ound.

Marvelous in her shrewdness and cunning is the Roman Church. She can read
what is to be. She bides her time, seeing that the Protestant churches are
paying her homage in their acceptance of the false sabbath, and that they
are preparing to enforce it by the very means which she herself employed
in bygone days. Those who reject the light of truth will yet seek the aid
of this self-styled infallible power to exalt an institution that
originated with her. How readily she will come to the help of Protestants
in this work, it is not difficult to conjecture. Who understands better
than the papal leaders how to deal with those who are disobedient to the
church?

The Roman Catholic Church, with all its ramifications throughout the
world, forms one vast organization, under the control, and designed to
serve the interests, of the papal see. Its millions of communicants, in
every country on the globe, are instructed to hold themselves as bound in
allegiance to the pope. Whatever their nationality or their government,
they are to regard the authority of the church as above all other. Though
they may take the oath pledging their loyalty to the state, yet back of
this lies the vow of obedience to Rome, absolving them from every pledge
inimical to her interests.

History testifies of her artful and persistent efforts to insinuate
herself into the affairs of nations; and having gained a foothold, to
further her own aims, even at the ruin of princes and people. In the year
1204, Pope Innocent III. extracted from Peter II., king of Arragon, the
following extraordinary oath: "I, Peter, king of Arragonians, profess and
promise to be ever faithful and obedient to my lord, Pope Innocent, to his
Catholic successors, and the Roman Church, and faithfully to preserve my
kingdom in his obedience, defending the Catholic faith, and persecuting
heretical pravity."(1021) This is in harmony with the claims regarding the
power of the Roman pontiff, that "it is lawful for him to depose
emperors," and that "he can absolve subjects from their allegiance to
unrighteous rulers."(1022)

And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she never changes.
The principles of Gregory VII. and Innocent III. are still the principles
of the Roman Catholic Church. And had she but the power, she would put
them in practice with as much vigor now as in past centuries. Protestants
little know what they are doing when they propose to accept the aid of
Rom