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

DANGER OF A RECOIL. 54:5side ; it has something positive to offer to the people, whereassocialism is a negation to a great degree , it is still strong,above all, in the evil principles of the heart of man, and thecorruptions of society. Human nature is still unchanged.Men in the mass are still as fond as ever of a religion whichwill render the hope of heaven compatible with the indulgenceof their passions.the masses from the Papacy inMoreover, though scepticism has set freethe first place, it may in itsulterior effects contribute to their return. Its effect is toweaken the mind, and to prepare it for acquiescing in anyabsurdity ; and should a recoil take place, which is possiblein the case of men wearied of suffering and disappointed bythe failure of their schemes, then, just as we have seen themind of Europe pass from superstition to scepticism, somight we see it again pass from scepticism to superstition ;and thus would the revolution return to the point from whichit started. The very possibility of such an occurrence,fraught as it would be with tremendous consequences to bothliberty and religion, isenough, surely, to rouse every Christianto ask what he can do to aid in overthrowing the Papacy.Now is the time to act, without the loss of a day. A fewyears hence the conflict will be decided, and the fate of Europeand of Protestantism sealed for centuries.The work properly is twofold. There is first the overthrowof existing barriers ; and second, the introduction of thetruth. The destruction of those despotisms which have beenall along the great props of the Papacy,*—the alter egos ofthe Pope,—is the work of God. He will provide the agency* For instance, tlie censorship of the press originated with Pope AlexanderBorgia.During the eleven years of his beastly pontificate, from1492 to 1503, while the poison bowl and the stiletto were under no control,the circulation of books was put under ban.It was the same Pope,inspired by conscious cowardice, who built the long viaduct between theVatican palace and the Bastile dungeon of St Angelo, which was pulleddown in the revolution of 1848. Popes are the same in all ages. Theninth Pius, in his encyclical letter, anathematizes the " neic art of hookmakinff"—Norce artis Ubrarice ; and has rebuilt the covered gallery betweenSt Angelo and the Vatican.2 N