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

the constitutedTHE " "WOMAN DRUNKEN WITH BLOOD."" 443guardians of orthodoxy in their dominions,and are bound to employ their swords in the extirpationof heresy and heretics. This doctrine the Church of Romewrote in blood in every country of Europe. A grievousperversion it was of the ends of civil government, and itled directly to persecution for conscience' sake. The Churchof Rome has earned for herself unrivalled notoriety as apersecutor. Pagan Rome shed the blood of the saints, butPapal Rome was drunk with the blood of the saints. Wehave already alluded to the numbers who, in the twelfthcentury, in central Europe, held the pure doctrines of theNew Testament, and protested against the Church of RomeThese confessors aboundedas the Antichrist of Scripture.in the southern provinces of France, in the valley of theRhine, in Lombardy, and in Bohemia. They occupied a beltof country of considerable breadth on both sides of theAlps, stretching from the mouths of the Po to those of theGaronne. They were as distinguished from their neighboursby the skill and industry with which they prosecuted artsand manufactures, as by their extraordinary acquaintancewith the Scriptures, and the pure morality of their lives.The Reformation would have broken out in that century,or in the first half of the next, but for the violent andbloody measures of Rome. She saw the danger ; she unsheathedthe sword; nor did she return it to its scabbard tillscarce a man remained to carry tidings of the catastropheto posterity. The three centuries that preceded the Reformationwere one continued massacre. The armed force ofwestern Europe, led on by Rome, was employed to crusha peaceful and industrious, a virtuous and a loyal people,guiltless, but for the crime of refusing to bow the knee tothe Dagon of the Seven Hills. Southern France became aperfect shambles. The Alps were swept with fire andsword. Bohemia and the Rhine were overwhelmed witharmies, with dungeons, and with scaffolds. Three centuriesof crimes, of wars, of bloodshed, at lengthcompleted theirrevolution, and Rome was able to announce that heresy was