You will probably say that the government of the early Christians was of the latter kind--that they were governed by priests, in fact.

But on the other hand, there is no doubt that both those who governed, and those who were governed by them, had all things in common, regarded no man as naturally superior to another, and preached a fraternity and equality at least as sincere as those inculcated by the first French Republic.

I do not see how you can avoid calling such community a republic, seeing that there was an equal partition of wealth; and defining it as a democratic one, seeing that they all called each other brethren." "But the hierarchy--what became of it ?" inquired Gouache.
"The hierarchy existed within the democracy, by common consent and for the public good, and formed a second democracy of smaller extent but greater power.

Any man might become a priest, any priest might become a bishop, any bishop might become pope, as surely as any born citizen of Rome could become consul, or any native of New York may be elected President of the United States.

Now in theory this was beautiful, and in practice the democratic spirit of the hierarchy, the smaller republic, has survived in undiminished vigour to the present day.