11. The Limits of Civil Government

Dabney warns that governments are often eager to lean on the church to do its bidding and that if we are not careful the energies of the church will be subsumed under the aims of the state. The establishment of the church by the state almost always turns out better for the state than the church.

[@ExperimentalSermons]

I would make two counter arguments to Dabney. First, a soft Christian establishment is a good thing, namely blue laws, the Lord's prayer, and Bible readings in public schools, etc. I am sure Dabney supported this. Second, Dabney could advocate for the superiority of free associations only after 1500 years of de facto establishment of Christianity and cultural hegemony. Sadly, we are closer culturally now to Augustine than to Dabney. The Theodosian Code was a form of lawfare against paganism and we will probably need that again.