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