Contemporary Evolution. 



merciful, maintained the sacred rights of conscience, and 

 by patient endurance, sufferings, and death, vindicated the 

 claim of each individual not only citizen, but slave to 

 the freedom of a rational and responsible nature. 



As the mediaeval Christendom was slowly built up, not 

 only did the rights of conscience, under the shelter and 

 sanction of the Church, find constant recognition, but 

 civil privileges and immunities were gained from rude 

 feudal lords as consequences of such rights. 



The Christian Church ever officially respected the 

 rights of conscience, and however much such rights were 

 practically disregarded in Spain or elsewhere, never 

 claimed jurisdiction over any but her own spiritual chil- 

 dren ; that is, the baptized. Jews were ever protected at 

 Rome, and long met with a shelter there denied them in 

 almost the whole of Christendom besides. Unlike Ma- 

 hometanism, the Church never sanctioned the use of the 

 sword for the propagation of the faith, though asserting 

 the legitimacy of its use for purposes of defence. 



Especially was the Church watchful against the asser- 

 tion of religious authority or control on the part of the 

 State. The religious authorities were the representatives 

 of the people who believed in and accepted their minis- 

 trations, and submitted to them their consciences, and 

 thus our own great and glorious martyr of Canterbury, 

 the pride of the English Church, died for liberty of con- 

 science, for liberty in religion, of the people's chosen 



