can　hope　for　immortality；　but　if　it　be　connected　with　their　ephemeral　authority；　it　shares　their　fortunes；　and　may　fall　with　those　transient　passions　which　supported　them　for　a　day。　　The　alliance　which　religion　contracts　with　political　powers　must　needs　be　onerous　to　itself；　since　it　does　not　require　their　assistance　to　live；　and　by　giving　them　its　assistance　to　live；　and　by　giving　them　its　assistance　it　may　be　exposed　to　decay。
  The　danger　which　I　have　just　pointed　out　always　exists；　but　it　is　not　always　equally　visible。　　In　some　ages　governments　seem　to　be　imperishable；　in　others；　the　existence　of　society　appears　to　be　more　precarious　than　the　life　of　man。　　Some　constitutions　plunge　the　citizens　into　a　lethargic　somnolence；　and　others　rouse　them　to　feverish　excitement。　　When　governments　appear　to　be　so　strong；　and　laws　so　stable；　men　do　not　perceive　the　dangers　which　may　accrue　from　a　union　of　Church　and　State。　　When　governments
  display　so　much　weakness；　and　laws　so　much　inconstancy；　the　danger　is　self…evident；　but　it　is　no　longer　possible　to　avoid　it；　to　be　effectual；　measures　must　be　taken　to　discover　its　approach。
  In　proportion　as　a　nation　assumes　a　democratic　condition　of　society；　and　as　communities　display　democratic　propensities；　it　becomes　more　and　more　dangerous　to　connect　religion　with　political　institutions；　for　the　time　is　coming　when　authority　will　be　bandied　from　hand　to　hand；　when　political　theories　will　succeed　each　other；　and　when　men；　laws；　and　constitutions　will　disappear；　or　be　modified　from　day　to　day；　and　this；　not　for　a　season　only；　but　unceasingly。　　Agitation　and　mutability　are　inherent　in　the　nature　of　democratic　republics；　just　as　stagnation　and　inertness　are　the　law　of　absolute　monarchies。
  If　the　Americans；　who　change　the　head　of　the　Government　once　in　four　years；　who　elect　new　legislators　every　two　years；　and　renew　the　provincial　officers　every　twelvemonth；　if　the　Americans；　who　have　abandoned　the　political　world　to　the　attempts　of　innovators；　had　not　placed　religion　beyond　their　reach；　where　could　it　abide　in　the　ebb　and　flow　of　human　opinions？　where　would　that　respect　which　belongs　to　it　be　paid；　amidst　the　struggles　of　faction？　and　what　would　become　of　its　immortality；　in　the　midst　of　perpetual　decay？　The　American　clergy　were　the　first　to　perceive　this　truth；　and　to　act　in　conformity　with　it。　　They　saw　that　they　must　renounce　their　religious　influence；　if　they　were　to　strive　for　political　power；　and　they　chose　to　give　up　the　support　of　the　State；　rather　than　to　share　its　vicissitudes。
  In　America；　religion　is　perhaps　less　powerful　than　it　has　been　at　certain　periods　in　the　history　of　certain　peoples；　but　its　influence　is　more　lasting。　It　restricts　itself　to　its　own　resources；　but　of　those　none　can　deprive　it：　its　circle　is　limited　to　certain　principles；　but　those　principles　are　entirely　its　own；　and　under　its　undisputed　control。
  On　every　side　in　Europe　we　hear　voices　complaining　of　the　absence　of　religious　faith；　and　inquiring　the　means　of　restoring　to　religion　some　remnant　of　its　pristine　authority。　　It　seems　to　me　that　we　must　first　attentively　consider　what　ought　to　be　the　natural　state　of　men　with　regard　to　religion　at　the　present　time；　and　when　we　know　what　we　have　to　hope　and　to　fear；　we　may　discern　the　end　to　which　our　efforts　ought　to　be　directed。
  The　two　great　dangers　which　threaten　the　existence　of　religions　are　schism　and　indifference。　　In　ages　of　fervent　devotion；　men　sometimes　abandon　their　religion；　but　they　only　shake　it　off　in　order　to　adopt　another。　　Their　faith　changes　the　objects　to　which　it　is　directed；　but　it　suffers　no　decline。　The　old　religion　then　excites　enthusiastic　attachment　or　bitter　enmity　in　either　party；　some　leave　it　with　anger；　others　cling　to　it　with　increased　devotedness；　and　although　persuasions　differ；　irreligion　is　unknown。　　Such；　however；　is　not　the　case　when　a　religious　belief　is　secretly　undermined　by　doctrines　which　may　be　termed　negative；　since　they　deny　the　truth　of　one　religion　without　affirming　that　of　any　other。　　Progidious　revolutions　then　take　place　in　the　human　mind；　without　the　apparent　co…operation　of　the　passions　of　man；　and　almost　without　his　knowledge。　　Men　lose　the　objects　of　their　fondest　hopes；　as　if　through　forgetfulness。　　They　are　carried　away　by　an　imperceptible　current　which　they　have　not　the　courage　to　stem；　but　which　they　follow　with　regret；　since　it　bears　them　from　a　faith　they　love；　to　a　scepticism　that　plunges　them　into　despair。
  In　ages　which　answer　to　this　description；　men　desert　their　religious　opinions　from　lukewarmness　rather　than　from　dislike；　they　do　not　reject　them；　but　the　sentiments　by　which　they　were　once　fostered　disappear。　　But　if　the　unbeliever　does　not　admit　religion　to　be　true；　he　still　considers　it　useful。　Regarding　religious　institutions　in　a　human　point　of　view；　he　acknowledges　their　influence　upon　manners　and　legislation。　　He　admits　that　they　may　serve　to　make　men　live　in　peace　with　one　another；　and　to　prepare　them　gently　for　the　hour　of　death。　　He　regrets　the　faith　which　he　has　lost；　and　as　he　is　deprived　of　a　treasure　which　he　has　learned　to　estimate　at　its　full　value；　he　scruples　to　take　it　from　those　who　still　possess　it。
  On　the　other　hand；　those　who　continue　to　believe　are　not　afraid　openly　to　avow　their　faith。　　They　look　upon　those　who　do　not　share　their　persuasion　as　more　worthy　of　pity　than　of　opposition；　and　they　are　aware　that　to　acquire　the　esteem　of　the　unbelieving；　they　are　not　obliged　to　follow　their　example。　They　are　hostile　to　no　one　in　the　world；　and　as　they　do　not　consider　the　society　in　which　they　live　as　an　arena　in　which　religion　is　bound　to　face　its　thousand　deadly　foes；　they　love　their　contemporaries；　whilst　they　condemn　their　weaknesses　and　lament　their　errors。
  As　those　who　do　not　believe；　conceal　their　incredulity；　and　as　those　who　believe；　display　their　faith；　public　opinion　pronounces　itself　in　favor　of　religion：　love；　support；　and　honor　are　bestowed　upon　it；　and　it　is　only　by　searching　the　human　soul　that　we　can　detect　the　wounds　which　it　has　received。　The　mass　of　mankind；　who　are　never　without　the　feeling　of　religion；　do　not　perceive　anything　at　variance　with　the　established　faith。　　The　instinctive　desire　of　a　future　life　brings　the　crowd　about　the　altar；　and　opens　the　hearts　of　men　to　the　precepts　and　consolations　of　religion。
  But　this　picture　is　not　applicable　to　us：　for　there　are　men　amongst　us　who　have　ceased　to　believe　in　Christianity；　without　adopting　any　other　religion；　others　who　are　in　the　perplexities　of　doubt；　and　who　already　affect　not　to　believe；　and　others；　again；　who　are　afraid　to　avow　that　Christian　faith　which　they　still　cherish　in　secret。
  Amidst　these　lukewarm　partisans　and　ardent　antagonists　a　small　number　of　believers　exist；　who　are　ready　to　brave　all　obstacles　and　to　scorn　all　dangers　in　defence　of　their　faith。　　They　have　done　violence　to　human　weakness；　in　order　to　rise　superior　to　public　opinion。　　Excited　by　the　effort　they　have　made；　they　scarcely　knew　where　to　stop；　and　as　they　know　that　the　first　use　which　the　French　made　of　independence　was　to　attack　religion；　they　look　upon　their　contemporaries　with　dread；　and　they　recoil　in　alarm　from　the　liberty　which　their　fellow…citizens　are　seeking　to　obtain。　　As　unbelief　appears　to　them　to　be　a　novelty；　they　comprise　all　that　is　new　in　one　indiscriminate　animosity。　　They　are　at　war　with　their　age　and　country；　and　they　look　upon　every　opinion　which　is　put　forth　there　as　the　necessary　enemy　of　the　faith。
  Such　is　not　the　natural　state　of　men　with　regard　to　religion　at　the　present　day；　and　some　extraordinary　or　incidental　cause　must　be　at　work　in　France　to　prevent　the　human　mind　from　following　its　original　propensities　and　to　drive　it　beyond　the　limits　at　which　it　ought　naturally　to　stop。　　I　am　intimately　convinced　that　this　extraordinary　and　incidental　cause　is　the　close　connection　of　politics　and　religion。　　The　unbelievers　of　Europe　attack　the　Christians　as　their　political　opponents；　rather　than　as　their　religious　adversaries；　they　hate　the　Christian　religion　as　the　opinion　of　a　party；　much　more　than　as　an　error　of　belief；　and　they　reject　the　clergy　less　because　they　are　the　representatives　of　the　Divinity　than　because　they　are　the　allies　of　authority。
  In　Europe；　Christianity　has　been　intimately　united　to　the　powers　of　the　earth。　　Those　powers　are　now　in　decay；　and　it　is；　as　it　were；　buried　under　their　ruins。　　The　living　body　of　religion　has　been　bound　down　to　the　dead　corpse　of　superannuated　polity：　cut　but　the　bonds　which　restrain　it；　and　that　which　is　alive　will　rise　once　more。　　I　know　not　what　could　restore　the　Christian　Church　of　Europe　to　the　energy　of　its　earlier　days；　that　power　belongs　to　God　alone；　but　it　may　be　the　effect　of　human　policy　to　leave　the　faith　in　the　full　exercise　of　the　strength　which　it　still　retains。
  How　The　Instruction；　The　Habits；　And　The　Practical　Experience　Of　The　Americans　Promote　The　Success　Of　Their　Democratic　Institutions
  What　is　to　be　understood　by　the　instruction　of　the　American　people　…　The　human　mind　more　superficially　instructed　in　the　United　States　than　in　Europe　…　No　one　completely　uninstructed　…　Reason　of　this　…　Rapidity　with　which　o