that　had　held　them　bondslaves　of　ignorance；　vice；　and　superstition。　They
  began　to　think　and　act　as　men。　Monarchs　saw　it　and　trembled　for　their
  despotism。
  Rome　was　not　slow　to　inflame　their　jealous　fears。　Said　the　pope　to　the
  regent　of　France　in　1525：　〃This　mania　＇Protestantism＇　will　not　only　confound
  and　destroy　religion；　but　all　principalities；　nobility；　laws；　orders；　and
  ranks　besides。〃　G。　de　Felice；　History　of　the　Protestants　of　France；　b。　1；
  ch。　2；　par。　8。　A　few　years　later　a　papal　nuncio　warned　the　king：　〃Sire；　be
  not　deceived。　The　Protestants　will　upset　all　civil　as　well　as　religious
  order。　。　。　。　The　throne　is　in　as　much　danger　as　the　altar。　。　。　。　The
  introduction　of　a　new　religion　must　necessarily　introduce　a　new
  government。〃D'Aubigne；　History　of　the　Reformation　in　Europe　in　the　Time　of
  Calvin；　b。　2；　ch。　36。　And　theologians　appealed　to　the　prejudices　of　the
  people　by　declaring　that　the　Protestant　doctrine　〃entices　men　away　to
  novelties　and　folly；　it　robs　the　king　of　the　devoted　affection　of　his
  subjects；　and　devastates　both　church　and　state。〃　Thus　Rome　succeeded　in
  arraying　France　against　the　Reformation。　〃It　was　to　uphold　the　throne；
  preserve　the　nobles；　and　maintain　the　laws；　that　the　sword　of　persecution
  was　first　unsheathed　in　France。〃Wylie；　b。　13；　ch。　4。
  Little　did　the　rulers　of　the　land　foresee　the　results　of　that　fateful
  policy。　The　teaching　of　the　Bible　would　have　implanted　in　the　minds　and
  hearts　of　the　people　those　principles　of　justice；　temperance；　truth；　equity；
  and　benevolence　which　are　the　very　cornerstone　of　a　nation's　prosperity。
  〃Righteousness　exalteth　a　nation。〃　Thereby　〃the　throne　is　established。〃
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  Proverbs　14：34；　16：12。　〃The　work　of　righteousness　shall　be　peace；〃　and　the
  effect；　〃quietness　and　assurance　forever。〃　Isaiah　32：17。　He　who　obeys　the
  divine　law　will　most　truly　respect　and　obey　the　laws　of　his　country。　He　who
  fears　God　will　honor　the　king　in　the　exercise　of　all　just　and　legitimate
  authority。　But　unhappy　France　prohibited　the　Bible　and　banned　its　disciples。
  Century　after　century；　men　of　principle　and　integrity；　men　of　intellectual
  acuteness　and　moral　strength；　who　had　the　courage　to　avow　their　convictions
  and　the　faith　to　suffer　for　the　truthfor　centuries　these　men　toiled　as
  slaves　in　the　galleys；　perished　at　the　stake；　or　rotted　in　dungeon　cells。
  Thousands　upon　thousands　found　safety　in　flight；　and　this　continued　for　two
  hundred　and　fifty　years　after　the　opening　of　the　Reformation。
  〃Scarcely　was　there　a　generation　of　Frenchmen　during　the　long　period　that
  did　not　witness　the　disciples　of　the　gospel　fleeing　before　the　insane　fury
  of　the　persecutor；　and　carrying　with　them　the　intelligence；　the　arts；　the
  industry；　the　order；　in　which；　as　a　rule；　they　pre…eminently　excelled；　to
  enrich　the　lands　in　which　they　found　an　asylum。　And　in　proportion　as　they
  replenished　other　countries　with　these　good　gifts；　did　they　empty　their　own
  of　them。　If　all　that　was　now　driven　away　had　been　retained　in　France；　if；
  during　these　three　hundred　years；　the　industrial　skill　of　the　exiles　had
  been　cultivating　her　soil；　if；　during　these　three　hundred　years；　their
  artistic　bent　had　been　improving　her　manufactures；　if；　during　these　three
  hundred　years；　their　creative　genius　and　analytic　power　had　been　enriching
  her　literature　and　cultivating　her　science；　if　their　wisdom　had　been　guiding
  her　councils；　their　bravery　fighting　her　battles；　their　equity　framing　her
  laws；　and　the　religion　of　the　Bible　strengthening　the　intellect　and
  governing　the　conscience　of　her　people；　what　a　glory　would　at　this　day　have
  encompassed　France！　What　a　great；　prosperous；　and　happy　countrya　pattern
  to　the　nationswould　she　have　been！
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  〃But　a　blind　and　inexorable　bigotry　chased　from　her　soil　every　teacher　of
  virtue；　every　champion　of　order；　every　honest　defender　of　the　throne；　it
  said　to　the　men　who　would　have　made　their　country　a　'renown　and　glory'　in
  the　earth；　Choose　which　you　will　have；　a　stake　or　exile。　At　last　the　ruin　of
  the　state　was　complete；　there　remained　no　more　conscience　to　be　proscribed；
  no　more　religion　to　be　dragged　to　the　stake；　no　more　patriotism　to　be　chased
  into　banishment。〃Wylie；　b。　13；　ch。　20。　And　the　Revolution；　with　all　its
  horrors；　was　the　dire　result。
  〃With　the　flight　of　the　Huguenots　a　general　decline　settled　upon　France。
  Flourishing　manufacturing　cities　fell　into　decay；　fertile　districts　returned
  to　their　native　wildness；　intellectual　dullness　and　moral　declension
  succeeded　a　period　of　unwonted　progress。　Paris　became　one　vast　almshouse；
  and　it　is　estimated　that；　at　the　breaking　out　of　the　Revolution；　two　hundred
  thousand　paupers　claimed　charity　from　the　hands　of　the　king。　The　Jesuits
  alone　flourished　in　the　decaying　nation；　and　ruled　with　dreadful　tyranny
  over　churches　and　schools；　the　prisons　and　the　galleys。〃
  The　gospel　would　have　brought　to　France　the　solution　of　those　political　and
  social　problems　that　baffled　the　skill　of　her　clergy；　her　king；　and　her
  legislators；　and　finally　plunged　the　nation　into　anarchy　and　ruin。　But　under
  the　domination　of　Rome　the　people　had　lost　the　Saviour's　blessed　lessons　of
  self…sacrifice　and　unselfish　love。　They　had　been　led　away　from　the　practice
  of　self…denial　for　the　good　of　others。　The　rich　had　found　no　rebuke　for
  their　oppression　of　the　poor；　the　poor　no　help　for　their　servitude　and
  degradation。　The　selfishness　of　the　wealthy　and　powerful　grew　more　and　more
  apparent　and　oppressive。　For　centuries　the　greed　and　profligacy　of　the　noble
  resulted　in　grinding　extortion　toward　the　peasant。　The　rich　wronged　the
  poor；　and　the　poor　hated　the　rich。
  In　many　provinces　the　estates　were　held　by　the　nobles；　and　the　laboring
  classes　were　only　tenants；　they　were　at　the　mercy
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  of　their　landlords　and　were　forced　to　submit　to　their　exorbitant　demands。
  The　burden　of　supporting　both　the　church　and　the　state　fell　upon　the　middle
  and　lower　classes；　who　were　heavily　taxed　by　the　civil　authorities　and　by
  the　clergy。　〃The　pleasure　of　the　nobles　was　considered　the　supreme　law；　the
  farmers　and　the　peasants　might　starve；　for　aught　their　oppressors　cared。　。　。
  。　The　people　were　compelled　at　every　turn　to　consult　the　exclusive　interest
  of　the　landlord。　The　lives　of　the　agricultural　laborers　were　lives　of
  incessant　work　and　unrelieved　misery；　their　complaints；　if　they　ever　dared
  to　complain；　were　treated　with　insolent　contempt。　The　courts　of　justice
  would　always　listen　to　a　noble　as　against　a　peasant；　bribes　were　notoriously
  accepted　by　the　judges；　and　the　merest　caprice　of　the　aristocracy　had　the
  force　of　law；　by　virtue　of　this　system　of　universal　corruption。　Of　the　taxes
  wrung　from　the　commonalty；　by　the　secular　magnates　on　the　one　hand；　and　the
  clergy　on　the　other；　not　half　ever　found　its　way　into　the　royal　or　episcopal
  treasury；　the　rest　was　squandered　in　profligate　self…indulgence。　And　the　men
  who　thus　impoverished　their　fellow　subjects　were　themselves　exempt　from
  taxation；　and　entitled　by　law　or　custom　to　all　the　appointments　of　the
  state。　The　privileged　classes　numbered　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand；　and　for
  their　gratification　millions　were　condemned　to　hopeless　and　degrading
  lives。〃　（See　Appendix。）
  The　court　was　given　up　to　luxury　and　profligacy。　There　was　little　confidence
  existing　between　the　people　and　the　rulers。　Suspicion　fastened　upon　all　the
  measures　of　the　government　as　designing　and　selfish。　For　more　than　half　a
  century　before　the　time　of　the　Revolution　the　throne　was　occupied　by　Louis
  XV；　who；　even　in　those　evil　times；　was　distinguished　as　an　indolent；
  frivolous；　and　sensual　monarch。　With　a　depraved　and　cruel　aristocracy　and　an
  impoverished　and　ignorant　lower　class；　the　state　financially　embarrassed　and
  the　people　exasperated；　it　needed　no　prophet's　eye　to　foresee　a　terrible
  impending　outbreak。　To　the　warnings　of　his　counselors　the　king　was
  accustomed　to　reply：　〃Try　to
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  make　things　go　on　as　long　as　I　am　likely　to　live；　after　my　death　it　may　be
  as　it　will。〃　It　was　in　vain　that　the　necessity　of　reform　was　urged。　He　saw
  the　evils；　but　had　neither　the　courage　nor　the　power　to　meet　them。　The　doom
  awaiting　France　was　but　too　truly　pictured　in　his　indolent　and　selfish
  answer；　〃After　me；　the　deluge！〃
  By　working　upon　the　jealousy　of　the　kings　and　the　ruling　classes；　Rome　had
  influenced　them　to　keep　the　people　in　bondage；　well　knowing　that　the　state
  would　thus　be　weakened；　and　purposing　by　this　means　to　fasten　both　rulers
  and　people　in　her　thrall。　With　farsighted　policy　she　perceived　that　in　order
  to　enslave　men　effectually；　the　shackles　must　be　bound　upon　their　souls；
  that　the　surest　way　to　prevent　them　from　escaping　their　bondage　was　to
  render　them　incapable　of　freedom。　A　thousandfold　more　terrible　than　the
  physical　suffering　which　resulted　from　her　policy；　was　the　moral
  degradation。　Deprived　of　the　Bible；　and　abandoned　to　the　teachings　of
  bigotry　and　selfishness；　the　people　were　shrouded　in　ignorance　and
  superstition；　and　sunken　in　vice；　so　that　they　were　wholly　unfitted　for
  self…government。
  But　the　outwo