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Chapter 47
Luther and the Great Reformation
FOREMOST among those who were called to lead the church from the darkness of popery into
the light of a purer faith, stood Martin Luther. Zealous, ardent, and devoted, knowing no
fear but the fear of God, and acknowledging no foundation for religious faith but the Holy
Scriptures, Luther was the man for his time; through him, God accomplished a great work
for the reformation of the church and the enlightenment of the world.
While one day examining the books in the library of the university, Luther discovered a
Latin Bible. He had before heard fragments of the Gospels and Epistles at public worship,
and he thought that they were the whole of God's Word. Now, for the first time, he looked
upon the whole Bible. With mingled awe and wonder he turned the sacred pages; with
quickened pulse and throbbing heart he read for himself the words of life, pausing now and
then to exclaim, "Oh, if God would give me such a book for my own!" Angels of
heaven were by his side, and rays of light from the throne of God revealed the treasures
of truth to his understanding. He had ever feared to offend God, but now the deep
conviction of his condition as a sinner took hold upon him as never before. An earnest
desire to be free from sin and to find peace with God led him at last to enter a cloister
and devote himself to a monastic life.
Every moment that could be spared from his daily duties, he employed in study, robbing
himself of sleep, and grudging even the moments spent at his humble meals. Above
everything else he delighted in the study of God's Word. He had found a Bible chained to
the convent wall, and to this he often repaired.
Luther was ordained a priest, and was called from the cloister to a professorship in the
University of Wittenberg. Here he applied himself to the study of the Scriptures in the
original tongues. He began to lecture upon the Bible; and the book of Psalms, the Gospels,
and the Epistles were opened to the understanding of crowds of delighted listeners. He was
mighty in the Scriptures, and the grace of God rested upon him. His eloquence captivated
his hearers, the clearness and power with which he presented the truth convinced their
understanding, and his deep fervor touched their hearts.
A Leader in Reforms
In the providence of God he decided to visit Rome. An indulgence had been promised by the
pope to all who should ascend on their knees what was known as Pilate's staircase. Luther
was one day performing this act, when suddenly a voice like thunder seemed to say to him,
"The just shall live by faith!" He sprang upon his feet in shame and horror, and
fled from the scene of his folly. That text never lost its power upon his soul. From that
time he saw more clearly than ever before the fallacy of trusting to human works for
salvation, and the necessity of constant faith in the merits of Christ. His eyes had been
opened, and were never again to be closed, to the Satanic delusions of the Papacy. When he
turned his face from Rome he had turned away also in heart, and from that time the
separation grew wider, until he severed all connection with the papal church.
After his return from Rome, Luther received at the University of Wittenberg the degree of
doctor of divinity. Now he was at liberty to devote himself, as never before, to the
Scriptures that he loved. He had taken a solemn vow to study carefully and to preach with
fidelity the Word of God, not the sayings and doctrines of the popes, all the days of his
life. He was no longer the mere monk or professor, but the authorized herald of the Bible.
He had been called as a shepherd to feed the flock of God, that were hungering and
thirsting for the truth. He firmly declared that Christians should receive no other
doctrines than those which rest on the authority of the Sacred Scriptures. These words
struck at the very foundation of papal supremacy. They contained the vital principle of
the Reformation.
Luther now entered boldly upon his work as a champion of the truth. His voice was heard
from the pulpit in earnest, solemn warning. He set before the people the offensive
character of sin, and taught them that it is impossible for man, by his own works, to
lessen its guilt or evade its punishment. Nothing but repentance toward God and faith in
Christ can save the sinner. The grace of Christ cannot be purchased; it is a free gift. He
counseled the people not to buy indulgences, but to look in faith to a crucified Redeemer.
He related his own painful experience in vainly seeking by humiliation and penance to
secure salvation, and assured his hearers that it was by looking away from himself and
believing in Christ that he found peace and joy. Luther's teachings attracted the
attention of thoughtful minds throughout all Germany. From his sermons and writings issued
beams of light which awakened and illuminated thousands. A living faith was taking the
place of the dead formalism in which the church had so long been held. The people were
daily losing confidence in the superstitions of Romanism. The barriers of prejudice were
giving way. The Word of God, by which Luther tested every doctrine and every claim, was
like a two-edged sword, cutting its way to the hearts of the people. Everywhere there was
awakening a desire for spiritual progress. Everywhere was such a hungering and thirsting
after righteousness as had not been known for ages. The eyes of the people, so long
directed to human rites and human mediators, were now turning, in penitence and faith, to
Christ and Him crucified.
The Reformer's writings and his doctrine were extending to every nation in Christendom.
The work spread to Switzerland and Holland. Copies of his writings found their way to
France and Spain. In England his teachings were received as the word of life. To Belgium
and Italy also the truth had extended. Thousands were awakening from their deathlike
stupor to the joy and hope of a life of faith.
Luther Breaks With Rome
Rome was bent upon the destruction of Luther, but God was his defense. His doctrines were
heard everywhere--in convents, in cottages, in the castles of the nobles, in the
universities, in the palaces of kings; and noble men were rising on every hand to sustain
his efforts.
In an appeal to the emperor and nobility of Germany in behalf of the Reformation of
Christianity, Luther wrote concerning the pope: "It is a horrible thing to behold the
man who styles himself Christ's vicegerent, displaying a magnificence that no emperor can
equal. Is this being like the poor Jesus, or the humble Peter? He is, say they, the lord
of the world! But Christ, whose vicar he boasts of being, has said, 'My kingdom is not of
this world.' Can the dominions of a vicar extend beyond those of his superior?"
He wrote thus of the universities: "I am much afraid that the universities will prove
to be the great gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy
Scriptures, and engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child
where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not
unceasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt."
This appeal was rapidly circulated throughout Germany, and exerted a powerful influence
upon the people. The whole nation was roused to rally around the standard of reform.
Luther's opponents, burning with a desire for revenge, urged the pope to take decisive
measures against him. It was decreed that his doctrines should be condemned immediately.
Sixty days were granted the Reformer and his adherents, after which, if they did not
recant, they were all to be excommunicated.
When the papal bull reached Luther, he said: "I despise and attack it, as impious,
false. . . . It is Christ Himself who is condemned therein. . . . I rejoice in having to
bear such ills for the best of causes. Already I feel greater liberty in my heart; for at
last I know that the pope is antichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan
himself."
Yet the word of the pontiff of Rome still had power. Prison, torture, and sword were
weapons potent to enforce submission. Everything seemed to indicate that the Reformer's
work was about to close. The weak and superstitious trembled before the decree of the
pope, and while there was general sympathy for Luther, many felt that life was too dear to
be risked in the cause of reform.
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