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

LEANS ON HUMAN PASSIONS. 413rather than receive it as a free gift. This propensity Poperycompletely gratifies.Its grand characteristic, as a relifjioiissystem, is worh, in opposition to faith,—salvation bymerit, in opposition to salvation by grace. And thus, whileit traverses the grand idea of the gospel, it enlists on itsside the pride of the human heart. This lays open to usone of the main sources of Popery's success. While thegospel is met by the whole force of unsanctified human nature,because it seeks to eradicate those principles whichare natui-ally the most powerful in the heart of man, and toimplant their opposites, Popery takes man as he is, and,without seeking to eradicate a single evil principle, findshim a sphere and sets him a-working. Passions alreadystrong Popery nurtures into yet greater strength, and socreates a vast moving force within the man. If her fundof heavenly treasure be imaginary, not so her fund of earthlypower. There exist within her pale elements of diversecharacter and tremendous force, and these Popery knowsright well how to guide. The forces are completely underher control; and however noxious in themselves, and howeverdestructive if left to act without restraint, she knowshow to make them not only perfectly safe, but eminentlyserviceable. In few things is the genius of Popery moreconspicuous than in this composition of forces,—this combinationof elements the most various ; so that from theutmost diversity of action there is educed at last the mostperfect unity of result, and that result the aggrandizementof the Church. That Church provides convents for the asceticand the mystic, carnivals for the gay, missions forthe enthusiast, penances for the man suffering from remorse,sisterhoods of mercy for the benevolent, crusades for thechivalrous,intrigue,secret missions for the man whose genius lies inthe Inquisition, with its racks and screws, for theman who combines detestation of heresy with the love ofcruelty, indulgences for the man of wealth and pleasure,purgatory to awe the refractory and frighten the vulgar,and a subtile theology for the casuist and the dialectician.