s offenses was
usually given over to the civil authority.

{277}

_Attempt to Dominate the Temporal Powers_.--Having developed a strong
hierarchy which completely dominated the laity, from which it had
separated, having amassed wealth and gained power, and having invaded
the temporal power in the apprehension and punishment of crime, the
church was prepared to go a step farther and set its authority above
kings and princes in the management of all temporal affairs. In this
it almost succeeded, for its power of excommunication was so great as
to make the civil authorities tremble and bow down before it. The
struggle of church and empire in the Middle Ages, and, indeed, into the
so-called modern era, represents one of the important phases of
history. The idea of a world empire had long dominated the minds of
the people, who looked to the Roman imperialism as the final solution
of all government. But as this gradually declined and was replaced by
the Christian church, the idea of a world religion finally became
prevalent. Hence the ideas of a world religion and a world empire were
joined in the Holy Roman Empire, begun by Charlemagne and established
by Otto the Great. In this combination the church assumed first place
as representing the eternal God, as the head of all things temporal and
spiritual.

In this respect the church easily overreached itself in the employment
of force to carry out its plans. Assuming to control by love, it had
entered the lists to contend with force and intrigue, and it became
subject to all forms of degradation arising from political corruption.
In this respect its high object became degraded to the mere attempt to
dominate. The greed for power and force was very great, and this again
and again led the church into error and lessened its influence in the
actual regeneration of man and society.

_Dogmatism_.--The progress of the imperial power of the church finally
settled into the condition of absolute authority over the thoughts and
minds of the people. The church assumed to be absolutely correct in
its theory of authority, and assumed to be infallible in regard to
matters of right and wrong. It went farther, and prescribed what men
should {278} believe, and insisted that they should accept that dictum
without question, on the authority of the church. This monopoly of
religious belief assumed by the church had a tendency to stifle free
inquiry and to retard progress. It more th