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

PAPAL CALIFORNIA. 345Roman Catholic world ;yet century after century finds thesource of this mighty stream undiminished. Here is anotherof Rome's wonders ! The ocean itself would in timebecome dry, were it not fed by the rivers. Where are therivers that feed this spiritual reservoir 1 Where are theeminent living saints of the Roman Catholic Church, whosesupererogatory virtuesmaintain a balance against the infidels,socialists, formalists, and evil characters of all kindswhich, it is now confessed, abound within the pale of Rome ?We see all coming with their pitchers to draw, but nonebringing contributions hither. We are reminded of thosenatural phenomena which have exercised and baffled the ingenuityof naturalists. We have here a phenomenon exactlythe reverse of the Dead Sea, into which the floods of theJordan are hourly poured, but from whose dark confinethere issues no stream. And we have a direct resemblancein the Mediterranean, out of which a stream is ceaselesslyflowing through the Straits of Gibraltar into the capaciousbosom of the Atlantic, yet the shores of the former are everfull and undiminished. Doubtless in both cases there is acompensatory process going on, though invisibly. And perhapsRome may hold, in like manner, that the rivers thatfeed her ocean of merit roll in secret, unseen and unheard.At all events, she teaches that it is wholly inexhaustible.A time will come when the mines of Peru and Californiashall be exhausted, and their last golden grains dug up.But a time will never come when the treasury of Romeshall be exhausted, and not a grain of merit more remainto be doled out to the faithful. What has she not alreadydrawn from that exhaustless treasury !Not to speakof the kings, nobles, priests, and the countless millions ofpeople of all conditions whom she has delivered out of purgatory,she has carried on with its help numerous crusades,waged mighty wars, raised sumptuous palaces, and builtmagnificent temples..The dome of St Peter's remains animposing monument of the exhaustless mine of wealth which