27
But then
the Church came to the front, with an axe to grind;
and she was wise, subtle, and knew more than one
way to skin a cat - or a nation; she invented "divine
right of kings," and propped it all around, brick by
brick, with the Beatitudes - wrenching them from
their good purpose to make them fortify an evil one;
she preached (to the commoner) humility, obedience
to superiors, the beauty of self-sacrifice; she preached
(to the commoner) meekness under insult; preached
(still to the commoner, always to the commoner) patience,
meanness of spirit, non-resistance under op