ABSTRACT
The Roman religion, practised from one end of Europe to the other, was the passive link of European society. A territory independent of all temporal domination was the seat of the leaders of the clergy. Through their policy they maintained that European balance which was beneficial then but which became disastrous when it was seized upon by one people. Half the Europeans freed themselves from the chains of papism, shattering the only political link which bound them to the larger society. Separated from the continent by the sea, it ceased to have anything in common with those who lived there by creating its own national religion and a government different from all other European governments. Its constitution was no longer founded on prejudice and custom, but on what is required at all times and in all places, on what should be the basis of every constitution: the liberty and happiness of the people.
