Liberty of Conscience Threatened
477
516), she declares. Shall this power, whose record for a thousand years
is written in the blood of the saints, be now acknowledged as a part of
the church of Christ?
It is not without reason that the claim has been put forth in Protes-
tant countries that Catholicism differs less widely from Protestantism
than in former times. There has been a change; but the change is not in
the papacy. Catholicism indeed resembles much of the Protestantism
that now exists, because Protestantism has so greatly degenerated since
the days of the Reformers.
As the Protestant churches have been seeking the favor of the
world, false charity has blinded their eyes. They do not see but that it
is right to believe good of all evil, and as the inevitable result they will
finally believe evil of all good. Instead of standing in defense of the
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faith once delivered to the saints, they are now, as it were, apologizing
to Rome for their uncharitable opinion of her, begging pardon for their
bigotry.
A large class, even of those who look upon Romanism with no
favor, apprehend little danger from her power and influence. Many urge
that the intellectual and moral darkness prevailing during the Middle
Ages favored the spread of her dogmas, superstitions, and oppression,
and that the greater intelligence of modern times, the general diffusion
of knowledge, and the increasing liberality in matters of religion forbid
a revival of intolerance and tyranny. The very thought that such a state
of things will exist in this enlightened age is ridiculed. It is true that
great light, intellectual, moral, and religious, is shining upon this
generation. In the open pages of God’s Holy Word, light from heaven
has been shed upon the world. But it should be remembered that
the greater the light bestowed, the greater the darkness of those who
pervert and reject it.
A prayerful study of the Bible would show Protestants the real
character of the papacy and would cause them to abhor and to shun
it; but many are so wise in their own conceit that they feel no need
of humbly seeking God that they may be led into the truth. Although
priding themselves on their enlightenment, they are ignorant both of
the Scriptures and of the power of God. They must have some means
of quieting their consciences, and they seek that which is least spiritual
and humiliating. What they desire is a method of forgetting God which
shall pass as a method of remembering Him. The papacy is well