the great controversy-第63节

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superstition；　and　sunken　in　vice；　so　that　they　were　wholly　unfitted　for
self…government。

But　the　outworking　of　all　this　was　widely　different　from　what　Rome　had
purposed。　Instead　of　holding　the　masses　in　a　blind　submission　to　her　dogmas；
her　work　resulted　in　making　them　infidels　and　revolutionists。　Romanism　they
despised　as　priestcraft。　They　beheld　the　clergy　as　a　party　to　their
oppression。　The　only　god　they　knew　was　the　god　of　Rome；　her　teaching　was
their　only　religion。　They　regarded　her　greed　and　cruelty　as　the　legitimate
fruit　of　the　Bible；　and　they　would　have　none　of　it。

Rome　had　misrepresented　the　character　of　God　and　perverted　His　requirements；
and　now　men　rejected　both　the　Bible　and　its　Author。　She　had　required　a　blind
faith　in　her　dogmas；　under　the　pretended　sanction　of　the　Scriptures。　In　the
reaction；　Voltaire　and　his　associates　cast　aside　God's　word　altogether　and
spread　everywhere　the　poison　of　infidelity。　Rome　had　ground　down　the　people
under　her　iron　heel；　and　now　the　masses；　degraded　and　brutalized；　in　their
recoil　from

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her　tyranny；　cast　off　all　restraint。　Enraged　at　the　glittering　cheat　to
which　they　had　so　long　paid　homage；　they　rejected　truth　and　falsehood
together；　and　mistaking　license　for　liberty；　the　slaves　of　vice　exulted　in
their　imagined　freedom。

At　the　opening　of　the　Revolution；　by　a　concession　of　the　king；　the　people
were　granted　a　representation　exceeding　that　of　the　nobles　and　the　clergy
combined。　Thus　the　balance　of　power　was　in　their　hands；　but　they　were　not
prepared　to　use　it　with　wisdom　and　moderation。　Eager　to　redress　the　wrongs
they　had　suffered；　they　determined　to　undertake　the　reconstruction　of
society。　An　outraged　populace；　whose　minds　were　filled　with　bitter　and
long…treasured　memories　of　wrong；　resolved　to　revolutionize　the　state　of
misery　that　had　grown　unbearable　and　to　avenge　themselves　upon　those　whom
they　regarded　as　the　authors　of　their　sufferings。　The　oppressed　wrought　out
the　lesson　they　had　learned　under　tyranny　and　became　the　oppressors　of　those
who　had　oppressed　them。

Unhappy　France　reaped　in　blood　the　harvest　she　had　sown。　Terrible　were　the
results　of　her　submission　to　the　controlling　power　of　Rome。　Where　France；
under　the　influence　of　Romanism；　had　set　up　the　first　stake　at　the　opening
of　the　Reformation；　there　the　Revolution　set　up　its　first　guillotine。　On　the
very　spot　where　the　first　martyrs　to　the　Protestant　faith　were　burned　in　the
sixteenth　century；　the　first　victims　were　guillotined　in　the　eighteenth。　In
repelling　the　gospel；　which　would　have　brought　her　healing；　France　had
opened　the　door　to　infidelity　and　ruin。　When　the　restraints　of　God's　law
were　cast　aside；　it　was　found　that　the　laws　of　man　were　inadequate　to　hold
in　check　the　powerful　tides　of　human　passion；　and　the　nation　swept　on　to
revolt　and　anarchy。　The　war　against　the　Bible　inaugurated　an　era　which
stands　in　the　world's　history　as　the　Reign　of　Terror。　Peace　and　happiness
were　banished　from　the　homes　and　hearts　of　men。　No　one　was　secure。　He　who
triumphed　today　was　suspected；　condemned；　tomorrow。　Violence　and　lust　held
undisputed　sway。

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King；　clergy；　and　nobles　were　compelled　to　submit　to　the　atrocities　of　an
excited　and　maddened　people。　Their　thirst　for　vengeance　was　only　stimulated
by　the　execution　of　the　king；　and　those　who　had　decreed　his　death　soon
followed　him　to　the　scaffold。　A　general　slaughter　of　all　suspected　of
hostility　to　the　Revolution　was　determined。　The　prisons　were　crowded；　at　one
time　containing　more　than　two　hundred　thousand　captives。　The　cities　of　the
kingdom　were　filled　with　scenes　of　horror。　One　party　of　revolutionists　was
against　another　party；　and　France　became　a　vast　field　for　contending　masses；
swayed　by　the　fury　of　their　passions。　〃In　Paris　one　tumult　succeeded
another；　and　the　citizens　were　divided　into　a　medley　of　factions；　that
seemed　intent　on　nothing　but　mutual　extermination。〃　And　to　add　to　the
general　misery；　the　nation　became　involved　in　a　prolonged　and　devastating
war　with　the　great　powers　of　Europe。　〃The　country　was　nearly　bankrupt；　the
armies　were　clamoring　for　arrears　of　pay；　the　Parisians　were　starving；　the
provinces　were　laid　waste　by　brigands；　and　civilization　was　almost
extinguished　in　anarchy　and　license。〃

All　too　well　the　people　had　learned　the　lessons　of　cruelty　and　torture　which
Rome　had　so　diligently　taught。　A　day　of　retribution　at　last　had　come。　It　was
not　now　the　disciples　of　Jesus　that　were　thrust　into　dungeons　and　dragged　to
the　stake。　Long　ago　these　had　perished　or　been　driven　into　exile。　Unsparing
Rome　now　felt　the　deadly　power　of　those　whom　she　had　trained　to　delight　in
deeds　of　blood。　〃The　example　of　persecution　which　the　clergy　of　France　had
exhibited　for　so　many　ages；　was　now　retorted　upon　them　with　signal　vigor。
The　scaffolds　ran　red　with　the　blood　of　the　priests。　The　galleys　and　the
prisons；　once　crowded　with　Huguenots；　were　now　filled　with　their
persecutors。　Chained　to　the　bench　and　toiling　at　the　oar；　the　Roman　Catholic
clergy　experienced　all　those　woes　which　their　church　had　so　freely　inflicted
on　the　gentle　heretics。〃　（See　Appendix。）

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〃Then　came　those　days　when　the　most　barbarous　of　all　codes　was　administered
by　the　most　barbarous　of　all　tribunals；　when　no　man　could　greet　his
neighbors　or　say　his　prayers　。　。　。　without　danger　of　committing　a　capital
crime；　when　spies　lurked　in　every　corner；　when　the　guillotine　was　long　and
hard　at　work　every　morning；　when　the　jails　were　filled　as　close　as　the　holds
of　a　slave　ship；　when　the　gutters　ran　foaming　with　blood　into　the　Seine。　。　。
。　While　the　daily　wagonloads　of　victims　were　carried　to　their　doom　through
the　streets　of　Paris；　the　proconsuls；　whom　the　sovereign　committee　had　sent
forth　to　the　departments；　reveled　in　an　extravagance　of　cruelty　unknown　even
in　the　capital。　The　knife　of　the　deadly　machine　rose　and　fell　too　slow　for
their　work　of　slaughter。　Long　rows　of　captives　were　mowed　down　with
grapeshot。　Holes　were　made　in　the　bottom　of　crowded　barges。　Lyons　was　turned
into　a　desert。　At　Arras　even　the　cruel　mercy　of　a　speedy　death　was　denied　to
the　prisoners。　All　down　the　Loire；　from　Saumur　to　the　sea；　great　flocks　of
crows　and　kites　feasted　on　naked　corpses；　twined　together　in　hideous
embraces。　No　mercy　was　shown　to　sex　or　age。　The　number　of　young　lads　and　of
girls　of　seventeen　who　were　murdered　by　that　execrable　government；　is　to　be
reckoned　by　hundreds。　Babies　torn　from　the　breast　were　tossed　from　pike　to
pike　along　the　Jacobin　ranks。〃　（See　Appendix。）　In　the　short　space　of　ten
years；　multitudes　of　human　beings　perished。

All　this　was　as　Satan　would　have　it。　This　was　what　for　ages　he　had　been
working　to　secure。　His　policy　is　deception　from　first　to　last；　and　his
steadfast　purpose　is　to　bring　woe　and　wretchedness　upon　men；　to　deface　and
defile　the　workmanship　of　God；　to　mar　the　divine　purposes　of　benevolence　and
love；　and　thus　cause　grief　in　heaven。　Then　by　his　deceptive　arts　he　blinds
the　minds　of　men；　and　leads　them　to　throw　back　the　blame　of　his　work　upon
God；　as　if　all　this　misery　were　the　result　of　the　Creator's　plan。　In　like
manner；　when

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those　who　have　been　degraded　and　brutalized　through　his　cruel　power　achieve
their　freedom；　he　urges　them　on　to　excesses　and　atrocities。　Then　this
picture　of　unbridled　license　is　pointed　out　by　tyrants　and　oppressors　as　an
illustration　of　the　results　of　liberty。

When　error　in　one　garb　has　been　detected；　Satan　only　masks　it　in　a　different
disguise；　and　multitudes　receive　it　as　eagerly　as　at　the　first。　When　the
people　found　Romanism　to　be　a　deception；　and　he　could　not　through　this
agency　lead　them　to　transgression　of　God's　law；　he　urged　them　to　regard　all
religion　as　a　cheat；　and　the　Bible　as　a　fable；　and；　casting　aside　the　divine
statutes；　they　gave　themselves　up　to　unbridled　iniquity。

The　fatal　error　which　wrought　such　woe　for　the　inhabitants　of　France　was　the
ignoring　of　this　one　great　truth：　that　true　freedom　lies　within　the
proscriptions　of　the　law　of　God。　〃O　that　thou　hadst　hearkened　to　My
commandments！　then　had　thy　peace　been　as　a　river；　and　thy　righteousness　as
the　waves　of　the　sea。〃　〃There　is　no　peace；　saith　the　Lord；　unto　the　wicked。〃
〃But　whoso　hearkeneth　unto　Me　shall　dwell　safely；　and　shall　be　quiet　from
fear　of　evil。〃　Isaiah　48：18；　22；　Proverbs　1：33。

Atheists；　infidels；　and　apostates　oppose　and　denounce　God's　law；　but　the
results　of　their　influence　prove　that　the　well…being　of　man　is　bound　up　with
his　obedience　of　the　divine　statutes。　Those　who　will　not　read　the　lesson
from　the　book　of　God　are　bidden　to　read　it　in　the　history　of　nations。

When　Satan　wrought　through　the　Roman　Church　to　lead　men　away　from　obedience；
his　agency　was　concealed；　and　his　work　was　so　disguised　that　the　degradation
and　misery　which　resulted　were　not　seen　to　be　the　fruit　of　transgression。
And　his　power　was　so　far　counteracted　by　the　working　of　the　Spirit　of　God
that　his　purposes　were　prevented　from　reaching　their　full　fruition。　The
people　did　not　trace　the　effect　to　its　caus