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102 PROBLEMS CONFRONTING RUSSIA
the Emperor Constantine declared that Christianity was to
be the State religion in his dominions, and it served the
cause of that religion badly when the Bishop of Rome,
fascinated by the world-power which ancient Rome exercised
of old, conceived the idea of placing himself at the head of
the Christian Church and exercising an absolute power over
the world. In this way the Christian religion was vested
in a theocratic form of government and became imbued
with temporal power. Two principles were here fused
together which could not possibly form a good alloy.
Religion—i.e. " the Kingdom of God "—is not of this world,
as the New Testament expressly states, its purpose being
to order that man should serve God, and consider life on
earth a mere preparation for an existence to come. The
aim of the State, on the other hand, is to satisfy all the
requirements which are a part of the social co-ordination
of the life of man, and to raise it to the highest possible
degree of efficiency, development, and prosperity. This
fundamental difference between State and religion makes it
abundantly clear that if not kept apart each will interfere
with the other. It has always been a mistake to use the
power of the State for the spiritual aims of religion, and
the power of religion for the temporal purposes of the State.
The theocratic form of State rule in Palestine, Egypt, the
Papal State of the Church, and in Russia, has proved to
be the worst of all forms of State rule, involving inefficiency,
stagnation, and the stifling of freedom of conscience.
Intolerance formed an essential part of this system, as the
power of the State had to support a certain religion, and
as religion had to serve the purposes of the State. A great
patriot and defender of Russian State interests, Katkoff,
who himself belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church,
wrote as far back as forty years ago in favour of tolerance :
" The Orthodox Church as a Catholic Church cannot be
identified with one special race. If she is identified with
the Russian nationality, this is a sin against her Catholic
character, and is at the same time an attempt against the
Russian State by estranging from it and pushing into enemy
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