As the Protestants 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 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 adapted to meet the wants of all these . It is prepared for two classes of mankind , embracing nearly the whole world--those who would be saved by their merits , and those who would be saved in their sins . Here is the secret of its power .
A day of great intellectual darkness has been shown to be favorable to the success of the papacy . It will yet be demonstrated that a day of great intellectual light is equally favorable for its success . In past ages , when men were without God ' s word and without the knowledge of the truth , their eyes were blindfolded , and thousands were ensnared , not seeing the net spread for their feet . In this generation there are many whose eyes become dazzled by the glare of human speculations , " science falsely so called ;" they discern not the net , and walk into it as readily as if blindfolded . God designed that man ' s intellectual powers should be held as a gift from his Maker and should be employed in the service of truth and righteousness ; but when pride and ambition are cherished , and men exalt their own theories above the word of God , then intelligence can accomplish greater harm than ignorance . Thus the false science of the
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