tendency. 



This process has been one of continuous disintegra- 

 tion of the mediaeval Christian theocracy, proceeding with 

 varying degrees of rapidity over the whole area of what 

 was once Christendom. 



This movement, since it first displayed itself, has been 

 aided and accelerated, not only by processes manifestly 

 in harmony with it, but also by others which were in- 

 tended and seemed calculated to arrest, or even reverse 

 it. 



The whole current of events became turned in one 

 direction, and whether here or there princely power was 



