He had searched this problem and solved it. He had
perceived the trickery, the dissimulation and hypocrisy of Roman
priestcraft. He had seen the Pope officiate at High Mass in the
Sistine Chapel, having procured the "introduction from very high
quarters" which, even according to ordinary guide-books, is
absolutely necessary,--the "high quarters" in this instance being
Monsignor Gherardi. Apart from this absurdity,--this impious idea of
needing an "introduction" to a sacred service professedly held for
the worship of the Divine, by the Representative of Christ on earth,
he had watched with sickening soul all the tawdry ceremonial so far
removed from the simplicity of Christ's commands,--he had stared
dully, till his brows ached, at the poor, feeble, scraggy old man
with the pale, withered face and dark eyes, who was chosen to
represent a "Manifestation of the Deity" to his idolatrous
followers;--and as he thought of all the poverty, sorrow, pain,
perplexity, and bewilderment of the "lost sheep" who were wandering
to and fro in the world, scarcely able to fight the difficulties of
their daily lot, and unable to believe in God because they were
never allowed to understand or to experience any of His goodness,
such a passion of protest arose in him, that he could have sprung on
the very steps of the altar and cried aloud to the aged Manager of
the Stage-scene there, "Away with this sham of Christianity! Give us
the true message of Christ, undefiled! Sell these useless broidered
silks,--these flaunting banners;--take the silver, gold, and bank-
notes which hysterical pilgrims cast at your feet!--this Peter's
Pence, amounting to millions, whose exact total you alone know,--and
come out into the highways and byways of the cities of all lands,--
call to you the lame, the halt, the blind, the sickly, and
diseased,--give comfort where comfort is needed,--defend the
innocent--protect the just, and silence the Voce de la Verita which
published under your authority, callously advocates murder!"
And though he felt all this, he could only remain a dumb spectator
of the Show in which not the faintest shadow of Christianity
according to Christ, appeared--and when the theatrical pageant was
over, he hurried out into the fresh air half stupefied with the
heavy sense of shame that such things could be, and no man found
true enough to the commands of the Divine Master to shake the world
with strong condemnation.
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