The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

1 64 PRINCIPLES OF SUPREMACY UNCHANGEABLE.authority and the liberties of the world.In no fairer traincould matters be for realizing all that Rome aspires to.And soon would she realize her aim, were it not that thepresent era differs from all preceding ones, in that there isan antagonist force in existence in the shape of an infidelDemocracy. These two tremendous forces,—Democracy andCatholicism, — poise one another ; and neither can reign solong as both exist. But who can tell how soon the equilibriummay be destroyed ?Should the balance preponderatein favour of the Catholic element,—should Popery succeedin bringing over from the infidel and democratic camp asufficient number of converts to enable her to crush her antagonist,—thesupremacy is again in her hands. With Democracycollapsed, with the State exhausted and owing itssalvation to the Church, and with a priesthood burning toaveno;e the disasters and humiliations of three centuries,wo to Europe !—the darkest page of its history would beyet to be written.