, COOXIX 



had n*o political importance. This overshot the mark, and naturally 

 displeased European opinion ; so we gave way to a strong re-action, 

 and at one time we borrowed from the religious politics of Grreat Britain 

 to an extent which laid us open to complaints that the English Govern- 

 ment in its endeavour to assume an impartial and irresponsible attitude 

 towards all religions, had not sufficiently regarded the material interests 

 of the native creeds and rituals, or their prescriptive claims upon the 

 ruler, whoever he may be, of their country. . . . 



" In England an assurance of neutrality would probably mean that 

 the Grovernment had determined to have nothing whatever to do with 

 the affairs, temporal or spiritual, of any sect or creed ; in India, the 

 declaration is generally taken to convey a welcome guarantee that the 

 Queen will not favor one religion more than another; but it is not 

 SO' welcome if it is found to mean the complete renunciation by their 

 governors of all direct authority or headship over the management of 

 the temporal interests of their religions. Such a course of action is 

 foreign to all historic experience of the relations between secular and 

 ecclesiastical authorities throughout Asia. It may be the only course 

 now open to the English in India ; nevertheless another might be 

 learned from observing the organization of all great Asiatic Grovernments, 

 and from the example of every ruler over divers tribes and nationalities 

 — namely, that in certain conditions of society the immediate authority 

 and close supervision of a monarch over the powerful religious interests 

 with which he has to reckon at every step, is a matter of political 

 expediency, not an affair of doctrine or opinion, but a recognized duty 

 of the State. To relinquish this position is to let go at least one real 

 political advantage which accrues to us from our attitude of perfect 

 neutrality, that of enabling us to superintend and guarantee the reli- 

 gious administration of all sects with entire impartiality, and with the 

 confidence of our subjects. There is no reason whatever to regret the 

 abolition of the old regime under which public officers were literally 

 agents and managers for religious institutions ; that system was rightly 

 condemned. But to cut away all the historic ties between Church and 

 State, to free Asiatic religions from every kind of direct subordination 

 to the executive power, would be to push the principle further in India, 

 where it is not understood and has no advocates, than has as yet been 

 attempted even in any«country of Europe, where it is supported by a 

 large and increasing party." 



