94 Contemporary Evohition. 



strengthen, while those which have diminished demands 

 on them will dwindle."* 



Under the sway of a benevolent government there is 

 a certain natural tendency amongst Christians to feeble 

 volitions in support of their religion, from the small 

 opportunities offered for the energetic exercise of such 

 volitions. On the other hand, a persecution such as is 

 now going on tends, as so many of the elections prove 

 (more even by the increase in the number of opposition 

 voters than by the number of Christian members returned), 

 to elicit acts which by their very exercise strengthen the 

 feelings and stimulate the volitions which gave them birth. 

 Moreover, as the persecution increases in intensity, the 

 reaction in favour of civic freedom (already evinced by no 

 inconsiderable support) will also increase, and these effects 

 must continue till the cause is removed. More and more 

 respect and sympathy for the Roman Catholic clergy 

 will be felt and manifested by an increasing number of 

 Protestants who see that the former are fighting their 

 battle also, and who admire their courage and constancy. 

 Thus a great strengthening of the Roman Catholic Church 

 in Prussia cannot but be the final result of these hostile 

 efforts, since the times do not admit, as yet, of a bloody 

 war of extermination. 



Nevertheless, the anti-theocratic tendency will probably 

 remain too powerful to allow of a simple reversal of the 



* " Study of Sociology," p. 372. 



