cent victims will cry to heaven for
vengeance, and the Lord will not deafen His ear to their voice. If the
American people will not soon put an end to the godless system of
education, if they permit any longer the rising generation to be raised
to infidelity, the wrath of the Lord, enkindled against them ever since
the introduction of the godless system of education, will fall upon
them. In former times, when the Lord threatened the people with His
chastisements, they entered into themselves, and did penance, because
they had faith, and the Lord was appeased. But our modern heathens laugh
at the very idea of doing penance. So the wrath of the Lord will surely
overtake them when they least expect it.

CHAPTER IX.

THE STATE.--ITS USURPATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.--ITS INCOMPETENCY
TO EDUCATE.

It is certain and undeniable that two orders of things actually exist in
this world, the natural order and the supernatural--nature and grace.
These two orders have the same ultimate end, though, in themselves, they
are distinct. Nature is, and must be, always subordinate to grace; the
natural must be always subservient to the supernatural. This is God's
immutable decree. Hence religion must always hold the first place in
everything. A system of education that places the natural and the
supernatural on the same level is absurd, and must be condemned; but a
system of education that ignores the supernatural altogether, is, if
possible, even more wicked and detestable. Yet this wicked, detestable,
irreligious system, diabolical in its origin, and subversive of all
political, social, and religious order, is imposed by the State upon all
Christian denominations, whether they approve of it or not. Now the
State has no right whatever to force such a godless system upon its
subjects.

For the right understanding of this most important point, I attach great
importance to a clear understanding of what is commonly called the
State.

_What is the State?_

People in general have a vague and confused conception of this matter.
You will hear the people talk of the "sovereignty of the State," "the
life of the State," "the power of the State," "the absolute authority of
the State," "the paramount allegiance due to the State," etc., etc. Not
only the Public at large, but even those who assume to lead and direct
public opinion, are constantly blundering on this subject.

There is nothing so _fertile_ as an idea; it will, like ever