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

474 INFLUENCE OF POPERY ON NATIONS.CHAPTER V.INFLUENCE OF POPERY ON THE SOCIAL AND POLITICALCONDITION OF NATIONS.Our second proposition is, that Popish nations are inferiorto Protestant nations in respect of general prosperity andhappiness.The economic condition of a nation grows directly out ofits moral and intellectual state. We have already shownhow vastly inferior, in this respect, are popish nations toprotestant nations; but they are as inferior in point of wealthand general prosperity. The Reformation demonstrated thatthe doctrines of Popery were false ; the three centuries whichhave since elapsed have demonstrated that their influence isevil. The former brought Popery to the test of the Bible ;the other has brought it to the test of experience; andPopery has been cast on both grounds.the firstIt was convicted, ininstance, of being the enemy of divine truth, andtherefore, of man''s eternal happiness • it has been convicted,in the second instance, of being opposed to political and economictruth, and therefore the foe of man''s temporal welfare.The Reformation brought with it a great and visiblequickening of mind . it released it from the fetters it hadworn for ages,—awoke the intellect,—touched the sympathiesand aspirations ;and hence there was not a countryinto which it was introduced that did not start forward in