Three Ideals. 95 



recent legislation, and thus a tertium quid will be arrived 

 at by the consent of the Roman Catholics, and of those 

 who, being in favour of civic freedom, do not (like the 

 Reinkenists and fanatical pagans) desire the State es- 

 tablishment of a rival system. 



This tertium quid must be the severance of Church 

 and State another important step in that great process 

 of six centuries' growth which it has been here endea- 

 voured to depict. 



To return from this digression : it seems that social 

 evolution, if it continues to advance along the same path 

 as hitherto, must mean the entire .destruction of the 

 mediaeval Christian theocracy. 



If this destruction should be accompanied by the uni- 

 versal enforcement of a rival pagan system, an anti- 

 theocratic establishment, the effect would no doubt be 

 most disastrous for Christianity. It may, however, be 

 confidently affirmed that, whatever be the extravagances 

 of the paganism to come, Jio attempt to erect a universal 

 pagan tf;z/2-theocratic and pantheistic despotism could 

 resist the hostile coalition of Christians with all those 

 who desire the natural liberty of the individual citizen. 

 The monstrous claim of men, as mere men, to control 

 and direct the consciences of their fellows, could never 

 succeed in justifying itself to the human reason. 



With a regime of true freedom, that is, where there is 

 liberty and order, experience shows us that Christianity 

 can grow and thrive. 



