What was an important outcome of the age of reason in the 17th and 18th centuries?

When Europe entered the dark ages after the decline of the Roman Empire, most of the historic roman and Greek knowledge was lost and the religious institutions (church) began to held sway over the people, their thinking and even the political control. Religion almost controlled all aspects of the society and demanded the unquestioned loyalty and obedience.

However, during the age of enlightenment in 17th and 18th centuries, many philosophers and scholars started to think out side of the religious boundaries and the long lost roman and Greek knowledge was finally found.

This gave rise to free thinking, democracy, scientific innovation, political and economic freedom and eventually separated the church from the state and gave birth to powerful national states.