object of the State; now that society whose end is not included in the end of any other society, is a perfect society; therefore the Church is a perfect society.
Next, every perfect society must have means for the attainment of its aim. But human passions and private interests, the vagaries of men's minds, and differences of opinion, would keep up a constant whirl wind of confusion, and annihilate all order, were these means not to be imposed on the society for its adoption in an obligatory form. When so imposed they are called laws; and hence every perfect society must have legislative power. But the same causes will perforce bring about disputes as to the way in which the means have to be applied; to decide such disputes every perfect society must have judicial power. To restrain the malevolent, and protect the good, is, unhappily, a necessary function in the government of a body of men; and hence the necessity in every perfect society of coercive power, or the right of using force. This threefold power, legislative, judicial, and coercive, must be allowed to belong to the Church if the Church be, as I have proved above, a perfect society.
Of the relations between Church and State I have written on a former occasion. I need here only repeat that neither may interfere with the other in what is out of its own sphere; that if (which I do not know if it be even possible) the eternal welfare of the subjects of a State could not be attained without loss of its temporal prosperity, eternal interests must take precedence of earthly ones; and that the ruler of neither society has a right to obedience when he commands anything out of his own sphere.
