The enemy now changes his tactics. The pope had gained little or nothing by his long wars with the empire, and the common sense of mankind had been insulted by his unexampled insolence. Means more plausible, more deceiving, more pious, must be devised. How can the spiritual power gain complete ascendancy over the temporal? was still the one question to be solved.
The evil genius of Rome presiding in her councils suggests a holy war for the purpose of rescuing the sepulcher of Christ from the hands of the unbelieving Turks. Pope Urban immediately embraced the suggestion, and became its champion. The whole Vatican agreed. It was perfectly evident that by these long expeditions to Palestine, the blood of Europe must be drained, its strength exhausted, and its treasure wasted. There was no thought of seeking to convert the unbelieving to the faith of Christ—the true mission of Christianity—but of weakening the power of the temporal monarchs, that the pontiffs might reign over them. The papacy is essentially infidel. "Marriage is honorable in all"—in all, says the word of God. No, said Gregory, it is concubinage in the priesthood—a soul-damning sin. But the word of God stands unchanged and unchangeable. Marriage is honorable in all—not in some only, but in all; and mark, honorable, in all. It was instituted by God Himself who "brought the woman to the man," sanctioned by Christ, and proclaimed "honorable in all," by the Holy Spirit. "Preach the gospel to every creature" is the Savior's commission to all who own Him as Savior and Lord. No, says Urban, slaughter the unbelievers without mercy. This is the work which God requires at your hand. Let the tares be torn up by the roots, and cast into the fire that they may be burned up. But this was not all. The power of the nations must be reduced that the pontiff may triumph over them. Results will soon show that such were the counsels of the evil genius of popery.