Machiavelli believed politics was based on human action, rather than religious conviction or sentiment and did much to revive the Roman idea of virtue. According to him, religion and religious morals were fine insofar as they helped bolster a common moral code and keep the social peace. However, religion and religious morals should not prevent a prince (i.e. sovereign or ruler) from exercising his authority or acting in the interests of the state. Though he prescribed religion for the masses as a healthy thing, he proscribed it for princes. The correct answer is C.