The Great Controversy

Ellen G. White

1911

Copyright © 2017
Ellen G. White Estate, Inc.
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About the Author

Ellen G. White (1827-1915) is considered the most widely translated
American author, her works having been published in more than 160
languages. She wrote more than 100,000 pages on a wide variety of
spiritual and practical topics. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she exalted
Jesus and pointed to the Scriptures as the basis of one’s faith.

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ii
 Preface

This book, reader, is not published to tell us that there is sin and
woe and misery in this world. We know it all too well. This book
is not published to tell us that there is an irreconcilable controversy
between darkness and light, sin and righteousness, wrong and right,
death and life. In our heart of hearts we know it, and know that we
are participators, actors, in the conflict.
But to every one of us comes at times a longing to know more
of the great controversy. How did the controversy begin? Or was it
always here? What elements enter into its awfully complex aspect?
How am I related to it? What is my responsibility? I find myself in
this world by no choice of my own. Does that mean to me evil or
good?
What are the great principles involved? How long will the con-
troversy continue? What will be its ending? Will this earth sink,
as some scientists say, into the depths of a sunless, frozen, eternal
night? Or is there a better future?
The question comes closer still: How may the controversy in
my own heart, the strife between inflowing selfishness and outgoing
love, be settled in the victory of good, and settled forever? What
does the Bible say? What has God to teach us about this eternally
important question?
It is the aim of this book, reader, to help the troubled soul to
a right solution of all these problems. It is written by one who
has tasted and found that God is good, and who has learned in
communion with God and the study of his word that the secret of
the Lord is with them that fear Him, and that He will show them His
covenant.
That we may better understand the principles of the all-important
controversy, in which the life of a universe is involved, the author
has set it before us in great, concrete object lessons of the last twenty
centuries.

iii
 The book opens with the sad closing scenes of Jerusalem’s his-
[iv] tory, the city of God’s chosen, after her rejection of the Man of
Calvary, who came to save. Thence onward along the great highway
of the nations, it points us to the persecutions of God’s children in
the first centuries; the great apostasy which followed in his church;
the world-awakening of the reformation, in which some of the great
principles of the controversy are clearly manifest; the awful lesson
of the rejection of right principles by France; the revival and exal-
tation of the Scriptures, and their beneficent, life-saving influence;
the religious awakening of the last days; the unsealing of the radiant
fountain of God’s word, with its wonderful revelations of light and
knowledge to meet the baleful upspringing of every delusion of
darkness.
The present impending conflict, with the vital principles in-
volved, in which no one can be neutral, is simply, lucidly, strongly,
set forth.
Last of all, we are told of the eternal and glorious victory of good
over evil, right over wrong, light over darkness, joy over sorrow,
hope over despair, glory over shame, life over death, and everlasting,
long-suffering love over vindictive hate.
Beginning with its first edition (1888), followed by an author’s
revision (1911), this outstanding work has achieved worldwide cir-
culation through many editions and translations. The reader will find
that the author writes frankly and vigorously, pointing out errors and
suggesting solutions based on the infallible Word of God. And even
though the last few decades have witnessed shifts and adjustments in
the socioreligious world, the main scheme and the future projections
presented in this book maintain today full timeliness and absorbing
interest.
Former editions of this book have brought many souls to the
True Shepherd; it is the prayer of the Publisher that this edition may
be even more fruitful of eternal good.

The Publishers.
 Introduction [v]

Before the entrance of sin, Adam enjoyed open communion with

his Maker; but since man separated himself from God by transgres-
sion, the human race has been cut off from this high privilege. By
the plan of redemption, however, a way has been opened whereby
the inhabitants of the earth may still have connection with heaven.
God has communicated with men by His Spirit, and divine light has
been imparted to the world by revelations to His chosen servants.
“Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2
Peter 1:21.
During the first twenty-five hundred years of human history,
there was no written revelation. Those who had been taught of God,
communicated their knowledge to others, and it was handed down
from father to son, through successive generations. The preparation
of the written word began in the time of Moses. Inspired revelations
were then embodied in an inspired book. This work continued during
the long period of sixteen hundred years—from Moses, the historian
of creation and the law, to John, the recorder of the most sublime
truths of the gospel.
The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by
human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents
the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are
all “given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16); yet they are
expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit
has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has
given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom
the truth was thus revealed have themselves embodied the thought
in human language.
The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and
were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of human [vi]
composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in
the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human.
Such a union existed in the nature of Christ, who was the Son of
v
 God and the Son of man. Thus it is true of the Bible, as it was of
Christ, that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” John
1:14.
Written in different ages, by men who differed widely in rank
and occupation, and in mental and spiritual endowments, the books
of the Bible present a wide contrast in style, as well as a diversity in
the nature of the subjects unfolded. Different forms of expression are
employed by different writers; often the same truth is more strikingly
presented by one than by another. And as several writers present
a subject under varied aspects and relations, there may appear, to
the superficial, careless, or prejudiced reader, to be discrepancy or
contradiction, where the thoughtful, reverent student, with clearer
insight, discerns the underlying harmony.
As presented through different individuals, the truth is brought
out in its varied aspects. One writer is more strongly impressed with
one phase of the subject; he grasps those points that harmonize with
his experience or with his power of perception and appreciation;
another seizes upon a different phase; and each, under the guid-
ance of the Holy Spirit, presents what is most forcibly impressed
upon his own mind—a different aspect of the truth in each, but a
perfect harmony through all. And the truths thus revealed unite to
form a perfect whole, adapted to meet the wants of men in all the
circumstances and experiences of life.
God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world
by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified
men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in
the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was
entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, nonetheless, from Heaven. The
[vii] testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human
language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing
child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace
and truth.
In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge nec-
essary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an
authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard
of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience.
“Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that
the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every
good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, R.V.
Yet the fact that God has revealed His will to men through His
word, has not rendered needless the continued presence and guiding
of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary, the Spirit was promised by our
Saviour, to open the word to His servants, to illuminate and apply
its teachings. And since it was the Spirit of God that inspired the
Bible, it is impossible that the teaching of the Spirit should ever be
contrary to that of the word.
The Spirit was not given—nor can it ever be bestowed—to su-
persede the Bible; for the Scriptures explicitly state that the word of
God is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be
tested. Says the apostle John, “Believe not every spirit, but try the
spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are
gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1. And Isaiah declares, “To the
law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it
is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20.
Great reproach has been cast upon the work of the Holy Spirit
by the errors of a class that, claiming its enlightenment, profess
to have no further need of guidance from the word of God. They
are governed by impressions which they regard as the voice of God
in the soul. But the spirit that controls them is not the Spirit of
God. This following of impressions, to the neglect of the Scriptures, [viii]
can lead only to confusion, to deception and ruin. It serves only to
further the designs of the evil one. Since the ministry of the Holy
Spirit is of vital importance to the church of Christ, it is one of the
devices of Satan, through the errors of extremists and fanatics, to
cast contempt upon the work of the Spirit and cause the people of
God to neglect this source of strength which our Lord Himself has
provided.
In harmony with the word of God, His Spirit was to continue its
work throughout the period of the gospel dispensation. During the
ages while the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament
were being given, the Holy Spirit did not cease to communicate light
to individual minds, apart from the revelations to be embodied in
the Sacred Canon. The Bible itself relates how, through the Holy
Spirit, men received warning, reproof, counsel, and instruction, in
matters in no way relating to the giving of the Scriptures. And
 mention is made of prophets in different ages, of whose utterances
nothing is recorded. In like manner, after the close of the canon
of the Scripture, the Holy Spirit was still to continue its work, to
enlighten, warn, and comfort the children of God.
Jesus promised His disciples, “The Comforter which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you
all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you.” “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will
guide you into all truth: ... and He will show you things to come.”
John 14:26; 16:13. Scripture plainly teaches that these promises,
so far from being limited to apostolic days, extend to the church of
Christ in all ages. The Saviour assures His followers, “I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. And
Paul declares that the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit were set
in the church “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come
[ix] in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ.” Ephesians 4:12, 13.
For the believers at Ephesus the apostle prayed, “That the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes
of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is
the hope of His calling, and ... what is the exceeding greatness of
His power to usward who believe.” Ephesians 1:17-19. The ministry
of the divine Spirit in enlightening the understanding and opening
to the mind the deep things of God’s holy word, was the blessing
which Paul thus besought for the Ephesian church.
After the wonderful manifestation of the Holy Spirit on the Day
of Pentecost, Peter exhorted the people to repentance and baptism in
the name of Christ, for the remission of their sins; and he said: “Ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you,
and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:38, 39.
In immediate connection with the scenes of the great day of God,
the Lord by the prophet Joel has promised a special manifestation
of His Spirit. Joel 2:28. This prophecy received a partial fulfillment
in the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost; but it will
reach its full accomplishment in the manifestation of divine grace
which will attend the closing work of the gospel.
The great controversy between good and evil will increase in
intensity to the very close of time. In all ages the wrath of Satan
has been manifested against the church of Christ; and God has
bestowed His grace and Spirit upon His people to strengthen them
to stand against the power of the evil one. When the apostles of
Christ were to bear His gospel to the world and to record it for all
future ages, they were especially endowed with the enlightenment
of the Spirit. But as the church approaches her final deliverance, [x]
Satan is to work with greater power. He comes down “having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Revelation
12:12. He will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders.” 2
Thessalonians 2:9. For six thousand years that mastermind that once
was highest among the angels of God has been wholly bent to the
work of deception and ruin. And all the depths of satanic skill and
subtlety acquired, all the cruelty developed, during these struggles
of the ages, will be brought to bear against God’s people in the final
conflict. And in this time of peril the followers of Christ are to bear
to the world the warning of the Lord’s second advent; and a people
are to be prepared to stand before Him at His coming, “without spot,
and blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14. At this time the special endowment
of divine grace and power is not less needful to the church than in
apostolic days.
Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the scenes of the
long-continued conflict between good and evil have been opened to
the writer of these pages. From time to time I have been permitted
to behold the working, in different ages, of the great controversy
between Christ, the Prince of life, the Author of our salvation, and
Satan, the prince of evil, the author of sin, the first transgressor of
God’s holy law. Satan’s enmity against Christ has been manifested
against His followers. The same hatred of the principles of God’s
law, the same policy of deception, by which error is made to appear
as truth, by which human laws are substituted for the law of God,
and men are led to worship the creature rather than the Creator, may
be traced in all the history of the past. Satan’s efforts to misrepresent
the character of God, to cause men to cherish a false conception
of the Creator, and thus to regard Him with fear and hate rather
 than with love; his endeavors to set aside the divine law, leading
the people to think themselves free from its requirements; and his
persecution of those who dare to resist his deceptions, have been
[xi] steadfastly pursued in all ages. They may be traced in the history of
patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, of martyrs and reformers.
In the great final conflict, Satan will employ the same policy,
manifest the same spirit, and work for the same end as in all pre-
ceding ages. That which has been, will be, except that the coming
struggle will be marked with a terrible intensity such as the world
has never witnessed. Satan’s deceptions will be more subtle, his
assaults more determined. If it were possible, he would lead astray
the elect. Mark 13:22, R.V.
As the Spirit of God has opened to my mind the great truths of
His word, and the scenes of the past and the future, I have been
bidden to make known to others that which has thus been revealed—
to trace the history of the controversy in past ages, and especially so
to present it as to shed a light on the fast-approaching struggle of the
future. In pursuance of this purpose, I have endeavored to select and
group together events in the history of the church in such a manner
as to trace the unfolding of the great testing truths that at different
periods have been given to the world, that have excited the wrath of
Satan, and the enmity of a world-loving church, and that have been
maintained by the witness of those who “loved not their lives unto
the death.”
In these records we may see a foreshadowing of the conflict
before us. Regarding them in the light of God’s word, and by the
illumination of His Spirit, we may see unveiled the devices of the
wicked one, and the dangers which they must shun who would be
found “without fault” before the Lord at His coming.
The great events which have marked the progress of reform
in past ages are matters of history, well known and universally
acknowledged by the Protestant world; they are facts which none
can gainsay. This history I have presented briefly, in accordance
with the scope of the book, and the brevity which must necessarily
be observed, the facts having been condensed into as little space as
[xii] seemed consistent with a proper understanding of their application.
In some cases where a historian has so grouped together events
as to afford, in brief, a comprehensive view of the subject, or has
summarized details in a convenient manner, his words have been
quoted; but in some instances no specific credit has been given, since
the quotations are not given for the purpose of citing that writer as
authority, but because his statement affords a ready and forcible
presentation of the subject. In narrating the experience and views of
those carrying forward the work of reform in our own time, similar
use has been made of their published works.
It is not so much the object of this book to present new truths
concerning the struggles of former times, as to bring out facts and
principles which have a bearing on coming events. Yet viewed as
a part of the controversy between the forces of light and darkness,
all these records of the past are seen to have a new significance; and
through them a light is cast upon the future, illumining the pathway
of those who, like the reformers of past ages, will be called, even at
the peril of all earthly good, to witness “for the word of God, and
for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
To unfold the scenes of the great controversy between truth and
error; to reveal the wiles of Satan, and the means by which he may
be successfully resisted; to present a satisfactory solution of the
great problem of evil, shedding such a light upon the origin and
the final disposition of sin as to make fully manifest the justice and
benevolence of God in all His dealings with His creatures; and to
show the holy, unchanging nature of His law, is the object of this
book. That through its influence souls may be delivered from the
power of darkness, and become “partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light,” to the praise of Him who loved us, and gave Himself
for us, is the earnest prayer of the writer.

E.G.W.
 Contents
Information about this Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Chapter 1—The Destruction of Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 2—Persecution in the First Centuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chapter 3—An Era of Spiritual Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter 4—The Waldenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Chapter 5—John Wycliffe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Chapter 6—Huss and Jerome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Chapter 7—Luther’s Separation From Rome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Chapter 8—Luther Before the Diet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Chapter 9—The Swiss Reformer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Chapter 10—Progress of Reform in Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Chapter 11—Protest of the Princes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Chapter 12—The French Reformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Chapter 13—The Netherlands and Scandinavia . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Chapter 14—Later English Reformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Chapter 15—The Bible and the French Revolution . . . . . . . . . 226
Chapter 16—The Pilgrim Fathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Chapter 17—Heralds of the Morning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Chapter 18—An American Reformer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Chapter 19—Light Through Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Chapter 20—A Great Religious Awakening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Chapter 21—A Warning Rejected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Chapter 22—Prophecies Fulfilled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Chapter 23—What is the Sanctuary? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Chapter 24—In the Holy of Holies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Chapter 25—God’s Law Immutable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Chapter 26—A Work of Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Chapter 27—Modern Revivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Chapter 28—Facing Life’s Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
Chapter 29—The Origin of Evil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Chapter 30—Enmity Between Man and Satan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
Chapter 31—Agency of Evil Spirits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
xii
 Contents xiii

Chapter 32—Snares of Satan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

Chapter 33—The First Great Deception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
Chapter 34—Can Our Dead Speak to Us? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Chapter 35—Liberty of Conscience Threatened . . . . . . . . . . . 479
Chapter 36—The Impending Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495
Chapter 37—The Scriptures a Safeguard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505
Chapter 38—The Final Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513
Chapter 39—The Time of Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521
Chapter 40—God’s People Delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540
Chapter 41—Desolation of the Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555
Chapter 42—The Controversy Ended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
General Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
 egwwritings.org

[xiii] Chapter 1—The Destruction of Jerusalem

“If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the
things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine
eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall
cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee
in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy
children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon
another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Luke
19:42-44.
From the crest of Olivet, Jesus looked upon Jerusalem. Fair and
peaceful was the scene spread out before Him. It was the season of
the Passover, and from all lands the children of Jacob had gathered
there to celebrate the great national festival. In the midst of gardens
and vineyards, and green slopes studded with pilgrims’ tents, rose the
terraced hills, the stately palaces, and massive bulwarks of Israel’s
capital. The daughter of Zion seemed in her pride to say, I sit a
queen and shall see no sorrow; as lovely then, and deeming herself
as secure in Heaven’s favor, as when, ages before, the royal minstrel
sang: “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount
Zion, ... the city of the great King.” Psalm 48:2. In full view were
the magnificent buildings of the temple. The rays of the setting sun
lighted up the snowy whiteness of its marble walls and gleamed from
[18] golden gate and tower and pinnacle. “The perfection of beauty” it
stood, the pride of the Jewish nation. What child of Israel could gaze
upon the scene without a thrill of joy and admiration! But far other
thoughts occupied the mind of Jesus. “When He was come near, He
beheld the city, and wept over it.” Luke 19:41. Amid the universal
rejoicing of the triumphal entry, while palm branches waved, while
glad hosannas awoke the echoes of the hills, and thousands of voices
declared Him king, the world’s Redeemer was overwhelmed with a
sudden and mysterious sorrow. He, the Son of God, the Promised
One of Israel, whose power had conquered death and called its

14
 Destruction of Jerusalem 15

captives from the grave, was in tears, not of ordinary grief, but of
intense, irrepressible agony.
His tears were not for Himself, though He well knew whither
His feet were tending. Before Him lay Gethsemane, the scene of
His approaching agony. The sheepgate also was in sight, through
which for centuries the victims for sacrifice had been led, and which
was to open for Him when He should be “brought as a lamb to the
slaughter.” Isaiah 53:7. Not far distant was Calvary, the place of
crucifixion. Upon the path which Christ was soon to tread must fall
the horror of great darkness as He should make His soul an offering
for sin. Yet it was not the contemplation of these scenes that cast the
shadow upon Him in this hour of gladness. No foreboding of His
own superhuman anguish clouded that unselfish spirit. He wept for
the doomed thousands of Jerusalem—because of the blindness and
impenitence of those whom He came to bless and to save.
The history of more than a thousand years of God’s special favor
and guardian care, manifested to the chosen people, was open to the
eye of Jesus. There was Mount Moriah, where the son of promise,
an unresisting victim, had been bound to the altar—emblem of the
offering of the Son of God. There the covenant of blessing, the
glorious Messianic promise, had been confirmed to the father of the
faithful. Genesis 22:9, 16-18. There the flames of the sacrifice as-
cending to heaven from the threshing floor of Ornan had turned aside [19]
the sword of the destroying angel (1 Chronicles 21)—fitting symbol
of the Saviour’s sacrifice and mediation for guilty men. Jerusalem
had been honored of God above all the earth. The Lord had “chosen
Zion,” He had “desired it for His habitation.” Psalm 132:13. There,
for ages, holy prophets had uttered their messages of warning. There
priests had waved their censers, and the cloud of incense, with the
prayers of the worshipers, had ascended before God. There daily
the blood of slain lambs had been offered, pointing forward to the
Lamb of God. There Jehovah had revealed His presence in the cloud
of glory above the mercy seat. There rested the base of that mystic
ladder connecting earth with heaven (Genesis 28:12; John 1:51)—
that ladder upon which angels of God descended and ascended, and
which opened to the world the way into the holiest of all. Had Israel
as a nation preserved her allegiance to Heaven, Jerusalem would
have stood forever, the elect of God. Jeremiah 17:21-25. But the
 16 The Great Controversy

history of that favored people was a record of backsliding and rebel-

lion. They had resisted Heaven’s grace, abused their privileges, and
slighted their opportunities.
Although Israel had “mocked the messengers of God, and de-
spised His words, and misused His prophets” (2 Chronicles 36:16),
He had still manifested Himself to them, as “the Lord God, merciful
and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”
(Exodus 34:6); notwithstanding repeated rejections, His mercy had
continued its pleadings. With more than a father’s pitying love for
the son of his care, God had “sent to them by His messengers, ris-
ing up betimes, and sending; because He had compassion on His
people, and on His dwelling place.” 2 Chronicles 36:15. When
remonstrance, entreaty, and rebuke had failed, He sent to them the
best gift of heaven; nay, He poured out all heaven in that one Gift.
The Son of God Himself was sent to plead with the impenitent
city. It was Christ that had brought Israel as a goodly vine out of
[20] Egypt. Psalm 80:8. His own hand had cast out the heathen before
it. He had planted it “in a very fruitful hill.” His guardian care had
hedged it about. His servants had been sent to nurture it. “What
could have been done more to My vineyard,” He exclaims, “that I
have not done in it?” Isaiah 5:1-4. Though when He looked that it
should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes, yet with a
still yearning hope of fruitfulness He came in person to His vineyard,
if haply it might be saved from destruction. He digged about His
vine; He pruned and cherished it. He was unwearied in His efforts
to save this vine of His own planting.
For three years the Lord of light and glory had gone in and out
among His people. He “went about doing good, and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil,” binding up the brokenhearted, setting
at liberty them that were bound, restoring sight to the blind, causing
the lame to walk and the deaf to hear, cleansing the lepers, raising
the dead, and preaching the gospel to the poor. Acts 10:38; Luke
4:18; Matthew 11:5. To all classes alike was addressed the gracious
call: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I
will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
Though rewarded with evil for good, and hatred for His love
(Psalm 109:5), He had steadfastly pursued His mission of mercy.
Never were those repelled that sought His grace. A homeless wan-
 Destruction of Jerusalem 17

derer, reproach and penury His daily lot, He lived to minister to the
needs and lighten the woes of men, to plead with them to accept
the gift of life. The waves of mercy, beaten back by those stubborn
hearts, returned in a stronger tide of pitying, inexpressible love.
But Israel had turned from her best Friend and only Helper. The
pleadings of His love had been despised, His counsels spurned, His
warnings ridiculed.
The hour of hope and pardon was fast passing; the cup of God’s
long-deferred wrath was almost full. The cloud that had been gather-
ing through ages of apostasy and rebellion, now black with woe, was
about to burst upon a guilty people; and He who alone could save [21]
them from their impending fate had been slighted, abused, rejected,
and was soon to be crucified. When Christ should hang upon the
cross of Calvary, Israel’s day as a nation favored and blessed of God
would be ended. The loss of even one soul is a calamity infinitely
outweighing the gains and treasures of a world; but as Christ looked
upon Jerusalem, the doom of a whole city, a whole nation, was
before Him—that city, that nation, which had once been the chosen
of God, His peculiar treasure.
Prophets had wept over the apostasy of Israel and the terrible
desolations by which their sins were visited. Jeremiah wished that
his eyes were a fountain of tears, that he might weep day and night
for the slain of the daughter of his people, for the Lord’s flock that
was carried away captive. Jeremiah 9:1; 13:17. What, then, was the
grief of Him whose prophetic glance took in, not years, but ages!
He beheld the destroying angel with sword uplifted against the city
which had so long been Jehovah’s dwelling place. From the ridge
of Olivet, the very spot afterward occupied by Titus and his army,
He looked across the valley upon the sacred courts and porticoes,
and with tear-dimmed eyes He saw, in awful perspective, the walls
surrounded by alien hosts. He heard the tread of armies marshaling
for war. He heard the voice of mothers and children crying for bread
in the besieged city. He saw her holy and beautiful house, her palaces
and towers, given to the flames, and where once they stood, only a
heap of smoldering ruins.
Looking down the ages, He saw the covenant people scattered
in every land, “like wrecks on a desert shore.” In the temporal
retribution about to fall upon her children, He saw but the first draft
 18 The Great Controversy

from that cup of wrath which at the final judgment she must drain to
its dregs. Divine pity, yearning love, found utterance in the mournful
words: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and
[22] stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have
gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens
under her wings, and ye would not!” O that thou, a nation favored
above every other, hadst known the time of thy visitation, and the
things that belong unto thy peace! I have stayed the angel of justice,
I have called thee to repentance, but in vain. It is not merely servants,
delegates, and prophets, whom thou hast refused and rejected, but
the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer. If thou art destroyed, thou
alone art responsible. “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have
life.” Matthew 23:37; John 5:40.
Christ saw in Jerusalem a symbol of the world hardened in unbe-
lief and rebellion, and hastening on to meet the retributive judgments
of God. The woes of a fallen race, pressing upon His soul, forced
from His lips that exceeding bitter cry. He saw the record of sin
traced in human misery, tears, and blood; His heart was moved with
infinite pity for the afflicted and suffering ones of earth; He yearned
to relieve them all. But even His hand might not turn back the tide
of human woe; few would seek their only Source of help. He was
willing to pour out His soul unto death, to bring salvation within
their reach; but few would come to Him that they might have life.
The Majesty of heaven in tears! the Son of the infinite God trou-
bled in spirit, bowed down with anguish! The scene filled all heaven
with wonder. That scene reveals to us the exceeding sinfulness of
sin; it shows how hard a task it is, even for Infinite Power, to save the
guilty from the consequences of transgressing the law of God. Jesus,
looking down to the last generation, saw the world involved in a
deception similar to that which caused the destruction of Jerusalem.
The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of Christ; the great sin
of the Christian world would be their rejection of the law of God, the
foundation of His government in heaven and earth. The precepts of
Jehovah would be despised and set at nought. Millions in bondage to
[23] sin, slaves of Satan, doomed to suffer the second death, would refuse
to listen to the words of truth in their day of visitation. Terrible
blindness! strange infatuation!
 Destruction of Jerusalem 19

Two days before the Passover, when Christ had for the last time
departed from the temple, after denouncing the hypocrisy of the
Jewish rulers, He again went out with His disciples to the Mount of
Olives and seated Himself with them upon the grassy slope over-
looking the city. Once more He gazed upon its walls, its towers,
and its palaces. Once more He beheld the temple in its dazzling
splendor, a diadem of beauty crowning the sacred mount.
A thousand years before, the psalmist had magnified God’s favor
to Israel in making her holy house His dwelling place: “In Salem
also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion.” He “chose
the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which He loved. And He built
His sanctuary like high palaces.” Psalm 76:2; 78:68, 69. The first
temple had been erected during the most prosperous period of Israel’s
history. Vast stores of treasure for this purpose had been collected
by King David, and the plans for its construction were made by
divine inspiration. 1 Chronicles 28:12, 19. Solomon, the wisest of
Israel’s monarchs, had completed the work. This temple was the
most magnificent building which the world ever saw. Yet the Lord
had declared by the prophet Haggai, concerning the second temple:
“The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former.” “I
will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations shall come: and I
will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:9, 7.
After the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar it was
rebuilt about five hundred years before the birth of Christ by a people
who from a lifelong captivity had returned to a wasted and almost
deserted country. There were then among them aged men who had
seen the glory of Solomon’s temple, and who wept at the foundation
of the new building, that it must be so inferior to the former. The
feeling that prevailed is forcibly described by the prophet: “Who is
left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye [24]
see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?”
Haggai 2:3; Ezra 3:12. Then was given the promise that the glory of
this latter house should be greater than that of the former.
But the second temple had not equaled the first in magnificence;
nor was it hallowed by those visible tokens of the divine presence
which pertained to the first temple. There was no manifestation
of supernatural power to mark its dedication. No cloud of glory
was seen to fill the newly erected sanctuary. No fire from heaven
 20 The Great Controversy

descended to consume the sacrifice upon its altar. The Shekinah

no longer abode between the cherubim in the most holy place; the
ark, the mercy seat, and the tables of the testimony were not to be
found therein. No voice sounded from heaven to make known to the
inquiring priest the will of Jehovah.
For centuries the Jews had vainly endeavored to show wherein
the promise of God given by Haggai had been fulfilled; yet pride
and unbelief blinded their minds to the true meaning of the prophet’s
words. The second temple was not honored with the cloud of Jeho-
vah’s glory, but with the living presence of One in whom dwelt the
fullness of the Godhead bodily—who was God Himself manifest in
the flesh. The “Desire of all nations” had indeed come to His temple
when the Man of Nazareth taught and healed in the sacred courts.
In the presence of Christ, and in this only, did the second temple
exceed the first in glory. But Israel had put from her the proffered
Gift of heaven. With the humble Teacher who had that day passed
out from its golden gate, the glory had forever departed from the
temple. Already were the Saviour’s words fulfilled: “Your house is
left unto you desolate.” Matthew 23:38.
The disciples had been filled with awe and wonder at Christ’s
prediction of the overthrow of the temple, and they desired to un-
derstand more fully the meaning of His words. Wealth, labor, and
architectural skill had for more than forty years been freely expended
[25] to enhance its splendors. Herod the Great had lavished upon it both
Roman wealth and Jewish treasure, and even the emperor of the
world had enriched it with his gifts. Massive blocks of white marble,
of almost fabulous size, forwarded from Rome for this purpose,
formed a part of its structure; and to these the disciples had called
the attention of their Master, saying: “See what manner of stones
and what buildings are here!” Mark 13:1.
To these words, Jesus made the solemn and startling reply: “Ver-
ily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another,
that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2.
With the overthrow of Jerusalem the disciples associated the
events of Christ’s personal coming in temporal glory to take the
throne of universal empire, to punish the impenitent Jews, and to
break from off the nation the Roman yoke. The Lord had told them
that He would come the second time. Hence at the mention of
 Destruction of Jerusalem 21

judgments upon Jerusalem, their minds reverted to that coming; and

as they were gathered about the Saviour upon the Mount of Olives,
they asked: “When shall these things be? and what shall be the sign
of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Verse 3.
The future was mercifully veiled from the disciples. Had they at
that time fully comprehended the two awful facts—the Redeemer’s
sufferings and death, and the destruction of their city and temple—
they would have been overwhelmed with horror. Christ presented
before them an outline of the prominent events to take place before
the close of time. His words were not then fully understood; but
their meaning was to be unfolded as His people should need the in-
struction therein given. The prophecy which He uttered was twofold
in its meaning; while foreshadowing the destruction of Jerusalem, it
prefigured also the terrors of the last great day.
Jesus declared to the listening disciples the judgments that were
to fall upon apostate Israel, and especially the retributive vengeance
that would come upon them for their rejection and crucifixion of the
Messiah. Unmistakable signs would precede the awful climax. The
dreaded hour would come suddenly and swiftly. And the Saviour [26]
warned His followers: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy
place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be
in Judea flee into the mountains.” Matthew 24:15, 16; Luke 21:20,
21. When the idolatrous standards of the Romans should be set
up in the holy ground, which extended some furlongs outside the
city walls, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight.
When the warning sign should be seen, those who would escape
must make no delay. Throughout the land of Judea, as well as in
Jerusalem itself, the signal for flight must be immediately obeyed.
He who chanced to be upon the housetop must not go down into
his house, even to save his most valued treasures. Those who were
working in the fields or vineyards must not take time to return for
the outer garment laid aside while they should be toiling in the heat
of the day. They must not hesitate a moment, lest they be involved
in the general destruction.
In the reign of Herod, Jerusalem had not only been greatly beau-
tified, but by the erection of towers, walls, and fortresses, adding to
the natural strength of its situation, it had been rendered apparently
 22 The Great Controversy

impregnable. He who would at this time have foretold publicly its

destruction, would, like Noah in his day, have been called a crazed
alarmist. But Christ had said: “Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but My words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35. Because of her
sins, wrath had been denounced against Jerusalem, and her stubborn
unbelief rendered her doom certain.
The Lord had declared by the prophet Micah: “Hear this, I pray
you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of
Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up
Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof
judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the
prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord,
and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.”
Micah 3:9-11.
[27] These words faithfully described the corrupt and self-righteous
inhabitants of Jerusalem. While claiming to observe rigidly the
precepts of God’s law, they were transgressing all its principles.
They hated Christ because His purity and holiness revealed their
iniquity; and they accused Him of being the cause of all the troubles
which had come upon them in consequence of their sins. Though
they knew Him to be sinless, they had declared that His death was
necessary to their safety as a nation. “If we let Him thus alone,” said
the Jewish leaders, “all men will believe on Him: and the Romans
shall come and take away both our place and nation.” John 11:48. If
Christ were sacrificed, they might once more become a strong, united
people. Thus they reasoned, and they concurred in the decision of
their high priest, that it would be better for one man to die than for
the whole nation to perish.
Thus the Jewish leaders had built up “Zion with blood, and
Jerusalem with iniquity.” Micah 3:10. And yet, while they slew their
Saviour because He reproved their sins, such was their self-righ-
teousness that they regarded themselves as God’s favored people and
expected the Lord to deliver them from their enemies. “Therefore,”
continued the prophet, “shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field,
and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house
as the high places of the forest.” Verse 12.
For nearly forty years after the doom of Jerusalem had been
pronounced by Christ Himself, the Lord delayed His judgments
 Destruction of Jerusalem 23

upon the city and the nation. Wonderful was the long-suffering of
God toward the rejectors of His gospel and the murderers of His Son.
The parable of the unfruitful tree represented God’s dealings with
the Jewish nation. The command had gone forth, “Cut it down; why
cumbereth it the ground?” (Luke 13:7) but divine mercy had spared
it yet a little longer. There were still many among the Jews who were
ignorant of the character and the work of Christ. And the children
had not enjoyed the opportunities or received the light which their [28]
parents had spurned. Through the preaching of the apostles and
their associates, God would cause light to shine upon them; they
would be permitted to see how prophecy had been fulfilled, not only
in the birth and life of Christ, but in His death and resurrection.
The children were not condemned for the sins of the parents; but
when, with a knowledge of all the light given to their parents, the
children rejected the additional light granted to themselves, they
became partakers of the parents’ sins, and filled up the measure of
their iniquity.
The long-suffering of God toward Jerusalem only confirmed
the Jews in their stubborn impenitence. In their hatred and cruelty
toward the disciples of Jesus they rejected the last offer of mercy.
Then God withdrew His protection from them and removed His
restraining power from Satan and his angels, and the nation was left
to the control of the leader she had chosen. Her children had spurned
the grace of Christ, which would have enabled them to subdue their
evil impulses, and now these became the conquerors. Satan aroused
the fiercest and most debased passions of the soul. Men did not
reason; they were beyond reason—controlled by impulse and blind
rage. They became satanic in their cruelty. In the family and in the
nation, among the highest and the lowest classes alike, there was
suspicion, envy, hatred, strife, rebellion, murder. There was no safety
anywhere. Friends and kindred betrayed one another. Parents slew
their children, and children their parents. The rulers of the people
had no power to rule themselves. Uncontrolled passions made them
tyrants. The Jews had accepted false testimony to condemn the
innocent Son of God. Now false accusations made their own lives
uncertain. By their actions they had long been saying: “Cause the
Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” Isaiah 30:11. Now their
desire was granted. The fear of God no longer disturbed them. Satan
 24 The Great Controversy

[29] was at the head of the nation, and the highest civil and religious
authorities were under his sway.
The leaders of the opposing factions at times united to plunder
and torture their wretched victims, and again they fell upon each
other’s forces and slaughtered without mercy. Even the sanctity of
the temple could not restrain their horrible ferocity. The worshipers
were stricken down before the altar, and the sanctuary was polluted
with the bodies of the slain. Yet in their blind and blasphemous
presumption the instigators of this hellish work publicly declared
that they had no fear that Jerusalem would be destroyed, for it was
God’s own city. To establish their power more firmly, they bribed
false prophets to proclaim, even while Roman legions were besieging
the temple, that the people were to wait for deliverance from God.
To the last, multitudes held fast to the belief that the Most High
would interpose for the defeat of their adversaries. But Israel had
spurned the divine protection, and now she had no defense. Unhappy
Jerusalem! rent by internal dissensions, the blood of her children
slain by one another’s hands crimsoning her streets, while alien
armies beat down her fortifications and slew her men of war!
All the predictions given by Christ concerning the destruction of
Jerusalem were fulfilled to the letter. The Jews experienced the truth
of His words of warning: “With what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again.” Matthew 7:2.
Signs and wonders appeared, foreboding disaster and doom. In
the midst of the night an unnatural light shone over the temple and
the altar. Upon the clouds at sunset were pictured chariots and men
of war gathering for battle. The priests ministering by night in the
sanctuary were terrified by mysterious sounds; the earth trembled,
and a multitude of voices were heard crying: “Let us depart hence.”
The great eastern gate, which was so heavy that it could hardly
[30] be shut by a score of men, and which was secured by immense
bars of iron fastened deep in the pavement of solid stone, opened
at midnight, without visible agency.—Milman, The History of the
Jews, book 13.
For seven years a man continued to go up and down the streets
of Jerusalem, declaring the woes that were to come upon the city.
By day and by night he chanted the wild dirge: “A voice from the
east! a voice from the west! a voice from the four winds! a voice
 Destruction of Jerusalem 25

against Jerusalem and against the temple! a voice against the bride-
grooms and the brides! a voice against the whole people!”—Ibid.
This strange being was imprisoned and scourged, but no complaint
escaped his lips. To insult and abuse he answered only: “Woe, woe
to Jerusalem!” “woe, woe to the inhabitants thereof!” His warning
cry ceased not until he was slain in the siege he had foretold.
Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem.
Christ had given His disciples warning, and all who believed His
words watched for the promised sign. “When ye shall see Jerusalem
compassed with armies,” said Jesus, “then know that the desola-
tion thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the
mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out.”
Luke 21:20, 21. After the Romans under Cestius had surrounded
the city, they unexpectedly abandoned the siege when everything
seemed favorable for an immediate attack. The besieged, despair-
ing of successful resistance, were on the point of surrender, when
the Roman general withdrew his forces without the least apparent
reason. But God’s merciful providence was directing events for the
good of His own people. The promised sign had been given to the
waiting Christians, and now an opportunity was offered for all who
would, to obey the Saviour’s warning. Events were so overruled that
neither Jews nor Romans should hinder the flight of the Christians.
Upon the retreat of Cestius, the Jews, sallying from Jerusalem, pur-
sued after his retiring army; and while both forces were thus fully
engaged, the Christians had an opportunity to leave the city. At this
time the country also had been cleared of enemies who might have [31]
endeavored to intercept them. At the time of the siege, the Jews were
assembled at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and thus
the Christians throughout the land were able to make their escape
unmolested. Without delay they fled to a place of safety—the city
of Pella, in the land of Perea, beyond Jordan.
The Jewish forces, pursuing after Cestius and his army, fell
upon their rear with such fierceness as to threaten them with total
destruction. It was with great difficulty that the Romans succeeded
in making their retreat. The Jews escaped almost without loss,
and with their spoils returned in triumph to Jerusalem. Yet this
apparent success brought them only evil. It inspired them with that
 26 The Great Controversy

spirit of stubborn resistance to the Romans which speedily brought

unutterable woe upon the doomed city.
Terrible were the calamities that fell upon Jerusalem when the
siege was resumed by Titus. The city was invested at the time of the
Passover, when millions of Jews were assembled within its walls.
Their stores of provision, which if carefully preserved would have
supplied the inhabitants for years, had previously been destroyed
through the jealousy and revenge of the contending factions, and now
all the horrors of starvation were experienced. A measure of wheat
was sold for a talent. So fierce were the pangs of hunger that men
would gnaw the leather of their belts and sandals and the covering
of their shields. Great numbers of the people would steal out at
night to gather wild plants growing outside the city walls, though
many were seized and put to death with cruel torture, and often those
who returned in safety were robbed of what they had gleaned at
so great peril. The most inhuman tortures were inflicted by those
in power, to force from the want-stricken people the last scanty
supplies which they might have concealed. And these cruelties were
not infrequently practiced by men who were themselves well fed,
and who were merely desirous of laying up a store of provision for
the future.
[32] Thousands perished from famine and pestilence. Natural affec-
tion seemed to have been destroyed. Husbands robbed their wives,
and wives their husbands. Children would be seen snatching the food
from the mouths of their aged parents. The question of the prophet,
“Can a woman forget her sucking child?” received the answer within
the walls of that doomed city: “The hands of the pitiful women have
sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction
of the daughter of my people.” Isaiah 49:15; Lamentations 4:10.
Again was fulfilled the warning prophecy given fourteen centuries
before: “The tender and delicate woman among you, which would
not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicate-
ness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her
bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, ... and toward
her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of
all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy
shall distress thee in thy gates.” Deuteronomy 28:56, 57.
 Destruction of Jerusalem 27

The Roman leaders endeavored to strike terror to the Jews and

thus cause them to surrender. Those prisoners who resisted when
taken, were scourged, tortured, and crucified before the wall of
the city. Hundreds were daily put to death in this manner, and the
dreadful work continued until, along the Valley of Jehoshaphat and
at Calvary, crosses were erected in so great numbers that there was
scarcely room to move among them. So terribly was visited that
awful imprecation uttered before the judgment seat of Pilate: “His
blood be on us, and on our children.” Matthew 27:25.
Titus would willingly have put an end to the fearful scene, and
thus have spared Jerusalem the full measure of her doom. He was
filled with horror as he saw the bodies of the dead lying in heaps
in the valleys. Like one entranced, he looked from the crest of
Olivet upon the magnificent temple and gave command that not one
stone of it be touched. Before attempting to gain possession of this
stronghold, he made an earnest appeal to the Jewish leaders not [33]
to force him to defile the sacred place with blood. If they would
come forth and fight in any other place, no Roman should violate the
sanctity of the temple. Josephus himself, in a most eloquent appeal,
entreated them to surrender, to save themselves, their city, and their
place of worship. But his words were answered with bitter curses.
Darts were hurled at him, their last human mediator, as he stood
pleading with them. The Jews had rejected the entreaties of the Son
of God, and now expostulation and entreaty only made them more
determined to resist to the last. In vain were the efforts of Titus to
save the temple; One greater than he had declared that not one stone
was to be left upon another.
The blind obstinacy of the Jewish leaders, and the detestable
crimes perpetrated within the besieged city, excited the horror and
indignation of the Romans, and Titus at last decided to take the
temple by storm. He determined, however, that if possible it should
be saved from destruction. But his commands were disregarded.
After he had retired to his tent at night, the Jews, sallying from the
temple, attacked the soldiers without. In the struggle, a firebrand was
flung by a soldier through an opening in the porch, and immediately
the cedar-lined chambers about the holy house were in a blaze. Titus
rushed to the place, followed by his generals and legionaries, and
commanded the soldiers to quench the flames. His words were
 28 The Great Controversy

unheeded. In their fury the soldiers hurled blazing brands into the
chambers adjoining the temple, and then with their swords they
slaughtered in great numbers those who had found shelter there.
Blood flowed down the temple steps like water. Thousands upon
thousands of Jews perished. Above the sound of battle, voices were
heard shouting: “Ichabod!”—the glory is departed.
“Titus found it impossible to check the rage of the soldiery; he
entered with his officers, and surveyed the interior of the sacred
edifice. The splendor filled them with wonder; and as the flames
[34] had not yet penetrated to the holy place, he made a last effort to
save it, and springing forth, again exhorted the soldiers to stay the
progress of the conflagration. The centurion Liberalis endeavored
to force obedience with his staff of office; but even respect for the
emperor gave way to the furious animosity against the Jews, to the
fierce excitement of battle, and to the insatiable hope of plunder.
The soldiers saw everything around them radiant with gold, which
shone dazzlingly in the wild light of the flames; they supposed
that incalculable treasures were laid up in the sanctuary. A soldier,
unperceived, thrust a lighted torch between the hinges of the door:
the whole building was in flames in an instant. The blinding smoke
and fire forced the officers to retreat, and the noble edifice was left
to its fate.
“It was an appalling spectacle to the Roman—what was it to
the Jew? The whole summit of the hill which commanded the city,
blazed like a volcano. One after another the buildings fell in, with a
tremendous crash, and were swallowed up in the fiery abyss. The
roofs of cedar were like sheets of flame; the gilded pinnacles shone
like spikes of red light; the gate towers sent up tall columns of flame
and smoke. The neighboring hills were lighted up; and dark groups
of people were seen watching in horrible anxiety the progress of the
destruction: the walls and heights of the upper city were crowded
with faces, some pale with the agony of despair, others scowling
unavailing vengeance. The shouts of the Roman soldiery as they ran
to and fro, and the howlings of the insurgents who were perishing
in the flames, mingled with the roaring of the conflagration and the
thundering sound of falling timbers. The echoes of the mountains
replied or brought back the shrieks of the people on the heights; all
along the walls resounded screams and wailings; men who were
 Destruction of Jerusalem 29

expiring with famine rallied their remaining strength to utter a cry

of anguish and desolation.
“The slaughter within was even more dreadful than the spectacle [35]
from without. Men and women, old and young, insurgents and
priests, those who fought and those who entreated mercy, were hewn
down in indiscriminate carnage. The number of the slain exceeded
that of the slayers. The legionaries had to clamber over heaps of
dead to carry on the work of extermination.”—Milman, The History
of the Jews, book 16.
After the destruction of the temple, the whole city soon fell into
the hands of the Romans. The leaders of the Jews forsook their
impregnable towers, and Titus found them solitary. He gazed upon
them with amazement, and declared that God had given them into
his hands; for no engines, however powerful, could have prevailed
against those stupendous battlements. Both the city and the temple
were razed to their foundations, and the ground upon which the holy
house had stood was “plowed like a field.” Jeremiah 26:18. In the
siege and the slaughter that followed, more than a million of the
people perished; the survivors were carried away as captives, sold as
slaves, dragged to Rome to grace the conqueror’s triumph, thrown to
wild beasts in the amphitheaters, or scattered as homeless wanderers
throughout the earth.
The Jews had forged their own fetters; they had filled for them-
selves the cup of vengeance. In the utter destruction that befell them
as a nation, and in all the woes that followed them in their dispersion,
they were but reaping the harvest which their own hands had sown.
Says the prophet: “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself;” “for thou
hast fallen by thine iniquity.” Hosea 13:9; 14:1. Their sufferings are
often represented as a punishment visited upon them by the direct
decree of God. It is thus that the great deceiver seeks to conceal his
own work. By stubborn rejection of divine love and mercy, the Jews
had caused the protection of God to be withdrawn from them, and
Satan was permitted to rule them according to his will. The horrible
cruelties enacted in the destruction of Jerusalem are a demonstration [36]
of Satan’s vindictive power over those who yield to his control.
We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and
protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that
prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan. The
 30 The Great Controversy

disobedient and unthankful have great reason for gratitude for God’s
mercy and long-suffering in holding in check the cruel, malignant
power of the evil one. But when men pass the limits of divine
forbearance, that restraint is removed. God does not stand toward
the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression;
but He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that
which they have sown. Every ray of light rejected, every warning
despised or unheeded, every passion indulged, every transgression
of the law of God, is a seed sown which yields its unfailing harvest.
The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the
sinner, and then there is left no power to control the evil passions of
the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan. The
destruction of Jerusalem is a fearful and solemn warning to all who
are trifling with the offers of divine grace and resisting the pleadings
of divine mercy. Never was there given a more decisive testimony to
God’s hatred of sin and to the certain punishment that will fall upon
the guilty.
The Saviour’s prophecy concerning the visitation of judgments
upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, of which that terrible
desolation was but a faint shadow. In the fate of the chosen city
we may behold the doom of a world that has rejected God’s mercy
and trampled upon His law. Dark are the records of human misery
that earth has witnessed during its long centuries of crime. The
heart sickens, and the mind grows faint in contemplation. Terrible
have been the results of rejecting the authority of Heaven. But a
scene yet darker is presented in the revelations of the future. The
[37] records of the past,—the long procession of tumults, conflicts, and
revolutions, the “battle of the warrior ... with confused noise, and
garments rolled in blood” (Isaiah 9:5),—what are these, in contrast
with the terrors of that day when the restraining Spirit of God shall
be wholly withdrawn from the wicked, no longer to hold in check
the outburst of human passion and satanic wrath! The world will
then behold, as never before, the results of Satan’s rule.
But in that day, as in the time of Jerusalem’s destruction, God’s
people will be delivered, everyone that shall be found written among
the living. Isaiah 4:3. Christ has declared that He will come the
second time to gather His faithful ones to Himself: “Then shall all
the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man
 Destruction of Jerusalem 31

coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And
He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end
of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:30, 31. Then shall they that
obey not the gospel be consumed with the spirit of His mouth and
be destroyed with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thessalonians
2:8. Like Israel of old the wicked destroy themselves; they fall by
their iniquity. By a life of sin, they have placed themselves so out of
harmony with God, their natures have become so debased with evil,
that the manifestation of His glory is to them a consuming fire.
Let men beware lest they neglect the lesson conveyed to them
in the words of Christ. As He warned His disciples of Jerusalem’s
destruction, giving them a sign of the approaching ruin, that they
might make their escape; so He has warned the world of the day of
final destruction and has given them tokens of its approach, that all
who will may flee from the wrath to come. Jesus declares: “There
shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon
the earth distress of nations.” Luke 21:25; Matthew 24:29; Mark
13:24-26; Revelation 6:12-17. Those who behold these harbingers of
His coming are to “know that it is near, even at the doors.” Matthew [38]
24:33. “Watch ye therefore,” are His words of admonition. Mark
13:35. They that heed the warning shall not be left in darkness, that
that day should overtake them unawares. But to them that will not
watch, “the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” 1
Thessalonians 5:2-5.
The world is no more ready to credit the message for this time
than were the Jews to receive the Saviour’s warning concerning
Jerusalem. Come when it may, the day of God will come unawares
to the ungodly. When life is going on in its unvarying round; when
men are absorbed in pleasure, in business, in traffic, in money-
making; when religious leaders are magnifying the world’s progress
and enlightenment, and the people are lulled in a false security—
then, as the midnight thief steals within the unguarded dwelling, so
shall sudden destruction come upon the careless and ungodly, “and
they shall not escape.” Verse 3.
[39] Chapter 2—Persecution in the First Centuries

When Jesus revealed to His disciples the fate of Jerusalem and

the scenes of the second advent, He foretold also the experience of
His people from the time when He should be taken from them, to
His return in power and glory for their deliverance. From Olivet the
Saviour beheld the storms about to fall upon the apostolic church;
and penetrating deeper into the future, His eye discerned the fierce,
wasting tempests that were to beat upon His followers in the coming
ages of darkness and persecution. In a few brief utterances of awful
significance He foretold the portion which the rulers of this world
would mete out to the church of God. Matthew 24:9, 21, 22. The
followers of Christ must tread the same path of humiliation, reproach,
and suffering which their Master trod. The enmity that burst forth
against the world’s Redeemer would be manifested against all who
should believe on His name.
The history of the early church testified to the fulfillment of the
Saviour’s words. The powers of earth and hell arrayed themselves
against Christ in the person of His followers. Paganism foresaw that
should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept
away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity.
The fires of persecution were kindled. Christians were stripped of
their possessions and driven from their homes. They “endured a
great fight of afflictions.” Hebrews 10:32. They “had trial of cruel
[40] mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprison-
ment.” Hebrews 11:36. Great numbers sealed their testimony with
their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant,
were alike slain without mercy.
These persecutions, beginning under Nero about the time of the
martyrdom of Paul, continued with greater or less fury for centuries.
Christians were falsely accused of the most dreadful crimes and
declared to be the cause of great calamities—famine, pestilence,
and earthquake. As they became the objects of popular hatred and
suspicion, informers stood ready, for the sake of gain, to betray the
32
 Persecution in the First Centuries 33

innocent. They were condemned as rebels against the empire, as foes

of religion, and pests to society. Great numbers were thrown to wild
beasts or burned alive in the amphitheaters. Some were crucified;
others were covered with the skins of wild animals and thrust into
the arena to be torn by dogs. Their punishment was often made the
chief entertainment at public fetes. Vast multitudes assembled to
enjoy the sight and greeted their dying agonies with laughter and
applause.
Wherever they sought refuge, the followers of Christ were hunted
like beasts of prey. They were forced to seek concealment in desolate
and solitary places. “Destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the
world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth.” Verses 37, 38. The catacombs
afforded shelter for thousands. Beneath the hills outside the city of
Rome, long galleries had been tunneled through earth and rock; the
dark and intricate network of passages extended for miles beyond
the city walls. In these underground retreats the followers of Christ
buried their dead; and here also, when suspected and proscribed,
they found a home. When the Life-giver shall awaken those who
have fought the good fight, many a martyr for Christ’s sake will
come forth from those gloomy caverns.
Under the fiercest persecution these witnesses for Jesus kept [41]
their faith unsullied. Though deprived of every comfort, shut away
from the light of the sun, making their home in the dark but friendly
bosom of the earth, they uttered no complaint. With words of faith,
patience, and hope they encouraged one another to endure privation
and distress. The loss of every earthly blessing could not force them
to renounce their belief in Christ. Trials and persecution were but
steps bringing them nearer their rest and their reward.
Like God’s servants of old, many were “tortured, not accepting
deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” Verse 35.
These called to mind the words of their Master, that when persecuted
for Christ’s sake, they were to be exceeding glad, for great would
be their reward in heaven; for so the prophets had been persecuted
before them. They rejoiced that they were accounted worthy to
suffer for the truth, and songs of triumph ascended from the midst
of crackling flames. Looking upward by faith, they saw Christ
and angels leaning over the battlements of heaven, gazing upon
 34 The Great Controversy

them with the deepest interest and regarding their steadfastness with
approval. A voice came down to them from the throne of God:
“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
Revelation 2:10.
In vain were Satan’s efforts to destroy the church of Christ by vi-
olence. The great controversy in which the disciples of Jesus yielded
up their lives did not cease when these faithful standard-bearers
fell at their post. By defeat they conquered. God’s workmen were
slain, but His work went steadily forward. The gospel continued to
spread and the number of its adherents to increase. It penetrated into
regions that were inaccessible even to the eagles of Rome. Said a
Christian, expostulating with the heathen rulers who were urging
forward the persecution: You may “kill us, torture us, condemn us....
[42] Your injustice is the proof that we are innocent .... Nor does your cru-
elty ... avail you.” It was but a stronger invitation to bring others to
their persuasion. “The oftener we are mown down by you, the more
in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed.”—Tertullian,
Apology, paragraph 50.
Thousands were imprisoned and slain, but others sprang up
to fill their places. And those who were martyred for their faith
were secured to Christ and accounted of Him as conquerors. They
had fought the good fight, and they were to receive the crown of
glory when Christ should come. The sufferings which they endured
brought Christians nearer to one another and to their Redeemer.
Their living example and dying testimony were a constant witness
for the truth; and where least expected, the subjects of Satan were
leaving his service and enlisting under the banner of Christ.
Satan therefore laid his plans to war more successfully against the
government of God by planting his banner in the Christian church.
If the followers of Christ could be deceived and led to displease
God, then their strength, fortitude, and firmness would fail, and they
would fall an easy prey.
The great adversary now endeavored to gain by artifice what he
had failed to secure by force. Persecution ceased, and in its stead
were substituted the dangerous allurements of temporal prosperity
and worldly honor. Idolaters were led to receive a part of the Chris-
tian faith, while they rejected other essential truths. They professed
to accept Jesus as the Son of God and to believe in His death and
 Persecution in the First Centuries 35

resurrection, but they had no conviction of sin and felt no need of

repentance or of a change of heart. With some concessions on their
part they proposed that Christians should make concessions, that all
might unite on the platform of belief in Christ.
Now the church was in fearful peril. Prison, torture, fire, and
sword were blessings in comparison with this. Some of the Chris-
tians stood firm, declaring that they could make no compromise. [43]
Others were in favor of yielding or modifying some features of their
faith and uniting with those who had accepted a part of Christianity,
urging that this might be the means of their full conversion. That
was a time of deep anguish to the faithful followers of Christ. Under
a cloak of pretended Christianity, Satan was insinuating himself into
the church, to corrupt their faith and turn their minds from the word
of truth.
Most of the Christians at last consented to lower their standard,
and a union was formed between Christianity and paganism. Al-
though the worshipers of idols professed to be converted, and united
with the church, they still clung to their idolatry, only changing
the objects of their worship to images of Jesus, and even of Mary
and the saints. The foul leaven of idolatry, thus brought into the
church, continued its baleful work. Unsound doctrines, superstitious
rites, and idolatrous ceremonies were incorporated into her faith
and worship. As the followers of Christ united with idolaters, the
Christian religion became corrupted, and the church lost her purity
and power. There were some, however, who were not misled by
these delusions. They still maintained their fidelity to the Author of
truth and worshiped God alone.
There have ever been two classes among those who profess to
be followers of Christ. While one class study the Saviour’s life and
earnestly seek to correct their defects and conform to the Pattern, the
other class shun the plain, practical truths which expose their errors.
Even in her best estate the church was not composed wholly of the
true, pure, and sincere. Our Saviour taught that those who willfully
indulge in sin are not to be received into the church; yet He connected
with Himself men who were faulty in character, and granted them
the benefits of His teachings and example, that they might have an
opportunity to see their errors and correct them. Among the twelve
apostles was a traitor. Judas was accepted, not because of his defects [44]
 36 The Great Controversy

of character, but notwithstanding them. He was connected with the

disciples, that, through the instruction and example of Christ, he
might learn what constitutes Christian character, and thus be led to
see his errors, to repent, and, by the aid of divine grace, to purify
his soul “in obeying the truth.” But Judas did not walk in the light
so graciously permitted to shine upon him. By indulgence in sin he
invited the temptations of Satan. His evil traits of character became
predominant. He yielded his mind to the control of the powers of
darkness, he became angry when his faults were reproved, and thus
he was led to commit the fearful crime of betraying his Master. So
do all who cherish evil under a profession of godliness hate those
who disturb their peace by condemning their course of sin. When
a favorable opportunity is presented, they will, like Judas, betray
those who for their good have sought to reprove them.
The apostles encountered those in the church who professed
godliness while they were secretly cherishing iniquity. Ananias and
Sapphira acted the part of deceivers, pretending to make an entire
sacrifice for God, when they were covetously withholding a portion
for themselves. The Spirit of truth revealed to the apostles the real
character of these pretenders, and the judgments of God rid the
church of this foul blot upon its purity. This signal evidence of the
discerning Spirit of Christ in the church was a terror to hypocrites and
evildoers. They could not long remain in connection with those who
were, in habit and disposition, constant representatives of Christ;
and as trials and persecution came upon His followers, those only
who were willing to forsake all for the truth’s sake desired to become
His disciples. Thus, as long as persecution continued, the church
remained comparatively pure. But as it ceased, converts were added
who were less sincere and devoted, and the way was open for Satan
to obtain a foothold.
[45] But there is no union between the Prince of light and the prince
of darkness, and there can be no union between their followers.
When Christians consented to unite with those who were but half
converted from paganism, they entered upon a path which led further
and further from the truth. Satan exulted that he had succeeded in
deceiving so large a number of the followers of Christ. He then
brought his power to bear more fully upon these, and inspired them
to persecute those who remained true to God. None understood so
 Persecution in the First Centuries 37

well how to oppose the true Christian faith as did those who had
once been its defenders; and these apostate Christians, uniting with
their half-pagan companions, directed their warfare against the most
essential features of the doctrines of Christ.
It required a desperate struggle for those who would be faithful
to stand firm against the deceptions and abominations which were
disguised in sacerdotal garments and introduced into the church.
The Bible was not accepted as the standard of faith. The doctrine of
religious freedom was termed heresy, and its upholders were hated
and proscribed.
After a long and severe conflict, the faithful few decided to
dissolve all union with the apostate church if she still refused to free
herself from falsehood and idolatry. They saw that separation was an
absolute necessity if they would obey the word of God. They dared
not tolerate errors fatal to their own souls, and set an example which
would imperil the faith of their children and children’s children. To
secure peace and unity they were ready to make any concession
consistent with fidelity to God; but they felt that even peace would
be too dearly purchased at the sacrifice of principle. If unity could
be secured only by the compromise of truth and righteousness, then
let there be difference, and even war.
Well would it be for the church and the world if the principles [46]
that actuated those steadfast souls were revived in the hearts of God’s
professed people. There is an alarming indifference in regard to the
doctrines which are the pillars of the Christian faith. The opinion
is gaining ground, that, after all, these are not of vital importance.
This degeneracy is strengthening the hands of the agents of Satan,
so that false theories and fatal delusions which the faithful in ages
past imperiled their lives to resist and expose, are now regarded with
favor by thousands who claim to be followers of Christ.
The early Christians were indeed a peculiar people. Their blame-
less deportment and unswerving faith were a continual reproof that
disturbed the sinner’s peace. Though few in numbers, without
wealth, position, or honorary titles, they were a terror to evildo-
ers wherever their character and doctrines were known. Therefore
they were hated by the wicked, even as Abel was hated by the un-
godly Cain. For the same reason that Cain slew Abel, did those
who sought to throw off the restraint of the Holy Spirit, put to death
 38 The Great Controversy

God’s people. It was for the same reason that the Jews rejected
and crucified the Saviour—because the purity and holiness of His
character was a constant rebuke to their selfishness and corruption.
From the days of Christ until now His faithful disciples have excited
the hatred and opposition of those who love and follow the ways of
sin.
How, then, can the gospel be called a message of peace? When
Isaiah foretold the birth of the Messiah, he ascribed to Him the title,
“Prince of Peace.” When angels announced to the shepherds that
Christ was born, they sang above the plains of Bethlehem: “Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke
2:14. There is a seeming contradiction between these prophetic
declarations and the words of Christ: “I came not to send peace, but
[47] a sword.” Matthew 10:34. But, rightly understood, the two are in
perfect harmony. The gospel is a message of peace. Christianity is a
system which, received and obeyed, would spread peace, harmony,
and happiness throughout the earth. The religion of Christ will unite
in close brotherhood all who accept its teachings. It was the mission
of Jesus to reconcile men to God, and thus to one another. But
the world at large are under the control of Satan, Christ’s bitterest
foe. The gospel presents to them principles of life which are wholly
at variance with their habits and desires, and they rise in rebellion
against it. They hate the purity which reveals and condemns their
sins, and they persecute and destroy those who would urge upon
them its just and holy claims. It is in this sense—because the exalted
truths it brings occasion hatred and strife—that the gospel is called
a sword.
The mysterious providence which permits the righteous to suffer
persecution at the hand of the wicked has been a cause of great
perplexity to many who are weak in faith. Some are even ready to
cast away their confidence in God because He suffers the basest of
men to prosper, while the best and purest are afflicted and tormented
by their cruel power. How, it is asked, can One who is just and
merciful, and who is also infinite in power, tolerate such injustice
and oppression? This is a question with which we have nothing to
do. God has given us sufficient evidence of His love, and we are not
to doubt His goodness because we cannot understand the workings
of His providence. Said the Saviour to His disciples, foreseeing
 Persecution in the First Centuries 39

the doubts that would press upon their souls in days of trial and
darkness: “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is
not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you.” John 15:20. Jesus suffered for us more than any of
His followers can be made to suffer through the cruelty of wicked
men. Those who are called to endure torture and martyrdom are but
following in the steps of God’s dear Son.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise.” 2 Peter 3:9. He [48]
does not forget or neglect His children; but He permits the wicked to
reveal their true character, that none who desire to do His will may
be deceived concerning them. Again, the righteous are placed in the
furnace of affliction, that they themselves may be purified; that their
example may convince others of the reality of faith and godliness;
and also that their consistent course may condemn the ungodly and
unbelieving.
God permits the wicked to prosper and to reveal their enmity
against Him, that when they shall have filled up the measure of their
iniquity all may see His justice and mercy in their utter destruction.
The day of His vengeance hastens, when all who have transgressed
His law and oppressed His people will meet the just recompense
of their deeds; when every act of cruelty or injustice toward God’s
faithful ones will be punished as though done to Christ Himself.
There is another and more important question that should engage
the attention of the churches of today. The apostle Paul declares
that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
2 Timothy 3:12. Why is it, then, that persecution seems in a great
degree to slumber? The only reason is that the church has conformed
to the world’s standard and therefore awakens no opposition. The
religion which is current in our day is not of the pure and holy
character that marked the Christian faith in the days of Christ and
His apostles. It is only because of the spirit of compromise with
sin, because the great truths of the word of God are so indifferently
regarded, because there is so little vital godliness in the church, that
Christianity is apparently so popular with the world. Let there be
a revival of the faith and power of the early church, and the spirit
of persecution will be revived, and the fires of persecution will be
rekindled.
[49] Chapter 3—An Era of Spiritual Darkness

The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, fore-

told the great apostasy which would result in the establishment of
the papal power. He declared that the day of Christ should not come,
“except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be re-
vealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself
above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God
sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” And
furthermore, the apostle warns his brethren that “the mystery of
iniquity doth already work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4, 7. Even at that
early date he saw, creeping into the church, errors that would prepare
the way for the development of the papacy.
Little by little, at first in stealth and silence, and then more openly
as it increased in strength and gained control of the minds of men,
“the mystery of iniquity” carried forward its deceptive and blasphe-
mous work. Almost imperceptibly the customs of heathenism found
their way into the Christian church. The spirit of compromise and
conformity was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions which
the church endured under paganism. But as persecution ceased, and
Christianity entered the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside
the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and
pride of pagan priests and rulers; and in place of the requirements
of God, she substituted human theories and traditions. The nominal
[50] conversion of Constantine, in the early part of the fourth century,
caused great rejoicing; and the world, cloaked with a form of righ-
teousness, walked into the church. Now the work of corruption
rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to be vanquished,
became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the church. Her doc-
trines, ceremonies, and superstitions were incorporated into the faith
and worship of the professed followers of Christ.
This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted
in the development of “the man of sin” foretold in prophecy as
opposing and exalting himself above God. That gigantic system of
40
 Era of Spiritual Darkness 41

false religion is a masterpiece of Satan’s power—a monument of his

efforts to seat himself upon the throne to rule the earth according to
his will.
Satan once endeavored to form a compromise with Christ. He
came to the Son of God in the wilderness of temptation, and showing
Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, offered to
give all into His hands if He would but acknowledge the supremacy
of the prince of darkness. Christ rebuked the presumptuous tempter
and forced him to depart. But Satan meets with greater success in
presenting the same temptations to man. To secure worldly gains
and honors, the church was led to seek the favor and support of the
great men of earth; and having thus rejected Christ, she was induced
to yield allegiance to the representative of Satan—the bishop of
Rome.
It is one of the leading doctrines of Romanism that the pope
is the visible head of the universal church of Christ, invested with
supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world.
More than this, the pope has been given the very titles of Deity. He
has been styled “Lord God the Pope” (see Appendix), and has been
declared infallible. He demands the homage of all men. The same
claim urged by Satan in the wilderness of temptation is still urged
by him through the Church of Rome, and vast numbers are ready to
yield him homage.
But those who fear and reverence God meet this heaven-daring [51]
assumption as Christ met the solicitations of the wily foe: “Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Luke
4:8. God has never given a hint in His word that He has appointed any
man to be the head of the church. The doctrine of papal supremacy
is directly opposed to the teachings of the Scriptures. The pope can
have no power over Christ’s church except by usurpation.
Romanists have persisted in bringing against Protestants the
charge of heresy and willful separation from the true church. But
these accusations apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who
laid down the banner of Christ and departed from “the faith which
was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3.
Satan well knew that the Holy Scriptures would enable men
to discern his deceptions and withstand his power. It was by the
word that even the Saviour of the world had resisted his attacks. At
 42 The Great Controversy

every assault, Christ presented the shield of eternal truth, saying, “It
is written.” To every suggestion of the adversary, He opposed the
wisdom and power of the word. In order for Satan to maintain his
sway over men, and establish the authority of the papal usurper, he
must keep them in ignorance of the Scriptures. The Bible would
exalt God and place finite men in their true position; therefore its
sacred truths must be concealed and suppressed. This logic was
adopted by the Roman Church. For hundreds of years the circulation
of the Bible was prohibited. The people were forbidden to read it
or to have it in their houses, and unprincipled priests and prelates
interpreted its teachings to sustain their pretensions. Thus the pope
came to be almost universally acknowledged as the vicegerent of
God on earth, endowed with authority over church and state.
The detector of error having been removed, Satan worked ac-
cording to his will. Prophecy had declared that the papacy was to
[52] “think to change times and laws.” Daniel 7:25. This work it was
not slow to attempt. To afford converts from heathenism a sub-
stitute for the worship of idols, and thus to promote their nominal
acceptance of Christianity, the adoration of images and relics was
gradually introduced into the Christian worship. The decree of a
general council (see Appendix) finally established this system of
idolatry. To complete the sacrilegious work, Rome presumed to
expunge from the law of God the second commandment, forbidding
image worship, and to divide the tenth commandment, in order to
preserve the number.
The spirit of concession to paganism opened the way for a still
further disregard of Heaven’s authority. Satan, working through
unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth com-
mandment also, and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the
day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its
stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as “the venerable
day of the sun.” This change was not at first attempted openly. In
the first centuries the true Sabbath had been kept by all Christians.
They were jealous for the honor of God, and, believing that His law
is immutable, they zealously guarded the sacredness of its precepts.
But with great subtlety Satan worked through his agents to bring
about his object. That the attention of the people might be called
to the Sunday, it was made a festival in honor of the resurrection of
 Era of Spiritual Darkness 43

Christ. Religious services were held upon it; yet it was regarded as
a day of recreation, the Sabbath being still sacredly observed.
To prepare the way for the work which he designed to accom-
plish, Satan had led the Jews, before the advent of Christ, to load
down the Sabbath with the most rigorous exactions, making its ob-
servance a burden. Now, taking advantage of the false light in which
he had thus caused it to be regarded, he cast contempt upon it as a
Jewish institution. While Christians generally continued to observe
the Sunday as a joyous festival, he led them, in order to show their [53]
hatred of Judaism, to make the Sabbath a fast, a day of sadness and
gloom.
In the early part of the fourth century the emperor Constantine
issued a decree making Sunday a public festival throughout the
Roman Empire. (See Appendix.) The day of the sun was reverenced
by his pagan subjects and was honored by Christians; it was the
emperor’s policy to unite the conflicting interests of heathenism and
Christianity. He was urged to do this by the bishops of the church,
who, inspired by ambition and thirst for power, perceived that if the
same day was observed by both Christians and heathen, it would
promote the nominal acceptance of Christianity by pagans and thus
advance the power and glory of the church. But while many God-
fearing Christians were gradually led to regard Sunday as possessing
a degree of sacredness, they still held the true Sabbath as the holy of
the Lord and observed it in obedience to the fourth commandment.
The archdeceiver had not completed his work. He was resolved
to gather the Christian world under his banner and to exercise his
power through his vicegerent, the proud pontiff who claimed to
be the representative of Christ. Through half-converted pagans,
ambitious prelates, and world-loving churchmen he accomplished
his purpose. Vast councils were held from time to time, in which
the dignitaries of the church were convened from all the world.
In nearly every council the Sabbath which God had instituted was
pressed down a little lower, while the Sunday was correspondingly
exalted. Thus the pagan festival came finally to be honored as a
divine institution, while the Bible Sabbath was pronounced a relic
of Judaism, and its observers were declared to be accursed.
The great apostate had succeeded in exalting himself “above
all that is called God, or that is worshiped.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4.
 44 The Great Controversy

He had dared to change the only precept of the divine law that
unmistakably points all mankind to the true and living God. In the
[54] fourth commandment, God is revealed as the Creator of the heavens
and the earth, and is thereby distinguished from all false gods. It
was as a memorial of the work of creation that the seventh day was
sanctified as a rest day for man. It was designed to keep the living
God ever before the minds of men as the source of being and the
object of reverence and worship. Satan strives to turn men from
their allegiance to God, and from rendering obedience to His law;
therefore he directs his efforts especially against that commandment
which points to God as the Creator.
Protestants now urge that the resurrection of Christ on Sunday
made it the Christian Sabbath. But Scripture evidence is lacking.
No such honor was given to the day by Christ or His apostles. The
observance of Sunday as a Christian institution had its origin in that
“mystery of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:7, R.V.) which, even
in Paul’s day, had begun its work. Where and when did the Lord
adopt this child of the papacy? What valid reason can be given for a
change which the Scriptures do not sanction?
In the sixth century the papacy had become firmly established.
Its seat of power was fixed in the imperial city, and the bishop of
Rome was declared to be the head over the entire church. Paganism
had given place to the papacy. The dragon had given to the beast “his
power, and his seat, and great authority.” Revelation 13:2. And now
began the 1260 years of papal oppression foretold in the prophecies
of Daniel and the Revelation. Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:5-7. (See
Appendix.) Christians were forced to choose either to yield their
integrity and accept the papal ceremonies and worship, or to wear
away their lives in dungeons or suffer death by the rack, the fagot,
or the headsman’s ax. Now were fulfilled the words of Jesus: “Ye
shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and
friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And
ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake.” Luke 21:16, 17.
Persecution opened upon the faithful with greater fury than ever
[55] before, and the world became a vast battlefield. For hundreds of
years the church of Christ found refuge in seclusion and obscurity.
Thus says the prophet: “The woman fled into the wilderness, where
 Era of Spiritual Darkness 45

she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a
thousand two hundred and three-score days.” Revelation 12:6.
The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the be-
ginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, the darkness
deepened. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation,
to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for
forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the
pope, and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority.
They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator and that
none could approach God except through him; and, further, that he
stood in the place of God to them and was therefore to be implicitly
obeyed. A deviation from his requirements was sufficient cause for
the severest punishment to be visited upon the bodies and souls of
the offenders. Thus the minds of the people were turned away from
God to fallible, erring, and cruel men, nay, more, to the prince of
darkness himself, who exercised his power through them. Sin was
disguised in a garb of sanctity. When the Scriptures are suppressed,
and man comes to regard himself as supreme, we need look only
for fraud, deception, and debasing iniquity. With the elevation of
human laws and traditions was manifest the corruption that ever
results from setting aside the law of God.
Those were days of peril for the church of Christ. The faithful
standard-bearers were few indeed. Though the truth was not left
without witnesses, yet at times it seemed that error and superstition
would wholly prevail, and true religion would be banished from the
earth. The gospel was lost sight of, but the forms of religion were
multiplied, and the people were burdened with rigorous exactions.
They were taught not only to look to the pope as their mediator,
but to trust to works of their own to atone for sin. Long pilgrimages,
acts of penance, the worship of relics, the erection of churches, [56]
shrines, and altars, the payment of large sums to the church—these
and many similar acts were enjoined to appease the wrath of God or
to secure His favor; as if God were like men, to be angered at trifles,
or pacified by gifts or acts of penance!
Notwithstanding that vice prevailed, even among the leaders of
the Roman Church, her influence seemed steadily to increase. About
the close of the eighth century, papists put forth the claim that in the
first ages of the church the bishops of Rome had possessed the same
 46 The Great Controversy

spiritual power which they now assumed. To establish this claim,

some means must be employed to give it a show of authority; and
this was readily suggested by the father of lies. Ancient writings
were forged by monks. Decrees of councils before unheard of were
discovered, establishing the universal supremacy of the pope from
the earliest times. And a church that had rejected the truth greedily
accepted these deceptions. (See Appendix.)
The few faithful builders upon the true foundation (1 Corinthi-
ans 3:10, 11) were perplexed and hindered as the rubbish of false
doctrine obstructed the work. Like the builders upon the wall of
Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day, some were ready to say: “The strength
of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so
that we are not able to build.” Nehemiah 4:10. Wearied with the
constant struggle against persecution, fraud, iniquity, and every other
obstacle that Satan could devise to hinder their progress, some who
had been faithful builders became disheartened; and for the sake
of peace and security for their property and their lives, they turned
away from the true foundation. Others, undaunted by the opposition
of their enemies, fearlessly declared: “Be not ye afraid of them:
remember the Lord, which is great and terrible” (verse 14); and they
proceeded with the work, everyone with his sword girded by his
side. Ephesians 6:17.
The same spirit of hatred and opposition to the truth has inspired
[57] the enemies of God in every age, and the same vigilance and fidelity
have been required in His servants. The words of Christ to the first
disciples are applicable to His followers to the close of time: “What
I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13:37.
The darkness seemed to grow more dense. Image worship be-
came more general. Candles were burned before images, and prayers
were offered to them. The most absurd and superstitious customs
prevailed. The minds of men were so completely controlled by
superstition that reason itself seemed to have lost its sway. While
priests and bishops were themselves pleasure-loving, sensual, and
corrupt, it could only be expected that the people who looked to
them for guidance would be sunken in ignorance and vice.
Another step in papal assumption was taken, when, in the
eleventh century, Pope Gregory VII proclaimed the perfection of
the Roman Church. Among the propositions which he put forth
 Era of Spiritual Darkness 47

was one declaring that the church had never erred, nor would it ever
err, according to the Scriptures. But the Scripture proofs did not
accompany the assertion. The proud pontiff also claimed the power
to depose emperors, and declared that no sentence which he pro-
nounced could be reversed by anyone, but that it was his prerogative
to reverse the decisions of all others. (See Appendix.)
A striking illustration of the tyrannical character of this advocate
of infallibility was given in his treatment of the German emperor,
Henry IV. For presuming to disregard the pope’s authority, this
monarch was declared to be excommunicated and dethroned. Ter-
rified by the desertion and threats of his own princes, who were
encouraged in rebellion against him by the papal mandate, Henry
felt the necessity of making his peace with Rome. In company with
his wife and a faithful servant he crossed the Alps in midwinter,
that he might humble himself before the pope. Upon reaching the
castle whither Gregory had withdrawn, he was conducted, without
his guards, into an outer court, and there, in the severe cold of winter,
with uncovered head and naked feet, and in a miserable dress, he [58]
awaited the pope’s permission to come into his presence. Not until
he had continued three days fasting and making confession, did the
pontiff condescend to grant him pardon. Even then it was only upon
condition that the emperor should await the sanction of the pope
before resuming the insignia or exercising the power of royalty. And
Gregory, elated with his triumph, boasted that it was his duty to pull
down the pride of kings.
How striking the contrast between the overbearing pride of this
haughty pontiff and the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who
represents Himself as pleading at the door of the heart for admittance,
that He may come in to bring pardon and peace, and who taught
His disciples: “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your
servant.” Matthew 20:27.
The advancing centuries witnessed a constant increase of error
in the doctrines put forth from Rome. Even before the establishment
of the papacy the teachings of heathen philosophers had received at-
tention and exerted an influence in the church. Many who professed
conversion still clung to the tenets of their pagan philosophy, and
not only continued its study themselves, but urged it upon others as
a means of extending their influence among the heathen. Serious er-
 48 The Great Controversy

rors were thus introduced into the Christian faith. Prominent among
these was the belief in man’s natural immortality and his conscious-
ness in death. This doctrine laid the foundation upon which Rome
established the invocation of saints and the adoration of the Virgin
Mary. From this sprang also the heresy of eternal torment for the
finally impenitent, which was early incorporated into the papal faith.
Then the way was prepared for the introduction of still another
invention of paganism, which Rome named purgatory, and employed
to terrify the credulous and superstitious multitudes. By this heresy
is affirmed the existence of a place of torment, in which the souls of
such as have not merited eternal damnation are to suffer punishment
[59] for their sins, and from which, when freed from impurity, they are
admitted to heaven. (See Appendix.)
Still another fabrication was needed to enable Rome to profit
by the fears and the vices of her adherents. This was supplied by
the doctrine of indulgences. Full remission of sins, past, present,
and future, and release from all the pains and penalties incurred,
were promised to all who would enlist in the pontiff’s wars to extend
his temporal dominion, to punish his enemies, or to exterminate
those who dared deny his spiritual supremacy. The people were also
taught that by the payment of money to the church they might free
themselves from sin, and also release the souls of their deceased
friends who were confined in the tormenting flames. By such means
did Rome fill her coffers and sustain the magnificence, luxury, and
vice of the pretended representatives of Him who had not where to
lay His head. (See Appendix.)
The Scriptural ordinance of the Lord’s Supper had been sup-
planted by the idolatrous sacrifice of the mass. Papal priests pre-
tended, by their senseless mummery, to convert the simple bread and
wine into the actual “body and blood of Christ.”—Cardinal Wiseman,
The Real Presence of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in
the Blessed Eucharist, Proved From Scripture, lecture 8, sec. 3, par.
26. With blasphemous presumption, they openly claimed the power
of creating God, the Creator of all things. Christians were required,
on pain of death, to avow their faith in this horrible, Heaven-insult-
ing heresy. Multitudes who refused were given to the flames. (See
Appendix.)
 Era of Spiritual Darkness 49

In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all

the engines of the papacy—the Inquisition. The prince of darkness
wrought with the leaders of the papal hierarchy. In their secret
councils Satan and his angels controlled the minds of evil men,
while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful
record of their iniquitous decrees and writing the history of deeds too
horrible to appear to human eyes. “Babylon the great” was “drunken
with the blood of the saints.” The mangled forms of millions of
martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power. [60]
Popery had become the world’s despot. Kings and emperors
bowed to the decrees of the Roman pontiff. The destinies of men,
both for time and for eternity, seemed under his control. For hundreds
of years the doctrines of Rome had been extensively and implicitly
received, its rites reverently performed, its festivals generally ob-
served. Its clergy were honored and liberally sustained. Never since
has the Roman Church attained to greater dignity, magnificence, or
power.
But “the noon of the papacy was the midnight of the world.”—J.
A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, b. 1, ch. 4. The Holy Scrip-
tures were almost unknown, not only to the people, but to the priests.
Like the Pharisees of old, the papal leaders hated the light which
would reveal their sins. God’s law, the standard of righteousness,
having been removed, they exercised power without limit, and prac-
ticed vice without restraint. Fraud, avarice, and profligacy prevailed.
Men shrank from no crime by which they could gain wealth or po-
sition. The palaces of popes and prelates were scenes of the vilest
debauchery. Some of the reigning pontiffs were guilty of crimes so
revolting that secular rulers endeavored to depose these dignitaries
of the church as monsters too vile to be tolerated. For centuries
Europe had made no progress in learning, arts, or civilization. A
moral and intellectual paralysis had fallen upon Christendom.
The condition of the world under the Romish power presented a
fearful and striking fulfillment of the words of the prophet Hosea:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou
hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee: ... seeing thou
hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
“There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing
50 The Great Controversy

adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.” Hosea 4:6, 1, 2.
Such were the results of banishing the word of God.
 Chapter 4—The Waldenses [61]

Amid the gloom that settled upon the earth during the long
period of papal supremacy, the light of truth could not be wholly
extinguished. In every age there were witnesses for God—men who
cherished faith in Christ as the only mediator between God and man,
who held the Bible as the only rule of life, and who hallowed the
true Sabbath. How much the world owes to these men, posterity will
never know. They were branded as heretics, their motives impugned,
their characters maligned, their writings suppressed, misrepresented,
or mutilated. Yet they stood firm, and from age to age maintained
their faith in its purity, as a sacred heritage for the generations to
come.
The history of God’s people during the ages of darkness that
followed upon Rome’s supremacy is written in heaven, but they
have little place in human records. Few traces of their existence can
be found, except in the accusations of their persecutors. It was the
policy of Rome to obliterate every trace of dissent from her doctrines
or decrees. Everything heretical, whether persons or writings, she
sought to destroy. Expressions of doubt, or questions as to the
authority of papal dogmas, were enough to forfeit the life of rich or
poor, high or low. Rome endeavored also to destroy every record of
her cruelty toward dissenters. Papal councils decreed that books and
writings containing such records should be committed to the flames. [62]
Before the invention of printing, books were few in number, and in
a form not favorable for preservation; therefore there was little to
prevent the Romanists from carrying out their purpose.
No church within the limits of Romish jurisdiction was long left
undisturbed in the enjoyment of freedom of conscience. No sooner
had the papacy obtained power than she stretched out her arms to
crush all that refused to acknowledge her sway, and one after another
the churches submitted to her dominion.
In Great Britain primitive Christianity had very early taken root.
The gospel received by the Britons in the first centuries was then
51
 52 The Great Controversy

uncorrupted by Romish apostasy. Persecution from pagan emperors,

which extended even to these far-off shores, was the only gift that
the first churches of Britain received from Rome. Many of the
Christians, fleeing from persecution in England, found refuge in
Scotland; thence the truth was carried to Ireland, and in all these
countries it was received with gladness.
When the Saxons invaded Britain, heathenism gained control.
The conquerors disdained to be instructed by their slaves, and the
Christians were forced to retreat to the mountains and the wild
moors. Yet the light, hidden for a time, continued to burn. In
Scotland, a century later, it shone out with a brightness that extended
to far-distant lands. From Ireland came the pious Columba and his
colaborers, who, gathering about them the scattered believers on the
lonely island of Iona, made this the center of their missionary labors.
Among these evangelists was an observer of the Bible Sabbath, and
thus this truth was introduced among the people. A school was
established at Iona, from which missionaries went out, not only to
Scotland and England, but to Germany, Switzerland, and even Italy.
But Rome had fixed her eyes on Britain, and resolved to bring it
under her supremacy. In the sixth century her missionaries undertook
[63] the conversion of the heathen Saxons. They were received with favor
by the proud barbarians, and they induced many thousands to profess
the Romish faith. As the work progressed, the papal leaders and their
converts encountered the primitive Christians. A striking contrast
was presented. The latter were simple, humble, and Scriptural in
character, doctrine, and manners, while the former manifested the
superstition, pomp, and arrogance of popery. The emissary of Rome
demanded that these Christian churches acknowledge the supremacy
of the sovereign pontiff. The Britons meekly replied that they desired
to love all men, but that the pope was not entitled to supremacy in
the church, and they could render to him only that submission which
was due to every follower of Christ. Repeated attempts were made
to secure their allegiance to Rome; but these humble Christians,
amazed at the pride displayed by her emissaries, steadfastly replied
that they knew no other master than Christ. Now the true spirit of
the papacy was revealed. Said the Romish leader: “If you will not
receive brethren who bring you peace, you shall receive enemies
who will bring you war. If you will not unite with us in showing
 Waldenses 53

the Saxons the way of life, you shall receive from them the stroke
of death.”—J. H. Merle D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation of
the Sixteenth Century, b. 17, ch. 2. These were no idle threats. War,
intrigue, and deception were employed against these witnesses for a
Bible faith, until the churches of Britain were destroyed, or forced
to submit to the authority of the pope.
In lands beyond the jurisdiction of Rome there existed for many
centuries bodies of Christians who remained almost wholly free
from papal corruption. They were surrounded by heathenism and in
the lapse of ages were affected by its errors; but they continued to
regard the Bible as the only rule of faith and adhered to many of its
truths. These Christians believed in the perpetuity of the law of God
and observed the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Churches
that held to this faith and practice existed in Central Africa and
among the Armenians of Asia.
But of those who resisted the encroachments of the papal power, [64]
the Waldenses stood foremost. In the very land where popery had
fixed its seat, there its falsehood and corruption were most steadfastly
resisted. For centuries the churches of Piedmont maintained their
independence; but the time came at last when Rome insisted upon
their submission. After ineffectual struggles against her tyranny, the
leaders of these churches reluctantly acknowledged the supremacy
of the power to which the whole world seemed to pay homage.
There were some, however, who refused to yield to the authority of
pope or prelate. They were determined to maintain their allegiance
to God and to preserve the purity and simplicity of their faith. A
separation took place. Those who adhered to the ancient faith now
withdrew; some, forsaking their native Alps, raised the banner of
truth in foreign lands; others retreated to the secluded glens and
rocky fastnesses of the mountains, and there preserved their freedom
to worship God.
The faith which for centuries was held and taught by the Walden-
sian Christians was in marked contrast to the false doctrines put forth
from Rome. Their religious belief was founded upon the written
word of God, the true system of Christianity. But those humble
peasants, in their obscure retreats, shut away from the world, and
bound to daily toil among their flocks and their vineyards, had not
by themselves arrived at the truth in opposition to the dogmas and
 54 The Great Controversy

heresies of the apostate church. Theirs was not a faith newly re-
ceived. Their religious belief was their inheritance from their fathers.
They contended for the faith of the apostolic church,—“the faith
which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3. “The church
in the wilderness,” and not the proud hierarchy enthroned in the
world’s great capital, was the true church of Christ, the guardian of
the treasures of truth which God has committed to His people to be
given to the world.
[65] Among the leading causes that had led to the separation of the
true church from Rome was the hatred of the latter toward the Bible
Sabbath. As foretold by prophecy, the papal power cast down the
truth to the ground. The law of God was trampled in the dust, while
the traditions and customs of men were exalted. The churches that
were under the rule of the papacy were early compelled to honor the
Sunday as a holy day. Amid the prevailing error and superstition,
many, even of the true people of God, became so bewildered that
while they observed the Sabbath, they refrained from labor also
on the Sunday. But this did not satisfy the papal leaders. They
demanded not only that Sunday be hallowed, but that the Sabbath
be profaned; and they denounced in the strongest language those
who dared to show it honor. It was only by fleeing from the power
of Rome that any could obey God’s law in peace. (See Appendix.)
The Waldenses were among the first of the peoples of Europe to
obtain a translation of the Holy Scriptures. (See Appendix.) Hun-
dreds of years before the Reformation they possessed the Bible in
manuscript in their native tongue. They had the truth unadulterated,
and this rendered them the special objects of hatred and persecution.
They declared the Church of Rome to be the apostate Babylon of
the Apocalypse, and at the peril of their lives they stood up to re-
sist her corruptions. While, under the pressure of long-continued
persecution, some compromised their faith, little by little yielding
its distinctive principles, others held fast the truth. Through ages
of darkness and apostasy there were Waldenses who denied the
supremacy of Rome, who rejected image worship as idolatry, and
who kept the true Sabbath. Under the fiercest tempests of opposi-
tion they maintained their faith. Though gashed by the Savoyard
spear, and scorched by the Romish fagot, they stood unflinchingly
for God’s word and His honor.
 Waldenses 55

Behind the lofty bulwarks of the mountains—in all ages the

refuge of the persecuted and oppressed—the Waldenses found a [66]
hiding place. Here the light of truth was kept burning amid the
darkness of the Middle Ages. Here, for a thousand years, witnesses
for the truth maintained the ancient faith.
God had provided for His people a sanctuary of awful grandeur,
befitting the mighty truths committed to their trust. To those faithful
exiles the mountains were an emblem of the immutable righteous-
ness of Jehovah. They pointed their children to the heights towering
above them in unchanging majesty, and spoke to them of Him with
whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, whose word is
as enduring as the everlasting hills. God had set fast the mountains
and girded them with strength; no arm but that of Infinite Power
could move them out of their place. In like manner He had estab-
lished His law, the foundation of His government in heaven and
upon earth. The arm of man might reach his fellow men and destroy
their lives; but that arm could as readily uproot the mountains from
their foundations, and hurl them into the sea, as it could change one
precept of the law of Jehovah, or blot out one of His promises to
those who do His will. In their fidelity to His law, God’s servants
should be as firm as the unchanging hills.
The mountains that girded their lowly valleys were a constant
witness to God’s creative power, and a never-failing assurance of His
protecting care. Those pilgrims learned to love the silent symbols
of Jehovah’s presence. They indulged no repining because of the
hardships of their lot; they were never lonely amid the mountain soli-
tudes. They thanked God that He had provided for them an asylum
from the wrath and cruelty of men. They rejoiced in their freedom
to worship before Him. Often when pursued by their enemies, the
strength of the hills proved a sure defense. From many a lofty cliff
they chanted the praise of God, and the armies of Rome could not
silence their songs of thanksgiving.
Pure, simple, and fervent was the piety of these followers of [67]
Christ. The principles of truth they valued above houses and lands,
friends, kindred, even life itself. These principles they earnestly
sought to impress upon the hearts of the young. From earliest
childhood the youth were instructed in the Scriptures and taught to
regard sacredly the claims of the law of God. Copies of the Bible
 56 The Great Controversy

were rare; therefore its precious words were committed to memory.

Many were able to repeat large portions of both the Old and the New
Testament. Thoughts of God were associated alike with the sublime
scenery of nature and with the humble blessings of daily life. Little
children learned to look with gratitude to God as the giver of every
favor and every comfort.
Parents, tender and affectionate as they were, loved their children
too wisely to accustom them to self-indulgence. Before them was
a life of trial and hardship, perhaps a martyr’s death. They were
educated from childhood to endure hardness, to submit to control,
and yet to think and act for themselves. Very early they were taught
to bear responsibilities, to be guarded in speech, and to understand
the wisdom of silence. One indiscreet word let fall in the hearing of
their enemies might imperil not only the life of the speaker, but the
lives of hundreds of his brethren; for as wolves hunting their prey
did the enemies of truth pursue those who dared to claim freedom
of religious faith.
The Waldenses had sacrificed their worldly prosperity for the
truth’s sake, and with persevering patience they toiled for their bread.
Every spot of tillable land among the mountains was carefully im-
proved; the valleys and the less fertile hillsides were made to yield
their increase. Economy and severe self-denial formed a part of the
education which the children received as their only legacy. They
were taught that God designs life to be a discipline, and that their
wants could be supplied only by personal labor, by forethought,
care, and faith. The process was laborious and wearisome, but it was
[68] wholesome, just what man needs in his fallen state, the school which
God has provided for his training and development. While the youth
were inured to toil and hardship, the culture of the intellect was not
neglected. They were taught that all their powers belonged to God,
and that all were to be improved and developed for His service.
The Vaudois churches, in their purity and simplicity, resembled
the church of apostolic times. Rejecting the supremacy of the pope
and prelate, they held the Bible as the only supreme, infallible
authority. Their pastors, unlike the lordly priests of Rome, followed
the example of their Master, who “came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister.” They fed the flock of God, leading them to the
green pastures and living fountains of His holy word. Far from the
 Waldenses 57

monuments of human pomp and pride the people assembled, not in

magnificent churches or grand cathedrals, but beneath the shadow of
the mountains, in the Alpine valleys, or, in time of danger, in some
rocky stronghold, to listen to the words of truth from the servants of
Christ. The pastors not only preached the gospel, but they visited
the sick, catechized the children, admonished the erring, and labored
to settle disputes and promote harmony and brotherly love. In times
of peace they were sustained by the freewill offerings of the people;
but, like Paul the tentmaker, each learned some trade or profession
by which, if necessary, to provide for his own support.
From their pastors the youth received instruction. While atten-
tion was given to branches of general learning, the Bible was made
the chief study. The Gospels of Matthew and John were committed
to memory, with many of the Epistles. They were employed also
in copying the Scriptures. Some manuscripts contained the whole
Bible, others only brief selections, to which some simple explana-
tions of the text were added by those who were able to expound the
Scriptures. Thus were brought forth the treasures of truth so long
concealed by those who sought to exalt themselves above God. [69]
By patient, untiring labor, sometimes in the deep, dark caverns of
the earth, by the light of torches, the Sacred Scriptures were written
out, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. Thus the work went on, the
revealed will of God shining out like pure gold; how much brighter,
clearer, and more powerful because of the trials undergone for its
sake only those could realize who were engaged in the work. Angels
from heaven surrounded these faithful workers.
Satan had urged on the papal priests and prelates to bury the word
of truth beneath the rubbish of error, heresy, and superstition; but in
a most wonderful manner it was preserved uncorrupted through all
the ages of darkness. It bore not the stamp of man, but the impress of
God. Men have been unwearied in their efforts to obscure the plain,
simple meaning of the Scriptures, and to make them contradict their
own testimony; but like the ark upon the billowy deep, the word
of God outrides the storms that threaten it with destruction. As the
mine has rich veins of gold and silver hidden beneath the surface,
so that all must dig who would discover its precious stores, so the
Holy Scriptures have treasures of truth that are revealed only to the
earnest, humble, prayerful seeker. God designed the Bible to be a
 58 The Great Controversy

lessonbook to all mankind, in childhood, youth, and manhood, and to

be studied through all time. He gave His word to men as a revelation
of Himself. Every new truth discerned is a fresh disclosure of the
character of its Author. The study of the Scriptures is the means
divinely ordained to bring men into closer connection with their
Creator and to give them a clearer knowledge of His will. It is the
medium of communication between God and man.
While the Waldenses regarded the fear of the Lord as the begin-
ning of wisdom, they were not blind to the importance of a contact
[70] with the world, a knowledge of men and of active life, in expanding
the mind and quickening the perceptions. From their schools in the
mountains some of the youth were sent to institutions of learning
in the cities of France or Italy, where was a more extended field
for study, thought, and observation than in their native Alps. The
youth thus sent forth were exposed to temptation, they witnessed
vice, they encountered Satan’s wily agents, who urged upon them
the most subtle heresies and the most dangerous deceptions. But
their education from childhood had been of a character to prepare
them for all this.
In the schools whither they went, they were not to make confi-
dants of any. Their garments were so prepared as to conceal their
greatest treasure—the precious manuscripts of the Scriptures. These,
the fruit of months and years of toil, they carried with them, and
whenever they could do so without exciting suspicion, they cau-
tiously placed some portion in the way of those whose hearts seemed
open to receive the truth. From their mother’s knee the Waldensian
youth had been trained with this purpose in view; they understood
their work and faithfully performed it. Converts to the true faith were
won in these institutions of learning, and frequently its principles
were found to be permeating the entire school; yet the papal lead-
ers could not, by the closest inquiry, trace the so-called corrupting
heresy to its source.
The spirit of Christ is a missionary spirit. The very first impulse
of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the Saviour. Such
was the spirit of the Vaudois Christians. They felt that God required
more of them than merely to preserve the truth in its purity in their
own churches; that a solemn responsibility rested upon them to let
their light shine forth to those who were in darkness; by the mighty
 Waldenses 59

power of God’s word they sought to break the bondage which Rome
had imposed. The Vaudois ministers were trained as missionaries,
everyone who expected to enter the ministry being required first to
gain an experience as an evangelist. Each was to serve three years in [71]
some mission field before taking charge of a church at home. This
service, requiring at the outset self-denial and sacrifice, was a fitting
introduction to the pastor’s life in those times that tried men’s souls.
The youth who received ordination to the sacred office saw before
them, not the prospect of earthly wealth and glory, but a life of toil
and danger, and possibly a martyr’s fate. The missionaries went out
two and two, as Jesus sent forth His disciples. With each young man
was usually associated a man of age and experience, the youth being
under the guidance of his companion, who was held responsible for
his training, and whose instruction he was required to heed. These
colaborers were not always together, but often met for prayer and
counsel, thus strengthening each other in the faith.
To have made known the object of their mission would have
ensured its defeat; therefore they carefully concealed their real char-
acter. Every minister possessed a knowledge of some trade or pro-
fession, and the missionaries prosecuted their work under cover of
a secular calling. Usually they chose that of merchant or peddler.
“They carried silks, jewelry, and other articles, at that time not eas-
ily purchasable save at distant marts; and they were welcomed as
merchants where they would have been spurned as missionaries.”—
Wylie, b. 1, ch. 7. All the while their hearts were uplifted to God for
wisdom to present a treasure more precious than gold or gems. They
secretly carried about with them copies of the Bible, in whole or in
part; and whenever an opportunity was presented, they called the
attention of their customers to these manuscripts. Often an interest
to read God’s word was thus awakened, and some portion was gladly
left with those who desired to receive it.
The work of these missionaries began in the plains and valleys
at the foot of their own mountains, but it extended far beyond these
limits. With naked feet and in garments coarse and travel-stained
as were those of their Master, they passed through great cities and [72]
penetrated to distant lands. Everywhere they scattered the precious
seed. Churches sprang up in their path, and the blood of martyrs
witnessed for the truth. The day of God will reveal a rich harvest
 60 The Great Controversy

of souls garnered by the labors of these faithful men. Veiled and

silent, the word of God was making its way through Christendom
and meeting a glad reception in the homes and hearts of men.
To the Waldenses the Scriptures were not merely a record of
God’s dealings with men in the past, and a revelation of the respon-
sibilities and duties of the present, but an unfolding of the perils and
glories of the future. They believed that the end of all things was
not far distant, and as they studied the Bible with prayer and tears
they were the more deeply impressed with its precious utterances
and with their duty to make known to others its saving truths. They
saw the plan of salvation clearly revealed in the sacred pages, and
they found comfort, hope, and peace in believing in Jesus. As the
light illuminated their understanding and made glad their hearts, they
longed to shed its beams upon those who were in the darkness of
papal error.
They saw that under the guidance of pope and priest, multitudes
were vainly endeavoring to obtain pardon by afflicting their bodies
for the sin of their souls. Taught to trust to their good works to save
them, they were ever looking to themselves, their minds dwelling
upon their sinful condition, seeing themselves exposed to the wrath
of God, afflicting soul and body, yet finding no relief. Thus con-
scientious souls were bound by the doctrines of Rome. Thousands
abandoned friends and kindred, and spent their lives in convent cells.
By oft-repeated fasts and cruel scourgings, by midnight vigils, by
prostration for weary hours upon the cold, damp stones of their
dreary abode, by long pilgrimages, by humiliating penance and fear-
ful torture, thousands vainly sought to obtain peace of conscience.
Oppressed with a sense of sin, and haunted with the fear of God’s
[73] avenging wrath, many suffered on, until exhausted nature gave way,
and without one ray of light or hope they sank into the tomb.
The Waldenses longed to break to these starving souls the bread
of life, to open to them the messages of peace in the promises of
God, and to point them to Christ as their only hope of salvation.
The doctrine that good works can atone for the transgression of
God’s law they held to be based upon falsehood. Reliance upon
human merit intercepts the view of Christ’s infinite love. Jesus died
as a sacrifice for man because the fallen race can do nothing to
recommend themselves to God. The merits of a crucified and risen
 Waldenses 61

Saviour are the foundation of the Christian’s faith. The dependence

of the soul upon Christ is as real, and its connection with Him must
be as close, as that of a limb to the body, or of a branch to the vine.
The teachings of popes and priests had led men to look upon
the character of God, and even of Christ, as stern, gloomy, and for-
bidding. The Saviour was represented as so far devoid of sympathy
with man in his fallen state that the mediation of priests and saints
must be invoked. Those whose minds had been enlightened by the
word of God longed to point these souls to Jesus as their compas-
sionate, loving Saviour, standing with outstretched arms, inviting all
to come to Him with their burden of sin, their care and weariness.
They longed to clear away the obstructions which Satan had piled
up that men might not see the promises, and come directly to God,
confessing their sins, and obtaining pardon and peace.
Eagerly did the Vaudois missionary unfold to the inquiring mind
the precious truths of the gospel. Cautiously he produced the care-
fully written portions of the Holy Scriptures. It was his greatest joy
to give hope to the conscientious, sin-stricken soul, who could see
only a God of vengeance, waiting to execute justice. With quiver-
ing lip and tearful eye did he, often on bended knees, open to his
brethren the precious promises that reveal the sinner’s only hope. [74]
Thus the light of truth penetrated many a darkened mind, rolling
back the cloud of gloom, until the Sun of Righteousness shone into
the heart with healing in His beams. It was often the case that some
portion of Scripture was read again and again, the hearer desiring
it to be repeated, as if he would assure himself that he had heard
aright. Especially was the repetition of these words eagerly desired:
“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John
1:7. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14, 15.
Many were undeceived in regard to the claims of Rome. They
saw how vain is the mediation of men or angels in behalf of the
sinner. As the true light dawned upon their minds they exclaimed
with rejoicing: “Christ is my priest; His blood is my sacrifice; His
altar is my confessional.” They cast themselves wholly upon the
merits of Jesus, repeating the words, “Without faith it is impossible
 62 The Great Controversy

to please Him.” Hebrews 11:6. “There is none other name under

heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.
The assurance of a Saviour’s love seemed too much for some of
these poor tempest-tossed souls to realize. So great was the relief
which it brought, such a flood of light was shed upon them, that they
seemed transported to heaven. Their hands were laid confidingly in
the hand of Christ; their feet were planted upon the Rock of Ages.
All fear of death was banished. They could now covet the prison and
the fagot if they might thereby honor the name of their Redeemer.
In secret places the word of God was thus brought forth and
read, sometimes to a single soul, sometimes to a little company
who were longing for light and truth. Often the entire night was
spent in this manner. So great would be the wonder and admiration
of the listeners that the messenger of mercy was not infrequently
[75] compelled to cease his reading until the understanding could grasp
the tidings of salvation. Often would words like these be uttered:
“Will God indeed accept my offering? Will He smile upon me? Will
He pardon me?” The answer was read: “Come unto Me, all ye that
labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
Faith grasped the promise, and the glad response was heard: “No
more long pilgrimages to make; no more painful journeys to holy
shrines. I may come to Jesus just as I am, sinful and unholy, and
He will not spurn the penitential prayer. ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee.’
Mine, even mine, may be forgiven!”
A tide of sacred joy would fill the heart, and the name of Jesus
would be magnified by praise and thanksgiving. Those happy souls
returned to their homes to diffuse light, to repeat to others, as well
as they could, their new experience; that they had found the true and
living Way. There was a strange and solemn power in the words of
Scripture that spoke directly to the hearts of those who were longing
for the truth. It was the voice of God, and it carried conviction to
those who heard.
The messenger of truth went on his way; but his appearance
of humility, his sincerity, his earnestness and deep fervor, were
subjects of frequent remark. In many instances his hearers had not
asked him whence he came or whither he went. They had been so
overwhelmed, at first with surprise, and afterward with gratitude and
joy, that they had not thought to question him. When they had urged
 Waldenses 63

him to accompany them to their homes, he had replied that he must

visit the lost sheep of the flock. Could he have been an angel from
heaven? they queried.
In many cases the messenger of truth was seen no more. He
had made his way to other lands, or he was wearing out his life in
some unknown dungeon, or perhaps his bones were whitening on
the spot where he had witnessed for the truth. But the words he had [76]
left behind could not be destroyed. They were doing their work in
the hearts of men; the blessed results will be fully known only in the
judgment.
The Waldensian missionaries were invading the kingdom of
Satan, and the powers of darkness aroused to greater vigilance.
Every effort to advance the truth was watched by the prince of evil,
and he excited the fears of his agents. The papal leaders saw a
portent of danger to their cause from the labors of these humble
itinerants. If the light of truth were allowed to shine unobstructed,
it would sweep away the heavy clouds of error that enveloped the
people. It would direct the minds of men to God alone and would
eventually destroy the supremacy of Rome.
The very existence of this people, holding the faith of the ancient
church, was a constant testimony to Rome’s apostasy, and therefore
excited the most bitter hatred and persecution. Their refusal to
surrender the Scriptures was also an offense that Rome could not
tolerate. She determined to blot them from the earth. Now began the
most terrible crusades against God’s people in their mountain homes.
Inquisitors were put upon their track, and the scene of innocent Abel
falling before the murderous Cain was often repeated.
Again and again were their fertile lands laid waste, their
dwellings and chapels swept away, so that where once were flour-
ishing fields and the homes of an innocent, industrious people, there
remained only a desert. As the ravenous beast is rendered more
furious by the taste of blood, so the rage of the papists was kin-
dled to greater intensity by the sufferings of their victims. Many of
these witnesses for a pure faith were pursued across the mountains
and hunted down in the valleys where they were hidden, shut in by
mighty forests and pinnacles of rock.
No charge could be brought against the moral character of this
proscribed class. Even their enemies declared them to be a peaceable,
 64 The Great Controversy

quiet, pious people. Their grand offense was that they would not
[77] worship God according to the will of the pope. For this crime every
humiliation, insult, and torture that men or devils could invent was
heaped upon them.
When Rome at one time determined to exterminate the hated
sect, a bull was issued by the pope, condemning them as heretics,
and delivering them to slaughter. (See Appendix.) They were not
accused as idlers, or dishonest, or disorderly; but it was declared
that they had an appearance of piety and sanctity that seduced “the
sheep of the true fold.” Therefore the pope ordered “that malicious
and abominable sect of malignants,” if they “refuse to abjure, to
be crushed like venomous snakes.”—Wylie, b. 16, ch. 1. Did this
haughty potentate expect to meet those words again? Did he know
that they were registered in the books of heaven, to confront him at
the judgment? “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these My brethren,” said Jesus, “ye have done it unto Me.” Matthew
25:40.
This bull called upon all members of the church to join the
crusade against the heretics. As an incentive to engage in this cruel
work, it “absolved from all ecclesiastical pains and penalties, general
and particular; it released all who joined the crusade from any oaths
they might have taken; it legitimatized their title to any property
they might have illegally acquired; and promised remission of all
their sins to such as should kill any heretic. It annulled all contracts
made in favor of Vaudois, ordered their domestics to abandon them,
forbade all persons to give them any aid whatever, and empowered
all persons to take possession of their property.”—Wylie, b. 16, ch.
1. This document clearly reveals the master spirit behind the scenes.
It is the roar of the dragon, and not the voice of Christ, that is heard
therein.
The papal leaders would not conform their characters to the great
standard of God’s law, but erected a standard to suit themselves, and
determined to compel all to conform to this because Rome willed it.
The most horrible tragedies were enacted. Corrupt and blasphemous
priests and popes were doing the work which Satan appointed them.
[78] Mercy had no place in their natures. The same spirit that crucified
Christ and slew the apostles, the same that moved the blood-thirsty
 Waldenses 65

Nero against the faithful in his day, was at work to rid the earth of
those who were beloved of God.
The persecutions visited for many centuries upon this God-fear-
ing people were endured by them with a patience and constancy
that honored their Redeemer. Notwithstanding the crusades against
them, and the inhuman butchery to which they were subjected, they
continued to send out their missionaries to scatter the precious truth.
They were hunted to death; yet their blood watered the seed sown,
and it failed not of yielding fruit. Thus the Waldenses witnessed for
God centuries before the birth of Luther. Scattered over many lands,
they planted the seeds of the Reformation that began in the time of
Wycliffe, grew broad and deep in the days of Luther, and is to be
carried forward to the close of time by those who also are willing
to suffer all things for “the word of God, and for the testimony of
Jesus Christ.” Revelation 1:9.
[79] Chapter 5—John Wycliffe

Before the Reformation there were at times but very few copies
of the Bible in existence, but God had not suffered His word to be
wholly destroyed. Its truths were not to be forever hidden. He could
as easily unchain the words of life as He could open prison doors and
unbolt iron gates to set His servants free. In the different countries of
Europe men were moved by the Spirit of God to search for the truth
as for hid treasures. Providentially guided to the Holy Scriptures,
they studied the sacred pages with intense interest. They were willing
to accept the light at any cost to themselves. Though they did not see
all things clearly, they were enabled to perceive many long-buried
truths. As Heaven-sent messengers they went forth, rending asunder
the chains of error and superstition, and calling upon those who had
been so long enslaved, to arise and assert their liberty.
Except among the Waldenses, the word of God had for ages
been locked up in languages known only to the learned; but the time
had come for the Scriptures to be translated and given to the people
of different lands in their native tongue. The world had passed its
midnight. The hours of darkness were wearing away, and in many
lands appeared tokens of the coming dawn.
[80] In the fourteenth century arose in England the “morning star of
the Reformation.” John Wycliffe was the herald of reform, not for
England alone, but for all Christendom. The great protest against
Rome which it was permitted him to utter was never to be silenced.
That protest opened the struggle which was to result in the emanci-
pation of individuals, of churches, and of nations.
Wycliffe received a liberal education, and with him the fear of
the Lord was the beginning of wisdom. He was noted at college
for his fervent piety as well as for his remarkable talents and sound
scholarship. In his thirst for knowledge he sought to become ac-
quainted with every branch of learning. He was educated in the
scholastic philosophy, in the canons of the church, and in the civil
law, especially that of his own country. In his after labors the value
66
 John Wycliffe 67

of this early training was apparent. A thorough acquaintance with

the speculative philosophy of his time enabled him to expose its
errors; and by his study of national and ecclesiastical law he was
prepared to engage in the great struggle for civil and religious liberty.
While he could wield the weapons drawn from the word of God,
he had acquired the intellectual discipline of the schools, and he
understood the tactics of the schoolmen. The power of his genius
and the extent and thoroughness of his knowledge commanded the
respect of both friends and foes. His adherents saw with satisfaction
that their champion stood foremost among the leading minds of the
nation; and his enemies were prevented from casting contempt upon
the cause of reform by exposing the ignorance or weakness of its
supporter.
While Wycliffe was still at college, he entered upon the study
of the Scriptures. In those early times, when the Bible existed only
in the ancient languages, scholars were enabled to find their way to
the fountain of truth, which was closed to the uneducated classes.
Thus already the way had been prepared for Wycliffe’s future work
as a Reformer. Men of learning had studied the word of God and [81]
had found the great truth of His free grace there revealed. In their
teachings they had spread a knowledge of this truth, and had led
others to turn to the living oracles.
When Wycliffe’s attention was directed to the Scriptures, he
entered upon their investigation with the same thoroughness which
had enabled him to master the learning of the schools. Heretofore
he had felt a great want, which neither his scholastic studies nor the
teaching of the church could satisfy. In the word of God he found
that which he had before sought in vain. Here he saw the plan of
salvation revealed and Christ set forth as the only advocate for man.
He gave himself to the service of Christ and determined to proclaim
the truths he had discovered.
Like after Reformers, Wycliffe did not, at the opening of his
work, foresee whither it would lead him. He did not set himself
deliberately in opposition to Rome. But devotion to truth could
not but bring him in conflict with falsehood. The more clearly he
discerned the errors of the papacy, the more earnestly he presented
the teaching of the Bible. He saw that Rome had forsaken the word
of God for human tradition; he fearlessly accused the priesthood
 68 The Great Controversy

of having banished the Scriptures, and demanded that the Bible be

restored to the people and that its authority be again established in the
church. He was an able and earnest teacher and an eloquent preacher,
and his daily life was a demonstration of the truths he preached. His
knowledge of the Scriptures, the force of his reasoning, the purity
of his life, and his unbending courage and integrity won for him
general esteem and confidence. Many of the people had become
dissatisfied with their former faith as they saw the iniquity that
prevailed in the Roman Church, and they hailed with unconcealed
joy the truths brought to view by Wycliffe; but the papal leaders
were filled with rage when they perceived that this Reformer was
gaining an influence greater than their own.
[82] Wycliffe was a keen detector of error, and he struck fearlessly
against many of the abuses sanctioned by the authority of Rome.
While acting as chaplain for the king, he took a bold stand against the
payment of tribute claimed by the pope from the English monarch
and showed that the papal assumption of authority over secular rulers
was contrary to both reason and revelation. The demands of the pope
had excited great indignation, and Wycliffe’s teachings exerted an
influence upon the leading minds of the nation. The king and the
nobles united in denying the pontiff’s claim to temporal authority
and in refusing the payment of the tribute. Thus an effectual blow
was struck against the papal supremacy in England.
Another evil against which the Reformer waged long and resolute
battle was the institution of the orders of mendicant friars. These
friars swarmed in England, casting a blight upon the greatness and
prosperity of the nation. Industry, education, morals, all felt the
withering influence. The monk’s life of idleness and beggary was
not only a heavy drain upon the resources of the people, but it
brought useful labor into contempt. The youth were demoralized
and corrupted. By the influence of the friars many were induced
to enter a cloister and devote themselves to a monastic life, and
this not only without the consent of their parents, but even without
their knowledge and contrary to their commands. One of the early
Fathers of the Roman Church, urging the claims of monasticism
above the obligations of filial love and duty, had declared: “Though
thy father should lie before thy door weeping and lamenting, and
thy mother should show the body that bore thee and the breasts that
 John Wycliffe 69

nursed thee, see that thou trample them underfoot, and go onward
straightway to Christ.” By this “monstrous inhumanity,” as Luther
afterward styled it, “savoring more of the wolf and the tyrant than
of the Christian and the man,” were the hearts of children steeled
against their parents.—Barnas Sears, The Life of Luther, pages 70,
69. Thus did the papal leaders, like the Pharisees of old, make the [83]
commandment of God of none effect by their tradition. Thus homes
were made desolate and parents were deprived of the society of their
sons and daughters.
Even the students in the universities were deceived by the false
representations of the monks and induced to join their orders. Many
afterward repented this step, seeing that they had blighted their own
lives and had brought sorrow upon their parents; but once fast in
the snare it was impossible for them to obtain their freedom. Many
parents, fearing the influence of the monks, refused to send their sons
to the universities. There was a marked falling off in the number of
students in attendance at the great centers of learning. The schools
languished, and ignorance prevailed.
The pope had bestowed on these monks the power to hear confes-
sions and to grant pardon. This became a source of great evil. Bent
on enhancing their gains, the friars were so ready to grant absolution
that criminals of all descriptions resorted to them, and, as a result,
the worst vices rapidly increased. The sick and the poor were left
to suffer, while the gifts that should have relieved their wants went
to the monks, who with threats demanded the alms of the people,
denouncing the impiety of those who should withhold gifts from
their orders. Notwithstanding their profession of poverty, the wealth
of the friars was constantly increasing, and their magnificent edifices
and luxurious tables made more apparent the growing poverty of
the nation. And while spending their time in luxury and pleasure,
they sent out in their stead ignorant men, who could only recount
marvelous tales, legends, and jests to amuse the people and make
them still more completely the dupes of the monks. Yet the friars
continued to maintain their hold on the superstitious multitudes and
led them to believe that all religious duty was comprised in acknowl-
edging the supremacy of the pope, adoring the saints, and making
gifts to the monks, and that this was sufficient to secure them a place
in heaven.
 70 The Great Controversy

[84] Men of learning and piety had labored in vain to bring about a
reform in these monastic orders; but Wycliffe, with clearer insight,
struck at the root of the evil, declaring that the system itself was
false and that it should be abolished. Discussion and inquiry were
awakening. As the monks traversed the country, vending the pope’s
pardons, many were led to doubt the possibility of purchasing for-
giveness with money, and they questioned whether they should not
seek pardon from God rather than from the pontiff of Rome. (See
Appendix note for page 59.) Not a few were alarmed at the rapacity
of the friars, whose greed seemed never to be satisfied. “The monks
and priests of Rome,” said they, “are eating us away like a cancer.
God must deliver us, or the people will perish.”—D’Aubigne, b. 17,
ch. 7. To cover their avarice, these begging monks claimed that they
were following the Saviour’s example, declaring that Jesus and His
disciples had been supported by the charities of the people. This
claim resulted in injury to their cause, for it led many to the Bible to
learn the truth for themselves—a result which of all others was least
desired by Rome. The minds of men were directed to the Source of
truth, which it was her object to conceal.
Wycliffe began to write and publish tracts against the friars, not,
however, seeking so much to enter into dispute with them as to call
the minds of the people to the teachings of the Bible and its Author.
He declared that the power of pardon or of excommunication is
possessed by the pope in no greater degree than by common priests,
and that no man can be truly excommunicated unless he has first
brought upon himself the condemnation of God. In no more effectual
way could he have undertaken the overthrow of that mammoth fabric
of spiritual and temporal dominion which the pope had erected and
in which the souls and bodies of millions were held captive.
Again Wycliffe was called to defend the rights of the English
crown against the encroachments of Rome; and being appointed a
royal ambassador, he spent two years in the Netherlands, in con-
ference with the commissioners of the pope. Here he was brought
[85] into communication with ecclesiastics from France, Italy, and Spain,
and he had an opportunity to look behind the scenes and gain a
knowledge of many things which would have remained hidden from
him in England. He learned much that was to give point to his after
labors. In these representatives from the papal court he read the
 John Wycliffe 71

true character and aims of the hierarchy. He returned to England

to repeat his former teachings more openly and with greater zeal,
declaring that covetousness, pride, and deception were the gods of
Rome.
In one of his tracts he said, speaking of the pope and his collec-
tors: “They draw out of our land poor men’s livelihood, and many
thousand marks, by the year, of the king’s money, for sacraments
and spiritual things, that is cursed heresy of simony, and maketh all
Christendom assent and maintain this heresy. And certes though our
realm had a huge hill of gold, and never other man took thereof but
only this proud worldly priest’s collector, by process of time this
hill must be spended; for he taketh ever money out of our land, and
sendeth nought again but God’s curse for his simony.”—John Lewis,
History of the Life and Sufferings of J. Wiclif, page 37.
Soon after his return to England, Wycliffe received from the
king the appointment to the rectory of Lutterworth. This was an
assurance that the monarch at least had not been displeased by his
plain speaking. Wycliffe’s influence was felt in shaping the action
of the court, as well as in molding the belief of the nation.
The papal thunders were soon hurled against him. Three bulls
were dispatched to England,—to the university, to the king, and to
the prelates,—all commanding immediate and decisive measures to
silence the teacher of heresy. (Augustus Neander, General History of
the Christian Religion and Church, period 6, sec. 2, pt. 1, par. 8. See
also Appendix.) Before the arrival of the bulls, however, the bishops,
in their zeal, had summoned Wycliffe before them for trial. But two
of the most powerful princes in the kingdom accompanied him to
the tribunal; and the people, surrounding the building and rushing
in, so intimidated the judges that the proceedings were for the time [86]
suspended, and he was allowed to go his way in peace. A little
later, Edward III, whom in his old age the prelates were seeking to
influence against the Reformer, died, and Wycliffe’s former protector
became regent of the kingdom.
But the arrival of the papal bulls laid upon all England a peremp-
tory command for the arrest and imprisonment of the heretic. These
measures pointed directly to the stake. It appeared certain that
Wycliffe must soon fall a prey to the vengeance of Rome. But He
who declared to one of old, “Fear not: ... I am thy shield” (Genesis
 72 The Great Controversy

15:1), again stretched out His hand to protect His servant. Death
came, not to the Reformer, but to the pontiff who had decreed his de-
struction. Gregory XI died, and the ecclesiastics who had assembled
for Wycliffe’s trial, dispersed.
God’s providence still further overruled events to give opportu-
nity for the growth of the Reformation. The death of Gregory was
followed by the election of two rival popes. Two conflicting powers,
each professedly infallible, now claimed obedience. (See Appendix
notes for pages 50 and 85.) Each called upon the faithful to assist
him in making war upon the other, enforcing his demands by ter-
rible anathemas against his adversaries, and promises of rewards
in heaven to his supporters. This occurrence greatly weakened the
power of the papacy. The rival factions had all they could do to
attack each other, and Wycliffe for a time had rest. Anathemas and
recriminations were flying from pope to pope, and torrents of blood
were poured out to support their conflicting claims. Crimes and
scandals flooded the church. Meanwhile the Reformer, in the quiet
retirement of his parish of Lutterworth, was laboring diligently to
point men from the contending popes to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
The schism, with all the strife and corruption which it caused,
prepared the way for the Reformation by enabling the people to see
what the papacy really was. In a tract which he published, On the
[87] Schism of the Popes, Wycliffe called upon the people to consider
whether these two priests were not speaking the truth in condemning
each other as the antichrist. “God,” said he, “would no longer suffer
the fiend to reign in only one such priest, but ... made division among
two, so that men, in Christ’s name, may the more easily overcome
them both.”—R. Vaughan, Life and Opinions of John de Wycliffe,
vol. 2, p. 6.
Wycliffe, like his Master, preached the gospel to the poor. Not
content with spreading the light in their humble homes in his own
parish of Lutterworth, he determined that it should be carried to
every part of England. To accomplish this he organized a body
of preachers, simple, devout men, who loved the truth and desired
nothing so much as to extend it. These men went everywhere,
teaching in the market places, in the streets of the great cities, and in
the country lanes. They sought out the aged, the sick, and the poor,
and opened to them the glad tidings of the grace of God.
 John Wycliffe 73

As a professor of theology at Oxford, Wycliffe preached the word

of God in the halls of the university. So faithfully did he present the
truth to the students under his instruction, that he received the title
of “the gospel doctor.” But the greatest work of his life was to be the
translation of the Scriptures into the English language. In a work,
On the Truth and Meaning of Scripture, he expressed his intention
to translate the Bible, so that every man in England might read, in
the language in which he was born, the wonderful works of God.
But suddenly his labors were stopped. Though not yet sixty
years of age, unceasing toil, study, and the assaults of his enemies
had told upon his strength and made him prematurely old. He was
attacked by a dangerous illness. The tidings brought great joy to
the friars. Now they thought he would bitterly repent the evil he
had done the church, and they hurried to his chamber to listen to
his confession. Representatives from the four religious orders, with
four civil officers, gathered about the supposed dying man. “You
have death on your lips,” they said; “be touched by your faults, and [88]
retract in our presence all that you have said to our injury.” The
Reformer listened in silence; then he bade his attendant raise him
in his bed, and, gazing steadily upon them as they stood waiting for
his recantation, he said, in the firm, strong voice which had so often
caused them to tremble: “I shall not die, but live; and again declare
the evil deeds of the friars.”—D’Aubigne, b. 17, ch. 7. Astonished
and abashed, the monks hurried from the room.
Wycliffe’s words were fulfilled. He lived to place in the hands
of his countrymen the most powerful of all weapons against Rome—
to give them the Bible, the Heaven-appointed agent to liberate,
enlighten, and evangelize the people. There were many and great
obstacles to surmount in the accomplishment of this work. Wycliffe
was weighed down with infirmities; he knew that only a few years
for labor remained for him; he saw the opposition which he must
meet; but, encouraged by the promises of God’s word, he went
forward nothing daunted. In the full vigor of his intellectual powers,
rich in experience, he had been preserved and prepared by God’s
special providence for this, the greatest of his labors. While all
Christendom was filled with tumult, the Reformer in his rectory
at Lutterworth, unheeding the storm that raged without, applied
himself to his chosen task.
 74 The Great Controversy

At last the work was completed—the first English translation

of the Bible ever made. The word of God was opened to England.
The Reformer feared not now the prison or the stake. He had placed
in the hands of the English people a light which should never be
extinguished. In giving the Bible to his countrymen, he had done
more to break the fetters of ignorance and vice, more to liberate
and elevate his country, than was ever achieved by the most brilliant
victories on fields of battle.
The art of printing being still unknown, it was only by slow
and wearisome labor that copies of the Bible could be multiplied.
[89] So great was the interest to obtain the book, that many willingly
engaged in the work of transcribing it, but it was with difficulty that
the copyists could supply the demand. Some of the more wealthy
purchasers desired the whole Bible. Others bought only a portion.
In many cases, several families united to purchase a copy. Thus
Wycliffe’s Bible soon found its way to the homes of the people.
The appeal to men’s reason aroused them from their passive
submission to papal dogmas. Wycliffe now taught the distinctive
doctrines of Protestantism—salvation through faith in Christ, and
the sole infallibility of the Scriptures. The preachers whom he had
sent out circulated the Bible, together with the Reformer’s writings,
and with such success that the new faith was accepted by nearly one
half of the people of England.
The appearance of the Scriptures brought dismay to the authori-
ties of the church. They had now to meet an agency more powerful
than Wycliffe—an agency against which their weapons would avail
little. There was at this time no law in England prohibiting the
Bible, for it had never before been published in the language of the
people. Such laws were afterward enacted and rigorously enforced.
Meanwhile, notwithstanding the efforts of the priests, there was for
a season opportunity for the circulation of the word of God.
Again the papal leaders plotted to silence the Reformer’s voice.
Before three tribunals he was successively summoned for trial, but
without avail. First a synod of bishops declared his writings heretical,
and, winning the young king, Richard II, to their side, they obtained a
royal decree consigning to prison all who should hold the condemned
doctrines.
 John Wycliffe 75

Wycliffe appealed from the synod to Parliament; he fearlessly

arraigned the hierarchy before the national council and demanded
a reform of the enormous abuses sanctioned by the church. With
convincing power he portrayed the usurpation and corruptions of
the papal see. His enemies were brought to confusion. The friends
and supporters of Wycliffe had been forced to yield, and it had been
confidently expected that the Reformer himself, in his old age, alone [90]
and friendless, would bow to the combined authority of the crown
and the miter. But instead of this the papists saw themselves defeated.
Parliament, roused by the stirring appeals of Wycliffe, repealed the
persecuting edict, and the Reformer was again at liberty.
A third time he was brought to trial, and now before the highest
ecclesiastical tribunal in the kingdom. Here no favor would be shown
to heresy. Here at last Rome would triumph, and the Reformer’s
work would be stopped. So thought the papists. If they could but
accomplish their purpose, Wycliffe would be forced to abjure his
doctrines, or would leave the court only for the flames.
But Wycliffe did not retract; he would not dissemble. He fear-
lessly maintained his teachings and repelled the accusations of his
persecutors. Losing sight of himself, of his position, of the occasion,
he summoned his hearers before the divine tribunal, and weighed
their sophistries and deceptions in the balances of eternal truth. The
power of the Holy Spirit was felt in the council room. A spell from
God was upon the hearers. They seemed to have no power to leave
the place. As arrows from the Lord’s quiver, the Reformer’s words
pierced their hearts. The charge of heresy, which they had brought
against him, he with convincing power threw back upon themselves.
Why, he demanded, did they dare to spread their errors? For the sake
of gain, to make merchandise of the grace of God?
“With whom, think you,” he finally said, “are ye contending?
with an old man on the brink of the grave? No! with Truth—Truth
which is stronger than you, and will overcome you.”—Wylie, b. 2,
ch. 13. So saying, he withdrew from the assembly, and not one of
his adversaries attempted to prevent him.
Wycliffe’s work was almost done; the banner of truth which he
had so long borne was soon to fall from his hand; but once more he
was to bear witness for the gospel. The truth was to be proclaimed [91]
from the very stronghold of the kingdom of error. Wycliffe was
 76 The Great Controversy

summoned for trial before the papal tribunal at Rome, which had so
often shed the blood of the saints. He was not blind to the danger
that threatened him, yet he would have obeyed the summons had
not a shock of palsy made it impossible for him to perform the
journey. But though his voice was not to be heard at Rome, he could
speak by letter, and this he determined to do. From his rectory the
Reformer wrote to the pope a letter, which, while respectful in tone
and Christian in spirit, was a keen rebuke to the pomp and pride of
the papal see.
“Verily I do rejoice,” he said, “to open and declare unto every
man the faith which I do hold, and especially unto the bishop of
Rome: which, forasmuch as I do suppose to be sound and true,
he will most willingly confirm my said faith, or if it be erroneous,
amend the same.
“First, I suppose that the gospel of Christ is the whole body of
God’s law.... I do give and hold the bishop of Rome, forasmuch as
he is the vicar of Christ here on earth, to be most bound, of all other
men, unto that law of the gospel. For the greatness among Christ’s
disciples did not consist in worldly dignity or honors, but in the near
and exact following of Christ in His life and manners.... Christ, for
the time of His pilgrimage here, was a most poor man, abjecting and
casting off all worldly rule and honor....
“No faithful man ought to follow either the pope himself or any
of the holy men, but in such points as he hath followed the Lord
Jesus Christ; for Peter and the sons of Zebedee, by desiring worldly
honor, contrary to the following of Christ’s steps, did offend, and
therefore in those errors they are not to be followed....
“The pope ought to leave unto the secular power all temporal
dominion and rule, and thereunto effectually to move and exhort
his whole clergy; for so did Christ, and especially by His apostles.
Wherefore, if I have erred in any of these points, I will most humbly
[92] submit myself unto correction, even by death, if necessity so require;
and if I could labor according to my will or desire in mine own
person, I would surely present myself before the bishop of Rome;
but the Lord hath otherwise visited me to the contrary, and hath
taught me rather to obey God than men.”
In closing he said: “Let us pray unto our God, that He will so
stir up our Pope Urban VI, as he began, that he with his clergy may
 John Wycliffe 77

follow the Lord Jesus Christ in life and manners; and that they may
teach the people effectually, and that they, likewise, may faithfully
follow them in the same.”—John Foxe, Acts and Monuments, vol. 3,
pp. 49, 50.
Thus Wycliffe presented to the pope and his cardinals the meek-
ness and humility of Christ, exhibiting not only to themselves but to
all Christendom the contrast between them and the Master whose
representatives they professed to be.
Wycliffe fully expected that his life would be the price of his
fidelity. The king, the pope, and the bishops were united to accom-
plish his ruin, and it seemed certain that a few months at most would
bring him to the stake. But his courage was unshaken. “Why do
you talk of seeking the crown of martyrdom afar?” he said. “Preach
the gospel of Christ to haughty prelates, and martyrdom will not fail
you. What! I should live and be silent? ... Never! Let the blow fall,
I await its coming.”—D’Aubigne, b. 17, ch. 8.
But God’s providence still shielded His servant. The man who
for a whole lifetime had stood boldly in defense of the truth, in
daily peril of his life, was not to fall a victim of the hatred of its
foes. Wycliffe had never sought to shield himself, but the Lord had
been his protector; and now, when his enemies felt sure of their
prey, God’s hand removed him beyond their reach. In his church at
Lutterworth, as he was about to dispense the communion, he fell,
stricken with palsy, and in a short time yielded up his life.
God had appointed to Wycliffe his work. He had put the word [93]
of truth in his mouth, and He set a guard about him that this word
might come to the people. His life was protected, and his labors
were prolonged, until a foundation was laid for the great work of the
Reformation.
Wycliffe came from the obscurity of the Dark Ages. There were
none who went before him from whose work he could shape his
system of reform. Raised up like John the Baptist to accomplish a
special mission, he was the herald of a new era. Yet in the system of
truth which he presented there was a unity and completeness which
Reformers who followed him did not exceed, and which some did
not reach, even a hundred years later. So broad and deep was laid
the foundation, so firm and true was the framework, that it needed
not to be reconstructed by those who came after him.
 78 The Great Controversy

The great movement that Wycliffe inaugurated, which was to

liberate the conscience and the intellect, and set free the nations
so long bound to the triumphal car of Rome, had its spring in the
Bible. Here was the source of that stream of blessing, which, like
the water of life, has flowed down the ages since the fourteenth
century. Wycliffe accepted the Holy Scriptures with implicit faith
as the inspired revelation of God’s will, a sufficient rule of faith
and practice. He had been educated to regard the Church of Rome
as the divine, infallible authority, and to accept with unquestioning
reverence the established teachings and customs of a thousand years;
but he turned away from all these to listen to God’s holy word. This
was the authority which he urged the people to acknowledge. Instead
of the church speaking through the pope, he declared the only true
authority to be the voice of God speaking through His word. And he
taught not only that the Bible is a perfect revelation of God’s will,
but that the Holy Spirit is its only interpreter, and that every man is,
by the study of its teachings, to learn his duty for himself. Thus he
turned the minds of men from the pope and the Church of Rome to
the word of God.
[94] Wycliffe was one of the greatest of the Reformers. In breadth
of intellect, in clearness of thought, in firmness to maintain the
truth, and in boldness to defend it, he was equaled by few who
came after him. Purity of life, unwearying diligence in study and
in labor, incorruptible integrity, and Christlike love and faithfulness
in his ministry, characterized the first of the Reformers. And this
notwithstanding the intellectual darkness and moral corruption of
the age from which he emerged.
The character of Wycliffe is a testimony to the educating, trans-
forming power of the Holy Scriptures. It was the Bible that made
him what he was. The effort to grasp the great truths of revelation
imparts freshness and vigor to all the faculties. It expands the mind,
sharpens the perceptions, and ripens the judgment. The study of
the Bible will ennoble every thought, feeling, and aspiration as no
other study can. It gives stability of purpose, patience, courage, and
fortitude; it refines the character and sanctifies the soul. An earnest,
reverent study of the Scriptures, bringing the mind of the student in
direct contact with the infinite mind, would give to the world men of
stronger and more active intellect, as well as of nobler principle, than
 John Wycliffe 79

has ever resulted from the ablest training that human philosophy
affords. “The entrance of Thy words,” says the psalmist, “giveth
light; it giveth understanding.” Psalm 119:130.
The doctrines which had been taught by Wycliffe continued for
a time to spread; his followers, known as Wycliffites and Lollards,
not only traversed England, but scattered to other lands, carrying the
knowledge of the gospel. Now that their leader was removed, the
preachers labored with even greater zeal than before, and multitudes
flocked to listen to their teachings. Some of the nobility, and even
the wife of the king, were among the converts. In many places
there was a marked reform in the manners of the people, and the
idolatrous symbols of Romanism were removed from the churches.
But soon the pitiless storm of persecution burst upon those who had
dared to accept the Bible as their guide. The English monarchs, [95]
eager to strengthen their power by securing the support of Rome,
did not hesitate to sacrifice the Reformers. For the first time in the
history of England the stake was decreed against the disciples of the
gospel. Martyrdom succeeded martyrdom. The advocates of truth,
proscribed and tortured, could only pour their cries into the ear of
the Lord of Sabaoth. Hunted as foes of the church and traitors to the
realm, they continued to preach in secret places, finding shelter as
best they could in the humble homes of the poor, and often hiding
away even in dens and caves.
Notwithstanding the rage of persecution, a calm, devout, earnest,
patient protest against the prevailing corruption of religious faith
continued for centuries to be uttered. The Christians of that early
time had only a partial knowledge of the truth, but they had learned
to love and obey God’s word, and they patiently suffered for its sake.
Like the disciples in apostolic days, many sacrificed their worldly
possessions for the cause of Christ. Those who were permitted to
dwell in their homes gladly sheltered their banished brethren, and
when they too were driven forth they cheerfully accepted the lot
of the outcast. Thousands, it is true, terrified by the fury of their
persecutors, purchased their freedom at the sacrifice of their faith,
and went out of their prisons, clothed in penitents’ robes, to publish
their recantation. But the number was not small—and among them
were men of noble birth as well as the humble and lowly—who
bore fearless testimony to the truth in dungeon cells, in “Lollard
 80 The Great Controversy

towers,” and in the midst of torture and flame, rejoicing that they
were counted worthy to know “the fellowship of His sufferings.”
The papists had failed to work their will with Wycliffe during
his life, and their hatred could not be satisfied while his body rested
quietly in the grave. By the decree of the Council of Constance, more
than forty years after his death his bones were exhumed and publicly
burned, and the ashes were thrown into a neighboring brook. “This
[96] brook,” says an old writer, “hath conveyed his ashes into Avon, Avon
into Severn, Severn into the narrow seas, they into the main ocean.
And thus the ashes of Wycliffe are the emblem of his doctrine, which
now is dispersed all the world over.”—T. Fuller, Church History
of Britain, b. 4, sec. 2, par. 54. Little did his enemies realize the
significance of their malicious act.
It was through the writings of Wycliffe that John Huss, of Bo-
hemia, was led to renounce many of the errors of Romanism and
to enter upon the work of reform. Thus in these two countries, so
widely separated, the seed of truth was sown. From Bohemia the
work extended to other lands. The minds of men were directed to
the long-forgotten word of God. A divine hand was preparing the
way for the Great Reformation.
 Chapter 6—Huss and Jerome [97]

The gospel had been planted in Bohemia as early as the ninth

century. The Bible was translated, and public worship was con-
ducted, in the language of the people. But as the power of the pope
increased, so the word of God was obscured. Gregory VII, who
had taken it upon himself to humble the pride of kings, was no less
intent upon enslaving the people, and accordingly a bull was issued
forbidding public worship to be conducted in the Bohemian tongue.
The pope declared that “it was pleasing to the Omnipotent that His
worship should be celebrated in an unknown language, and that
many evils and heresies had arisen from not observing this rule.”—
Wylie, b. 3, ch. 1. Thus Rome decreed that the light of God’s word
should be extinguished and the people should be shut up in dark-
ness. But Heaven had provided other agencies for the preservation
of the church. Many of the Waldenses and Albigenses, driven by
persecution from their homes in France and Italy, came to Bohemia.
Though they dared not teach openly, they labored zealously in secret.
Thus the true faith was preserved from century to century.
Before the days of Huss there were men in Bohemia who rose up
to condemn openly the corruption in the church and the profligacy
of the people. Their labors excited widespread interest. The fears
of the hierarchy were roused, and persecution was opened against
the disciples of the gospel. Driven to worship in the forests and [98]
the mountains, they were hunted by soldiers, and many were put
to death. After a time it was decreed that all who departed from
the Romish worship should be burned. But while the Christians
yielded up their lives, they looked forward to the triumph of their
cause. One of those who “taught that salvation was only to be found
by faith in the crucified Saviour,” declared when dying: “The rage
of the enemies of the truth now prevails against us, but it will not
be forever; there shall arise one from among the common people,
without sword or authority, and against him they shall not be able to
prevail.”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 1. Luther’s time was yet far distant; but
81
 82 The Great Controversy

already one was rising, whose testimony against Rome would stir
the nations.
John Huss was of humble birth, and was early left an orphan by
the death of his father. His pious mother, regarding education and
the fear of God as the most valuable of possessions, sought to secure
this heritage for her son. Huss studied at the provincial school, and
then repaired to the university at Prague, receiving admission as a
charity scholar. He was accompanied on the journey to Prague by
his mother; widowed and poor, she had no gifts of worldly wealth
to bestow upon her son, but as they drew near to the great city, she
kneeled down beside the fatherless youth and invoked for him the
blessing of their Father in heaven. Little did that mother realize how
her prayer was to be answered.
At the university, Huss soon distinguished himself by his untiring
application and rapid progress, while his blameless life and gentle,
winning deportment gained him universal esteem. He was a sincere
adherent of the Roman Church and an earnest seeker for the spiritual
blessings which it professes to bestow. On the occasion of a jubilee
he went to confession, paid the last few coins in his scanty store,
and joined in the processions, that he might share in the absolution
promised. After completing his college course, he entered the priest-
[99] hood, and rapidly attaining to eminence, he soon became attached
to the court of the king. He was also made professor and afterward
rector of the university where he had received his education. In a
few years the humble charity scholar had become the pride of his
country, and his name was renowned throughout Europe.
But it was in another field that Huss began the work of reform.
Several years after taking priest’s orders he was appointed preacher
of the chapel of Bethlehem. The founder of this chapel had advo-
cated, as a matter of great importance, the preaching of the Scriptures
in the language of the people. Notwithstanding Rome’s opposition
to this practice, it had not been wholly discontinued in Bohemia.
But there was great ignorance of the Bible, and the worst vices pre-
vailed among the people of all ranks. These evils Huss unsparingly
denounced, appealing to the word of God to enforce the principles
of truth and purity which he inculcated.
A citizen of Prague, Jerome, who afterward became so closely
associated with Huss, had, on returning from England, brought
 Huss and Jerome 83

with him the writings of Wycliffe. The queen of England, who had
been a convert to Wycliffe’s teachings, was a Bohemian princess,
and through her influence also the Reformer’s works were widely
circulated in her native country. These works Huss read with interest;
he believed their author to be a sincere Christian and was inclined to
regard with favor the reforms which he advocated. Already, though
he knew it not, Huss had entered upon a path which was to lead him
far away from Rome.
About this time there arrived in Prague two strangers from Eng-
land, men of learning, who had received the light and had come to
spread it in this distant land. Beginning with an open attack on the
pope’s supremacy, they were soon silenced by the authorities; but
being unwilling to relinquish their purpose, they had recourse to
other measures. Being artists as well as preachers, they proceeded
to exercise their skill. In a place open to the public they drew two
pictures. One represented the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem,
“meek, and sitting upon an ass” (Matthew 21:5), and followed by [100]
His disciples in travel-worn garments and with naked feet. The other
picture portrayed a pontifical procession—the pope arrayed in his
rich robes and triple crown, mounted upon a horse magnificently
adorned, preceded by trumpeters and followed by cardinals and
prelates in dazzling array.
Here was a sermon which arrested the attention of all classes.
Crowds came to gaze upon the drawings. None could fail to read
the moral, and many were deeply impressed by the contrast between
the meekness and humility of Christ the Master and the pride and
arrogance of the pope, His professed servant. There was great com-
motion in Prague, and the strangers after a time found it necessary,
for their own safety, to depart. But the lesson they had taught was not
forgotten. The pictures made a deep impression on the mind of Huss
and led him to a closer study of the Bible and of Wycliffe’s writings.
Though he was not prepared, even yet, to accept all the reforms
advocated by Wycliffe, he saw more clearly the true character of the
papacy, and with greater zeal denounced the pride, the ambition, and
the corruption of the hierarchy.
From Bohemia the light extended to Germany, for disturbances
in the University of Prague caused the withdrawal of hundreds of
German students. Many of them had received from Huss their first
 84 The Great Controversy

knowledge of the Bible, and on their return they spread the gospel
in their fatherland.
Tidings of the work at Prague were carried to Rome, and Huss
was soon summoned to appear before the pope. To obey would be to
expose himself to certain death. The king and queen of Bohemia, the
university, members of the nobility, and officers of the government
united in an appeal to the pontiff that Huss be permitted to remain at
Prague and to answer at Rome by deputy. Instead of granting this
request, the pope proceeded to the trial and condemnation of Huss,
and then declared the city of Prague to be under interdict.
[101] In that age this sentence, whenever pronounced, created
widespread alarm. The ceremonies by which it was accompanied
were well adapted to strike terror to a people who looked upon
the pope as the representative of God Himself, holding the keys of
heaven and hell, and possessing power to invoke temporal as well as
spiritual judgments. It was believed that the gates of heaven were
closed against the region smitten with interdict; that until it should
please the pope to remove the ban, the dead were shut out from the
abodes of bliss. In token of this terrible calamity, all the services
of religion were suspended. The churches were closed. Marriages
were solemnized in the churchyard. The dead, denied burial in con-
secrated ground, were interred, without the rites of sepulture, in
the ditches or the fields. Thus by measures which appealed to the
imagination, Rome essayed to control the consciences of men.
The city of Prague was filled with tumult. A large class de-
nounced Huss as the cause of all their calamities and demanded that
he be given up to the vengeance of Rome. To quiet the storm, the
Reformer withdrew for a time to his native village. Writing to the
friends whom he had left at Prague, he said: “If I have withdrawn
from the midst of you, it is to follow the precept and example of
Jesus Christ, in order not to give room to the ill-minded to draw on
themselves eternal condemnation, and in order not to be to the pious
a cause of affliction and persecution. I have retired also through
an apprehension that impious priests might continue for a longer
time to prohibit the preaching of the word of God amongst you;
but I have not quitted you to deny the divine truth, for which, with
God’s assistance, I am willing to die.”—Bonnechose, The Reformers
Before the Reformation, vol. 1, p. 87. Huss did not cease his labors,
 Huss and Jerome 85

but traveled through the surrounding country, preaching to eager

crowds. Thus the measures to which the pope resorted to suppress
the gospel were causing it to be the more widely extended. “We can
do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” 2 Corinthians 13:8.
“The mind of Huss, at this stage of his career, would seem to have [102]
been the scene of a painful conflict. Although the church was seeking
to overwhelm him by her thunderbolts, he had not renounced her
authority. The Roman Church was still to him the spouse of Christ,
and the pope was the representative and vicar of God. What Huss
was warring against was the abuse of authority, not the principle
itself. This brought on a terrible conflict between the convictions of
his understanding and the claims of his conscience. If the authority
was just and infallible, as he believed it to be, how came it that he
felt compelled to disobey it? To obey, he saw, was to sin; but why
should obedience to an infallible church lead to such an issue? This
was the problem he could not solve; this was the doubt that tortured
him hour by hour. The nearest approximation to a solution which he
was able to make was that it had happened again, as once before in
the days of the Saviour, that the priests of the church had become
wicked persons and were using their lawful authority for unlawful
ends. This led him to adopt for his own guidance, and to preach to
others for theirs, the maxim that the precepts of Scripture, conveyed
through the understanding, are to rule the conscience; in other words,
that God speaking in the Bible, and not the church speaking through
the priesthood, is the one infallible guide.”—Wylie, b. 3, ch. 2.
When after a time the excitement in Prague subsided, Huss
returned to his chapel of Bethlehem, to continue with greater zeal and
courage the preaching of the word of God. His enemies were active
and powerful, but the queen and many of the nobles were his friends,
and the people in great numbers sided with him. Comparing his pure
and elevating teachings and holy life with the degrading dogmas
which the Romanists preached, and the avarice and debauchery
which they practiced, many regarded it an honor to be on his side.
Hitherto Huss had stood alone in his labors; but now Jerome, who
while in England had accepted the teachings of Wycliffe, joined in
the work of reform. The two were hereafter united in their lives, and [103]
in death they were not to be divided. Brilliancy of genius, eloquence
and learning—gifts that win popular favor—were possessed in a pre-
 86 The Great Controversy

eminent degree by Jerome; but in those qualities which constitute

real strength of character, Huss was the greater. His calm judgment
served as a restraint upon the impulsive spirit of Jerome, who, with
true humility, perceived his worth, and yielded to his counsels. Under
their united labors the reform was more rapidly extended.
God permitted great light to shine upon the minds of these chosen
men, revealing to them many of the errors of Rome; but they did
not receive all the light that was to be given to the world. Through
these, His servants, God was leading the people out of the darkness
of Romanism; but there were many and great obstacles for them to
meet, and He led them on, step by step, as they could bear it. They
were not prepared to receive all the light at once. Like the full glory
of the noontide sun to those who have long dwelt in darkness, it
would, if presented, have caused them to turn away. Therefore He
revealed it to the leaders little by little, as it could be received by
the people. From century to century, other faithful workers were to
follow, to lead the people on still further in the path of reform.
The schism in the church still continued. Three popes were now
contending for the supremacy, and their strife filled Christendom
with crime and tumult. Not content with hurling anathemas, they
resorted to temporal weapons. Each cast about him to purchase arms
and to obtain soldiers. Of course money must be had; and to procure
this, the gifts, offices, and blessings of the church were offered for
sale. (See Appendix note for page 59.) The priests also, imitating
their superiors, resorted to simony and war to humble their rivals
and strengthen their own power. With daily increasing boldness
Huss thundered against the abominations which were tolerated in
the name of religion; and the people openly accused the Romish
leaders as the cause of the miseries that overwhelmed Christendom.
[104] Again the city of Prague seemed on the verge of a bloody conflict.
As in former ages, God’s servant was accused as “he that troubleth
Israel.” 1 Kings 18:17. The city was again placed under interdict,
and Huss withdrew to his native village. The testimony so faithfully
borne from his loved chapel of Bethlehem was ended. He was to
speak from a wider stage, to all Christendom, before laying down
his life as a witness for the truth.
To cure the evils that were distracting Europe, a general council
was summoned to meet at Constance. The council was called at the
 Huss and Jerome 87

desire of the emperor Sigismund, by one of the three rival popes,

John XXIII. The demand for a council had been far from welcome
to Pope John, whose character and policy could ill bear investigation,
even by prelates as lax in morals as were the churchmen of those
times. He dared not, however, oppose the will of Sigismund. (See
Appendix.)
The chief objects to be accomplished by the council were to
heal the schism in the church and to root out heresy. Hence the two
antipopes were summoned to appear before it, as well as the leading
propagator of the new opinions, John Huss. The former, having
regard to their own safety, did not attend in person, but were repre-
sented by their delegates. Pope John, while ostensibly the convoker
of the council, came to it with many misgivings, suspecting the
emperor’s secret purpose to depose him, and fearing to be brought
to account for the vices which had disgraced the tiara, as well as
for the crimes which had secured it. Yet he made his entry into the
city of Constance with great pomp, attended by ecclesiastics of the
highest rank and followed by a train of courtiers. All the clergy
and dignitaries of the city, with an immense crowd of citizens, went
out to welcome him. Above his head was a golden canopy, borne
by four of the chief magistrates. The host was carried before him,
and the rich dresses of the cardinals and nobles made an imposing
display.
Meanwhile another traveler was approaching Constance. Huss
was conscious of the dangers which threatened him. He parted from [105]
his friends as if he were never to meet them again, and went on his
journey feeling that it was leading him to the stake. Notwithstanding
he had obtained a safe-conduct from the king of Bohemia, and
received one also from the emperor Sigismund while on his journey,
he made all his arrangements in view of the probability of his death.
In a letter addressed to his friends at Prague he said: “My
brethren, ... I am departing with a safe-conduct from the king to
meet my numerous and mortal enemies.... I confide altogether in the
all-powerful God, in my Saviour; I trust that He will listen to your
ardent prayers, that He will infuse His prudence and His wisdom into
my mouth, in order that I may resist them; and that He will accord
me His Holy Spirit to fortify me in His truth, so that I may face
with courage, temptations, prison, and, if necessary, a cruel death.
 88 The Great Controversy

Jesus Christ suffered for His well-beloved; and therefore ought we

to be astonished that He has left us His example, in order that we
may ourselves endure with patience all things for our own salvation?
He is God, and we are His creatures; He is the Lord, and we are
His servants; He is Master of the world, and we are contemptible
mortals—yet He suffered! Why, then, should we not suffer also, par-
ticularly when suffering is for us a purification? Therefore, beloved,
if my death ought to contribute to His glory, pray that it may come
quickly, and that He may enable me to support all my calamities with
constancy. But if it be better that I return amongst you, let us pray to
God that I may return without stain—that is, that I may not suppress
one tittle of the truth of the gospel, in order to leave my brethren an
excellent example to follow. Probably, therefore, you will nevermore
behold my face at Prague; but should the will of the all-powerful
God deign to restore me to you, let us then advance with a firmer
heart in the knowledge and the love of His law.”—Bonnechose, vol.
1, pp. 147, 148.
In another letter, to a priest who had become a disciple of the
gospel, Huss spoke with deep humility of his own errors, accusing
[106] himself “of having felt pleasure in wearing rich apparel and of having
wasted hours in frivolous occupations.” He then added these touching
admonitions: “May the glory of God and the salvation of souls
occupy thy mind, and not the possession of benefices and estates.
Beware of adorning thy house more than thy soul; and, above all,
give thy care to the spiritual edifice. Be pious and humble with the
poor, and consume not thy substance in feasting. Shouldst thou not
amend thy life and refrain from superfluities, I fear that thou wilt be
severely chastened, as I am myself.... Thou knowest my doctrine, for
thou hast received my instructions from thy childhood; it is therefore
useless for me to write to thee any further. But I conjure thee, by
the mercy of our Lord, not to imitate me in any of the vanities into
which thou hast seen me fall.” On the cover of the letter he added:
“I conjure thee, my friend, not to break this seal until thou shalt have
acquired the certitude that I am dead.”—Ibid., vol. 1, pp. 148, 149.
On his journey, Huss everywhere beheld indications of the spread
of his doctrines and the favor with which his cause was regarded.
The people thronged to meet him, and in some towns the magistrates
attended him through their streets.
 Huss and Jerome 89

Upon arriving at Constance, Huss was granted full liberty. To

the emperor’s safe-conduct was added a personal assurance of pro-
tection by the pope. But, in violation of these solemn and repeated
declarations, the Reformer was in a short time arrested, by order of
the pope and cardinals, and thrust into a loathsome dungeon. Later
he was transferred to a strong castle across the Rhine and there kept
a prisoner. The pope, profiting little by his perfidy, was soon after
committed to the same prison. Ibid., vol. 1, p. 247. He had been
proved before the council to be guilty of the basest crimes, besides
murder, simony, and adultery, “sins not fit to be named.” So the
council itself declared, and he was finally deprived of the tiara and
thrown into prison. The antipopes also were deposed, and a new
pontiff was chosen.
Though the pope himself had been guilty of greater crimes than [107]
Huss had ever charged upon the priests, and for which he had de-
manded a reformation, yet the same council which degraded the
pontiff proceeded to crush the Reformer. The imprisonment of Huss
excited great indignation in Bohemia. Powerful noblemen addressed
to the council earnest protests against this outrage. The emperor,
who was loath to permit the violation of a safe-conduct, opposed
the proceedings against him. But the enemies of the Reformer were
malignant and determined. They appealed to the emperor’s preju-
dices, to his fears, to his zeal for the church. They brought forward
arguments of great length to prove that “faith ought not to be kept
with heretics, nor persons suspected of heresy, though they are fur-
nished with safe-conducts from the emperor and kings.”—Jacques
Lenfant, History of the Council of Constance, vol. 1, p. 516. Thus
they prevailed.
Enfeebled by illness and imprisonment,—for the damp, foul air
of his dungeon had brought on a fever which nearly ended his life,—
Huss was at last brought before the council. Loaded with chains he
stood in the presence of the emperor, whose honor and good faith
had been pledged to protect him. During his long trial he firmly
maintained the truth, and in the presence of the assembled dignitaries
of church and state he uttered a solemn and faithful protest against
the corruptions of the hierarchy. When required to choose whether he
would recant his doctrines or suffer death, he accepted the martyr’s
fate.
 90 The Great Controversy

The grace of God sustained him. During the weeks of suffering

that passed before his final sentence, heaven’s peace filled his soul.
“I write this letter,” he said to a friend, “in my prison, and with my
fettered hand, expecting my sentence of death tomorrow.... When,
with the assistance of Jesus Christ, we shall again meet in the deli-
cious peace of the future life, you will learn how merciful God has
shown Himself toward me, how effectually He has supported me in
the midst of my temptations and trials.”—Bonnechose, vol. 2, p. 67.
[108] In the gloom of his dungeon he foresaw the triumph of the true
faith. Returning in his dreams to the chapel at Prague where he had
preached the gospel, he saw the pope and his bishops effacing the
pictures of Christ which he had painted on its walls. “This vision
distressed him: but on the next day he saw many painters occupied
in restoring these figures in greater number and in brighter colors.
As soon as their task was ended, the painters, who were surrounded
by an immense crowd, exclaimed, ‘Now let the popes and bishops
come; they shall never efface them more!’” Said the Reformer, as
he related his dream: “I maintain this for certain, that the image of
Christ will never be effaced. They have wished to destroy it, but it
shall be painted afresh in all hearts by much better preachers than
myself.”—D’Aubigne, b. 1, ch. 6.
For the last time, Huss was brought before the council. It was
a vast and brilliant assembly—the emperor, the princes of the em-
pire, the royal deputies, the cardinals, bishops, and priests, and an
immense crowd who had come as spectators of the events of the
day. From all parts of Christendom had been gathered the witnesses
of this first great sacrifice in the long struggle by which liberty of
conscience was to be secured.
Being called upon for his final decision, Huss declared his refusal
to abjure, and, fixing his penetrating glance upon the monarch whose
plighted word had been so shamelessly violated, he declared: “I
determined, of my own free will, to appear before this council,
under the public protection and faith of the emperor here present.”—
Bonnechose, vol. 2, p. 84. A deep flush crimsoned the face of
Sigismund as the eyes of all in the assembly turned upon him.
Sentence having been pronounced, the ceremony of degradation
began. The bishops clothed their prisoner in the sacerdotal habit,
and as he took the priestly robe, he said: “Our Lord Jesus Christ
 Huss and Jerome 91

was covered with a white robe, by way of insult, when Herod had [109]
Him conducted before Pilate.”—Ibid., vol. 2, p. 86. Being again
exhorted to retract, he replied, turning toward the people: “With
what face, then, should I behold the heavens? How should I look
on those multitudes of men to whom I have preached the pure
gospel? No; I esteem their salvation more than this poor body, now
appointed unto death.” The vestments were removed one by one,
each bishop pronouncing a curse as he performed his part of the
ceremony. Finally “they put on his head a cap or pyramidal-shaped
miter of paper, on which were painted frightful figures of demons,
with the word ‘Archheretic’ conspicuous in front. ‘Most joyfully,’
said Huss, ‘will I wear this crown of shame for Thy sake, O Jesus,
who for me didst wear a crown of thorns.’”
When he was thus arrayed, “the prelates said, ‘Now we devote
thy soul to the devil.’ ‘And I,’ said John Huss, lifting up his eyes
toward heaven, ‘do commit my spirit into Thy hands, O Lord Jesus,
for Thou hast redeemed me.’”—Wylie, b. 3, ch. 7.
He was now delivered up to the secular authorities and led away
to the place of execution. An immense procession followed, hun-
dreds of men at arms, priests and bishops in their costly robes, and
the inhabitants of Constance. When he had been fastened to the
stake, and all was ready for the fire to be lighted, the martyr was
once more exhorted to save himself by renouncing his errors. “What
errors,” said Huss, “shall I renounce? I know myself guilty of none. I
call God to witness that all that I have written and preached has been
with the view of rescuing souls from sin and perdition; and, there-
fore, most joyfully will I confirm with my blood that truth which I
have written and preached.”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 7. When the flames
kindled about him, he began to sing, “Jesus, Thou Son of David,
have mercy on me,” and so continued till his voice was silenced
forever.
Even his enemies were struck with his heroic bearing. A zealous
papist, describing the martyrdom of Huss, and of Jerome, who died [110]
soon after, said: “Both bore themselves with constant mind when
their last hour approached. They prepared for the fire as if they
were going to a marriage feast. They uttered no cry of pain. When
the flames rose, they began to sing hymns; and scarce could the
vehemency of the fire stop their singing.”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 7.
 92 The Great Controversy

When the body of Huss had been wholly consumed, his ashes,
with the soil upon which they rested, were gathered up and cast into
the Rhine, and thus borne onward to the ocean. His persecutors
vainly imagined that they had rooted out the truths he preached. Lit-
tle did they dream that the ashes that day borne away to the sea were
to be as seed scattered in all the countries of the earth; that in lands
yet unknown it would yield abundant fruit in witnesses for the truth.
The voice which had spoken in the council hall of Constance had
wakened echoes that would be heard through all coming ages. Huss
was no more, but the truths for which he died could never perish. His
example of faith and constancy would encourage multitudes to stand
firm for the truth, in the face of torture and death. His execution had
exhibited to the whole world the perfidious cruelty of Rome. The
enemies of truth, though they knew it not, had been furthering the
cause which they vainly sought to destroy.
Yet another stake was to be set up at Constance. The blood of
another witness must testify for the truth. Jerome, upon bidding
farewell to Huss on his departure for the council, had exhorted
him to courage and firmness, declaring that if he should fall into
any peril, he himself would fly to his assistance. Upon hearing
of the Reformer’s imprisonment, the faithful disciple immediately
prepared to fulfill his promise. Without a safe-conduct he set out,
with a single companion, for Constance. On arriving there he was
convinced that he had only exposed himself to peril, without the
possibility of doing anything for the deliverance of Huss. He fled
from the city, but was arrested on the homeward journey and brought
back loaded with fetters and under the custody of a band of soldiers.
[111] At his first appearance before the council his attempts to reply to
the accusations brought against him were met with shouts, “To the
flames with him! to the flames!”—Bonnechose, vol. 1, p. 234. He
was thrown into a dungeon, chained in a position which caused him
great suffering, and fed on bread and water. After some months the
cruelties of his imprisonment brought upon Jerome an illness that
threatened his life, and his enemies, fearing that he might escape
them, treated him with less severity, though he remained in prison
for one year.
The death of Huss had not resulted as the papists had hoped.
The violation of his safe-conduct had roused a storm of indignation,
 Huss and Jerome 93

and as the safer course, the council determined, instead of burning

Jerome, to force him, if possible, to retract. He was brought before
the assembly, and offered the alternative to recant, or to die at the
stake. Death at the beginning of his imprisonment would have been
a mercy in comparison with the terrible sufferings which he had
undergone; but now, weakened by illness, by the rigors of his prison
house, and the torture of anxiety and suspense, separated from his
friends, and disheartened by the death of Huss, Jerome’s fortitude
gave way, and he consented to submit to the council. He pledged
himself to adhere to the Catholic faith, and accepted the action
of the council in condemning the doctrines of Wycliffe and Huss,
excepting, however, the “holy truths” which they had taught.—Ibid,
vol. 2, p. 141.
By this expedient Jerome endeavored to silence the voice of
conscience and escape his doom. But in the solitude of his dungeon
he saw more clearly what he had done. He thought of the courage
and fidelity of Huss, and in contrast pondered upon his own denial
of the truth. He thought of the divine Master whom he had pledged
himself to serve, and who for his sake endured the death of the cross.
Before his retraction he had found comfort, amid all his sufferings,
in the assurance of God’s favor; but now remorse and doubts tortured
his soul. He knew that still other retractions must be made before he
could be at peace with Rome. The path upon which he was entering [112]
could end only in complete apostasy. His resolution was taken: To
escape a brief period of suffering he would not deny his Lord.
Soon he was again brought before the council. His submission
had not satisfied his judges. Their thirst for blood, whetted by the
death of Huss, clamored for fresh victims. Only by an unreserved
surrender of the truth could Jerome preserve his life. But he had
determined to avow his faith and follow his brother martyr to the
flames.
He renounced his former recantation and, as a dying man,
solemnly required an opportunity to make his defense. Fearing
the effect of his words, the prelates insisted that he should merely
affirm or deny the truth of the charges brought against him. Jerome
protested against such cruelty and injustice. “You have held me
shut up three hundred and forty days in a frightful prison,” he said,
“in the midst of filth, noisomeness, stench, and the utmost want of
 94 The Great Controversy

everything; you then bring me out before you, and lending an ear
to my mortal enemies, you refuse to hear me.... If you be really
wise men, and the lights of the world, take care not to sin against
justice. As to me, I am only a feeble mortal; my life is but of little
importance; and when I exhort you not to deliver an unjust sentence,
I speak less for myself than for you.”—Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 146, 147.
His request was finally granted. In the presence of his judges,
Jerome kneeled down and prayed that the divine Spirit might control
his thoughts and words, that he might speak nothing contrary to the
truth or unworthy of his Master. To him that day was fulfilled the
promise of God to the first disciples: “Ye shall be brought before
governors and kings for My sake.... But when they deliver you up,
take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you
in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but
the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matthew 10:18-20.
The words of Jerome excited astonishment and admiration, even
[113] in his enemies. For a whole year he had been immured in a dungeon,
unable to read or even to see, in great physical suffering and mental
anxiety. Yet his arguments were presented with as much clearness
and power as if he had had undisturbed opportunity for study. He
pointed his hearers to the long line of holy men who had been
condemned by unjust judges. In almost every generation have been
those who, while seeking to elevate the people of their time, have
been reproached and cast out, but who in later times have been
shown to be deserving of honor. Christ Himself was condemned as
a malefactor at an unrighteous tribunal.
At his retraction, Jerome had assented to the justice of the sen-
tence condemning Huss; he now declared his repentance and bore
witness to the innocence and holiness of the martyr. “I knew him
from his childhood,” he said. “He was a most excellent man, just
and holy; he was condemned, notwithstanding his innocence.... I
also—I am ready to die: I will not recoil before the torments that are
prepared for me by my enemies and false witnesses, who will one
day have to render an account of their impostures before the great
God, whom nothing can deceive.”—Bonnechose, vol. 2, p. 151.
In self-reproach for his own denial of the truth, Jerome continued:
“Of all the sins that I have committed since my youth, none weigh
so heavily on my mind, and cause me such poignant remorse, as
 Huss and Jerome 95

that which I committed in this fatal place, when I approved of the

iniquitous sentence rendered against Wycliffe, and against the holy
martyr, John Huss, my master and my friend. Yes! I confess it from
my heart, and declare with horror that I disgracefully quailed when,
through a dread of death, I condemned their doctrines. I therefore
supplicate ... Almighty God to deign to pardon me my sins, and this
one in particular, the most heinous of all.” Pointing to his judges,
he said firmly: “You condemned Wycliffe and John Huss, not for
having shaken the doctrine of the church, but simply because they
branded with reprobation the scandals proceeding from the clergy—
their pomp, their pride, and all the vices of the prelates and priests.
The things which they have affirmed, and which are irrefutable, I [114]
also think and declare, like them.”
His words were interrupted. The prelates, trembling with rage,
cried out: “What need is there of further proof? We behold with our
own eyes the most obstinate of heretics!”
Unmoved by the tempest, Jerome exclaimed: “What! do you
suppose that I fear to die? You have held me for a whole year in a
frightful dungeon, more horrible than death itself. You have treated
me more cruelly than a Turk, Jew, or pagan, and my flesh has literally
rotted off my bones alive; and yet I make no complaint, for lamenta-
tion ill becomes a man of heart and spirit; but I cannot but express
my astonishment at such great barbarity toward a Christian.”—Ibid.,
vol. 2, pp. 151-153.
Again the storm of rage burst out, and Jerome was hurried away
to prison. Yet there were some in the assembly upon whom his
words had made a deep impression and who desired to save his life.
He was visited by dignitaries of the church and urged to submit
himself to the council. The most brilliant prospects were presented
before him as the reward of renouncing his opposition to Rome.
But like his Master when offered the glory of the world, Jerome
remained steadfast.
“Prove to me from the Holy Writings that I am in error,” he said,
“and I will abjure it.”
“The Holy Writings!” exclaimed one of his tempters, “is every-
thing then to be judged by them? Who can understand them till the
church has interpreted them?”
 96 The Great Controversy

“Are the traditions of men more worthy of faith than the gospel
of our Saviour?” replied Jerome. “Paul did not exhort those to whom
he wrote to listen to the traditions of men, but said, ‘Search the
Scriptures.’”
“Heretic!” was the response, “I repent having pleaded so long
with you. I see that you are urged on by the devil.”—Wylie, b. 3, ch.
10.
Erelong sentence of condemnation was passed upon him. He
[115] was led out to the same spot upon which Huss had yielded up his
life. He went singing on his way, his countenance lighted up with
joy and peace. His gaze was fixed upon Christ, and to him death
had lost its terrors. When the executioner, about to kindle the pile,
stepped behind him, the martyr exclaimed: “Come forward boldly;
apply the fire before my face. Had I been afraid, I should not be
here.”
His last words, uttered as the flames rose about him, were a
prayer. “Lord, Almighty Father,” he cried, “have pity on me, and
pardon me my sins; for Thou knowest that I have always loved Thy
truth.”—Bonnechose, vol. 2, p. 168. His voice ceased, but his lips
continued to move in prayer. When the fire had done its work, the
ashes of the martyr, with the earth upon which they rested, were
gathered up, and like those of Huss, were thrown into the Rhine.
So perished God’s faithful light bearers. But the light of the
truths which they proclaimed—the light of their heroic example—
could not be extinguished. As well might men attempt to turn back
the sun in its course as to prevent the dawning of that day which was
even then breaking upon the world.
The execution of Huss had kindled a flame of indignation and
horror in Bohemia. It was felt by the whole nation that he had fallen
a prey to the malice of the priests and the treachery of the emperor.
He was declared to have been a faithful teacher of the truth, and the
council that decreed his death was charged with the guilt of murder.
His doctrines now attracted greater attention than ever before. By
the papal edicts the writings of Wycliffe had been condemned to the
flames. But those that had escaped destruction were now brought out
from their hiding places and studied in connection with the Bible, or
such parts of it as the people could obtain, and many were thus led
to accept the reformed faith.
 Huss and Jerome 97

The murderers of Huss did not stand quietly by and witness the
triumph of his cause. The pope and the emperor united to crush
out the movement, and the armies of Sigismund were hurled upon
Bohemia.
But a deliverer was raised up. Ziska, who soon after the opening [116]
of the war became totally blind, yet who was one of the ablest
generals of his age, was the leader of the Bohemians. Trusting in
the help of God and the righteousness of their cause, that people
withstood the mightiest armies that could be brought against them.
Again and again the emperor, raising fresh armies, invaded Bohemia,
only to be ignominiously repulsed. The Hussites were raised above
the fear of death, and nothing could stand against them. A few years
after the opening of the war, the brave Ziska died; but his place was
filled by Procopius, who was an equally brave and skillful general,
and in some respects a more able leader.
The enemies of the Bohemians, knowing that the blind warrior
was dead, deemed the opportunity favorable for recovering all that
they had lost. The pope now proclaimed a crusade against the Hus-
sites, and again an immense force was precipitated upon Bohemia,
but only to suffer terrible defeat. Another crusade was proclaimed.
In all the papal countries of Europe, men, money, and munitions of
war were raised. Multitudes flocked to the papal standard, assured
that at last an end would be made of the Hussite heretics. Confident
of victory, the vast force entered Bohemia. The people rallied to
repel them. The two armies approached each other until only a river
lay between them. “The crusaders were in greatly superior force,
but instead of dashing across the stream, and closing in battle with
the Hussites whom they had come so far to meet, they stood gazing
in silence at those warriors.”—Wylie, b. 3, ch. 17. Then suddenly a
mysterious terror fell upon the host. Without striking a blow, that
mighty force broke and scattered as if dispelled by an unseen power.
Great numbers were slaughtered by the Hussite army, which pursued
the fugitives, and an immense booty fell into the hands of the victors,
so that the war, instead of impoverishing, enriched the Bohemians.
A few years later, under a new pope, still another crusade was set
on foot. As before, men and means were drawn from all the papal [117]
countries of Europe. Great were the inducements held out to those
who should engage in this perilous enterprise. Full forgiveness of the
 98 The Great Controversy

most heinous crimes was ensured to every crusader. All who died
in the war were promised a rich reward in heaven, and those who
survived were to reap honor and riches on the field of battle. Again
a vast army was collected, and, crossing the frontier they entered
Bohemia. The Hussite forces fell back before them, thus drawing
the invaders farther and farther into the country, and leading them to
count the victory already won. At last the army of Procopius made
a stand, and turning upon the foe, advanced to give them battle. The
crusaders, now discovering their mistake, lay in their encampment
awaiting the onset. As the sound of the approaching force was heard,
even before the Hussites were in sight, a panic again fell upon the
crusaders. Princes, generals, and common soldiers, casting away
their armor, fled in all directions. In vain the papal legate, who
was the leader of the invasion, endeavored to rally his terrified and
disorganized forces. Despite his utmost endeavors, he himself was
swept along in the tide of fugitives. The rout was complete, and
again an immense booty fell into the hands of the victors.
Thus the second time a vast army, sent forth by the most pow-
erful nations of Europe, a host of brave, warlike men, trained and
equipped for battle, fled without a blow before the defenders of a
small and hitherto feeble nation. Here was a manifestation of divine
power. The invaders were smitten with a supernatural terror. He who
overthrew the hosts of Pharaoh in the Red Sea, who put to flight the
armies of Midian before Gideon and his three hundred, who in one
night laid low the forces of the proud Assyrian, had again stretched
out His hand to wither the power of the oppressor. “There were they
in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones
of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame,
because God hath despised them.” Psalm 53:5.
[118] The papal leaders, despairing of conquering by force, at last
resorted to diplomacy. A compromise was entered into, that while
professing to grant to the Bohemians freedom of conscience, really
betrayed them into the power of Rome. The Bohemians had specified
four points as the condition of peace with Rome: the free preaching
of the Bible; the right of the whole church to both the bread and the
wine in the communion, and the use of the mother tongue in divine
worship; the exclusion of the clergy from all secular offices and
authority; and, in cases of crime, the jurisdiction of the civil courts
 Huss and Jerome 99

over clergy and laity alike. The papal authorities at last “agreed
that the four articles of the Hussites should be accepted, but that
the right of explaining them, that is, of determining their precise
import, should belong to the council—in other words, to the pope
and the emperor.”—Wylie, b. 3, ch. 18. On this basis a treaty was
entered into, and Rome gained by dissimulation and fraud what she
had failed to gain by conflict; for, placing her own interpretation
upon the Hussite articles, as upon the Bible, she could pervert their
meaning to suit her own purposes.
A large class in Bohemia, seeing that it betrayed their liberties,
could not consent to the compact. Dissensions and divisions arose,
leading to strife and bloodshed among themselves. In this strife the
noble Procopius fell, and the liberties of Bohemia perished.
Sigismund, the betrayer of Huss and Jerome, now became king
of Bohemia, and regardless of his oath to support the rights of the
Bohemians, he proceeded to establish popery. But he had gained
little by his subservience to Rome. For twenty years his life had
been filled with labors and perils. His armies had been wasted and
his treasuries drained by a long and fruitless struggle; and now, after
reigning one year, he died, leaving his kingdom on the brink of civil
war, and bequeathing to posterity a name branded with infamy.
Tumults, strife, and bloodshed were protracted. Again foreign
armies invaded Bohemia, and internal dissension continued to dis- [119]
tract the nation. Those who remained faithful to the gospel were
subjected to a bloody persecution.
As their former brethren, entering into compact with Rome,
imbibed her errors, those who adhered to the ancient faith had
formed themselves into a distinct church, taking the name of “United
Brethren.” This act drew upon them maledictions from all classes.
Yet their firmness was unshaken. Forced to find refuge in the woods
and caves, they still assembled to read God’s word and unite in His
worship.
Through messengers secretly sent out into different countries,
they learned that here and there were “isolated confessors of the
truth, a few in this city and a few in that, the object, like themselves,
of persecution; and that amid the mountains of the Alps was an an-
cient church, resting on the foundations of Scripture, and protesting
against the idolatrous corruptions of Rome.”—Wylie, b. 3, ch. 19.
100 The Great Controversy

This intelligence was received with great joy, and a correspondence

was opened with the Waldensian Christians.
Steadfast to the gospel, the Bohemians waited through the night
of their persecution, in the darkest hour still turning their eyes toward
the horizon like men who watch for the morning. “Their lot was
cast in evil days, but ... they remembered the words first uttered by
Huss, and repeated by Jerome, that a century must revolve before
the day should break. These were to the Taborites [Hussites] what
the words of Joseph were to the tribes in the house of bondage: ‘I
die, and God will surely visit you, and bring you out.’”—Ibid., b. 3,
ch. 19. “The closing period of the fifteenth century witnessed the
slow but sure increase of the churches of the Brethren. Although far
from being unmolested, they yet enjoyed comparative rest. At the
commencement of the sixteenth century their churches numbered
two hundred in Bohemia and Moravia.”—Ezra Hall Gillett, Life and
Times of John Huss, vol. 2, p. 570. “So goodly was the remnant
which, escaping the destructive fury of fire and sword, was permitted
to see the dawning of that day which Huss had foretold.”—Wylie, b.
3, ch. 19.
 Chapter 7—Luther’s Separation From Rome [120]

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.
Like the first heralds of the gospel, Luther sprang from the ranks
of poverty. His early years were spent in the humble home of a
German peasant. By daily toil as a miner his father earned the means
for his education. He intended him for a lawyer; but God purposed
to make him a builder in the great temple that was rising so slowly
through the centuries. Hardship, privation, and severe discipline
were the school in which Infinite Wisdom prepared Luther for the
important mission of his life.
Luther’s father was a man of strong and active mind and great
force of character, honest, resolute, and straightforward. He was true
to his convictions of duty, let the consequences be what they might.
His sterling good sense led him to regard the monastic system with
distrust. He was highly displeased when Luther, without his consent,
entered a monastery; and it was two years before the father was
reconciled to his son, and even then his opinions remained the same.
Luther’s parents bestowed great care upon the education and [121]
training of their children. They endeavored to instruct them in the
knowledge of God and the practice of Christian virtues. The father’s
prayer often ascended in the hearing of his son that the child might
remember the name of the Lord and one day aid in the advancement
of His truth. Every advantage for moral or intellectual culture which
their life of toil permitted them to enjoy was eagerly improved by
these parents. Their efforts were earnest and persevering to prepare
their children for a life of piety and usefulness. With their firmness
and strength of character they sometimes exercised too great severity;
101
 102 The Great Controversy

but the Reformer himself, though conscious that in some respects

they had erred, found in their discipline more to approve than to
condemn.
At school, where he was sent at an early age, Luther was treated
with harshness and even violence. So great was the poverty of his
parents that upon going from home to school in another town he was
for a time obliged to obtain his food by singing from door to door,
and he often suffered from hunger. The gloomy, superstitious ideas
of religion then prevailing filled him with fear. He would lie down at
night with a sorrowful heart, looking forward with trembling to the
dark future and in constant terror at the thought of God as a stern,
unrelenting judge, a cruel tyrant, rather than a kind heavenly Father.
Yet under so many and so great discouragements Luther pressed
resolutely forward toward the high standard of moral and intellectual
excellence which attracted his soul. He thirsted for knowledge, and
the earnest and practical character of his mind led him to desire the
solid and useful rather than the showy and superficial.
When, at the age of eighteen, he entered the University of Erfurt,
his situation was more favorable and his prospects were brighter
than in his earlier years. His parents having by thrift and industry
acquired a competence, they were able to render him all needed
[122] assistance. And the influence of judicious friends had somewhat
lessened the gloomy effects of his former training. He applied
himself to the study of the best authors, diligently treasuring their
most weighty thoughts and making the wisdom of the wise his own.
Even under the harsh discipline of his former instructors he had early
given promise of distinction, and with favorable influences his mind
rapidly developed. A retentive memory, a lively imagination, strong
reasoning powers, and untiring application soon placed him in the
foremost rank among his associates. Intellectual discipline ripened
his understanding and aroused an activity of mind and a keenness of
perception that were preparing him for the conflicts of his life.
The fear of the Lord dwelt in the heart of Luther, enabling him
to maintain his steadfastness of purpose and leading him to deep
humility before God. He had an abiding sense of his dependence
upon divine aid, and he did not fail to begin each day with prayer,
while his heart was continually breathing a petition for guidance
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 103

and support. “To pray well,” he often said, “is the better half of
study.”—D’Aubigne, b. 2, ch. 2.
While one day examining the books in the library of the uni-
versity, Luther discovered a Latin Bible. Such a book he had never
before seen. He was ignorant even of its existence. He had heard
portions of the Gospels and Epistles, which were read to the people
at public worship, and he supposed that these were the entire Bible.
Now, for the first time, he looked upon the whole of God’s word.
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: “O that God would give
me such a book for myself!”—Ibid., b. 2, ch. 2. 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 [123]
led him at last to enter a cloister and devote himself to a monastic
life. Here he was required to perform the lowest drudgery and
to beg from house to house. He was at an age when respect and
appreciation are most eagerly craved, and these menial offices were
deeply mortifying to his natural feelings; but he patiently endured
this humiliation, believing that it was necessary because of his sins.
Every moment that could be spared from his daily duties he
employed in study, robbing himself of sleep and grudging even the
time spent at his scanty 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. As his convictions of sin
deepened, he sought by his own works to obtain pardon and peace.
He led a most rigorous life, endeavoring by fasting, vigils, and
scourgings to subdue the evils of his nature, from which the monastic
life had brought no release. He shrank from no sacrifice by which he
might attain to that purity of heart which would enable him to stand
approved before God. “I was indeed a pious monk,” he afterward
said, “and followed the rules of my order more strictly than I can
express. If ever monk could obtain heaven by his monkish works, I
should certainly have been entitled to it.... If it had continued much
longer, I should have carried my mortifications even to death.”—
 104 The Great Controversy

Ibid., b. 2, ch. 3. As the result of this painful discipline he lost

strength and suffered from fainting spasms, from the effects of
which he never fully recovered. But with all his efforts his burdened
soul found no relief. He was at last driven to the verge of despair.
When it appeared to Luther that all was lost, God raised up a
friend and helper for him. The pious Staupitz opened the word
of God to Luther’s mind and bade him look away from himself,
cease the contemplation of infinite punishment for the violation of
God’s law, and look to Jesus, his sin-pardoning Saviour. “Instead of
[124] torturing yourself on account of your sins, throw yourself into the
Redeemer’s arms. Trust in Him, in the righteousness of His life, in
the atonement of His death.... Listen to the Son of God. He became
man to give you the assurance of divine favor.” “Love Him who first
loved you.”—Ibid., b. 2, ch. 4. Thus spoke this messenger of mercy.
His words made a deep impression upon Luther’s mind. After many
a struggle with long-cherished errors, he was enabled to grasp the
truth, and peace came to his troubled soul.
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. Staupitz, his friend and superior, urged him to
ascend the pulpit and preach the word of God. Luther hesitated,
feeling himself unworthy to speak to the people in Christ’s stead. It
was only after a long struggle that he yielded to the solicitations of
his friends. Already 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 fervor touched their hearts.
Luther was still a true son of the papal church and had no thought
that he would ever be anything else. In the providence of God he
was led to visit Rome. He pursued his journey on foot, lodging at
the monasteries on the way. At a convent in Italy he was filled with
wonder at the wealth, magnificence, and luxury that he witnessed.
Endowed with a princely revenue, the monks dwelt in splendid
apartments, attired themselves in the richest and most costly robes,
and feasted at a sumptuous table. With painful misgivings Luther
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 105

contrasted this scene with the self-denial and hardship of his own
life. His mind was becoming perplexed.
At last he beheld in the distance the seven-hilled city. With deep [125]
emotion he prostrated himself upon the earth, exclaiming: “Holy
Rome, I salute thee!”—Ibid., b. 2, ch. 6. He entered the city, visited
the churches, listened to the marvelous tales repeated by priests and
monks, and performed all the ceremonies required. Everywhere he
looked upon scenes that filled him with astonishment and horror. He
saw that iniquity existed among all classes of the clergy. He heard
indecent jokes from prelates, and was filled with horror at their awful
profanity, even during mass. As he mingled with the monks and
citizens he met dissipation, debauchery. Turn where he would, in
the place of sanctity he found profanation. “No one can imagine,”
he wrote, “what sins and infamous actions are committed in Rome;
they must be seen and heard to be believed. Thus they are in the
habit of saying, ‘If there is a hell, Rome is built over it: it is an abyss
whence issues every kind of sin.’”—Ibid., b. 2, ch. 6.
By a recent decretal an indulgence had been promised by the
pope to all who should ascend upon their knees “Pilate’s staircase,”
said to have been descended by our Saviour on leaving the Ro-
man judgment hall and to have been miraculously conveyed from
Jerusalem to Rome. Luther was one day devoutly climbing these
steps, when suddenly a voice like thunder seemed to say to him:
“The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17. He sprang to his feet and
hastened from the place in shame and horror. 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 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 [126]
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,
 106 The Great Controversy

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 saw the danger of exalting human theories above the
word of God. He fearlessly attacked the speculative infidelity of the
schoolmen and opposed the philosophy and theology which had so
long held a controlling influence upon the people. He denounced
such studies as not only worthless but pernicious, and sought to turn
the minds of his hearers from the sophistries of philosophers and
theologians to the eternal truths set forth by prophets and apostles.
Precious was the message which he bore to the eager crowds
that hung upon his words. Never before had such teachings fallen
upon their ears. The glad tidings of a Saviour’s love, the assurance
of pardon and peace through His atoning blood, rejoiced their hearts
and inspired within them an immortal hope. At Wittenberg a light
was kindled whose rays should extend to the uttermost parts of the
earth, and which was to increase in brightness to the close of time.
But light and darkness cannot harmonize. Between truth and
error there is an irrepressible conflict. To uphold and defend the one
is to attack and overthrow the other. Our Saviour Himself declared:
“I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34. Said Luther,
a few years after the opening of the Reformation: “God does not
guide me, He pushes me forward. He carries me away. I am not
[127] master of myself. I desire to live in repose; but I am thrown into the
midst of tumults and revolutions.”—D’Aubigne, b. 5, ch. 2. He was
now about to be urged into the contest.
The Roman Church had made merchandise of the grace of God.
The tables of the money-changers (Matthew 21:12) were set up
beside her altars, and the air resounded with the shouts of buyers and
sellers. Under the plea of raising funds for the erection of St. Peter’s
Church at Rome, indulgences for sin were publicly offered for sale
by the authority of the pope. By the price of crime a temple was to
be built up for God’s worship—the cornerstone laid with the wages
of iniquity! But the very means adopted for Rome’s aggrandizement
provoked the deadliest blow to her power and greatness. It was this
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 107

that aroused the most determined and successful of the enemies of

popery, and led to the battle which shook the papal throne and jostled
the triple crown upon the pontiff’s head.
The official appointed to conduct the sale of indulgences in Ger-
many—Tetzel by name—had been convicted of the basest offenses
against society and against the law of God; but having escaped the
punishment due for his crimes, he was employed to further the mer-
cenary and unscrupulous projects of the pope. With great effrontery
he repeated the most glaring falsehoods and related marvelous tales
to deceive an ignorant, credulous, and superstitious people. Had they
possessed the word of God they would not have been thus deceived.
It was to keep them under the control of the papacy, in order to swell
the power and wealth of her ambitious leaders, that the Bible had
been withheld from them. (See John C. L. Gieseler, A Compendium
of Ecclesiastical History, per. 4, sec. 1, par. 5.)
As Tetzel entered a town, a messenger went before him, an-
nouncing: “The grace of God and of the holy father is at your
gates.”—D’Aubigne, b. 3, ch. 1. And the people welcomed the
blasphemous pretender as if he were God Himself come down from
heaven to them. The infamous traffic was set up in the church, and
Tetzel, ascending the pulpit, extolled the indulgences as the most [128]
precious gift of God. He declared that by virtue of his certificates
of pardon all the sins which the purchaser should afterward desire
to commit would be forgiven him, and that “not even repentance
is necessary.”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 1. More than this, he assured his
hearers that the indulgences had power to save not only the living
but the dead; that the very moment the money should clink against
the bottom of his chest, the soul in whose behalf it had been paid
would escape from purgatory and make its way to heaven. (See K.
R. Hagenbach, History of the Reformation, vol. 1, p. 96.)
When Simon Magus offered to purchase of the apostles the
power to work miracles, Peter answered him: “Thy money perish
with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be
purchased with money.” Acts 8:20. But Tetzel’s offer was grasped
by eager thousands. Gold and silver flowed into his treasury. A
salvation that could be bought with money was more easily obtained
than that which requires repentance, faith, and diligent effort to resist
and overcome sin. (See Appendix note for page 59.)
 108 The Great Controversy

The doctrine of indulgences had been opposed by men of learn-

ing and piety in the Roman Church, and there were many who had
no faith in pretensions so contrary to both reason and revelation.
No prelate dared lift his voice against this iniquitous traffic; but the
minds of men were becoming disturbed and uneasy, and many ea-
gerly inquired if God would not work through some instrumentality
for the purification of His church.
Luther, though still a papist of the straitest sort, was filled with
horror at the blasphemous assumptions of the indulgence mongers.
Many of his own congregation had purchased certificates of pardon,
and they soon began to come to their pastor, confessing their various
sins, and expecting absolution, not because they were penitent and
wished to reform, but on the ground of the indulgence. Luther
refused them absolution, and warned them that unless they should
[129] repent and reform their lives, they must perish in their sins. In
great perplexity they repaired to Tetzel with the complaint that their
confessor had refused his certificates; and some boldly demanded
that their money be returned to them. The friar was filled with rage.
He uttered the most terrible curses, caused fires to be lighted in the
public squares, and declared that he “had received an order from
the pope to burn all heretics who presumed to oppose his most holy
indulgences.”—D’Aubigne, b. 3, ch. 4.
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.
As Tetzel continued his traffic and his impious pretensions,
Luther determined upon a more effectual protest against these crying
abuses. An occasion soon offered. The castle church of Wittenberg
possessed many relics, which on certain holy days were exhibited to
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 109

the people, and full remission of sins was granted to all who then
visited the church and made confession. Accordingly on these days
the people in great numbers resorted thither. One of the most impor-
tant of these occasions, the festival of All Saints, was approaching.
On the preceding day, Luther, joining the crowds that were already
making their way to the church, posted on its door a paper con-
taining ninety-five propositions against the doctrine of indulgences.
He declared his willingness to defend these theses next day at the [130]
university, against all who should see fit to attack them.
His propositions attracted universal attention. They were read
and reread, and repeated in every direction. Great excitement was
created in the university and in the whole city. By these theses it
was shown that the power to grant the pardon of sin, and to remit
its penalty, had never been committed to the pope or to any other
man. The whole scheme was a farce,—an artifice to extort money
by playing upon the superstitions of the people,—a device of Satan
to destroy the souls of all who should trust to its lying pretensions. It
was also clearly shown that the gospel of Christ is the most valuable
treasure of the church, and that the grace of God, therein revealed,
is freely bestowed upon all who seek it by repentance and faith.
Luther’s theses challenged discussion; but no one dared accept
the challenge. The questions which he proposed had in a few days
spread through all Germany, and in a few weeks they had sounded
throughout Christendom. Many devoted Romanists, who had seen
and lamented the terrible iniquity prevailing in the church, but had
not known how to arrest its progress, read the propositions with
great joy, recognizing in them the voice of God. They felt that the
Lord had graciously set His hand to arrest the rapidly swelling tide
of corruption that was issuing from the see of Rome. Princes and
magistrates secretly rejoiced that a check was to be put upon the
arrogant power which denied the right of appeal from its decisions.
But the sin-loving and superstitious multitudes were terrified as
the sophistries that had soothed their fears were swept away. Crafty
ecclesiastics, interrupted in their work of sanctioning crime, and
seeing their gains endangered, were enraged, and rallied to uphold
their pretensions. The Reformer had bitter accusers to meet. Some
charged him with acting hastily and from impulse. Others accused
him of presumption, declaring that he was not directed of God, but
 110 The Great Controversy

[131] was acting from pride and forwardness. “Who does not know,” he
responded, “that a man rarely puts forth any new idea without having
some appearance of pride, and without being accused of exciting
quarrels? ... Why were Christ and all the martyrs put to death?
Because they seemed to be proud contemners of the wisdom of
the time, and because they advanced novelties without having first
humbly taken counsel of the oracles of the ancient opinions.”
Again he declared: “Whatever I do will be done, not by the
prudence of men, but by the counsel of God. If the work be of
God, who shall stop it? if it be not, who can forward it? Not my
will, nor theirs, nor ours; but Thy will, O holy Father, which art in
heaven.”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 6.
Though Luther had been moved by the Spirit of God to begin his
work, he was not to carry it forward without severe conflicts. The
reproaches of his enemies, their misrepresentation of his purposes,
and their unjust and malicious reflections upon his character and
motives, came in upon him like an overwhelming flood; and they
were not without effect. He had felt confident that the leaders of
the people, both in the church and in the schools, would gladly
unite with him in efforts for reform. Words of encouragement from
those in high position had inspired him with joy and hope. Already
in anticipation he had seen a brighter day dawning for the church.
But encouragement had changed to reproach and condemnation.
Many dignitaries, of both church and state, were convicted of the
truthfulness of his theses; but they soon saw that the acceptance of
these truths would involve great changes. To enlighten and reform
the people would be virtually to undermine the authority of Rome,
to stop thousands of streams now flowing into her treasury, and thus
greatly to curtail the extravagance and luxury of the papal leaders.
Furthermore, to teach the people to think and act as responsible
beings, looking to Christ alone for salvation, would overthrow the
pontiff’s throne and eventually destroy their own authority. For
this reason they refused the knowledge tendered them of God and
[132] arrayed themselves against Christ and the truth by their opposition
to the man whom He had sent to enlighten them.
Luther trembled as he looked upon himself—one man opposed
to the mightiest powers of earth. He sometimes doubted whether he
had indeed been led of God to set himself against the authority of
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 111

the church. “Who was I,” he writes, “to oppose the majesty of the
pope, before whom ... the kings of the earth and the whole world
trembled? ... No one can know what my heart suffered during these
first two years, and into what despondency, I may say into what
despair, I was sunk.”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 6. But he was not left to
become utterly disheartened. When human support failed, he looked
to God alone and learned that he could lean in perfect safety upon
that all-powerful arm.
To a friend of the Reformation Luther wrote: “We cannot attain
to the understanding of Scripture either by study or by the intellect.
Your first duty is to begin by prayer. Entreat the Lord to grant you,
of His great mercy, the true understanding of His word. There is no
other interpreter of the word of God than the Author of this word,
as He Himself has said, ‘They shall be all taught of God.’ Hope for
nothing from your own labors, from your own understanding: trust
solely in God, and in the influence of His Spirit. Believe this on the
word of a man who has had experience.”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 7. Here is
a lesson of vital importance to those who feel that God has called
them to present to others the solemn truths for this time. These truths
will stir the enmity of Satan and of men who love the fables that he
has devised. In the conflict with the powers of evil there is need of
something more than strength of intellect and human wisdom.
When enemies appealed to custom and tradition, or to the asser-
tions and authority of the pope, Luther met them with the Bible and
the Bible only. Here were arguments which they could not answer;
therefore the slaves of formalism and superstition clamored for his
blood, as the Jews had clamored for the blood of Christ. “He is a
heretic,“ cried the Roman zealots. “It is high treason against the [133]
church to allow so horrible a heretic to live one hour longer. Let
the scaffold be instantly erected for him!”—Ibid., b. 3, ch. 9. But
Luther did not fall a prey to their fury. God had a work for him to do,
and angels of heaven were sent to protect him. Many, however, who
had received from Luther the precious light were made the objects
of Satan’s wrath and for the truth’s sake fearlessly suffered torture
and death.
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
 112 The Great Controversy

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 earthly mediators, were
now turning in penitence and faith to Christ and Him crucified.
This widespread interest aroused still further the fears of the
papal authorities. Luther received a summons to appear at Rome
to answer to the charge of heresy. The command filled his friends
with terror. They knew full well the danger that threatened him in
that corrupt city, already drunk with the blood of the martyrs of
Jesus. They protested against his going to Rome and requested that
he receive his examination in Germany.
This arrangement was finally effected, and the pope’s legate was
appointed to hear the case. In the instructions communicated by the
pontiff to this official, it was stated that Luther had already been
declared a heretic. The legate was therefore charged “to prosecute
[134] and constrain without any delay.” If he should remain steadfast,
and the legate should fail to gain possession of his person, he was
empowered “to proscribe him in every part of Germany; to banish,
curse, and excommunicate all those who are attached to him.”—
Ibid., b. 4, ch. 2. And, further, the pope directed his legate, in order
entirely to root out the pestilent heresy, to excommunicate all, of
whatever dignity in church or state, except the emperor, who should
neglect to seize Luther and his adherents, and deliver them up to the
vengeance of Rome.
Here is displayed the true spirit of popery. Not a trace of Chris-
tian principle, or even of common justice, is to be seen in the whole
document. Luther was at a great distance from Rome; he had had
no opportunity to explain or defend his position; yet before his case
had been investigated, he was summarily pronounced a heretic, and
in the same day, exhorted, accused, judged, and condemned; and
all this by the self-styled holy father, the only supreme, infallible
authority in church or state!
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 113

At this time, when Luther so much needed the sympathy and

counsel of a true friend, God’s providence sent Melanchthon to
Wittenberg. Young in years, modest and diffident in his manners,
Melanchthon’s sound judgment, extensive knowledge, and winning
eloquence, combined with the purity and uprightness of his character,
won universal admiration and esteem. The brilliancy of his talents
was not more marked than his gentleness of disposition. He soon
became an earnest disciple of the gospel, and Luther’s most trusted
friend and valued supporter; his gentleness, caution, and exactness
serving as a complement to Luther’s courage and energy. Their
union in the work added strength to the Reformation and was a
source of great encouragement to Luther.
Augsburg had been fixed upon as the place of trial, and the
Reformer set out on foot to perform the journey thither. Serious fears
were entertained in his behalf. Threats had been made openly that
he would be seized and murdered on the way, and his friends begged
him not to venture. They even entreated him to leave Wittenberg [135]
for a time and find safety with those who would gladly protect him.
But he would not leave the position where God had placed him.
He must continue faithfully to maintain the truth, notwithstanding
the storms that were beating upon him. His language was: “I am
like Jeremiah, a man of strife and contention; but the more their
threats increase, the more my joy is multiplied.... They have already
destroyed my honor and my reputation. One single thing remains;
it is my wretched body: let them take it; they will thus shorten my
life by a few hours. But as for my soul, they cannot take that. He
who desires to proclaim the word of Christ to the world, must expect
death at every moment.”—Ibid., b. 4, ch. 4.
The tidings of Luther’s arrival at Augsburg gave great satisfaction
to the papal legate. The troublesome heretic who was exciting the
attention of the whole world seemed now in the power of Rome, and
the legate determined that he should not escape. The Reformer had
failed to provide himself with a safe-conduct. His friends urged him
not to appear before the legate without one, and they themselves
undertook to procure it from the emperor. The legate intended to
force Luther, if possible, to retract, or, failing in this, to cause him
to be conveyed to Rome, to share the fate of Huss and Jerome.
Therefore through his agents he endeavored to induce Luther to
 114 The Great Controversy

appear without a safe-conduct, trusting himself to his mercy. This

the Reformer firmly declined to do. Not until he had received the
document pledging him the emperor’s protection, did he appear in
the presence of the papal ambassador.
As a matter of policy, the Romanists had decided to attempt
to win Luther by an appearance of gentleness. The legate, in his
interviews with him, professed great friendliness; but he demanded
that Luther submit implicitly to the authority of the church, and
yield every point without argument or question. He had not rightly
estimated the character of the man with whom he had to deal. Luther,
[136] in reply, expressed his regard for the church, his desire for the truth,
his readiness to answer all objections to what he had taught, and to
submit his doctrines to the decision of certain leading universities.
But at the same time he protested against the cardinal’s course in
requiring him to retract without having proved him in error.
The only response was: “Retract, retract!” The Reformer showed
that his position was sustained by the Scriptures and firmly declared
that he could not renounce the truth. The legate, unable to reply to
Luther’s arguments, overwhelmed him with a storm of reproaches,
gibes, and flattery, interspersed with quotations from tradition and
the sayings of the Fathers, granting the Reformer no opportunity to
speak. Seeing that the conference, thus continued, would be utterly
futile, Luther finally obtained a reluctant permission to present his
answer in writing.
“In so doing,” said he, writing to a friend, “the oppressed find
double gain; first, what is written may be submitted to the judgment
of others; and second, one has a better chance of working on the
fears, if not on the conscience, of an arrogant and babbling despot,
who would otherwise overpower by his imperious language.”—Mar-
tyn, The Life and Times of Luther, pages 271, 272.
At the next interview, Luther presented a clear, concise, and
forcible exposition of his views, fully supported by many quotations
from Scripture. This paper, after reading aloud, he handed to the
cardinal, who, however, cast it contemptuously aside, declaring
it to be a mass of idle words and irrelevant quotations. Luther,
fully aroused, now met the haughty prelate on his own ground—the
traditions and teachings of the church—and utterly overthrew his
assumptions.
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 115

When the prelate saw that Luther’s reasoning was unanswerable,

he lost all self-control, and in a rage cried out: “Retract! or I will
send you to Rome, there to appear before the judges commissioned
to take cognizance of your cause. I will excommunicate you and
all your partisans, and all who shall at any time countenance you, [137]
and will cast them out of the church.” And he finally declared, in a
haughty and angry tone: “Retract, or return no more.”—D’Aubigne,
London ed., b. 4, ch. 8.
The Reformer promptly withdrew with his friends, thus declaring
plainly that no retraction was to be expected from him. This was
not what the cardinal had purposed. He had flattered himself that by
violence he could awe Luther to submission. Now, left alone with
his supporters, he looked from one to another in utter chagrin at the
unexpected failure of his schemes.
Luther’s efforts on this occasion were not without good results.
The large assembly present had opportunity to compare the two men,
and to judge for themselves of the spirit manifested by them, as well
as of the strength and truthfulness of their positions. How marked
the contrast! The Reformer, simple, humble, firm, stood up in the
strength of God, having truth on his side; the pope’s representative,
self-important, overbearing, haughty, and unreasonable, was with-
out a single argument from the Scriptures, yet vehemently crying:
“Retract, or be sent to Rome for punishment.”
Notwithstanding Luther had secured a safe-conduct, the Roman-
ists were plotting to seize and imprison him. His friends urged that
as it was useless for him to prolong his stay, he should return to
Wittenberg without delay, and that the utmost caution should be
observed in order to conceal his intentions. He accordingly left
Augsburg before day-break, on horseback, accompanied only by a
guide furnished him by the magistrate. With many forebodings he
secretly made his way through the dark and silent streets of the city.
Enemies, vigilant and cruel, were plotting his destruction. Would he
escape the snares prepared for him? Those were moments of anxiety
and earnest prayer. He reached a small gate in the wall of the city. It
was opened for him, and with his guide he passed through without
hindrance. Once safely outside, the fugitives hastened their flight,
and before the legate learned of Luther’s departure, he was beyond [138]
the reach of his persecutors. Satan and his emissaries were defeated.
 116 The Great Controversy

The man whom they had thought in their power was gone, escaped
as a bird from the snare of the fowler.
At the news of Luther’s escape the legate was overwhelmed with
surprise and anger. He had expected to receive great honor for his
wisdom and firmness in dealing with this disturber of the church;
but his hope was disappointed. He gave expression to his wrath in a
letter to Frederick, the elector of Saxony, bitterly denouncing Luther
and demanding that Frederick send the Reformer to Rome or banish
him from Saxony.
In defense, Luther urged that the legate or the pope show him
his errors from the Scriptures, and pledged himself in the most
solemn manner to renounce his doctrines if they could be shown to
contradict the word of God. And he expressed his gratitude to God
that he had been counted worthy to suffer in so holy a cause.
The elector had, as yet, little knowledge of the reformed doc-
trines, but he was deeply impressed by the candor, force, and clear-
ness of Luther’s words; and until the Reformer should be proved
to be in error, Frederick resolved to stand as his protector. In reply
to the legate’s demand he wrote: “Since Dr. Martin has appeared
before you at Augsburg, you should be satisfied. We did not expect
that you would endeavor to make him retract without having con-
vinced him of his errors. None of the learned men in our principality
have informed me that Martin’s doctrine is impious, anti-christian,
or heretical.’ The prince refused, moreover, to send Luther to Rome,
or to expel him from his states.”—D’Aubigne, b. 4, ch. 10.
The elector saw that there was a general breaking down of the
moral restraints of society. A great work of reform was needed.
The complicated and expensive arrangements to restrain and punish
crime would be unnecessary if men but acknowledged and obeyed
the requirements of God and the dictates of an enlightened con-
[139] science. He saw that Luther was laboring to secure this object, and
he secretly rejoiced that a better influence was making itself felt in
the church.
He saw also that as a professor in the university Luther was
eminently successful. Only a year had passed since the Reformer
posted his theses on the castle church, yet there was already a great
falling off in the number of pilgrims that visited the church at the
festival of All Saints. Rome had been deprived of worshipers and
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 117

offerings, but their place was filled by another class, who now came
to Wittenberg, not pilgrims to adore her relics, but students to fill her
halls of learning. The writings of Luther had kindled everywhere a
new interest in the Holy Scriptures, and not only from all parts of
Germany, but from other lands, students flocked to the university.
Young men, coming in sight of Wittenberg for the first time, “raised
their hands to heaven, and praised God for having caused the light
of truth to shine forth from this city, as from Zion in times of old,
and whence it spread even to the most distant countries.”—Ibid., b.
4, ch. 10.
Luther was as yet but partially converted from the errors of
Romanism. But as he compared the Holy Oracles with the papal
decrees and constitutions, he was filled with wonder. “I am reading,”
he wrote, “the decrees of the pontiffs, and ... I do not know whether
the pope is antichrist himself, or his apostle, so greatly is Christ
misrepresented and crucified in them.”—Ibid., b. 5, ch. 1. Yet at this
time Luther was still a supporter of the Roman Church, and had no
thought that he would ever separate from her communion.
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.
Rome became more and more exasperated by the attacks of [140]
Luther, and it was declared by some of his fanatical opponents,
even by doctors in Catholic universities, that he who should kill the
rebellious monk would be without sin. One day a stranger, with a
pistol hidden under his cloak, approached the Reformer and inquired
why he went thus alone. “I am in God’s hands,” answered Luther.
“He is my strength and my shield. What can man do unto me?”—
Ibid., b. 6, ch. 2. Upon hearing these words, the stranger turned pale
and fled away as from the presence of the angels of heaven.
Rome was bent upon the destruction of Luther; but God was his
defense. His doctrines were heard everywhere—“in cottages and
convents, ... in the castles of the nobles, in the universities, and in
 118 The Great Controversy

the palaces of kings;” and noble men were rising on every hand to
sustain his efforts.—Ibid., b. 6, ch. 2.
It was about this time that Luther, reading the works of Huss,
found that the great truth of justification by faith, which he himself
was seeking to uphold and teach, had been held by the Bohemian
Reformer. “We have all,” said Luther, “Paul, Augustine, and myself,
been Hussites without knowing it!” “God will surely visit it upon
the world,” he continued, “that the truth was preached to it a century
ago, and burned!”—Wylie, b. 6, ch. 1
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?”—D’Aubigne, b. 6, ch.
3.
He wrote thus of the universities: “I am much afraid that the
[141] 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.”—Ibid., b. 6, ch. 3.
This appeal was rapidly circulated throughout Germany and
exerted a powerful influence upon the people. The whole nation was
stirred, and multitudes were 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 immediately condemned. Sixty days were
granted the Reformer and his adherents, after which, if they did not
recant, they were all to be excommunicated.
That was a terrible crisis for the Reformation. For centuries
Rome’s sentence of excommunication had struck terror to powerful
monarchs; it had filled mighty empires with woe and desolation.
Those upon whom its condemnation fell were universally regarded
with dread and horror; they were cut off from intercourse with their
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 119

fellows and treated as outlaws, to be hunted to extermination. Luther

was not blind to the tempest about to burst upon him; but he stood
firm, trusting in Christ to be his support and shield. With a martyr’s
faith and courage he wrote: “What is about to happen I know not, nor
do I care to know.... Let the blow light where it may, I am without
fear. Not so much as a leaf falls, without the will of our Father. How
much rather will He care for us! It is a light thing to die for the
Word, since the Word which was made flesh hath Himself died. If
we die with Him, we shall live with Him; and passing through that
which He has passed through before us, we shall be where He is and
dwell with Him forever.”—Ibid., 3d London ed., Walther, 1840, b.
6, ch. 9.
When the papal bull reached Luther, he said: “I despise and
attack it, as impious, false.... It is Christ Himself who is condemned [142]
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.”—
D’Aubigne, b. 6, ch. 9.
Yet the mandate of Rome was not without effect. Prison, torture,
and sword were weapons potent to enforce obedience. 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. Everything seemed to indicate that
the Reformer’s work was about to close.
But Luther was fearless still. Rome had hurled her anathemas
against him, and the world looked on, nothing doubting that he would
perish or be forced to yield. But with terrible power he flung back
upon herself the sentence of condemnation and publicly declared
his determination to abandon her forever. In the presence of a crowd
of students, doctors, and citizens of all ranks Luther burned the
pope’s bull, with the canon laws, the decretals, and certain writings
sustaining the papal power. “My enemies have been able, by burning
my books,” he said, “to injure the cause of truth in the minds of the
common people, and destroy their souls; for this reason I consumed
their books in return. A serious struggle has just begun. Hitherto I
have been only playing with the pope. I began this work in God’s
name; it will be ended without me, and by His might.”—Ibid., b. 6,
ch. 10.
 120 The Great Controversy

To the reproaches of his enemies who taunted him with the

weakness of his cause, Luther answered: “Who knows if God has not
chosen and called me, and if they ought not to fear that, by despising
me, they despise God Himself? Moses was alone at the departure
from Egypt; Elijah was alone in the reign of King Ahab; Isaiah alone
in Jerusalem; Ezekiel alone in Babylon.... God never selected as
a prophet either the high priest or any other great personage; but
[143] ordinarily He chose low and despised men, once even the shepherd
Amos. In every age, the saints have had to reprove the great, kings,
princes, priests, and wise men, at the peril of their lives.... I do not
say that I am a prophet; but I say that they ought to fear precisely
because I am alone and that they are many. I am sure of this, that
the word of God is with me, and that it is not with them.”—Ibid., b.
6, ch. 10.
Yet it was not without a terrible struggle with himself that Luther
decided upon a final separation from the church. It was about this
time that he wrote: “I feel more and more every day how difficult
it is to lay aside the scruples which one has imbibed in childhood.
Oh, how much pain it has caused me, though I had the Scriptures
on my side, to justify it to myself that I should dare to make a stand
alone against the pope, and hold him forth as antichrist! What have
the tribulations of my heart not been! How many times have I not
asked myself with bitterness that question which was so frequent on
the lips of the papists: ‘Art thou alone wise? Can everyone else be
mistaken? How will it be, if, after all, it is thyself who art wrong,
and who art involving in thy error so many souls, who will then be
eternally damned?’ ‘Twas so I fought with myself and with Satan,
till Christ, by His own infallible word, fortified my heart against
these doubts.”—Martyn, pages 372, 373.
The pope had threatened Luther with excommunication if he did
not recant, and the threat was now fulfilled. A new bull appeared,
declaring the Reformer’s final separation from the Roman Church,
denouncing him as accursed of Heaven, and including in the same
condemnation all who should receive his doctrines. The great contest
had been fully entered upon.
Opposition is the lot of all whom God employs to present truths
specially applicable to their time. There was a present truth in the
days of Luther,—a truth at that time of special importance; there is a
 Luther’s Separation From Rome 121

present truth for the church today. He who does all things according [144]
to the counsel of His will has been pleased to place men under
various circumstances and to enjoin upon them duties peculiar to
the times in which they live and the conditions under which they are
placed. If they would prize the light given them, broader views of
truth would be opened before them. But truth is no more desired by
the majority today than it was by the papists who opposed Luther.
There is the same disposition to accept the theories and traditions
of men instead of the word of God as in former ages. Those who
present the truth for this time should not expect to be received with
greater favor than were earlier reformers. The great controversy
between truth and error, between Christ and Satan, is to increase in
intensity to the close of this world’s history.
Said Jesus to His disciples: “If ye were of the world, the world
would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I
have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater
than his Lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute
you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.” John
15:19, 20. And on the other hand our Lord declared plainly: “Woe
unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their
fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6:26. The spirit of the world is no
more in harmony with the spirit of Christ today than in earlier times,
and those who preach the word of God in its purity will be received
with no greater favor now than then. The forms of opposition to the
truth may change, the enmity may be less open because it is more
subtle; but the same antagonism still exists and will be manifested
to the end of time.
[145] Chapter 8—Luther Before the Diet

A new emperor, Charles V, had ascended the throne of Germany,

and the emissaries of Rome hastened to present their congratulations
and induce the monarch to employ his power against the Reforma-
tion. On the other hand, the elector of Saxony, to whom Charles
was in great degree indebted for his crown, entreated him to take
no step against Luther until he should have granted him a hearing.
The emperor was thus placed in a position of great perplexity and
embarrassment. The papists would be satisfied with nothing short
of an imperial edict sentencing Luther to death. The elector had
declared firmly that “neither his imperial majesty nor any other per-
son had shown that Luther’s writings had been refuted;” therefore
he requested “that Dr. Luther should be furnished with a safe-con-
duct, so that he might appear before a tribunal of learned, pious, and
impartial judges.”—D’Aubigne, b. 6, ch. 11.
The attention of all parties was now directed to the assembly of
the German states which convened at Worms soon after the accession
of Charles to the empire. There were important political questions
and interests to be considered by this national council; for the first
time the princes of Germany were to meet their youthful monarch in
deliberative assembly. From all parts of the fatherland had come the
dignitaries of church and state. Secular lords, highborn, powerful,
[146] and jealous of their hereditary rights; princely ecclesiastics, flushed
with their conscious superiority in rank and power; courtly knights
and their armed retainers; and ambassadors from foreign and distant
lands,—all gathered at Worms. Yet in that vast assembly the subject
that excited the deepest interest was the cause of the Saxon Reformer.
Charles had previously directed the elector to bring Luther with
him to the Diet, assuring him of protection, and promising a free
discussion, with competent persons, of the questions in dispute.
Luther was anxious to appear before the emperor. His health was at
this time much impaired; yet he wrote to the elector: “If I cannot go
to Worms in good health, I will be carried there, sick as I am. For if
122
 Luther Before the Diet 123

the emperor calls me, I cannot doubt that it is the call of God Himself.
If they desire to use violence against me, and that is very probable
(for it is not for their instruction that they order me to appear), I
place the matter in the Lord’s hands. He still lives and reigns who
preserved the three young men in the burning fiery furnace. If He
will not save me, my life is of little consequence. Let us only prevent
the gospel from being exposed to the scorn of the wicked, and let
us shed our blood for it, for fear they should triumph. It is not for
me to decide whether my life or my death will contribute most to
the salvation of all.... You may expect everything from me... except
flight and recantation. Fly I cannot, and still less retract.”—Ibid., b.
7, ch. 1.
As the news was circulated at Worms that Luther was to appear
before the Diet, a general excitement was created. Aleander, the
papal legate to whom the case had been specially entrusted, was
alarmed and enraged. He saw that the result would be disastrous to
the papal cause. To institute inquiry into a case in which the pope
had already pronounced sentence of condemnation would be to cast
contempt upon the authority of the sovereign pontiff. Furthermore,
he was apprehensive that the eloquent and powerful arguments of
this man might turn away many of the princes from the cause of the
pope. He therefore, in the most urgent manner, remonstrated with [147]
Charles against Luther’s appearance at Worms. About this time the
bull declaring Luther’s excommunication was published; and this,
coupled with the representations of the legate, induced the emperor
to yield. He wrote to the elector that if Luther would not retract, he
must remain at Wittenberg.
Not content with this victory, Aleander labored with all the power
and cunning at his command to secure Luther’s condemnation. With
a persistence worthy of a better cause, he urged the matter upon the
attention of princes, prelates, and other members of the assembly,
accusing the Reformer of “sedition, rebellion, impiety, and blas-
phemy.” But the vehemence and passion manifested by the legate
revealed too plainly the spirit by which he was actuated. “He is
moved by hatred and vengeance,” was the general remark, “much
more than by zeal and piety.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 1. The majority of
the Diet were more than ever inclined to regard Luther’s cause with
favor.
 124 The Great Controversy

With redoubled zeal Aleander urged upon the emperor the duty of
executing the papal edicts. But under the laws of Germany this could
not be done without the concurrence of the princes; and, overcome
at last by the legate’s importunity, Charles bade him present his case
to the Diet. “It was a proud day for the nuncio. The assembly was
a great one: the cause was even greater. Aleander was to plead
for Rome, ... the mother and mistress of all churches.” He was to
vindicate the princedom of Peter before the assembled principalities
of Christendom. “He had the gift of eloquence, and he rose to the
greatness of the occasion. Providence ordered it that Rome should
appear and plead by the ablest of her orators in the presence of the
most august of tribunals, before she was condemned.”—Wylie, b.
6, ch. 4. With some misgivings those who favored the Reformer
looked forward to the effect of Aleander’s speech. The elector of
Saxony was not present, but by his direction some of his councilors
attended to take notes of the nuncio’s address.
[148] With all the power of learning and eloquence, Aleander set him-
self to overthrow the truth. Charge after charge he hurled against
Luther as an enemy of the church and the state, the living and the
dead, clergy and laity, councils and private Christians. “In Luther’s
errors there is enough,” he declared, to warrant the burning of “a
hundred thousand heretics.”
In conclusion he endeavored to cast contempt upon the adher-
ents of the reformed faith: “What are all these Lutherans? A crew
of insolent pedagogues, corrupt priests, dissolute monks, ignorant
lawyers, and degraded nobles, with the common people whom they
have misled and perverted. How far superior to them is the Catholic
party in number, ability, and power! A unanimous decree from this
illustrious assembly will enlighten the simple, warn the imprudent,
decide the waverers, and give strength to the weak.”—D’Aubigne,
b. 7, ch. 3.
With such weapons the advocates of truth in every age have
been attacked. The same arguments are still urged against all who
dare to present, in opposition to established errors, the plain and
direct teachings of God’s word. “Who are these preachers of new
doctrines?” exclaim those who desire a popular religion. “They are
unlearned, few in numbers, and of the poorer class. Yet they claim to
have the truth, and to be the chosen people of God. They are ignorant
 Luther Before the Diet 125

and deceived. How greatly superior in numbers and influence is our

church! How many great and learned men are among us! How much
more power is on our side!” These are the arguments that have a
telling influence upon the world; but they are no more conclusive
now than in the days of the Reformer.
The Reformation did not, as many suppose, end with Luther. It
is to be continued to the close of this world’s history. Luther had
a great work to do in reflecting to others the light which God had
permitted to shine upon him; yet he did not receive all the light
which was to be given to the world. From that time to this, new light
has been continually shining upon the Scriptures, and new truths [149]
have been constantly unfolding.
The legate’s address made a deep impression upon the Diet.
There was no Luther present, with the clear and convincing truths of
God’s word, to vanquish the papal champion. No attempt was made
to defend the Reformer. There was manifest a general disposition
not only to condemn him and the doctrines which he taught, but if
possible to uproot the heresy. Rome had enjoyed the most favorable
opportunity to defend her cause. All that she could say in her own
vindication had been said. But the apparent victory was the signal
of defeat. Henceforth the contrast between truth and error would
be more clearly seen, as they should take the field in open warfare.
Never from that day would Rome stand as secure as she had stood.
While most of the members of the Diet would not have hesitated
to yield up Luther to the vengeance of Rome, many of them saw and
deplored the existing depravity in the church, and desired a suppres-
sion of the abuses suffered by the German people in consequence of
the corruption and greed of the hierarchy. The legate had presented
the papal rule in the most favorable light. Now the Lord moved
upon a member of the Diet to give a true delineation of the effects of
papal tyranny. With noble firmness, Duke George of Saxony stood
up in that princely assembly and specified with terrible exactness
the deceptions and abominations of popery, and their dire results. In
closing he said:
“These are some of the abuses that cry out against Rome. All
shame has been put aside, and their only object is ... money, money,
money, ... so that the preachers who should teach the truth, utter
nothing but falsehoods, and are not only tolerated, but rewarded,
 126 The Great Controversy

because the greater their lies, the greater their gain. It is from this
foul spring that such tainted waters flow. Debauchery stretches out
the hand to avarice.... Alas, it is the scandal caused by the clergy
that hurls so many poor souls into eternal condemnation. A general
reform must be effected.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 4.
[150] A more able and forcible denunciation of the papal abuses could
not have been presented by Luther himself; and the fact that the
speaker was a determined enemy of the Reformer’s gave greater
influence to his words.
Had the eyes of the assembly been opened, they would have
beheld angels of God in the midst of them, shedding beams of
light athwart the darkness of error and opening minds and hearts
to the reception of truth. It was the power of the God of truth and
wisdom that controlled even the adversaries of the reformation, and
thus prepared the way for the great work about to be accomplished.
Martin Luther was not present; but the voice of One greater than
Luther had been heard in that assembly.
A committee was at once appointed by the Diet to prepare an
enumeration of the papal oppressions that weighed so heavily on the
German people. This list, containing a hundred and one specifica-
tions, was presented to the emperor, with a request that he would
take immediate measures for the correction of these abuses. “What
a loss of Christian souls,” said the petitioners, “what depredations,
what extortions, on account of the scandals by which the spiritual
head of Christendom is surrounded! It is our duty to prevent the
ruin and dishonor of our people. For this reason we most humbly
but most urgently entreat you to order a general reformation, and to
undertake its accomplishment.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 4.
The council now demanded the Reformer’s appearance before
them. Notwithstanding the entreaties, protests, and threats of Ale-
ander, the emperor at last consented, and Luther was summoned to
appear before the Diet. With the summons was issued a safe-con-
duct, ensuring his return to a place of security. These were borne to
Wittenberg by a herald, who was commissioned to conduct him to
Worms.
The friends of Luther were terrified and distressed. Knowing
the prejudice and enmity against him, they feared that even his
safe-conduct would not be respected, and they entreated him not to
 Luther Before the Diet 127

imperil his life. He replied: “The papists do not desire my coming

to Worms, but my condemnation and my death. It matters not. Pray [151]
not for me, but for the word of God.... Christ will give me His Spirit
to overcome these ministers of error. I despise them during my life;
I shall triumph over them by my death. They are busy at Worms
about compelling me to retract; and this shall be my retraction: I
said formerly that the pope was Christ’s vicar; now I assert that he
is our Lord’s adversary, and the devil’s apostle.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 6.
Luther was not to make his perilous journey alone. Besides
the imperial messenger, three of his firmest friends determined to
accompany him. Melanchthon earnestly desired to join them. His
heart was knit to Luther’s, and he yearned to follow him, if need be,
to prison or to death. But his entreaties were denied. Should Luther
perish, the hopes of the Reformation must center upon his youthful
colaborer. Said the Reformer as he parted from Melanchthon: “If I
do not return, and my enemies put me to death, continue to teach,
and stand fast in the truth. Labor in my stead.... If you survive, my
death will be of little consequence.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 7. Students
and citizens who had gathered to witness Luther’s departure were
deeply moved. A multitude whose hearts had been touched by the
gospel, bade him farewell with weeping. Thus the Reformer and his
companions set out from Wittenberg.
On the journey they saw that the minds of the people were op-
pressed by gloomy forebodings. At some towns no honors were
proffered them. As they stopped for the night, a friendly priest
expressed his fears by holding up before Luther the portrait of an
Italian reformer who had suffered martyrdom. The next day they
learned that Luther’s writings had been condemned at Worms. Impe-
rial messengers were proclaiming the emperor’s decree and calling
upon the people to bring the proscribed works to the magistrates.
The herald, fearing for Luther’s safety at the council, and thinking
that already his resolution might be shaken, asked if he still wished
to go forward. He answered: “Although interdicted in every city, I
shall go on.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 7.
At Erfurt, Luther was received with honor. Surrounded by admir- [152]
ing crowds, he passed through the streets that he had often traversed
with his beggar’s wallet. He visited his convent cell, and thought
upon the struggles through which the light now flooding Germany
 128 The Great Controversy

had been shed upon his soul. He was urged to preach. This he had
been forbidden to do, but the herald granted him permission, and
the friar who had once been made the drudge of the convent, now
entered the pulpit.
To a crowded assembly he spoke from the words of Christ,
“Peace be unto you.” “Philosophers, doctors, and writers,” he said,
“have endeavored to teach men the way to obtain everlasting life,
and they have not succeeded. I will now tell it to you: ... God has
raised one Man from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He might
destroy death, extirpate sin, and shut the gates of hell. This is the
work of salvation.... Christ has vanquished! this is the joyful news;
and we are saved by His work, and not by our own.... Our Lord
Jesus Christ said, ‘Peace be unto you; behold My hands;’ that is to
say, Behold, O man! it is I, I alone, who have taken away thy sin,
and ransomed thee; and now thou hast peace, saith the Lord.”
He continued, showing that true faith will be manifested by a
holy life. “Since God has saved us, let us so order our works that they
may be acceptable to Him. Art thou rich? let thy goods administer
to the necessities of the poor. Art thou poor? let thy services be
acceptable to the rich. If thy labor is useful to thyself alone, the
service that thou pretendest to render unto God is a lie.”—Ibid., b.
7, ch. 7.
The people listened as if spellbound. The bread of life was
broken to those starving souls. Christ was lifted up before them as
above popes, legates, emperors, and kings. Luther made no reference
to his own perilous position. He did not seek to make himself the
object of thought or sympathy. In the contemplation of Christ he
had lost sight of self. He hid behind the Man of Calvary, seeking
only to present Jesus as the sinner’s Redeemer.
[153] As the Reformer proceeded on his journey, he was everywhere
regarded with great interest. An eager multitude thronged about him,
and friendly voices warned him of the purpose of the Romanists.
“They will burn you,” said some, “and reduce your body to ashes, as
they did with John Huss.” Luther answered, “Though they should
kindle a fire all the way from Worms to Wittenberg, the flames
of which reached to heaven, I would walk through it in the name
of the Lord; I would appear before them; I would enter the jaws
 Luther Before the Diet 129

of this behemoth, and break his teeth, confessing the Lord Jesus
Christ.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 7.
The news of his approach to Worms created great commotion.
His friends trembled for his safety; his enemies feared for the success
of their cause. Strenuous efforts were made to dissuade him from
entering the city. At the instigation of the papists he was urged to
repair to the castle of a friendly knight, where, it was declared, all
difficulties could be amicably adjusted. Friends endeavored to excite
his fears by describing the dangers that threatened him. All their
efforts failed. Luther, still unshaken, declared: “Even should there
be as many devils in Worms as tiles on the housetops, still I would
enter it.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 7.
Upon his arrival at Worms, a vast crowd flocked to the gates to
welcome him. So great a concourse had not assembled to greet the
emperor himself. The excitement was intense, and from the midst
of the throng a shrill and plaintive voice chanted a funeral dirge as
a warning to Luther of the fate that awaited him. “God will be my
defense,” said he, as he alighted from his carriage.
The papists had not believed that Luther would really venture
to appear at Worms, and his arrival filled them with consternation.
The emperor immediately summoned his councilors to consider
what course should be pursued. One of the bishops, a rigid papist,
declared: “We have long consulted on this matter. Let your imperial
majesty get rid of this man at once. Did not Sigismund cause John
Huss to be burnt? We are not bound either to give or to observe the [154]
safe-conduct of a heretic.” “No,” said the emperor, “we must keep
our promise.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 8. It was therefore decided that the
Reformer should be heard.
All the city were eager to see this remarkable man, and a throng
of visitors soon filled his lodgings. Luther had scarcely recovered
from his recent illness; he was wearied from the journey, which had
occupied two full weeks; he must prepare to meet the momentous
events of the morrow, and he needed quiet and repose. But so great
was the desire to see him that he had enjoyed only a few hours’
rest when noblemen, knights, priests, and citizens gathered eagerly
about him. Among these were many of the nobles who had so boldly
demanded of the emperor a reform of ecclesiastical abuses and who,
says Luther, “had all been freed by my gospel.”—Martyn, page 393.
 130 The Great Controversy

Enemies, as well as friends, came to look upon the dauntless monk;

but he received them with unshaken calmness, replying to all with
dignity and wisdom. His bearing was firm and courageous. His pale,
thin face, marked with the traces of toil and illness, wore a kindly
and even joyous expression. The solemnity and deep earnestness of
his words gave him a power that even his enemies could not wholly
withstand. Both friends and foes were filled with wonder. Some
were convinced that a divine influence attended him; others declared,
as had the Pharisees concerning Christ: “He hath a devil.”
On the following day Luther was summoned to attend the Diet.
An imperial officer was appointed to conduct him to the hall of
audience; yet it was with difficulty that he reached the place. Every
avenue was crowded with spectators eager to look upon the monk
who had dared resist the authority of the pope.
As he was about to enter the presence of his judges, an old
general, the hero of many battles, said to him kindly: “Poor monk,
poor monk, thou art now going to make a nobler stand than I or any
other captains have ever made in the bloodiest of our battles. But if
thy cause is just, and thou art sure of it, go forward in God’s name,
[155] and fear nothing. God will not forsake thee.”—D’Aubigne, b. 7, ch.
8.
At length Luther stood before the council. The emperor occupied
the throne. He was surrounded by the most illustrious personages in
the empire. Never had any man appeared in the presence of a more
imposing assembly than that before which Martin Luther was to
answer for his faith. “This appearance was of itself a signal victory
over the papacy. The pope had condemned the man, and he was now
standing before a tribunal which, by this very act, set itself above
the pope. The pope had laid him under an interdict, and cut him
off from all human society; and yet he was summoned in respectful
language, and received before the most august assembly in the world.
The pope had condemned him to perpetual silence, and he was now
about to speak before thousands of attentive hearers drawn together
from the farthest parts of Christendom. An immense revolution had
thus been effected by Luther’s instrumentality. Rome was already
descending from her throne, and it was the voice of a monk that
caused this humiliation.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 8.
 Luther Before the Diet 131

In the presence of that powerful and titled assembly the lowly

born Reformer seemed awed and embarrassed. Several of the
princes, observing his emotion, approached him, and one of them
whispered: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able
to kill the soul.” Another said: “When ye shall be brought before
governors and kings for My sake, it shall be given you, by the Spirit
of your Father, what ye shall say.” Thus the words of Christ were
brought by the world’s great men to strengthen His servant in the
hour of trial.
Luther was conducted to a position directly in front of the em-
peror’s throne. A deep silence fell upon the crowded assembly.
Then an imperial officer arose and, pointing to a collection of
Luther’s writings, demanded that the Reformer answer two ques-
tions—whether he acknowledged them as his, and whether he pro-
posed to retract the opinions which he had therein advanced. The
titles of the books having been read, Luther replied that as to the first [156]
question, he acknowledged the books to be his. “As to the second,”
he said, “seeing that it is a question which concerns faith and the
salvation of souls, and in which the word of God, the greatest and
most precious treasure either in heaven or earth, is involved, I should
act imprudently were I to reply without reflection. I might affirm
less than the circumstance demands, or more than truth requires,
and so sin against this saying of Christ: ‘Whosoever shall deny
Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is
in heaven.’ [Matthew 10:33.] For this reason I entreat your impe-
rial majesty, with all humility, to allow me time, that I may answer
without offending against the word of God.”—D’Aubigne, b. 7, ch.
8.
In making this request, Luther moved wisely. His course con-
vinced the assembly that he did not act from passion or impulse.
Such calmness and self-command, unexpected in one who had
shown himself bold and uncompromising, added to his power, and
enabled him afterward to answer with a prudence, decision, wis-
dom, and dignity that surprised and disappointed his adversaries,
and rebuked their insolence and pride.
The next day he was to appear to render his final answer. For a
time his heart sank within him as he contemplated the forces that
were combined against the truth. His faith faltered; fearfulness and
 132 The Great Controversy

trembling came upon him, and horror overwhelmed him. Dangers

multiplied before him; his enemies seemed about to triumph, and
the powers of darkness to prevail. Clouds gathered about him and
seemed to separate him from God. He longed for the assurance that
the Lord of hosts would be with him. In anguish of spirit he threw
himself with his face upon the earth and poured out those broken,
heart-rending cries, which none but God can fully understand.
“O almighty and everlasting God,” he pleaded, “how terrible is
this world! Behold, it openeth its mouth to swallow me up, and I
[157] have so little trust in Thee.... If it is only in the strength of this world
that I must put my trust, all is over.... My last hour is come, my
condemnation has been pronounced.... O God, do Thou help me
against all the wisdom of the world. Do this, ... Thou alone; ... for
this is not my work, but Thine. I have nothing to do here, nothing to
contend for with these great ones of the world.... But the cause is
Thine, ... and it is a righteous and eternal cause. O Lord, help me!
Faithful and unchangeable God, in no man do I place my trust.... All
that is of man is uncertain; all that cometh of man fails.... Thou hast
chosen me for this work.... Stand at my side, for the sake of Thy
well-beloved Jesus Christ, who is my defense, my shield, and my
strong tower.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 8.
An all-wise Providence had permitted Luther to realize his peril,
that he might not trust to his own strength and rush presumptuously
into danger. Yet it was not the fear of personal suffering, a dread of
torture or death, which seemed immediately impending, that over-
whelmed him with its terror. He had come to the crisis, and he felt
his insufficiency to meet it. Through his weakness the cause of truth
might suffer loss. Not for his own safety, but for the triumph of the
gospel did he wrestle with God. Like Israel’s, in that night struggle
beside the lonely stream, was the anguish and conflict of his soul.
Like Israel, he prevailed with God. In his utter helplessness his faith
fastened upon Christ, the mighty Deliverer. He was strengthened
with the assurance that he would not appear alone before the council.
Peace returned to his soul, and he rejoiced that he was permitted to
uplift the word of God before the rulers of the nations.
With his mind stayed upon God, Luther prepared for the struggle
before him. He thought upon the plan of his answer, examined
passages in his own writings, and drew from the Holy Scriptures
 Luther Before the Diet 133

suitable proofs to sustain his positions. Then, laying his left hand on
the Sacred Volume, which was open before him, he lifted his right
hand to heaven and vowed “to remain faithful to the gospel, and
freely to confess his faith, even should he seal his testimony with his [158]
blood.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 8.
When he was again ushered into the presence of the Diet, his
countenance bore no trace of fear or embarrassment. Calm and
peaceful, yet grandly brave and noble, he stood as God’s witness
among the great ones of the earth. The imperial officer now de-
manded his decision as to whether he desired to retract his doctrines.
Luther made his answer in a subdued and humble tone, without
violence or passion. His demeanor was diffident and respectful; yet
he manifested a confidence and joy that surprised the assembly.
“Most serene emperor, illustrious princes, gracious lords,” said
Luther, “I appear before you this day, in conformity with the order
given me yesterday, and by God’s mercies I conjure your majesty
and your august highnesses to listen graciously to the defense of a
cause which I am assured is just and true. If, through ignorance, I
should transgress the usages and proprieties of courts, I entreat you
to pardon me; for I was not brought up in the palaces of kings, but
in the seclusion of a convent.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 8.
Then, proceeding to the question, he stated that his published
works were not all of the same character. In some he had treated of
faith and good works, and even his enemies declared them not only
harmless but profitable. To retract these would be to condemn truths
which all parties confessed. The second class consisted of writings
exposing the corruptions and abuses of the papacy. To revoke these
works would strengthen the tyranny of Rome and open a wider door
to many and great impieties. In the third class of his books he had
attacked individuals who had defended existing evils. Concerning
these he freely confessed that he had been more violent than was
becoming. He did not claim to be free from fault; but even these
books he could not revoke, for such a course would embolden the
enemies of truth, and they would then take occasion to crush God’s
people with still greater cruelty.
“Yet I am but a mere man, and not God,” he continued; “I shall [159]
therefore defend myself as Christ did: ‘If I have spoken evil, bear
witness of the evil.’ ... By the mercy of God, I conjure you, most
 134 The Great Controversy

serene emperor, and you, most illustrious princes, and all men of
every degree, to prove from the writings of the prophets and apostles
that I have erred. As soon as I am convinced of this, I will retract
every error, and be the first to lay hold of my books and throw them
into the fire.
“What I have just said plainly shows, I hope, that I have carefully
weighed and considered the dangers to which I expose myself; but
far from being dismayed, I rejoice to see that the gospel is now, as in
former times, a cause of trouble and dissension. This is the character,
this is the destiny, of the word of God. ‘I came not to send peace on
earth, but a sword,’ said Jesus Christ. God is wonderful and terrible
in His counsels; beware lest, by presuming to quench dissensions,
you should persecute the holy word of God, and draw down upon
yourselves a frightful deluge of insurmountable dangers, of present
disasters, and eternal desolation.... I might quote many examples
from the oracles of God. I might speak of the Pharaohs, the kings
of Babylon, and those of Israel, whose labors never more effectu-
ally contributed to their own destruction than when they sought by
counsels, to all appearance most wise, to strengthen their dominion.
‘God removeth mountains, and they know it not.’”—Ibid., b. 7, ch.
8.
Luther had spoken in German; he was now requested to repeat
the same words in Latin. Though exhausted by the previous effort,
he complied, and again delivered his speech, with the same clearness
and energy as at the first. God’s providence directed in this matter.
The minds of many of the princes were so blinded by error and
superstition that at the first delivery they did not see the force of
Luther’s reasoning; but the repetition enabled them to perceive
clearly the points presented.
[160] Those who stubbornly closed their eyes to the light, and deter-
mined not to be convinced of the truth, were enraged at the power of
Luther’s words. As he ceased speaking, the spokesman of the Diet
said angrily: “You have not answered the question put to you.... You
are required to give a clear and precise answer.... Will you, or will
you not, retract?”
The Reformer answered: “Since your most serene majesty and
your high mightinesses require from me a clear, simple, and precise
answer, I will give you one, and it is this: I cannot submit my faith
 Luther Before the Diet 135

either to the pope or to the councils, because it is clear as the day

that they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless
therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture or by the
clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages
I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by
the word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a
Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no
other; may God help me. Amen.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 8.
Thus stood this righteous man upon the sure foundation of the
word of God. The light of heaven illuminated his countenance. His
greatness and purity of character, his peace and joy of heart, were
manifest to all as he testified against the power of error and witnessed
to the superiority of that faith that overcomes the world.
The whole assembly were for a time speechless with amazement.
At his first answer Luther had spoken in a low tone, with a respectful,
almost submissive bearing. The Romanists had interpreted this as
evidence that his courage was beginning to fail. They regarded the
request for delay as merely the prelude to his recantation. Charles
himself, noting, half contemptuously, the monk’s worn frame, his
plain attire, and the simplicity of his address, had declared: “This
monk will never make a heretic of me.” The courage and firmness
which he now displayed, as well as the power and clearness of his
reasoning, filled all parties with surprise. The emperor, moved to [161]
admiration, exclaimed: “This monk speaks with an intrepid heart
and unshaken courage.” Many of the German princes looked with
pride and joy upon this representative of their nation.
The partisans of Rome had been worsted; their cause appeared
in a most unfavorable light. They sought to maintain their power,
not by appealing to the Scriptures, but by a resort to threats, Rome’s
unfailing argument. Said the spokesman of the Diet: “If you do not
retract, the emperor and the states of the empire will consult what
course to adopt against an incorrigible heretic.”
Luther’s friend, who had with great joy listened to his noble
defense, trembled at these words; but the doctor himself said calmly:
“May God be my helper, for I can retract nothing.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch.
8.
He was directed to withdraw from the Diet while the princes
consulted together. It was felt that a great crisis had come. Luther’s
 136 The Great Controversy

persistent refusal to submit might affect the history of the church for
ages. It was decided to give him one more opportunity to retract. For
the last time he was brought into the assembly. Again the question
was put, whether he would renounce his doctrines. “I have no other
reply to make,” he said, “than that which I have already made.” It
was evident that he could not be induced, either by promises or
threats, to yield to the mandate of Rome.
The papal leaders were chagrined that their power, which had
caused kings and nobles to tremble, should be thus despised by a
humble monk; they longed to make him feel their wrath by torturing
his life away. But Luther, understanding his danger, had spoken to
all with Christian dignity and calmness. His words had been free
from pride, passion, and misrepresentation. He had lost sight of
himself, and the great men surrounding him, and felt only that he
was in the presence of One infinitely superior to popes, prelates,
kings, and emperors. Christ had spoken through Luther’s testimony
[162] with a power and grandeur that for the time inspired both friends and
foes with awe and wonder. The Spirit of God had been present in that
council, impressing the hearts of the chiefs of the empire. Several of
the princes boldly acknowledged the justice of Luther’s cause. Many
were convinced of the truth; but with some the impressions received
were not lasting. There was another class who did not at the time
express their convictions, but who, having searched the Scriptures
for themselves, at a future time became fearless supporters of the
Reformation.
The elector Frederick had looked forward anxiously to Luther’s
appearance before the Diet, and with deep emotion he listened to
his speech. With joy and pride he witnessed the doctor’s courage,
firmness, and self-possession, and determined to stand more firmly
in his defense. He contrasted the parties in contest, and saw that the
wisdom of popes, kings, and prelates had been brought to nought by
the power of truth. The papacy had sustained a defeat which would
be felt among all nations and in all ages.
As the legate perceived the effect produced by Luther’s speech,
he feared, as never before, for the security of the Romish power,
and resolved to employ every means at his command to effect the
Reformer’s overthrow. With all the eloquence and diplomatic skill
for which he was so eminently distinguished, he represented to the
 Luther Before the Diet 137

youthful emperor the folly and danger of sacrificing, in the cause of

an insignificant monk, the friendship and support of the powerful
see of Rome.
His words were not without effect. On the day following Luther’s
answer, Charles caused a message to be presented to the Diet, an-
nouncing his determination to carry out the policy of his predeces-
sors to maintain and protect the Catholic religion. Since Luther had
refused to renounce his errors, the most vigorous measures should
be employed against him and the heresies he taught. “A single monk,
misled by his own folly, has risen against the faith of Christendom.
To stay such impiety, I will sacrifice my kingdoms, my treasures,
my friends, my body, my blood, my soul, and my life. I am about [163]
to dismiss the Augustine Luther, forbidding him to cause the least
disorder among the people; I shall then proceed against him and
his adherents as contumacious heretics, by excommunication, by
interdict, and by every means calculated to destroy them. I call on
the members of the states to behave like faithful Christians.”—Ibid.,
b. 7, ch. 9. Nevertheless the emperor declared that Luther’s safe-
conduct must be respected, and that before proceedings against him
could be instituted, he must be allowed to reach his home in safety.
Two conflicting opinions were now urged by the members of
the Diet. The emissaries and representatives of the pope again
demanded that the Reformer’s safe-conduct should be disregarded.
“The Rhine,” they said, “should receive his ashes, as it had received
those of John Huss a century ago.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 9. But princes
of Germany, though themselves papists and avowed enemies to
Luther, protested against such a breach of public faith, as a stain
upon the honor of the nation. They pointed to the calamities which
had followed the death of Huss, and declared that they dared not call
down upon Germany, and upon the head of their youthful emperor,
a repetition of those terrible evils.
Charles himself, in answer to the base proposal, said: “Though
honor and faith should be banished from all the world, they ought to
find a refuge in the hearts of princes.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 9. He was still
further urged by the most bitter of Luther’s papal enemies to deal
with the Reformer as Sigismund had dealt with Huss—abandon him
to the mercies of the church; but recalling the scene when Huss in
public assembly had pointed to his chains and reminded the monarch
 138 The Great Controversy

of his plighted faith, Charles V declared: “I should not like to blush

like Sigismund.”—Lenfant, vol. 1, p. 422.
Yet Charles had deliberately rejected the truths presented by
Luther. “I am firmly resolved to imitate the example of my ances-
tors,” wrote the monarch.—D’Aubigne, b. 7, ch. 9. He had decided
[164] that he would not step out of the path of custom, even to walk in
the ways of truth and righteousness. Because his fathers did, he
would uphold the papacy, with all its cruelty and corruption. Thus
he took his position, refusing to accept any light in advance of what
his fathers had received, or to perform any duty that they had not
performed.
There are many at the present day thus clinging to the customs
and traditions of their fathers. When the Lord sends them additional
light, they refuse to accept it, because, not having been granted to
their fathers, it was not received by them. We are not placed where
our fathers were; consequently our duties and responsibilities are not
the same as theirs. We shall not be approved of God in looking to the
example of our fathers to determine our duty instead of searching
the word of truth for ourselves. Our responsibility is greater than
was that of our ancestors. We are accountable for the light which
they received, and which was handed down as an inheritance for us,
and we are accountable also for the additional light which is now
shining upon us from the word of God.
Said Christ of the unbelieving Jews: “If I had not come and
spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no
cloak for their sin.” John 15:22. The same divine power had spoken
through Luther to the emperor and princes of Germany. And as
the light shone forth from God’s word, His Spirit pleaded for the
last time with many in that assembly. As Pilate, centuries before,
permitted pride and popularity to close his heart against the world’s
Redeemer; as the trembling Felix bade the messenger of truth, “Go
thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call
for thee;” as the proud Agrippa confessed, “Almost thou persuadest
me to be a Christian” (Acts 24:25; 26:28), yet turned away from the
Heaven-sent message—so had Charles V, yielding to the dictates of
worldly pride and policy, decided to reject the light of truth.
Rumors of the designs against Luther were widely circulated,
[165] causing great excitement throughout the city. The Reformer had
 Luther Before the Diet 139

made many friends, who, knowing the treacherous cruelty of Rome

toward all who dared expose her corruptions, resolved that he should
not be sacrificed. Hundreds of nobles pledged themselves to protect
him. Not a few openly denounced the royal message of evincing a
weak submission to the controlling power of Rome. On the gates of
houses and in public places, placards were posted, some condemning
and others sustaining Luther. On one of these were written merely
the significant words of the wise man: “Woe to thee, O land, when
thy king is a child.” Ecclesiastes 10:16. The popular enthusiasm in
Luther’s favor throughout all Germany convinced both the emperor
and the Diet that any injustice shown him would endanger the peace
of the empire and even the stability of the throne.
Frederick of Saxony maintained a studied reserve, carefully con-
cealing his real feelings toward the Reformer, while at the same time
he guarded him with tireless vigilance, watching all his movements
and all those of his enemies. But there were many who made no
attempt to conceal their sympathy with Luther. He was visited by
princes, counts, barons, and other persons of distinction, both lay
and ecclesiastical. “The doctor’s little room,” wrote Spalatin, “could
not contain all the visitors who presented themselves.”—Martyn
1:404. The people gazed upon him as if he were more than human.
Even those who had no faith in his doctrines could not but admire
that lofty integrity which led him to brave death rather than violate
his conscience.
Earnest efforts were made to obtain Luther’s consent to a com-
promise with Rome. Nobles and princes represented to him that
if he persisted in setting up his own judgment against that of the
church and the councils he would soon be banished from the empire
and would have no defense. To this appeal Luther answered: “The
gospel of Christ cannot be preached without offense.... Why then
should the fear or apprehension of danger separate me from the Lord,
and from that divine word which alone is truth? No; I would rather [166]
give up my body, my blood, and my life.”—D’Aubigne, b. 7, ch. 10.
Again he was urged to submit to the judgment of the emperor,
and then he would have nothing to fear. “I consent,” said he in
reply, “with all my heart, that the emperor, the princes, and even
the meanest Christian, should examine and judge my works; but
on one condition, that they take the word of God for their stan-
 140 The Great Controversy

dard. Men have nothing to do but to obey it. Do not offer violence
to my conscience, which is bound and chained up with the Holy
Scriptures.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 10.
To another appeal he said: “I consent to renounce my safe-
conduct. I place my person and my life in the emperor’s hands,
but the word of God—never!”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 10. He stated his
willingness to submit to the decision of a general council, but only
on condition that the council be required to decide according to
the Scriptures. “In what concerns the word of God and the faith,”
he added, “every Christian is as good a judge as the pope, though
supported by a million councils, can be for him.”—Martyn 1:410.
Both friends and foes were at last convinced that further effort for
reconciliation would be useless.
Had the Reformer yielded a single point, Satan and his hosts
would have gained the victory. But his unwavering firmness was the
means of emancipating the church, and beginning a new and better
era. The influence of this one man, who dared to think and act for
himself in religious matters, was to affect the church and the world,
not only in his own time, but in all future generations. His firmness
and fidelity would strengthen all, to the close of time, who should
pass through a similar experience. The power and majesty of God
stood forth above the counsel of men, above the mighty power of
Satan.
Luther was soon commanded by the authority of the emperor
to return home, and he knew that this notice would be speedily
followed by his condemnation. Threatening clouds overhung his
[167] path; but as he departed from Worms, his heart was filled with joy
and praise. “The devil himself,” said he, “guarded the pope’s citadel;
but Christ has made a wide breach in it, and Satan was constrained
to confess that the Lord is mightier than he.”—D’Aubigne, b. 7, ch.
11.
After his departure, still desirous that his firmness should not
be mistaken for rebellion, Luther wrote to the emperor. “God, who
is the searcher of hearts, is my witness,” he said, “that I am ready
most earnestly to obey your majesty, in honor or in dishonor, in
life or in death, and with no exception save the word of God, by
which man lives. In all the affairs of this present life, my fidelity
shall be unshaken, for here to lose or to gain is of no consequence to
 Luther Before the Diet 141

salvation. But when eternal interests are concerned, God wills not
that man should submit unto man. For such submission in spiritual
matters is a real worship, and ought to be rendered solely to the
Creator.”—Ibid., b. 7, ch. 11.
On the journey from Worms, Luther’s reception was even more
flattering than during his progress thither. Princely ecclesiastics
welcomed the excommunicated monk, and civil rulers honored the
man whom the emperor had denounced. He was urged to preach,
and, notwithstanding the imperial prohibition, he again entered the
pulpit. “I never pledged myself to chain up the word of God,” he
said, “nor will I.”—Martyn 1:420.
He had not been long absent from Worms, when the papists
prevailed upon the emperor to issue an edict against him. In this
decree Luther was denounced as “Satan himself under the form of
a man and dressed in a monk’s frock.”—D’Aubigne, b. 7, ch. 11.
It was commanded that as soon as his safe-conduct should expire,
measures be taken to stop his work. All persons were forbidden to
harbor him, to give him food or drink, or by word or act, in public or
private, to aid or abet him. He was to be seized wherever he might
be, and delivered to the authorities. His adherents also were to be
imprisoned and their property confiscated. His writings were to be
destroyed, and, finally, all who should dare to act contrary to this
decree were included in its condemnation. The elector of Saxony [168]
and the princes most friendly to Luther had left Worms soon after
his departure, and the emperor’s decree received the sanction of the
Diet. Now the Romanists were jubilant. They considered the fate of
the Reformation sealed.
God had provided a way of escape for His servant in this hour
of peril. A vigilant eye had followed Luther’s movements, and a
true and noble heart had resolved upon his rescue. It was plain
that Rome would be satisfied with nothing short of his death; only
by concealment could he be preserved from the jaws of the lion.
God gave wisdom to Frederick of Saxony to devise a plan for the
Reformer’s preservation. With the co-operation of true friends the
elector’s purpose was carried out, and Luther was effectually hidden
from friends and foes. Upon his homeward journey he was seized,
separated from his attendants, and hurriedly conveyed through the
forest to the castle of Wartburg, an isolated mountain fortress. Both
 142 The Great Controversy

his seizure and his concealment were so involved in mystery that

even Frederick himself for a long time knew not whither he had
been conducted. This ignorance was not without design; so long as
the elector knew nothing of Luther’s whereabouts, he could reveal
nothing. He satisfied himself that the Reformer was safe, and with
this knowledge he was content.
Spring, summer, and autumn passed, and winter came, and
Luther still remained a prisoner. Aleander and his partisans ex-
ulted as the light of the gospel seemed about to be extinguished. But
instead of this, the Reformer was filling his lamp from the storehouse
of truth; and its light was to shine forth with brighter radiance.
In the friendly security of the Wartburg, Luther for a time re-
joiced in his release from the heat and turmoil of battle. But he
could not long find satisfaction in quiet and repose. Accustomed
to a life of activity and stern conflict, he could ill endure to remain
inactive. In those solitary days the condition of the church rose up
[169] before him, and he cried in despair. “Alas! there is no one in this
latter day of His anger, to stand like a wall before the Lord, and save
Israel!”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 2. Again, his thoughts returned to himself,
and he feared being charged with cowardice in withdrawing from the
contest. Then he reproached himself for his indolence and self-indul-
gence. Yet at the same time he was daily accomplishing more than
it seemed possible for one man to do. His pen was never idle. While
his enemies flattered themselves that he was silenced, they were
astonished and confused by tangible proof that he was still active. A
host of tracts, issuing from his pen, circulated throughout Germany.
He also performed a most important service for his countrymen by
translating the New Testament into the German tongue. From his
rocky Patmos he continued for nearly a whole year to proclaim the
gospel and rebuke the sins and errors of the times.
But it was not merely to preserve Luther from the wrath of his
enemies, nor even to afford him a season of quiet for these important
labors, that God had withdrawn His servant from the stage of public
life. There were results more precious than these to be secured.
In the solitude and obscurity of his mountain retreat, Luther was
removed from earthly supports and shut out from human praise. He
was thus saved from the pride and self-confidence that are so often
caused by success. By suffering and humiliation he was prepared
 Luther Before the Diet 143

again to walk safely upon the dizzy heights to which he had been so
suddenly exalted.
As men rejoice in the freedom which the truth brings them, they
are inclined to extol those whom God has employed to break the
chains of error and superstition. Satan seeks to divert men’s thoughts
and affections from God, and to fix them upon human agencies; he
leads them to honor the mere instrument and to ignore the Hand
that directs all the events of providence. Too often religious leaders
who are thus praised and reverenced lose sight of their dependence
upon God and are led to trust in themselves. As a result they seek to [170]
control the minds and consciences of the people, who are disposed
to look to them for guidance instead of looking to the word of God.
The work of reform is often retarded because of this spirit indulged
by its supporters. From this danger, God would guard the cause of
the Reformation. He desired that work to receive, not the impress of
man, but that of God. The eyes of men had been turned to Luther as
the expounder of the truth; he was removed that all eyes might be
directed to the eternal Author of truth.
[171] Chapter 9—The Swiss Reformer

In the choice of instrumentalities for the reforming of the church,

the same divine plan is seen as in that for the planting of the church.
The heavenly Teacher passed by the great men of the earth, the titled
and wealthy, who were accustomed to receive praise and homage as
leaders of the people. They were so proud and self-confident in their
boasted superiority that they could not be molded to sympathize
with their fellow men and to become colaborers with the humble
Man of Nazareth. To the unlearned, toiling fishermen of Galilee was
the call addressed: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:19. These disciples were humble and teachable. The less
they had been influenced by the false teaching of their time, the more
successfully could Christ instruct and train them for His service. So
in the days of the Great Reformation. The leading Reformers were
men from humble life—men who were most free of any of their time
from pride of rank and from the influence of bigotry and priestcraft.
It is God’s plan to employ humble instruments to accomplish great
results. Then the glory will not be given to men, but to Him who
works through them to will and to do of His own good pleasure.
A few weeks after the birth of Luther in a miner’s cabin in
Saxony, Ulric Zwingli was born in a herdsman’s cottage among the
[172] Alps. Zwingli’s surroundings in childhood, and his early training,
were such as to prepare him for his future mission. Reared amid
scenes of natural grandeur, beauty, and awful sublimity, his mind
was early impressed with a sense of the greatness, the power, and
the majesty of God. The history of the brave deeds achieved upon
his native mountains kindled his youthful aspirations. And at the
side of his pious grandmother he listened to the few precious Bible
stories which she had gleaned from amid the legends and traditions
of the church. With eager interest he heard of the grand deeds of
patriarchs and prophets, of the shepherds who watched their flocks
on the hills of Palestine where angels talked with them, of the Babe
of Bethlehem and the Man of Calvary.
144
 Swiss Reformer 145

Like John Luther, Zwingli’s father desired an education for his

son, and the boy was early sent from his native valley. His mind
rapidly developed, and it soon became a question where to find teach-
ers competent to instruct him. At the age of thirteen he went to Bern,
which then possessed the most distinguished school in Switzerland.
Here, however, a danger arose which threatened to blight the promise
of his life. Determined efforts were put forth by the friars to allure
him into a monastery. The Dominican and Franciscan monks were
in rivalry for popular favor. This they endeavored to secure by the
showy adornments of their churches, the pomp of their ceremonials,
and the attractions of famous relics and miracle-working images.
The Dominicans of Bern saw that if they could win this talented
young scholar, they would secure both gain and honor. His extreme
youth, his natural ability as a speaker and writer, and his genius for
music and poetry, would be more effective than all their pomp and
display, in attracting the people to their services and increasing the
revenues of their order. By deceit and flattery they endeavored to
induce Zwingli to enter their convent. Luther, while a student at
school, had buried himself in a convent cell, and he would have been
lost to the world had not God’s providence released him. Zwingli
was not permitted to encounter the same peril. Providentially his [173]
father received information of the designs of the friars. He had no
intention of allowing his son to follow the idle and worthless life
of the monks. He saw that his future usefulness was at stake, and
directed him to return home without delay.
The command was obeyed; but the youth could not be long con-
tent in his native valley, and he soon resumed his studies, repairing,
after a time, to Basel. It was here that Zwingli first heard the gospel
of God’s free grace. Wittembach, a teacher of the ancient languages,
had, while studying Greek and Hebrew, been led to the Holy Scrip-
tures, and thus rays of divine light were shed into the minds of the
students under his instruction. He declared that there was a truth
more ancient, and of infinitely greater worth, than the theories taught
by schoolmen and philosophers. This ancient truth was that the
death of Christ is the sinner’s only ransom. To Zwingli these words
were as the first ray of light that precedes the dawn.
Zwingli was soon called from Basel to enter upon his lifework.
His first field of labor was in an Alpine parish, not far distant from
 146 The Great Controversy

his native valley. Having received ordination as a priest, he “devoted

himself with his whole soul to the search after divine truth; for he
was well aware,” says a fellow Reformer, “how much he must know
to whom the flock of Christ is entrusted.”—Wylie, b. 8, ch. 5. The
more he searched the Scriptures, the clearer appeared the contrast
between their truths and the heresies of Rome. He submitted himself
to the Bible as the word of God, the only sufficient, infallible rule.
He saw that it must be its own interpreter. He dared not attempt
to explain Scripture to sustain a preconceived theory or doctrine,
but held it his duty to learn what is its direct and obvious teaching.
He sought to avail himself of every help to obtain a full and correct
understanding of its meaning, and he invoked the aid of the Holy
Spirit, which would, he declared, reveal it to all who sought it in
sincerity and with prayer.
[174] “The Scriptures,” said Zwingli, “come from God, not from man,
and even that God who enlightens will give thee to understand that
the speech comes from God. The word of God ... cannot fail; it is
bright, it teaches itself, it discloses itself, it illumines the soul with
all salvation and grace, comforts it in God, humbles it, so that it loses
and even forfeits itself, and embraces God.” The truth of these words
Zwingli himself had proved. Speaking of his experience at this time,
he afterward wrote: “When ... I began to give myself wholly up
to the Holy Scriptures, philosophy and theology (scholastic) would
always keep suggesting quarrels to me. At last I came to this, that I
thought, ‘Thou must let all that lie, and learn the meaning of God
purely out of His own simple word.’ Then I began to ask God for
His light, and the Scriptures began to be much easier to me.”—Ibid.,
b. 8, ch. 6.
The doctrine preached by Zwingli was not received from Luther.
It was the doctrine of Christ. “If Luther preaches Christ,” said the
Swiss Reformer, “he does what I am doing. Those whom he has
brought to Christ are more numerous than those whom I have led.
But this matters not. I will bear no other name than that of Christ,
whose soldier I am, and who alone is my Chief. Never has one
single word been written by me to Luther, nor by Luther to me. And
why? ... That it might be shown how much the Spirit of God is in
unison with itself, since both of us, without any collusion, teach the
doctrine of Christ with such uniformity.”—D’Aubigne, b. 8, ch. 9.
 Swiss Reformer 147

In 1516 Zwingli was invited to become a preacher in the convent

at Einsiedeln. Here he was to have a closer view of the corruptions
of Rome and was to exert an influence as a Reformer that would be
felt far beyond his native Alps. Among the chief attractions of Ein-
siedeln was an image of the Virgin which was said to have the power
of working miracles. Above the gateway of the convent was the
inscription, “Here a plenary remission of sins may be obtained.”— [175]
Ibid., b. 8, ch. 5. Pilgrims at all seasons resorted to the shrine of
the Virgin; but at the great yearly festival of its consecration multi-
tudes came from all parts of Switzerland, and even from France and
Germany. Zwingli, greatly afflicted at the sight, seized the oppor-
tunity to proclaim liberty through the gospel to these bondslaves of
superstition.
“Do not imagine,” he said, “that God is in this temple more than
in any other part of creation. Whatever be the country in which
you dwell, God is around you, and hears you.... Can unprofitable
works, long pilgrimages, offerings, images, the invocation of the
Virgin or of the saints, secure for you the grace of God? ... What
avails the multitude of words with which we embody our prayers?
What efficacy has a glossy cowl, a smooth-shorn head, a long and
flowing robe, or gold-embroidered slippers? ... God looks at the
heart, and our hearts are far from Him.” “Christ,” he said, “who was
once offered upon the cross, is the sacrifice and victim, that had
made satisfaction for the sins of believers to all eternity.”—Ibid., b.
8, ch. 5.
To many listeners these teachings were unwelcome. It was a
bitter disappointment to them to be told that their toilsome journey
had been made in vain. The pardon freely offered to them through
Christ they could not comprehend. They were satisfied with the old
way to heaven which Rome had marked out for them. They shrank
from the perplexity of searching for anything better. It was easier
to trust their salvation to the priests and the pope than to seek for
purity of heart.
But another class received with gladness the tidings of redemp-
tion through Christ. The observances enjoined by Rome had failed
to bring peace of soul, and in faith they accepted the Saviour’s blood
as their propitiation. These returned to their homes to reveal to oth-
ers the precious light which they had received. The truth was thus
 148 The Great Controversy

carried from hamlet to hamlet, from town to town, and the number of
[176] pilgrims to the Virgin’s shrine greatly lessened. There was a falling
off in the offerings, and consequently in the salary of Zwingli, which
was drawn from them. But this caused him only joy as he saw that
the power of fanaticism and superstition was being broken.
The authorities of the church were not blind to the work which
Zwingli was accomplishing; but for the present they forbore to
interfere. Hoping yet to secure him to their cause, they endeavored
to win him by flatteries; and meanwhile the truth was gaining a hold
upon the hearts of the people.
Zwingli’s labors at Einsiedeln had prepared him for a wider
field, and this he was soon to enter. After three years here he was
called to the office of preacher in the cathedral at Zurich. This
was then the most important town of the Swiss confederacy, and
the influence exerted here would be widely felt. The ecclesiastics
by whose invitation he came to Zurich were, however, desirous
of preventing any innovations, and they accordingly proceeded to
instruct him as to his duties.
“You will make every exertion,” they said, “to collect the rev-
enues of the chapter, without overlooking the least. You will exhort
the faithful, both from the pulpit and in the confessional, to pay all
tithes and dues, and to show by their offerings their affection to the
church. You will be diligent in increasing the income arising from
the sick, from masses, and in general from every ecclesiastical ordi-
nance.” “As for the administration of the sacraments, the preaching,
and the care of the flock,” added his instructors, “these are also the
duties of the chaplain. But for these you may employ a substitute,
and particularly in preaching. You should administer the sacraments
to none but persons of note, and only when called upon; you are
forbidden to do so without distinction of persons.”—Ibid., b. 8, ch.
6.
Zwingli listened in silence to this charge, and in reply, after
expressing his gratitude for the honor of a call to this important
[177] station, he proceeded to explain the course which he proposed to
adopt. “The life of Christ,” he said, “has been too long hidden
from the people. I shall preach upon the whole of the Gospel of St.
Matthew, ... drawing solely from the fountains of Scripture, sounding
its depths, comparing one passage with another, and seeking for
 Swiss Reformer 149

understanding by constant and earnest prayer. It is to God’s glory, to

the praise of His only Son, to the real salvation of souls, and to their
edification in the true faith, that I shall consecrate my ministry.”—
Ibid., b. 8, ch. 6. Though some of the ecclesiastics disapproved
his plan, and endeavored to dissuade him from it, Zwingli remained
steadfast. He declared that he was about to introduce no new method,
but the old method employed by the church in earlier and purer times.
Already an interest had been awakened in the truths he taught;
and the people flocked in great numbers to listen to his preaching.
Many who had long since ceased to attend service were among
his hearers. He began his ministry by opening the Gospels and
reading and explaining to his hearers the inspired narrative of the life,
teachings, and death of Christ. Here, as at Einsiedeln, he presented
the word of God as the only infallible authority and the death of
Christ as the only complete sacrifice. “It is to Christ,” he said, “that
I desire to lead you—to Christ, the true source of salvation.”—Ibid.,
b. 8, ch. 6. Around the preacher crowded the people of all classes,
from statesmen and scholars to the artisan and the peasant. With
deep interest they listened to his words. He not only proclaimed
the offer of a free salvation, but fearlessly rebuked the evils and
corruptions of the times. Many returned from the cathedral praising
God. “This man,” they said, “is a preacher of the truth. He will be
our Moses, to lead us forth from this Egyptian darkness.”—Ibid., b.
8, ch. 6.
But though at first his labors were received with great enthusiasm,
after a time opposition arose. The monks set themselves to hinder
his work and condemn his teachings. Many assailed him with gibes [178]
and sneers; others resorted to insolence and threats. But Zwingli
bore all with patience, saying: “If we desire to gain over the wicked
to Jesus Christ, we must shut our eyes against many things.”—Ibid.,
b. 8, ch. 6.
About this time a new agency came in to advance the work
of reform. One Lucian was sent to Zurich with some of Luther’s
writings, by a friend of the reformed faith at Basel, who suggested
that the sale of these books might be a powerful means of scattering
the light. “Ascertain,” he wrote to Zwingli, “whether this man
possesses sufficient prudence and skill; if so, let him carry from city
to city, from town to town, from village to village, and even from
 150 The Great Controversy

house to house, among the Swiss, the works of Luther, and especially
his exposition of the Lord’s Prayer written for the laity. The more
they are known, the more purchasers they will find.”—Ibid., b. 8, ch.
6. Thus the light found entrance.
At the time when God is preparing to break the shackles of
ignorance and superstition, then it is that Satan works with greatest
power to enshroud men in darkness and to bind their fetters still
more firmly. As men were rising up in different lands to present to
the people forgiveness and justification through the blood of Christ,
Rome proceeded with renewed energy to open her market throughout
Christendom, offering pardon for money.
Every sin had its price, and men were granted free license for
crime if the treasury of the church was kept well filled. Thus the two
movements advanced,—one offering forgiveness of sin for money,
the other forgiveness through Christ,—Rome licensing sin and mak-
ing it her source of revenue; the Reformers condemning sin and
pointing to Christ as the propitiation and deliverer.
In Germany the sale of indulgences had been committed to the
Dominican friars and was conducted by the infamous Tetzel. In
Switzerland the traffic was put into the hands of the Franciscans,
[179] under the control of Samson, an Italian monk. Samson had already
done good service to the church, having secured immense sums
from Germany and Switzerland to fill the papal treasury. Now he
traversed Switzerland, attracting great crowds, despoiling the poor
peasants of their scanty earnings, and exacting rich gifts from the
wealthy classes. But the influence of the reform already made itself
felt in curtailing, though it could not stop, the traffic. Zwingli was
still at Einsiedeln when Samson, soon after entering Switzerland,
arrived with his wares at a neighboring town. Being apprised of his
mission, the Reformer immediately set out to oppose him. The two
did not meet, but such was Zwingli’s success in exposing the friar’s
pretensions that he was obliged to leave for other quarters.
At Zurich, Zwingli preached zealously against the pardonmon-
gers; and when Samson approached the place, he was met by a
messenger from the council with an intimation that he was expected
to pass on. He finally secured an entrance by stratagem, but was
sent away without the sale of a single pardon, and he soon after left
Switzerland.
 Swiss Reformer 151

A strong impetus was given to the reform by the appearance of

the plague, or Great Death, which swept over Switzerland in the
year 1519. As men were thus brought face to face with the destroyer,
many were led to feel how vain and worthless were the pardons
which they had so lately purchased; and they longed for a surer
foundation for their faith. Zwingli at Zurich was smitten down; he
was brought so low that all hope of his recovery was relinquished,
and the report was widely circulated that he was dead. In that trying
hour his hope and courage were unshaken. He looked in faith to
the cross of Calvary, trusting in the all-sufficient propitiation for sin.
When he came back from the gates of death, it was to preach the
gospel with greater fervor than ever before; and his words exerted
an unwonted power. The people welcomed with joy their beloved
pastor, returned to them from the brink of the grave. They themselves
had come from attending upon the sick and the dying, and they felt, [180]
as never before, the value of the gospel.
Zwingli had arrived at a clearer understanding of its truths, and
had more fully experienced in himself its renewing power. The fall
of man and the plan of redemption were the subjects upon which
he dwelt. “In Adam,” he said, “we are all dead, sunk in corruption
and condemnation.”—Wylie, b. 8, ch. 9. “Christ ... has purchased
for us a never-ending redemption.... His passion is ... an eternal
sacrifice, and everlastingly effectual to heal; it satisfies the divine
justice forever in behalf of all those who rely upon it with firm and
unshaken faith.” Yet he clearly taught that men are not, because of
the grace of Christ, free to continue in sin. “Wherever there is faith
in God, there God is; and wherever God abideth, there a zeal exists
urging and impelling men to good works.”—D’Aubigne, b. 8, ch. 9.
Such was the interest in Zwingli’s preaching that the cathedral
was filled to overflowing with the crowds that came to listen to
him. Little by little, as they could bear it, he opened the truth to his
hearers. He was careful not to introduce, at first, points which would
startle them and create prejudice. His work was to win their hearts to
the teachings of Christ, to soften them by His love, and keep before
them His example; and as they should receive the principles of the
gospel, their superstitious beliefs and practices would inevitably be
overthrown.
 152 The Great Controversy

Step by step the Reformation advanced in Zurich. In alarm its

enemies aroused to active opposition. One year before, the monk of
Wittenberg had uttered his No to the pope and the emperor at Worms,
and now everything seemed to indicate a similar withstanding of the
papal claims at Zurich. Repeated attacks were made upon Zwingli.
In the papal cantons, from time to time, disciples of the gospel were
brought to the stake, but this was not enough; the teacher of heresy
must be silenced. Accordingly the bishop of Constance dispatched
three deputies to the Council of Zurich, accusing Zwingli of teaching
[181] the people to transgress the laws of the church, thus endangering the
peace and good order of society. If the authority of the church were
to be set aside, he urged, universal anarchy would result. Zwingli
replied that he had been for four years teaching the gospel in Zurich,
“which was more quiet and peaceful than any other town in the
confederacy.” “Is not, then,” he said, “Christianity the best safeguard
of the general security?”—Wylie, b. 8, ch. 11.
The deputies had admonished the councilors to continue in the
church, out of which, they declared, there was no salvation. Zwingli
responded: “Let not this accusation move you. The foundation of the
church is the same Rock, the same Christ, that gave Peter his name
because he confessed Him faithfully. In every nation whosoever
believes with all his heart in the Lord Jesus is accepted of God. Here,
truly, is the church, out of which no one can be saved.”—D’Aubigne,
London ed., b. 8, ch. 11. As a result of the conference, one of the
bishop’s deputies accepted the reformed faith.
The council declined to take action against Zwingli, and Rome
prepared for a fresh attack. The Reformer, when apprised of the
plots of his enemies, exclaimed: “Let them come on; I fear them as
the beetling cliff fears the waves that thunder at its feet.”—Wylie, b.
8, ch. 11. The efforts of the ecclesiastics only furthered the cause
which they sought to overthrow. The truth continued to spread. In
Germany its adherents, cast down by Luther’s disappearance, took
heart again, as they saw the progress of the gospel in Switzerland.
As the Reformation became established in Zurich, its fruits were
more fully seen in the suppression of vice and the promotion of
order and harmony. “Peace has her habitation in our town,” wrote
Zwingli; “no quarrel, no hypocrisy, no envy, no strife. Whence can
 Swiss Reformer 153

such union come but from the Lord, and our doctrine, which fills us
with the fruits of peace and piety?”—Ibid., b. 8, ch. 15.
The victories gained by the Reformation stirred the Romanists
to still more determined efforts for its overthrow. Seeing how little [182]
had been accomplished by persecution in suppressing Luther’s work
in Germany, they decided to meet the reform with its own weapons.
They would hold a disputation with Zwingli, and having the ar-
rangement of matters, they would make sure of victory by choosing,
themselves, not only the place of the combat, but the judges that
should decide between the disputants. And if they could once get
Zwingli into their power, they would take care that he did not escape
them. The leader silenced, the movement could speedily be crushed.
This purpose, however, was carefully concealed.
The disputation was appointed to be held at Baden; but Zwingli
was not present. The Council of Zurich, suspecting the designs of
the papists, and warned by the burning piles kindled in the papal
cantons for confessors of the gospel, forbade their pastor to expose
himself to this peril. At Zurich he was ready to meet all the partisans
that Rome might send; but to go to Baden, where the blood of
martyrs for the truth had just been shed, was to go to certain death.
Oecolampadius and Haller were chosen to represent the Reformers,
while the famous Dr. Eck, supported by a host of learned doctors
and prelates, was the champion of Rome.
Though Zwingli was not present at the conference, his influence
was felt. The secretaries were all chosen by the papists, and others
were forbidden to take notes, on pain of death. Notwithstanding
this, Zwingli received daily a faithful account of what was said at
Baden. A student in attendance at the disputation made a record
each evening of the arguments that day presented. These papers
two other students undertook to deliver, with the daily letters of
Oecolampadius, to Zwingli at Zurich. The Reformer answered,
giving counsel and suggestions. His letters were written by night,
and the students returned with them to Baden in the morning. To
elude the vigilance of the guard stationed at the city gates, these
messengers brought baskets of poultry on their heads, and they were
permitted to pass without hindrance.
Thus Zwingli maintained the battle with his wily antagonists. [183]
He “has labored more,” said Myconius, “by his meditations, his
 154 The Great Controversy

sleepless nights, and the advice which he transmitted to Baden, than

he would have done by discussing in person in the midst of his
enemies.”—D’Aubigne, b. 11, ch. 13.
The Romanists, flushed with anticipated triumph, had come to
Baden attired in their richest robes and glittering with jewels. They
fared luxuriously, their tables spread with the most costly delicacies
and the choicest wines. The burden of their ecclesiastical duties was
lightened by gaiety and reveling. In marked contrast appeared the
Reformers, who were looked upon by the people as little better than
a company of beggars, and whose frugal fare kept them but short
time at table. Oecolampadius’s landlord, taking occasion to watch
him in his room, found him always engaged in study or at prayer,
and greatly wondering, reported that the heretic was at least “very
pious.”
At the conference, “Eck haughtily ascended a pulpit splendidly
decorated, while the humble Oecolampadius, meanly clothed, was
forced to take his seat in front of his opponent on a rudely carved
stool.”—Ibid., b. 11, ch. 13. Eck’s stentorian voice and unbounded
assurance never failed him. His zeal was stimulated by the hope of
gold as well as fame; for the defender of the faith was to be rewarded
by a handsome fee. When better arguments failed, he had resort to
insults, and even to oaths.
Oecolampadius, modest and self-distrustful, had shrunk from the
combat, and he entered upon it with the solemn avowal: “I acknowl-
edge no other standard of judgment than the word of God.”—Ibid.,
b. 11, ch. 13. Though gentle and courteous in demeanor, he proved
himself able and unflinching. While the Romanists, according to
their wont, appealed for authority to the customs of the church, the
Reformer adhered steadfastly to the Holy Scriptures. “Custom,” he
said, “has no force in our Switzerland, unless it be according to the
constitution; now, in matters of faith, the Bible is our constitution.”—
Ibid., b. 11, ch. 13.
[184] The contrast between the two disputants was not without effect.
The calm, clear reasoning of the Reformer, so gently and modestly
presented, appealed to minds that turned in disgust from Eck’s boast-
ful and boisterous assumptions.
The discussion continued eighteen days. At its close the papists
with great confidence claimed the victory. Most of the deputies sided
 Swiss Reformer 155

with Rome, and the Diet pronounced the Reformers vanquished and
declared that they, together with Zwingli, their leader, were cut off
from the church. But the fruits of the conference revealed on which
side the advantage lay. The contest resulted in a strong impetus to
the Protestant cause, and it was not long afterward that the important
cities of Bern and Basel declared for the Reformation.
[185] Chapter 10—Progress of Reform in Germany

Luther’s mysterious disappearance excited consternation

throughout all Germany. Inquiries concerning him were heard ev-
erywhere. The wildest rumors were circulated, and many believed
that he had been murdered. There was great lamentation, not only by
his avowed friends, but by thousands who had not openly taken their
stand with the Reformation. Many bound themselves by a solemn
oath to avenge his death.
The Romish leaders saw with terror to what a pitch had risen the
feeling against them. Though at first exultant at the supposed death
of Luther, they soon desired to hide from the wrath of the people.
His enemies had not been so troubled by his most daring acts while
among them as they were at his removal. Those who in their rage
had sought to destroy the bold Reformer were filled with fear now
that he had become a helpless captive. “The only remaining way of
saving ourselves,” said one, “is to light torches, and hunt for Luther
through the whole world, to restore him to the nation that is calling
for him.”—D’Aubigne, b. 9, ch. 1. The edict of the emperor seemed
to fall powerless. The papal legates were filled with indignation as
they saw that it commanded far less attention than did the fate of
Luther.
The tidings that he was safe, though a prisoner, calmed the fears
of the people, while it still further aroused their enthusiasm in his
[186] favor. His writings were read with greater eagerness than ever before.
Increasing numbers joined the cause of the heroic man who had, at
such fearful odds, defended the word of God. The Reformation was
constantly gaining in strength. The seed which Luther had sown
sprang up everywhere. His absence accomplished a work which
his presence would have failed to do. Other laborers felt a new
responsibility, now that their great leader was removed. With new
faith and earnestness they pressed forward to do all in their power,
that the work so nobly begun might not be hindered.

156
 Progress of Reform in Germany 157

But Satan was not idle. He now attempted what he has attempted
in every other reformatory movement—to deceive and destroy the
people by palming off upon them a counterfeit in place of the true
work. As there were false Christs in the first century of the Christian
church, so there arose false prophets in the sixteenth century.
A few men, deeply affected by the excitement in the religious
world, imagined themselves to have received special revelations from
Heaven, and claimed to have been divinely commissioned to carry
forward to its completion the Reformation which, they declared,
had been but feebly begun by Luther. In truth, they were undoing
the very work which he had accomplished. They rejected the great
principle which was the very foundation of the Reformation—that
the word of God is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice; and
for that unerring guide they substituted the changeable, uncertain
standard of their own feelings and impressions. By this act of setting
aside the great detector of error and falsehood the way was opened
for Satan to control minds as best pleased himself.
One of these prophets claimed to have been instructed by the
angel Gabriel. A student who united with him forsook his studies,
declaring that he had been endowed by God Himself with wisdom to
expound His word. Others who were naturally inclined to fanaticism
united with them. The proceedings of these enthusiasts created no
little excitement. The preaching of Luther had aroused the people [187]
everywhere to feel the necessity of reform, and now some really
honest persons were misled by the pretensions of the new prophets.
The leaders of the movement proceeded to Wittenberg and urged
their claims upon Melanchthon and his colaborers. Said they: “We
are sent by God to instruct the people. We have held familiar conver-
sations with the Lord; we know what will happen; in a word, we are
apostles and prophets, and appeal to Dr. Luther.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 7.
The Reformers were astonished and perplexed. This was such
an element as they had never before encountered, and they knew
not what course to pursue. Said Melanchthon: “There are indeed
extraordinary spirits in these men; but what spirits? ... On the one
hand, let us beware of quenching the Spirit of God, and on the other,
of being led astray by the spirit of Satan.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 7.
The fruit of the new teaching soon became apparent. The people
were led to neglect the Bible or to cast it wholly aside. The schools
 158 The Great Controversy

were thrown into confusion. Students, spurning all restraint, aban-

doned their studies and withdrew from the university. The men who
thought themselves competent to revive and control the work of the
Reformation succeeded only in bringing it to the verge of ruin. The
Romanists now regained their confidence and exclaimed exultingly:
“One last struggle, and all will be ours.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 7.
Luther at the Wartburg, hearing of what had occurred, said with
deep concern: “I always expected that Satan would send us this
plague.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 7. He perceived the true character of those
pretended prophets and saw the danger that threatened the cause of
truth. The opposition of the pope and the emperor had not caused
him so great perplexity and distress as he now experienced. From
the professed friends of the Reformation had risen its worst enemies.
[188] The very truths which had brought him so great joy and consolation
were being employed to stir up strife and create confusion in the
church.
In the work of reform, Luther had been urged forward by the
Spirit of God, and had been carried beyond himself. He had not
purposed to take such positions as he did, or to make so radical
changes. He had been but the instrument in the hand of Infinite
Power. Yet he often trembled for the result of his work. He had once
said: “If I knew that my doctrine injured one man, one single man,
however lowly and obscure,—which it cannot, for it is the gospel
itself,—I would rather die ten times than not retract it.”—Ibid., b. 9,
ch. 7.
And now Wittenberg itself, the very center of the Reformation,
was fast falling under the power of fanaticism and lawlessness. This
terrible condition had not resulted from the teachings of Luther;
but throughout Germany his enemies were charging it upon him.
In bitterness of soul he sometimes asked: “Can such, then, be the
end of this great work of the Reformation?”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 7.
Again, as he wrestled with God in prayer, peace flowed into his
heart. “The work is not mine, but Thine own,” he said; “Thou
wilt not suffer it to be corrupted by superstition or fanaticism.” But
the thought of remaining longer from the conflict in such a crisis,
became insupportable. He determined to return to Wittenberg.
Without delay he set out on his perilous journey. He was under
the ban of the empire. Enemies were at liberty to take his life; friends
 Progress of Reform in Germany 159

were forbidden to aid or shelter him. The imperial government was

adopting the most stringent measures against his adherents. But he
saw that the work of the gospel was imperiled, and in the name of
the Lord he went out fearlessly to battle for the truth.
In a letter to the elector, after stating his purpose to leave the
Wartburg, Luther said: “Be it known to your highness that I am going
to Wittenberg under a protection far higher than that of princes and
electors. I think not of soliciting your highness’s support, and far
from desiring your protection, I would rather protect you myself. If [189]
I knew that your highness could or would protect me, I would not
go to Wittenberg at all. There is no sword that can further this cause.
God alone must do everything, without the help or concurrence
of man. He who has the greatest faith is he who is most able to
protect.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 8.
In a second letter, written on the way to Wittenberg, Luther
added: “I am ready to incur the displeasure of your highness and
the anger of the whole world. Are not the Wittenbergers my sheep?
Has not God entrusted them to me? And ought I not, if necessary, to
expose myself to death for their sakes? Besides, I fear to see a terrible
outbreak in Germany, by which God will punish our nation.”—Ibid.,
b. 9, ch. 7.
With great caution and humility, yet with decision and firmness,
he entered upon his work. “By the word,” said he, “must we over-
throw and destroy what has been set up by violence. I will not make
use of force against the superstitious and unbelieving.... No one
must be constrained. Liberty is the very essence of faith.”—Ibid., b.
9, ch. 8.
It was soon noised through Wittenberg that Luther had returned
and that he was to preach. The people flocked from all directions,
and the church was filled to overflowing. Ascending the pulpit, he
with great wisdom and gentleness instructed, exhorted, and reproved.
Touching the course of some who had resorted to violent measures
in abolishing the mass, he said:
“The mass is a bad thing; God is opposed to it; it ought to be
abolished; and I would that throughout the whole world it were
replaced by the supper of the gospel. But let no one be torn from
it by force. We must leave the matter in God’s hands. His word
must act, and not we. And why so? you will ask. Because I do not
 160 The Great Controversy

hold men’s hearts in my hand, as the potter holds the clay. We have
a right to speak: we have not the right to act. Let us preach; the
rest belongs unto God. Were I to employ force, what should I gain?
Grimace, formality, apings, human ordinances, and hypocrisy.... But
[190] there would be no sincerity of heart, nor faith, nor charity. Where
these three are wanting, all is wanting, and I would not give a pear
stalk for such a result.... God does more by His word alone than you
and I and all the world by our united strength. God lays hold upon
the heart; and when the heart is taken, all is won....
“I will preach, discuss, and write; but I will constrain none, for
faith is a voluntary act. See what I have done. I stood up against the
pope, indulgences, and papists, but without violence or tumult. I put
forward God’s word; I preached and wrote—this was all I did. And
yet while I was asleep, ... the word that I had preached overthrew
popery, so that neither prince nor emperor has done it so much harm.
And yet I did nothing; the word alone did all. If I had wished to
appeal to force, the whole of Germany would perhaps have been
deluged with blood. But what would have been the result? Ruin and
desolation both to body and soul. I therefore kept quiet, and left the
word to run through the world alone.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 8.
Day after day, for a whole week, Luther continued to preach
to eager crowds. The word of God broke the spell of fanatical
excitement. The power of the gospel brought back the misguided
people into the way of truth.
Luther had no desire to encounter the fanatics whose course had
been productive of so great evil. He knew them to be men of unsound
judgment and undisciplined passions, who, while claiming to be
specially illuminated from heaven, would not endure the slightest
contradiction or even the kindest reproof or counsel. Arrogating to
themselves supreme authority, they required everyone, without a
question, to acknowledge their claims. But, as they demanded an
interview with him, he consented to meet them; and so successfully
did he expose their pretensions that the impostors at once departed
from Wittenberg.
The fanaticism was checked for a time; but several years later
it broke out with greater violence and more terrible results. Said
[191] Luther, concerning the leaders in this movement: “To them the Holy
Scriptures were but a dead letter, and they all began to cry, ‘The
 Progress of Reform in Germany 161

Spirit! the Spirit!’ But most assuredly I will not follow where their
spirit leads them. May God of His mercy preserve me from a church
in which there are none but saints. I desire to dwell with the humble,
the feeble, the sick, who know and feel their sins, and who groan
and cry continually to God from the bottom of their hearts to obtain
His consolation and support.”—Ibid., b. 10, ch. 10.
Thomas Munzer, the most active of the fanatics, was a man of
considerable ability, which, rightly directed, would have enabled
him to do good; but he had not learned the first principles of true re-
ligion. “He was possessed with a desire of reforming the world, and
forgot, as all enthusiasts do, that the reformation should begin with
himself.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 8. He was ambitious to obtain position
and influence, and was unwilling to be second, even to Luther. He
declared that the Reformers, in substituting the authority of Scrip-
ture for that of the pope, were only establishing a different form of
popery. He himself, he claimed, had been divinely commissioned
to introduce the true reform. “He who possesses this spirit,” said
Munzer, “possesses the true faith, although he should never see the
Scriptures in his life.”—Ibid., b. 10, ch. 10.
The fanatical teachers gave themselves up to be governed by
impressions, regarding every thought and impulse as the voice of
God; consequently they went to great extremes. Some even burned
their Bibles, exclaiming: “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth
life.” Munzer’s teaching appealed to men’s desire for the marvelous,
while it gratified their pride by virtually placing human ideas and
opinions above the word of God. His doctrines were received by
thousands. He soon denounced all order in public worship, and
declared that to obey princes was to attempt to serve both God and
Belial.
The minds of the people, already beginning to throw off the yoke
of the papacy, were also becoming impatient under the restraints of
civil authority. Munzer’s revolutionary teachings, claiming divine [192]
sanction, led them to break away from all control and give the rein
to their prejudices and passions. The most terrible scenes of sedition
and strife followed, and the fields of Germany were drenched with
blood.
The agony of soul which Luther had so long before experienced
at Erfurt now pressed upon him with redoubled power as he saw
 162 The Great Controversy

the results of fanaticism charged upon the Reformation. The papist

princes declared—and many were ready to credit the statement—that
the rebellion was the legitimate fruit of Luther’s doctrines. Although
this charge was without the slightest foundation, it could not but
cause the Reformer great distress. That the cause of truth should be
thus disgraced by being ranked with the basest fanaticism, seemed
more than he could endure. On the other hand, the leaders in the
revolt hated Luther because he had not only opposed their doctrines
and denied their claims to divine inspiration, but had pronounced
them rebels against the civil authority. In retaliation they denounced
him as a base pretender. He seemed to have brought upon himself
the enmity of both princes and people.
The Romanists exulted, expecting to witness the speedy downfall
of the Reformation; and they blamed Luther, even for the errors
which he had been most earnestly endeavoring to correct. The
fanatical party, by falsely claiming to have been treated with great
injustice, succeeded in gaining the sympathies of a large class of
the people, and, as is often the case with those who take the wrong
side, they came to be regarded as martyrs. Thus the ones who were
exerting every energy in opposition to the Reformation were pitied
and lauded as the victims of cruelty and oppression. This was the
work of Satan, prompted by the same spirit of rebellion which was
first manifested in heaven.
Satan is constantly seeking to deceive men and lead them to call
sin righteousness, and righteousness sin. How successful has been
his work! How often censure and reproach are cast upon God’s
[193] faithful servants because they will stand fearlessly in defense of the
truth! Men who are but agents of Satan are praised and flattered, and
even looked upon as martyrs, while those who should be respected
and sustained for their fidelity to God, are left to stand alone, under
suspicion and distrust.
Counterfeit holiness, spurious sanctification, is still doing its
work of deception. Under various forms it exhibits the same spirit
as in the days of Luther, diverting minds from the Scriptures and
leading men to follow their own feelings and impressions rather than
to yield obedience to the law of God. This is one of Satan’s most
successful devices to cast reproach upon purity and truth.
 Progress of Reform in Germany 163

Fearlessly did Luther defend the gospel from the attacks which
came from every quarter. The word of God proved itself a weapon
mighty in every conflict. With that word he warred against the
usurped authority of the pope, and the rationalistic philosophy of the
schoolmen, while he stood firm as a rock against the fanaticism that
sought to ally itself with the Reformation.
Each of these opposing elements was in its own way setting aside
the Holy Scriptures and exalting human wisdom as the source of re-
ligious truth and knowledge. Rationalism idolizes reason and makes
this the criterion for religion. Romanism, claiming for her sovereign
pontiff an inspiration descended in unbroken line from the apostles,
and unchangeable through all time, gives ample opportunity for ev-
ery species of extravagance and corruption to be concealed under
the sanctity of the apostolic commission. The inspiration claimed
by Munzer and his associates proceeded from no higher source than
the vagaries of the imagination, and its influence was subversive of
all authority, human or divine. True Christianity receives the word
of God as the great treasure house of inspired truth and the test of
all inspiration.
Upon his return from the Wartburg, Luther completed his trans-
lation of the New Testament, and the gospel was soon after given
to the people of Germany in their own language. This translation [194]
was received with great joy by all who loved the truth; but it was
scornfully rejected by those who chose human traditions and the
commandments of men.
The priests were alarmed at the thought that the common people
would now be able to discuss with them the precepts of God’s word,
and that their own ignorance would thus be exposed. The weapons
of their carnal reasoning were powerless against the sword of the
Spirit. Rome summoned all her authority to prevent the circulation
of the Scriptures; but decrees, anathemas, and tortures were alike in
vain. The more she condemned and prohibited the Bible, the greater
was the anxiety of the people to know what it really taught. All
who could read were eager to study the word of God for themselves.
They carried it about with them, and read and reread, and could
not be satisfied until they had committed large portions to memory.
Seeing the favor with which the New Testament was received, Luther
 164 The Great Controversy

immediately began the translation of the Old, and published it in

parts as fast as completed.
Luther’s writings were welcomed alike in city and in hamlet.
“What Luther and his friends composed, others circulated. Monks,
convinced of the unlawfulness of monastic obligations, desirous of
exchanging a long life of slothfulness for one of active exertion,
but too ignorant to proclaim the word of God, traveled through the
provinces, visiting hamlets and cottages, where they sold the books
of Luther and his friends. Germany soon swarmed with these bold
colporteurs.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 11.
These writings were studied with deep interest by rich and poor,
the learned and the ignorant. At night the teachers of the village
schools read them aloud to little groups gathered at the fireside.
With every effort some souls would be convicted of the truth and,
receiving the word with gladness, would in their turn tell the good
news to others.
[195] The words of Inspiration were verified: “The entrance of Thy
words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalm
119:130. The study of the Scriptures was working a mighty change
in the minds and hearts of the people. The papal rule had placed
upon its subjects an iron yoke which held them in ignorance and
degradation. A superstitious observance of forms had been scrupu-
lously maintained; but in all their service the heart and intellect had
had little part. The preaching of Luther, setting forth the plain truths
of God’s word, and then the word itself, placed in the hands of the
common people, had aroused their dormant powers, not only purify-
ing and ennobling the spiritual nature, but imparting new strength
and vigor to the intellect.
Persons of all ranks were to be seen with the Bible in their hands,
defending the doctrines of the Reformation. The papists who had
left the study of the Scriptures to the priests and monks now called
upon them to come forward and refute the new teachings. But, ig-
norant alike of the Scriptures and of the power of God, priests and
friars were totally defeated by those whom they had denounced as
unlearned and heretical. “Unhappily,” said a Catholic writer, “Luther
had persuaded his followers to put no faith in any other oracle than
the Holy Scriptures.”—D’Aubigne, b. 9, ch. 11. Crowds would
gather to hear the truth advocated by men of little education, and
 Progress of Reform in Germany 165

even discussed by them with learned and eloquent theologians. The

shameful ignorance of these great men was made apparent as their
arguments were met by the simple teachings of God’s word. Labor-
ers, soldiers, women, and even children, were better acquainted with
the Bible teachings than were the priests and learned doctors.
The contrast between the disciples of the gospel and the up-
holders of popish superstition was no less manifest in the ranks
of scholars than among the common people. “Opposed to the old
champions of the hierarchy, who had neglected the study of lan- [196]
guages and the cultivation of literature, ... were generous-minded
youth, devoted to study, investigating Scripture, and familiarizing
themselves with the masterpieces of antiquity. Possessing an active
mind, an elevated soul, and intrepid heart, these young men soon
acquired such knowledge that for a long period none could compete
with them.... Accordingly, when these youthful defenders of the
Reformation met the Romish doctors in any assembly, they attacked
them with such ease and confidence that these ignorant men hesi-
tated, became embarrassed, and fell into a contempt merited in the
eyes of all.”—Ibid., b. 9, ch. 11.
As the Romish clergy saw their congregations diminishing, they
invoked the aid of the magistrates, and by every means in their power
endeavored to bring back their hearers. But the people had found
in the new teachings that which supplied the wants of their souls,
and they turned away from those who had so long fed them with the
worthless husks of superstitious rites and human traditions.
When persecution was kindled against the teachers of the truth,
they gave heed to the words of Christ: “When they persecute you in
this city, flee ye into another.” Matthew 10:23. The light penetrated
everywhere. The fugitives would find somewhere a hospitable door
opened to them, and there abiding, they would preach Christ, some-
times in the church, or, if denied that privilege, in private houses
or in the open air. Wherever they could obtain a hearing was a
consecrated temple. The truth, proclaimed with such energy and
assurance, spread with irresistible power.
In vain both ecclesiastical and civil authorities were invoked to
crush the heresy. In vain they resorted to imprisonment, torture,
fire, and sword. Thousands of believers sealed their faith with their
blood, and yet the work went on. Persecution served only to extend
166 The Great Controversy

the truth, and the fanaticism which Satan endeavored to unite with
it resulted in making more clear the contrast between the work of
Satan and the work of God.
 Chapter 11—Protest of the Princes [197]

One of the noblest testimonies ever uttered for the Reformation

was the Protest offered by the Christian princes of Germany at the
Diet of Spires in 1529. The courage, faith, and firmness of those
men of God gained for succeeding ages liberty of thought and of
conscience. Their Protest gave to the reformed church the name of
Protestant; its principles are “the very essence of Protestantism.”—
D’Aubigne, b. 13, ch. 6.
A dark and threatening day had come for the Reformation.
Notwithstanding the Edict of Worms, declaring Luther to be an out-
law and forbidding the teaching or belief of his doctrines, religious
toleration had thus far prevailed in the empire. God’s providence
had held in check the forces that opposed the truth. Charles V was
bent on crushing the Reformation, but often as he raised his hand to
strike he had been forced to turn aside the blow. Again and again
the immediate destruction of all who dared to oppose themselves
to Rome appeared inevitable; but at the critical moment the armies
of the Turk appeared on the eastern frontier, or the king of France,
or even the pope himself, jealous of the increasing greatness of the
emperor, made war upon him; and thus, amid the strife and tumult
of nations, the Reformation had been left to strengthen and extend.
At last, however, the papal sovereigns had stifled their feuds, that
they might make common cause against the Reformers. The Diet of
Spires in 1526 had given each state full liberty in matters of religion
until the meeting of a general council; but no sooner had the dangers [198]
passed which secured this concession, than the emperor summoned a
second Diet to convene at Spires in 1529 for the purpose of crushing
heresy. The princes were to be induced, by peaceable means if
possible, to side against the Reformation; but if these failed, Charles
was prepared to resort to the sword.
The papists were exultant. They appeared at Spires in great
numbers, and openly manifested their hostility toward the Reformers
and all who favored them. Said Melanchthon: “We are the execration
167
 168 The Great Controversy

and the sweepings of the world; but Christ will look down on His
poor people, and will preserve them.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 5. The
evangelical princes in attendance at the Diet were forbidden even to
have the gospel preached in their dwellings. But the people of Spires
thirsted for the word of God, and, notwithstanding the prohibition,
thousands flocked to the services held in the chapel of the elector of
Saxony.
This hastened the crisis. An imperial message announced to the
Diet that as the resolution granting liberty of conscience had given
rise to great disorders, the emperor required that it be annulled. This
arbitrary act excited the indignation and alarm of the evangelical
Christians. Said one: “Christ has again fallen into the hands of Ca-
iaphas and Pilate.” The Romanists became more violent. A bigoted
papist declared: “The Turks are better than the Lutherans; for the
Turks observe fast days, and the Lutherans violate them. If we must
choose between the Holy Scriptures of God and the old errors of the
church, we should reject the former.” Said Melanchthon: “Every day,
in full assembly, Faber casts some new stone at us gospelers.”—Ibid.,
b. 13, ch. 5.
Religious toleration had been legally established, and the evan-
gelical states were resolved to oppose the infringement of their rights.
Luther, being still under the ban imposed by the Edict of Worms, was
not permitted to be present at Spires; but his place was supplied by
his colaborers and the princes whom God had raised up to defend His
cause in this emergency. The noble Frederick of Saxony, Luther’s
[199] former protector, had been removed by death; but Duke John, his
brother and successor, had joyfully welcomed the Reformation, and
while a friend of peace, he displayed great energy and courage in all
matters relating to the interests of the faith.
The priests demanded that the states which had accepted the Ref-
ormation submit implicitly to Romish jurisdiction. The Reformers,
on the other hand, claimed the liberty which had previously been
granted. They could not consent that Rome should again bring under
her control those states that had with so great joy received the word
of God.
As a compromise it was finally proposed that where the Ref-
ormation had not become established, the Edict of Worms should
be rigorously enforced; and that “in those where the people had
 Protest of the Princes 169

deviated from it, and where they could not conform to it without
danger of revolt, they should at least effect no new reform, they
should touch upon no controverted point, they should not oppose
the celebration of the mass, they should permit no Roman Catholic
to embrace Lutheranism.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 5. This measure passed
the Diet, to the great satisfaction of the popish priests and prelates.
If this edict were enforced, “the Reformation could neither be
extended ... where as yet it was unknown, nor be established on
solid foundations ... where it already existed.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch.
5. Liberty of speech would be prohibited. No conversions would
be allowed. And to these restrictions and prohibitions the friends
of the Reformation were required at once to submit. The hopes of
the world seemed about to be extinguished. “The re-establishment
of the Romish hierarchy ... would infallibly bring back the ancient
abuses;” and an occasion would readily be found for “completing
the destruction of a work already so violently shaken” by fanaticism
and dissension.—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 5.
As the evangelical party met for consultation, one looked to
another in blank dismay. From one to another passed the inquiry:
“What is to be done?” Mighty issues for the world were at stake.
“Shall the chiefs of the Reformation submit, and accept the edict? [200]
How easily might the Reformers at this crisis, which was truly a
tremendous one, have argued themselves into a wrong course! How
many plausible pretexts and fair reasons might they have found for
submission! The Lutheran princes were guaranteed the free exercise
of their religion. The same boon was extended to all those of their
subjects who, prior to the passing of the measure, had embraced the
reformed views. Ought not this to content them? How many perils
would submission avoid! On what unknown hazards and conflicts
would opposition launch them! Who knows what opportunities the
future may bring? Let us embrace peace; let us seize the olive branch
Rome holds out, and close the wounds of Germany. With arguments
like these might the Reformers have justified their adoption of a
course which would have assuredly issued in no long time in the
overthrow of their cause.
“Happily they looked at the principle on which this arrangement
was based, and they acted in faith. What was that principle? It was
the right of Rome to coerce conscience and forbid free inquiry. But
 170 The Great Controversy

were not themselves and their Protestant subjects to enjoy religious

freedom? Yes, as a favor specially stipulated for in the arrangement,
but not as a right. As to all outside that arrangement, the great
principle of authority was to rule; conscience was out of court;
Rome was infallible judge, and must be obeyed. The acceptance
of the proposed arrangement would have been a virtual admission
that religious liberty ought to be confined to reformed Saxony; and
as to all the rest of Christendom, free inquiry and the profession
of the reformed faith were crimes, and must be visited with the
dungeon and the stake. Could they consent to localize religious
liberty? to have it proclaimed that the Reformation had made its
last convert? had subjugated its last acre? and that wherever Rome
bore sway at this hour, there her dominion was to be perpetuated?
Could the Reformers have pleaded that they were innocent of the
blood of those hundreds and thousands who, in pursuance of this
[201] arrangement, would have to yield up their lives in popish lands?
This would have been to betray, at that supreme hour, the cause
of the gospel and the liberties of Christendom.”—Wylie, b. 9, ch.
15. Rather would they “sacrifice everything, even their states, their
crowns, and their lives.”—D’Aubigne, b. 13, ch. 5.
“Let us reject this decree,” said the princes. “In matters of
conscience the majority has no power.” The deputies declared: “It
is to the decree of 1526 that we are indebted for the peace that
the empire enjoys: its abolition would fill Germany with troubles
and divisions. The Diet is incompetent to do more than preserve
religious liberty until the council meets.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 5. To
protect liberty of conscience is the duty of the state, and this is the
limit of its authority in matters of religion. Every secular government
that attempts to regulate or enforce religious observances by civil
authority is sacrificing the very principle for which the evangelical
Christian so nobly struggled.
The papists determined to put down what they termed “daring
obstinacy.” They began by endeavoring to cause divisions among
the supporters of the Reformation and to intimidate all who had
not openly declared in its favor. The representatives of the free
cities were at last summoned before the Diet and required to declare
whether they would accede to the terms of the proposition. They
pleaded for delay, but in vain. When brought to the test, nearly one
 Protest of the Princes 171

half their number sided with the Reformers. Those who thus refused
to sacrifice liberty of conscience and the right of individual judgment
well knew that their position marked them for future criticism, con-
demnation, and persecution. Said one of the delegates: “We must
either deny the word of God, or—be burnt.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 5.
King Ferdinand, the emperor’s representative at the Diet, saw
that the decree would cause serious divisions unless the princes
could be induced to accept and sustain it. He therefore tried the
art of persuasion, well knowing that to employ force with such
men would only render them the more determined. He “begged
the princes to accept the decree, assuring them that the emperor [202]
would be exceedingly pleased with them.” But these faithful men
acknowledged an authority above that of earthly rulers, and they
answered calmly: “We will obey the emperor in everything that may
contribute to maintain peace and the honor of God.”—Ibid., b. 13,
ch. 5.
In the presence of the Diet the king at last announced to the elec-
tor and his friends that the edict “was about to be drawn up in the
form of an imperial decree,” and that “their only remaining course
was to submit to the majority.” Having thus spoken, he withdrew
from the assembly, giving the Reformers no opportunity for delib-
eration or reply. “To no purpose they sent a deputation entreating
the king to return.” To their remonstrances he answered only: “It is
a settled affair; submission is all that remains.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 5.
The imperial party were convinced that the Christian princes
would adhere to the Holy Scriptures as superior to human doctrines
and requirements; and they knew that wherever this principle was
accepted, the papacy would eventually be overthrown. But, like
thousands since their time, looking only “at the things which are
seen,” they flattered themselves that the cause of the emperor and
the pope was strong, and that of the Reformers weak. Had the
Reformers depended upon human aid alone, they would have been
as powerless as the papists supposed. But though weak in numbers,
and at variance with Rome, they had their strength. They appealed
“from the report of the Diet to the word of God, and from the emperor
Charles to Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”—Ibid.,
b. 13, ch. 6.
 172 The Great Controversy

As Ferdinand had refused to regard their conscientious convic-

tions, the princes decided not to heed his absence, but to bring
their Protest before the national council without delay. A solemn
declaration was therefore drawn up and presented to the Diet:
“We protest by these presents, before God, our only Creator,
Preserver, Redeemer, and Saviour, and who will one day be our
Judge, as well as before all men and all creatures, that we, for us and
[203] for our people, neither consent nor adhere in any manner whatsoever
to the proposed decree, in anything that is contrary to God, to His
holy word, to our right conscience, to the salvation of our souls.”
“What! we ratify this edict! We assert that when Almighty God
calls a man to His knowledge, this man nevertheless cannot receive
the knowledge of God!” “There is no sure doctrine but such as is
conformable to the word of God.... The Lord forbids the teaching of
any other doctrine.... The Holy Scriptures ought to be explained by
other and clearer texts; ... this Holy Book is, in all things necessary
for the Christian, easy of understanding, and calculated to scatter
the darkness. We are resolved, with the grace of God, to maintain
the pure and exclusive preaching of His only word, such as it is
contained in the biblical books of the Old and New Testaments,
without adding anything thereto that may be contrary to it. This
word is the only truth; it is the sure rule of all doctrine and of all life,
and can never fail or deceive us. He who builds on this foundation
shall stand against all the powers of hell, while all the human vanities
that are set up against it shall fall before the face of God.”
“For this reason we reject the yoke that is imposed on us.” “At
the same time we are in expectation that his imperial majesty will
behave toward us like a Christian prince who loves God above all
things; and we declare ourselves ready to pay unto him, as well as
unto you, gracious lords, all the affection and obedience that are our
just and legitimate duty.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 6.
A deep impression was made upon the Diet. The majority were
filled with amazement and alarm at the boldness of the protesters.
The future appeared to them stormy and uncertain. Dissension, strife,
and bloodshed seemed inevitable. But the Reformers, assured of
the justice of their cause, and relying upon the arm of Omnipotence,
were “full of courage and firmness.”
 Protest of the Princes 173

“The principles contained in this celebrated Protest ... constitute

the very essence of Protestantism. Now this Protest opposes two
abuses of man in matters of faith: the first is the intrusion of the [204]
civil magistrate, and the second the arbitrary authority of the church.
Instead of these abuses, Protestantism sets the power of conscience
above the magistrate, and the authority of the word of God above the
visible church. In the first place, it rejects the civil power in divine
things, and says with the prophets and apostles, ‘We must obey God
rather than man.’ In presence of the crown of Charles the Fifth, it
uplifts the crown of Jesus Christ. But it goes farther: it lays down the
principle that all human teaching should be subordinate to the oracles
of God.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 6. The protesters had moreover affirmed
their right to utter freely their convictions of truth. They would not
only believe and obey, but teach what the word of God presents, and
they denied the right of priest or magistrate to interfere. The Protest
of Spires was a solemn witness against religious intolerance, and
an assertion of the right of all men to worship God according to the
dictates of their own consciences.
The declaration had been made. It was written in the memory of
thousands and registered in the books of heaven, where no effort of
man could erase it. All evangelical Germany adopted the Protest as
the expression of its faith. Everywhere men beheld in this declaration
the promise of a new and better era. Said one of the princes to the
Protestants of Spires: “May the Almighty, who has given you grace
to confess energetically, freely, and fearlessly, preserve you in that
Christian firmness until the day of eternity.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 6.
Had the Reformation, after attaining a degree of success, con-
sented to temporize to secure favor with the world, it would have
been untrue to God and to itself, and would thus have ensured its
own destruction. The experience of these noble Reformers contains
a lesson for all succeeding ages. Satan’s manner of working against
God and His word has not changed; he is still as much opposed to the
Scriptures being made the guide of life as in the sixteenth century. In
our time there is a wide departure from their doctrines and precepts,
and there is need of a return to the great Protestant principle—the [205]
Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty. Satan is
still working through every means which he can control to destroy
religious liberty. The antichristian power which the protesters of
 174 The Great Controversy

Spires rejected is now with renewed vigor seeking to re-establish

its lost supremacy. The same unswerving adherence to the word of
God manifested at that crisis of the Reformation is the only hope of
reform today.
There appeared tokens of danger to the Protestants; there were
tokens, also, that the divine hand was stretched out to protect the
faithful. It was about this time that “Melanchthon hastily conducted
through the streets of Spires toward the Rhine his friend Simon
Grynaeus, pressing him to cross the river. The latter was astonished
at such precipitation. ‘An old man of grave and solemn air, but who
is unknown to me,’ said Melanchthon, ‘appeared before me and said,
In a minute officers of justice will be sent by Ferdinand to arrest
Grynaeus.’”
During the day, Grynaeus had been scandalized at a sermon by
Faber, a leading papal doctor; and at the close, remonstrated with
him for defending “certain detestable errors.” “Faber dissembled his
anger, but immediately after repaired to the king, from whom he had
obtained an order against the importunate professor of Heidelberg.
Melanchthon doubted not that God had saved his friend by sending
one of His holy angels to forewarn him.
“Motionless on the banks of the Rhine, he waited until the waters
of that stream had rescued Grynaeus from his persecutors. ‘At
last,’ cried Melanchthon, as he saw him on the opposite side, ‘at
last he is torn from the cruel jaws of those who thirst for innocent
blood.’ When he returned to his house, Melanchthon was informed
that officers in search of Grynaeus had ransacked it from top to
bottom.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 6.
The Reformation was to be brought into greater prominence
before the mighty ones of the earth. The evangelical princes had
been denied a hearing by King Ferdinand; but they were to be
[206] granted an opportunity to present their cause in the presence of the
emperor and the assembled dignitaries of church and state. To quiet
the dissensions which disturbed the empire, Charles V, in the year
following the Protest of Spires, convoked a diet at Augsburg, over
which he announced his intention to preside in person. Thither the
Protestant leaders were summoned.
Great dangers threatened the Reformation; but its advocates still
trusted their cause with God, and pledged themselves to be firm to
 Protest of the Princes 175

the gospel. The elector of Saxony was urged by his councilors not to
appear at the Diet. The emperor, they said, required the attendance
of the princes in order to draw them into a snare. “Is it not risking
everything to go and shut oneself up within the walls of a city with
a powerful enemy?” But others nobly declared, “Let the princes
only comport themselves with courage, and God’s cause is saved.”
“God is faithful; He will not abandon us,” said Luther.—Ibid., b.
14, ch. 2. The elector set out, with his retinue, for Augsburg. All
were acquainted with the dangers that menaced him, and many went
forward with gloomy countenance and troubled heart. But Luther,
who accompanied them as far as Coburg, revived their sinking faith
by singing the hymn, written on that journey, “A strong tower is our
God.” Many an anxious foreboding was banished, many a heavy
heart lightened, at the sound of the inspiring strains.
The reformed princes had determined upon having a statement
of their views in systematic form, with the evidence from the Scrip-
tures, to present before the Diet; and the task of its preparation
was committed to Luther, Melanchthon, and their associates. This
Confession was accepted by the Protestants as an exposition of
their faith, and they assembled to affix their names to the important
document. It was a solemn and trying time. The Reformers were
solicitous that their cause should not be confounded with political
questions; they felt that the Reformation should exercise no other
influence than that which proceeds from the word of God. As the [207]
Christian princes advanced to sign the Confession, Melanchthon
interposed, saying: “It is for the theologians and ministers to pro-
pose these things; let us reserve for other matters the authority of
the mighty ones of the earth.” “God forbid,” replied John of Saxony,
“that you should exclude me. I am resolved to do what is right,
without troubling myself about my crown. I desire to confess the
Lord. My electoral hat and my ermine are not so precious to me
as the cross of Jesus Christ.” Having thus spoken, he wrote down
his name. Said another of the princes as he took the pen: “If the
honor of my Lord Jesus Christ requires it, I am ready ... to leave
my goods and life behind.” “I would rather renounce my subjects
and my states, rather quit the country of my fathers staff in hand,”
he continued, “than receive any other doctrine than that which is
 176 The Great Controversy

contained in this Confession.”—Ibid., b. 14, ch. 6. Such was the

faith and daring of those men of God.
The appointed time came to appear before the emperor. Charles
V, seated upon his throne, surrounded by the electors and the princes,
gave audience to the Protestant Reformers. The confession of their
faith was read. In that august assembly the truths of the gospel were
clearly set forth, and the errors of the papal church were pointed out.
Well has that day been pronounced “the greatest day of the Refor-
mation, and one of the most glorious in the history of Christianity
and of mankind.”—Ibid., b. 14, ch. 7.
But a few years had passed since the monk of Wittenberg stood
alone at Worms before the national council. Now in his stead were
the noblest and most powerful princes of the empire. Luther had
been forbidden to appear at Augsburg, but he had been present by
his words and prayers. “I am overjoyed,” he wrote, “that I have lived
until this hour, in which Christ has been publicly exalted by such
illustrious confessors, and in so glorious an assembly.”—Ibid., b. 14,
ch. 7. Thus was fulfilled what the Scripture says: “I will speak of
Thy testimonies ... before kings.” Psalm 119:46.
[208] In the days of Paul the gospel for which he was imprisoned
was thus brought before the princes and nobles of the imperial city.
So on this occasion, that which the emperor had forbidden to be
preached from the pulpit was proclaimed from the palace; what
many had regarded as unfit even for servants to listen to was heard
with wonder by the masters and lords of the empire. Kings and great
men were the auditory, crowned princes were the preachers, and the
sermon was the royal truth of God. “Since the apostolic age,” says a
writer, “there has never been a greater work or a more magnificent
confession.”—D’Aubigne, b. 14, ch. 7.
“All that the Lutherans have said is true; we cannot deny it,”
declared a papist bishop. “Can you refute by sound reasons the
Confession made by the elector and his allies?” asked another of Dr.
Eck. “With the writings of the apostles and prophets—no!” was the
reply; “but with those of the Fathers and of the councils—yes!” “I
understand,” responded the questioner. “The Lutherans, according
to you, are in Scripture, and we are outside.”—Ibid., b. 14, ch. 8.
Some of the princes of Germany were won to the reformed faith.
The emperor himself declared that the Protestant articles were but
 Protest of the Princes 177

the truth. The Confession was translated into many languages and
circulated through all Europe, and it has been accepted by millions
in succeeding generations as the expression of their faith.
God’s faithful servants were not toiling alone. While princi-
palities and powers and wicked spirits in high places were leagued
against them, the Lord did not forsake His people. Could their eyes
have been opened, they would have seen as marked evidence of
divine presence and aid as was granted to a prophet of old. When
Elisha’s servant pointed his master to the hostile army surrounding
them and cutting off all opportunity for escape, the prophet prayed:
“Lord, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see.” 2 Kings 6:17.
And, lo, the mountain was filled with chariots and horses of fire, the
army of heaven stationed to protect the man of God. Thus did angels
guard the workers in the cause of the Reformation.
One of the principles most firmly maintained by Luther was [209]
that there should be no resort to secular power in support of the
Reformation, and no appeal to arms for its defense. He rejoiced
that the gospel was confessed by princes of the empire; but when
they proposed to unite in a defensive league, he declared that “the
doctrine of the gospel should be defended by God alone.... The
less man meddled in the work, the more striking would be God’s
intervention in its behalf. All the politic precautions suggested were,
in his view, attributable to unworthy fear and sinful mistrust.”—
D’Aubigne, London ed., b. 10, ch. 14.
When powerful foes were uniting to overthrow the reformed
faith, and thousands of swords seemed about to be unsheathed
against it, Luther wrote: “Satan is putting forth his fury; ungodly
pontiffs are conspiring; and we are threatened with war. Exhort the
people to contend valiantly before the throne of the Lord, by faith
and prayer, so that our enemies, vanquished by the Spirit of God,
may be constrained to peace. Our chief want, our chief labor, is
prayer; let the people know that they are now exposed to the edge of
the sword and to the rage of Satan, and let them pray.”—D’Aubigne,
b. 10, ch. 14.
Again, at a later date, referring to the league contemplated by the
reformed princes, Luther declared that the only weapon employed
in this warfare should be “the sword of the Spirit.” He wrote to
the elector of Saxony: “We cannot on our conscience approve the
 178 The Great Controversy

proposed alliance. We would rather die ten times than see our gospel
cause one drop of blood to be shed. Our part is to be like lambs of the
slaughter. The cross of Christ must be borne. Let your highness be
without fear. We shall do more by our prayers than all our enemies
by their boastings. Only let not your hands be stained with the blood
of your brethren. If the emperor requires us to be given up to his
tribunals, we are ready to appear. You cannot defend our faith: each
one should believe at his own risk and peril.”—Ibid., b. 14, ch. 1.
[210] From the secret place of prayer came the power that shook the
world in the Great Reformation. There, with holy calmness, the
servants of the Lord set their feet upon the rock of His promises.
During the struggle at Augsburg, Luther “did not pass a day without
devoting three hours at least to prayer, and they were hours selected
from those the most favorable to study.” In the privacy of his chamber
he was heard to pour out his soul before God in words “full of
adoration, fear, and hope, as when one speaks to a friend.” “I know
that Thou art our Father and our God,” he said, “and that Thou
wilt scatter the persecutors of Thy children; for Thou art Thyself
endangered with us. All this matter is Thine, and it is only by Thy
constraint that we have put our hands to it. Defend us, then, O
Father!”—Ibid., b. 14, ch. 6.
To Melanchthon, who was crushed under the burden of anxiety
and fear, he wrote: “Grace and peace in Christ—in Christ, I say,
and not in the world. Amen. I hate with exceeding hatred those
extreme cares which consume you. If the cause is unjust, abandon
it; if the cause is just, why should we belie the promises of Him who
commands us to sleep without fear? ... Christ will not be wanting to
the work of justice and truth. He lives, He reigns; what fear, then,
can we have?”—Ibid., b. 14, ch. 6.
God did listen to the cries of His servants. He gave to princes and
ministers grace and courage to maintain the truth against the rulers
of the darkness of this world. Saith the Lord: “Behold, I lay in Zion
a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him
shall not be confounded.” 1 Peter 2:6. The Protestant Reformers had
built on Christ, and the gates of hell could not prevail against them.
 Chapter 12—The French Reformation [211]

The Protest of Spires and the Confession at Augsburg, which

marked the triumph of the Reformation in Germany, were followed
by years of conflict and darkness. Weakened by divisions among
its supporters, and assailed by powerful foes, Protestantism seemed
destined to be utterly destroyed. Thousands sealed their testimony
with their blood. Civil war broke out; the Protestant cause was
betrayed by one of its leading adherents; the noblest of the reformed
princes fell into the hands of the emperor and were dragged as
captives from town to town. But in the moment of his apparent
triumph, the emperor was smitten with defeat. He saw the prey
wrested from his grasp, and he was forced at last to grant toleration
to the doctrines which it had been the ambition of his life to destroy.
He had staked his kingdom, his treasures, and life itself upon the
crushing out of the heresy. Now he saw his armies wasted by battle,
his treasuries drained, his many kingdoms threatened by revolt, while
everywhere the faith which he had vainly endeavored to suppress,
was extending. Charles V had been battling against omnipotent
power. God had said, “Let there be light,” but the emperor had
sought to keep the darkness unbroken. His purposes had failed; and
in premature old age, worn out with the long struggle, he abdicated
the throne and buried himself in a cloister.
In Switzerland, as in Germany, there came dark days for the
Reformation. While many cantons accepted the reformed faith, [212]
others clung with blind persistence to the creed of Rome. Their
persecution of those who desired to receive the truth finally gave rise
to civil war. Zwingli and many who had united with him in reform
fell on the bloody field of Cappel. Oecolampadius, overcome by
these terrible disasters, soon after died. Rome was triumphant, and
in many places seemed about to recover all that she had lost. But
He whose counsels are from everlasting had not forsaken His cause
or His people. His hand would bring deliverance for them. In other
lands He had raised up laborers to carry forward the reform.
179
 180 The Great Controversy

In France, before the name of Luther had been heard as a Re-

former, the day had already begun to break. One of the first to catch
the light was the aged Lefevre, a man of extensive learning, a pro-
fessor in the University of Paris, and a sincere and zealous papist. In
his researches into ancient literature his attention was directed to the
Bible, and he introduced its study among his students.
Lefevre was an enthusiastic adorer of the saints, and he had
undertaken to prepare a history of the saints and martyrs as given
in the legends of the church. This was a work which involved great
labor; but he had already made considerable progress in it, when,
thinking that he might obtain useful assistance from the Bible, he
began its study with this object. Here indeed he found saints brought
to view, but not such as figured in the Roman calendar. A flood of
divine light broke in upon his mind. In amazement and disgust he
turned away from his self-appointed task and devoted himself to the
word of God. The precious truths which he there discovered he soon
began to teach.
In 1512, before either Luther or Zwingli had begun the work
of reform, Lefevre wrote: “It is God who gives us, by faith, that
righteousness which by grace alone justifies to eternal life.”—Wylie,
b. 13, ch. 1. Dwelling upon the mysteries of redemption, he
exclaimed: “Oh, the unspeakable greatness of that exchange,—the
[213] Sinless One is condemned, and he who is guilty goes free; the
Blessing bears the curse, and the cursed is brought into blessing;
the Life dies, and the dead live; the Glory is whelmed in darkness,
and he who knew nothing but confusion of face is clothed with
glory.”—D’Aubigne, London ed., b. 12, ch. 2.
And while teaching that the glory of salvation belongs solely to
God, he also declared that the duty of obedience belongs to man. “If
thou art a member of Christ’s church,” he said, “thou art a member
of His body; if thou art of His body, then thou art full of the divine
nature.... Oh, if men could but enter into the understanding of this
privilege, how purely, chastely, and holily would they live, and how
contemptible, when compared with the glory within them,—that
glory which the eye of flesh cannot see,—would they deem all the
glory of this world.”—Ibid., b. 12, ch. 2.
There were some among Lefevre’s students who listened eagerly
to his words, and who, long after the teacher’s voice should be
 French Reformation 181

silenced, were to continue to declare the truth. Such was William

Farel. The son of pious parents, and educated to accept with implicit
faith the teachings of the church, he might, with the apostle Paul,
have declared concerning himself: “After the most straitest sect of
our religion I lived a Pharisee.” Acts 26:5. A devoted Romanist, he
burned with zeal to destroy all who should dare to oppose the church.
“I would gnash my teeth like a furious wolf,” he afterward said,
referring to this period of his life, “when I heard anyone speaking
against the pope.”—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 2. He had been untiring in his
adoration of the saints, in company with Lefevre making the round
of the churches of Paris, worshipping at the altars, and adorning
with gifts the holy shrines. But these observances could not bring
peace of soul. Conviction of sin fastened upon him, which all the
acts of penance that he practiced failed to banish. As to a voice from
heaven he listened to the Reformer’s words: “Salvation is of grace.”
“The Innocent One is condemned, and the criminal is acquitted.” “It
is the cross of Christ alone that openeth the gates of heaven, and [214]
shutteth the gates of hell.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 2.
Farel joyfully accepted the truth. By a conversion like that of
Paul he turned from the bondage of tradition to the liberty of the
sons of God. “Instead of the murderous heart of a ravening wolf,”
he came back, he says, “quietly like a meek and harmless lamb,
having his heart entirely withdrawn from the pope, and given to
Jesus Christ.”—D’Aubigne, b. 12, ch. 3.
While Lefevre continued to spread the light among his students,
Farel, as zealous in the cause of Christ as he had been in that of the
pope, went forth to declare the truth in public. A dignitary of the
church, the bishop of Meaux, soon after united with them. Other
teachers who ranked high for their ability and learning joined in
proclaiming the gospel, and it won adherents among all classes,
from the homes of artisans and peasants to the palace of the king.
The sister of Francis I, then the reigning monarch, accepted the
reformed faith. The king himself, and the queen mother, appeared
for a time to regard it with favor, and with high hopes the Reformers
looked forward to the time when France should be won to the gospel.
But their hopes were not to be realized. Trial and persecution
awaited the disciples of Christ. This, however, was mercifully
veiled from their eyes. A time of peace intervened, that they might
 182 The Great Controversy

gain strength to meet the tempest; and the Reformation made rapid
progress. The bishop of Meaux labored zealously in his own diocese
to instruct both the clergy and the people. Ignorant and immoral
priests were removed, and, so far as possible, replaced by men of
learning and piety. The bishop greatly desired that his people might
have access to the word of God for themselves, and this was soon
accomplished. Lefevre undertook the translation of the New Testa-
ment; and at the very time when Luther’s German Bible was issuing
from the press in Wittenberg, the French New Testament was pub-
lished at Meaux. The bishop spared no labor or expense to circulate
[215] it in his parishes, and soon the peasants of Meaux were in possession
of the Holy Scriptures.
As travelers perishing from thirst welcome with joy a living
water spring, so did these souls receive the message of heaven. The
laborers in the field, the artisans in the workshop, cheered their daily
toil by talking of the precious truths of the Bible. At evening, instead
of resorting to the wine-shops, they assembled in one another’s
homes to read God’s word and join in prayer and praise. A great
change was soon manifest in these communities. Though belonging
to the humblest class, an unlearned and hard-working peasantry, the
reforming, uplifting power of divine grace was seen in their lives.
Humble, loving, and holy, they stood as witnesses to what the gospel
will accomplish for those who receive it in sincerity.
The light kindled at Meaux shed its beams afar. Every day the
number of converts was increasing. The rage of the hierarchy was
for a time held in check by the king, who despised the narrow bigotry
of the monks; but the papal leaders finally prevailed. Now the stake
was set up. The bishop of Meaux, forced to choose between the
fire and recantation, accepted the easier path; but notwithstanding
the leader’s fall, his flock remained steadfast. Many witnessed for
the truth amid the flames. By their courage and fidelity at the stake,
these humble Christians spoke to thousands who in days of peace
had never heard their testimony.
It was not alone the humble and the poor that amid suffering and
scorn dared to bear witness for Christ. In the lordly halls of the castle
and the palace there were kingly souls by whom truth was valued
above wealth or rank or even life. Kingly armor concealed a loftier
and more steadfast spirit than did the bishop’s robe and miter. Louis
 French Reformation 183

de Berquin was of noble birth. A brave and courtly knight, he was

devoted to study, polished in manners, and of blameless morals. “He
was,” says a writer, “a great follower of the papistical constitutions,
and a great hearer of masses and sermons; ... and he crowned all
his other virtues by holding Lutheranism in special abhorrence.” [216]
But, like so many others, providentially guided to the Bible, he was
amazed to find there, “not the doctrines of Rome, but the doctrines
of Luther.”—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 9. Henceforth he gave himself with
entire devotion to the cause of the gospel.
“The most learned of the nobles of France,” his genius and elo-
quence, his indomitable courage and heroic zeal, and his influence
at court,—for he was a favorite with the king,—caused him to be
regarded by many as one destined to be the Reformer of his country.
Said Beza: “Berquin would have been a second Luther, had he found
in Francis I a second elector.” “He is worse than Luther,” cried the
papists.—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 9. More dreaded he was indeed by the
Romanists of France. They thrust him into prison as a heretic, but
he was set at liberty by the king. For years the struggle continued.
Francis, wavering between Rome and the Reformation, alternately
tolerated and restrained the fierce zeal of the monks. Berquin was
three times imprisoned by the papal authorities, only to be released
by the monarch, who, in admiration of his genius and his nobility of
character, refused to sacrifice him to the malice of the hierarchy.
Berquin was repeatedly warned of the danger that threatened
him in France, and urged to follow the steps of those who had found
safety in voluntary exile. The timid and time-serving Erasmus, who
with all the splendor of his scholarship failed of that moral greatness
which holds life and honor subservient to truth, wrote to Berquin:
“Ask to be sent as ambassador to some foreign country; go and travel
in Germany. You know Beda and such as he—he is a thousand-
headed monster, darting venom on every side. Your enemies are
named legion. Were your cause better than that of Jesus Christ,
they will not let you go till they have miserably destroyed you. Do
not trust too much to the king’s protection. At all events, do not
compromise me with the faculty of theology.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 9.
But as dangers thickened, Berquin’s zeal only waxed the stronger.
So far from adopting the politic and self-serving counsel of Erasmus, [217]
he determined upon still bolder measures. He would not only stand
 184 The Great Controversy

in defense of the truth, but he would attack error. The charge of

heresy which the Romanists were seeking to fasten upon him, he
would rivet upon them. The most active and bitter of his opponents
were the learned doctors and monks of the theological department
in the great University of Paris, one of the highest ecclesiastical
authorities both in the city and the nation. From the writings of
these doctors, Berquin drew twelve propositions which he publicly
declared to be “opposed to the Bible, and heretical;” and he appealed
to the king to act as judge in the controversy.
The monarch, not loath to bring into contrast the power and
acuteness of the opposing champions, and glad of an opportunity
of humbling the pride of these haughty monks, bade the Romanists
defend their cause by the Bible. This weapon, they well knew, would
avail them little; imprisonment, torture, and the stake were arms
which they better understood how to wield. Now the tables were
turned, and they saw themselves about to fall into the pit into which
they had hoped to plunge Berquin. In amazement they looked about
them for some way of escape.
“Just at that time an image of the Virgin at the corner of one of
the streets, was mutilated.” There was great excitement in the city.
Crowds of people flocked to the place, with expressions of mourning
and indignation. The king also was deeply moved. Here was an
advantage which the monks could turn to good account, and they
were quick to improve it. “These are the fruits of the doctrines of
Berquin,” they cried. “All is about to be overthrown—religion, the
laws, the throne itself—by this Lutheran conspiracy.”—Ibid., b. 13,
ch. 9.
Again Berquin was apprehended. The king withdrew from Paris,
and the monks were thus left free to work their will. The Reformer
was tried and condemned to die, and lest Francis should even yet
interpose to save him, the sentence was executed on the very day it
[218] was pronounced. At noon Berquin was conducted to the place of
death. An immense throng gathered to witness the event, and there
were many who saw with astonishment and misgiving that the victim
had been chosen from the best and bravest of the noble families of
France. Amazement, indignation, scorn, and bitter hatred darkened
the faces of that surging crowd; but upon one face no shadow rested.
 French Reformation 185

The martyr’s thoughts were far from that scene of tumult; he was
conscious only of the presence of his Lord.
The wretched tumbrel upon which he rode, the frowning faces of
his persecutors, the dreadful death to which he was going—these he
heeded not; He who liveth and was dead, and is alive for evermore,
and hath the keys of death and of hell, was beside him. Berquin’s
countenance was radiant with the light and peace of heaven. He
had attired himself in goodly raiment, wearing “a cloak of velvet,
a doublet of satin and damask, and golden hose.”—D’Aubigne,
History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, b. 2, ch.
16. He was about to testify to his faith in the presence of the King of
kings and the witnessing universe, and no token of mourning should
belie his joy.
As the procession moved slowly through the crowded streets,
the people marked with wonder the unclouded peace, and joyous
triumph, of his look and bearing. “He is,” they said, “like one who
sits in a temple, and meditates on holy things.”—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 9.
At the stake, Berquin endeavored to address a few words to the
people; but the monks, fearing the result, began to shout, and the
soldiers to clash their arms, and their clamor drowned the martyr’s
voice. Thus in 1529 the highest literary and ecclesiastical authority
of cultured Paris “set the populace of 1793 the base example of
stifling on the scaffold the sacred words of the dying.”—Ibid., b. 13,
ch. 9.
Berquin was strangled, and his body was consumed in the flames.
The tidings of his death caused sorrow to the friends of the Refor-
mation throughout France. But his example was not lost. “We, too, [219]
are ready,” said the witnesses for the truth, “to meet death cheerfully,
setting our eyes on the life that is to come.”—D’Aubigne, History of
the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, b. 2, ch. 16.
During the persecution of Meaux, the teachers of the reformed
faith were deprived of their license to preach, and they departed to
other fields. Lefevre after a time made his way to Germany. Farel
returned to his native town in eastern France, to spread the light in
the home of his childhood. Already tidings had been received of
what was going on at Meaux, and the truth, which he taught with
fearless zeal, found listeners. Soon the authorities were roused to
silence him, and he was banished from the city. Though he could no
 186 The Great Controversy

longer labor publicly, he traversed the plains and villages, teaching

in private dwellings and in secluded meadows, and finding shelter
in the forests and among the rocky caverns which had been his
haunts in boyhood. God was preparing him for greater trials. “The
crosses, persecutions, and machinations of Satan, of which I was
forewarned, have not been wanting,” he said; “they are even much
severer than I could have borne of myself; but God is my Father;
He has provided and always will provide me the strength which I
require.”—D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation of the Sixteenth
Century, b. 12, ch. 9.
As in apostolic days, persecution had “fallen out rather unto the
furtherance of the gospel.” Philippians 1:12. Driven from Paris and
Meaux, “they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching
the word.” Acts 8:4. And thus the light found its way into many of
the remote provinces of France.
God was still preparing workers to extend His cause. In one of
the schools of Paris was a thoughtful, quiet youth, already giving
evidence of a powerful and penetrating mind, and no less marked for
the blamelessness of his life than for intellectual ardor and religious
devotion. His genius and application soon made him the pride
of the college, and it was confidently anticipated that John Calvin
[220] would become one of the ablest and most honored defenders of the
church. But a ray of divine light penetrated even within the walls
of scholasticism and superstition by which Calvin was enclosed.
He heard of the new doctrines with a shudder, nothing doubting
that the heretics deserved the fire to which they were given. Yet all
unwittingly he was brought face to face with the heresy and forced to
test the power of Romish theology to combat the Protestant teaching.
A cousin of Calvin’s, who had joined the Reformers, was in
Paris. The two kinsmen often met and discussed together the matters
that were disturbing Christendom. “There are but two religions in the
world,” said Olivetan, the Protestant. “The one class of religions are
those which men have invented, in all of which man saves himself
by ceremonies and good works; the other is that one religion which
is revealed in the Bible, and which teaches man to look for salvation
solely from the free grace of God.”
 French Reformation 187

“I will have none of your new doctrines,” exclaimed Calvin;

“think you that I have lived in error all my days?”—Wylie, b. 13, ch.
7.
But thoughts had been awakened in his mind which he could
not banish at will. Alone in his chamber he pondered upon his
cousin’s words. Conviction of sin fastened upon him; he saw himself,
without an intercessor, in the presence of a holy and just Judge. The
mediation of saints, good works, the ceremonies of the church, all
were powerless to atone for sin. He could see before him nothing
but the blackness of eternal despair. In vain the doctors of the church
endeavored to relieve his woe. Confession, penance, were resorted
to in vain; they could not reconcile the soul with God.
While still engaged in these fruitless struggles, Calvin, chancing
one day to visit one of the public squares, witnessed there the burning
of a heretic. He was filled with wonder at the expression of peace
which rested upon the martyr’s countenance. Amid the tortures of
that dreadful death, and under the more terrible condemnation of the
church, he manifested a faith and courage which the young student [221]
painfully contrasted with his own despair and darkness, while living
in strictest obedience to the church. Upon the Bible, he knew, the
heretics rested their faith. He determined to study it, and discover, if
he could, the secret of their joy.
In the Bible he found Christ. “O Father,” he cried, “His sacrifice
has appeased Thy wrath; His blood has washed away my impurities;
His cross has borne my curse; His death has atoned for me. We had
devised for ourselves many useless follies, but Thou hast placed Thy
word before me like a torch, and Thou hast touched my heart, in
order that I may hold in abomination all other merits save those of
Jesus.”—Martyn, vol. 3, ch. 13.
Calvin had been educated for the priesthood. When only twelve
years of age he had been appointed to the chaplaincy of a small
church, and his head had been shorn by the bishop in accordance
with the canon of the church. He did not receive consecration, nor
did he fulfill the duties of a priest, but he became a member of the
clergy, holding the title of his office, and receiving an allowance in
consideration thereof.
Now, feeling that he could never become a priest, he turned
for a time to the study of law, but finally abandoned this purpose
 188 The Great Controversy

and determined to devote his life to the gospel. But he hesitated to

become a public teacher. He was naturally timid, and was burdened
with a sense of the weighty responsibility of the position, and he
desired still to devote himself to study. The earnest entreaties of
his friends, however, at last won his consent. “Wonderful it is,” he
said, “that one of so lowly an origin should be exalted to so great a
dignity.”—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 9.
Quietly did Calvin enter upon his work, and his words were as
the dew falling to refresh the earth. He had left Paris, and was now in
a provincial town under the protection of the princess Margaret, who,
loving the gospel, extended her protection to its disciples. Calvin
[222] was still a youth, of gentle, unpretentious bearing. His work began
with the people at their homes. Surrounded by the members of the
household, he read the Bible and opened the truths of salvation.
Those who heard the message carried the good news to others, and
soon the teacher passed beyond the city to the outlying towns and
hamlets. To both the castle and the cabin he found entrance, and he
went forward, laying the foundation of churches that were to yield
fearless witnesses for the truth.
A few months and he was again in Paris. There was unwonted
agitation in the circle of learned men and scholars. The study of the
ancient languages had led men to the Bible, and many whose hearts
were untouched by its truths were eagerly discussing them and even
giving battle to the champions of Romanism. Calvin, though an
able combatant in the fields of theological controversy, had a higher
mission to accomplish than that of these noisy schoolmen. The
minds of men were stirred, and now was the time to open to them
the truth. While the halls of the universities were filled with the
clamor of theological disputation, Calvin was making his way from
house to house, opening the Bible to the people, and speaking to
them of Christ and Him crucified.
In God’s providence, Paris was to receive another invitation to
accept the gospel. The call of Lefevre and Farel had been rejected,
but again the message was to be heard by all classes in that great
capital. The king, influenced by political considerations, had not yet
fully sided with Rome against the Reformation. Margaret still clung
to the hope that Protestantism was to triumph in France. She resolved
that the reformed faith should be preached in Paris. During the
 French Reformation 189

absence of the king, she ordered a Protestant minister to preach in the

churches of the city. This being forbidden by the papal dignitaries,
the princess threw open the palace. An apartment was fitted up as a
chapel, and it was announced that every day, at a specified hour, a
sermon would be preached, and the people of every rank and station
were invited to attend. Crowds flocked to the service. Not only the [223]
chapel, but the antechambers and halls were thronged. Thousands
every day assembled—nobles, statesmen, lawyers, merchants, and
artisans. The king, instead of forbidding the assemblies, ordered
that two of the churches of Paris should be opened. Never before
had the city been so moved by the word of God. The spirit of life
from heaven seemed to be breathed upon the people. Temperance,
purity, order, and industry were taking the place of drunkenness,
licentiousness, strife, and idleness.
But the hierarchy were not idle. The king still refused to interfere
to stop the preaching, and they turned to the populace. No means
were spared to excite the fears, the prejudices, and the fanaticism
of the ignorant and superstitious multitude. Yielding blindly to her
false teachers, Paris, like Jerusalem of old, knew not the time of
her visitation nor the things which belonged unto her peace. For
two years the word of God was preached in the capital; but, while
there were many who accepted the gospel, the majority of the people
rejected it. Francis had made a show of toleration, merely to serve his
own purposes, and the papists succeeded in regaining the ascendancy.
Again the churches were closed, and the stake was set up.
Calvin was still in Paris, preparing himself by study, meditation,
and prayer for his future labors, and continuing to spread the light.
At last, however, suspicion fastened upon him. The authorities
determined to bring him to the flames. Regarding himself as secure
in his seclusion, he had no thought of danger, when friends came
hurrying to his room with the news that officers were on their way
to arrest him. At that instant a loud knocking was heard at the outer
entrance. There was not a moment to be lost. Some of his friends
detained the officers at the door, while others assisted the Reformer
to let himself down from a window, and he rapidly made his way to
the outskirts of the city. Finding shelter in the cottage of a laborer
who was a friend to the reform, he disguised himself in the garments
of his host, and, shouldering a hoe, started on his journey. Traveling [224]
 190 The Great Controversy

southward, he again found refuge in the dominions of Margaret.

(See D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time
of Calvin, b. 2, ch. 30.)
Here for a few months he remained, safe under the protection
of powerful friends, and engaged as before in study. But his heart
was set upon the evangelization of France, and he could not long
remain inactive. As soon as the storm had somewhat abated, he
sought a new field of labor in Poitiers, where was a university, and
where already the new opinions had found favor. Persons of all
classes gladly listened to the gospel. There was no public preaching,
but in the home of the chief magistrate, in his own lodgings, and
sometimes in a public garden, Calvin opened the words of eternal
life to those who desired to listen. After a time, as the number
of hearers increased, it was thought safer to assemble outside the
city. A cave in the side of a deep and narrow gorge, where trees
and overhanging rocks made the seclusion still more complete, was
chosen as the place of meeting. Little companies, leaving the city
by different routes, found their way hither. In this retired spot the
Bible was read aloud and explained. Here the Lord’s Supper was
celebrated for the first time by the Protestants of France. From this
little church several faithful evangelists were sent out.
Once more Calvin returned to Paris. He could not even yet relin-
quish the hope that France as a nation would accept the Reformation.
But he found almost every door of labor closed. To teach the gospel
was to take the direct road to the stake, and he at last determined
to depart to Germany. Scarcely had he left France when a storm
burst over the Protestants, that, had he remained, must surely have
involved him in the general ruin.
The French Reformers, eager to see their country keeping pace
with Germany and Switzerland, determined to strike a bold blow
against the superstitions of Rome, that should arouse the whole
[225] nation. Accordingly placards attacking the mass were in one night
posted all over France. Instead of advancing the reform, this zealous
but ill-judged movement brought ruin, not only upon its propagators,
but upon the friends of the reformed faith throughout France. It gave
the Romanists what they had long desired—a pretext for demanding
the utter destruction of the heretics as agitators dangerous to the
stability of the throne and the peace of the nation.
 French Reformation 191

By some secret hand—whether of indiscreet friend or wily foe

was never known—one of the placards was attached to the door of
the king’s private chamber. The monarch was filled with horror. In
this paper, superstitions that had received the veneration of ages were
attacked with an unsparing hand. And the unexampled boldness of
obtruding these plain and startling utterances into the royal presence
aroused the wrath of the king. In his amazement he stood for a little
time trembling and speechless. Then his rage found utterance in
the terrible words: “Let all be seized without distinction who are
suspected of Lutheresy. I will exterminate them all.—Ibid., b. 4, ch.
10. The die was cast. The king had determined to throw himself
fully on the side of Rome.
Measures were at once taken for the arrest of every Lutheran in
Paris. A poor artisan, an adherent of the reformed faith, who had
been accustomed to summon the believers to their secret assemblies,
was seized and, with the threat of instant death at the stake, was
commanded to conduct the papal emissary to the home of every
Protestant in the city. He shrank in horror from the base proposal,
but at last fear of the flames prevailed, and he consented to become
the betrayer of his brethren. Preceded by the host, and surrounded
by a train of priests, incense bearers, monks, and soldiers, Morin, the
royal detective, with the traitor, slowly and silently passed through
the streets of the city. The demonstration was ostensibly in honor of
the “holy sacrament,” an act of expiation for the insult put upon the
mass by the protesters. But beneath this pageant a deadly purpose
was concealed. On arriving opposite the house of a Lutheran, the [226]
betrayer made a sign, but no word was uttered. The procession
halted, the house was entered, the family were dragged forth and
chained, and the terrible company went forward in search of fresh
victims. They “spared no house, great or small, not even the colleges
of the University of Paris.... Morin made all the city quake.... It was
a reign of terror.”—Ibid., b. 4, ch. 10.
The victims were put to death with cruel torture, it being specially
ordered that the fire should be lowered in order to prolong their
agony. But they died as conquerors. Their constancy was unshaken,
their peace unclouded. Their persecutors, powerless to move their
inflexible firmness, felt themselves defeated. “The scaffolds were
distributed over all the quarters of Paris, and the burnings followed
 192 The Great Controversy

on successive days, the design being to spread the terror of heresy

by spreading the executions. The advantage, however, in the end,
remained with the gospel. All Paris was enabled to see what kind of
men the new opinions could produce. There was no pulpit like the
martyr’s pile. The serene joy that lighted up the faces of these men
as they passed along ... to the place of execution, their heroism as
they stood amid the bitter flames, their meek forgiveness of injuries,
transformed, in instances not a few, anger into pity, and hate into
love, and pleaded with resistless eloquence in behalf of the gospel.”—
Wylie, b. 13, ch. 20.
The priests, bent upon keeping the popular fury at its height,
circulated the most terrible accusations against the Protestants. They
were charged with plotting to massacre the Catholics, to overthrow
the government, and to murder the king. Not a shadow of evidence
could be produced in support of the allegations. Yet these prophecies
of evil were to have a fulfillment; under far different circumstances,
however, and from causes of an opposite character. The cruelties
that were inflicted upon the innocent Protestants by the Catholics
accumulated in a weight of retribution, and in after centuries wrought
the very doom they had predicted to be impending, upon the king,
[227] his government, and his subjects; but it was brought about by infidels
and by the papists themselves. It was not the establishment, but the
suppression, of Protestantism, that, three hundred years later, was to
bring upon France these dire calamities.
Suspicion, distrust, and terror now pervaded all classes of society.
Amid the general alarm it was seen how deep a hold the Lutheran
teaching had gained upon the minds of men who stood highest for
education, influence, and excellence of character. Positions of trust
and honor were suddenly found vacant. Artisans, printers, scholars,
professors in the universities, authors, and even courtiers, disap-
peared. Hundreds fled from Paris, self-constituted exiles from their
native land, in many cases thus giving the first intimation that they
favored the reformed faith. The papists looked about them in amaze-
ment at thought of the unsuspected heretics that had been tolerated
among them. Their rage spent itself upon the multitudes of humbler
victims who were within their power. The prisons were crowded,
and the very air seemed darkened with the smoke of burning piles,
kindled for the confessors of the gospel.
 French Reformation 193

Francis I had gloried in being a leader in the great movement for

the revival of learning which marked the opening of the sixteenth
century. He had delighted to gather at his court men of letters from
every country. To his love of learning and his contempt for the
ignorance and superstition of the monks was due, in part at least,
the degree of toleration that had been granted to the reform. But,
inspired with zeal to stamp out heresy, this patron of learning issued
an edict declaring printing abolished all over France! Francis I
presents one among the many examples on record showing that
intellectual culture is not a safeguard against religious intolerance
and persecution.
France by a solemn and public ceremony was to commit herself
fully to the destruction of Protestantism. The priests demanded
that the affront offered to High Heaven in the condemnation of the
mass be expiated in blood, and that the king, in behalf of his people,
publicly give his sanction to the dreadful work.
The 21st of January, 1535, was fixed upon for the awful cer- [228]
emonial. The superstitious fears and bigoted hatred of the whole
nation had been roused. Paris was thronged with the multitudes that
from all the surrounding country crowded her streets. The day was
to be ushered in by a vast and imposing procession. “The houses
along the line of march were hung with mourning drapery, and altars
rose at intervals.” Before every door was a lighted torch in honor
of the “holy sacrament.” Before daybreak the procession formed at
the palace of the king. “First came the banners and crosses of the
several parishes; next appeared the citizens, walking two and two,
and bearing torches.” The four orders of friars followed, each in its
own peculiar dress. Then came a vast collection of famous relics.
Following these rode lordly ecclesiastics in their purple and scarlet
robes and jeweled adornings, a gorgeous and glittering array.
“The host was carried by the bishop of Paris under a magnificent
canopy, ... supported by four princes of the blood.... After the host
walked the king.... Francis I on that day wore no crown, nor robe of
state.” With “head uncovered, his eyes cast on the ground, and in his
hand a lighted taper,” the king of France appeared “in the character
of a penitent.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 21. At every altar he bowed down in
humiliation, nor for the vices that defiled his soul, nor the innocent
blood that stained his hands, but for the deadly sin of his subjects
 194 The Great Controversy

who had dared to condemn the mass. Following him came the queen
and the dignitaries of state, also walking two and two, each with a
lighted torch.
As a part of the services of the day the monarch himself ad-
dressed the high officials of the kingdom in the great hall of the
bishop’s palace. With a sorrowful countenance he appeared before
them and in words of moving eloquence bewailed “the crime, the
blasphemy, the day of sorrow and disgrace,” that had come upon
the nation. And he called upon every loyal subject to aid in the
extirpation of the pestilent heresy that threatened France with ruin.
“As true, messieurs, as I am your king,” he said, “if I knew one of
[229] my own limbs spotted or infected with this detestable rottenness, I
would give it you to cut off.... And further, if I saw one of my chil-
dren defiled by it, I would not spare him.... I would deliver him up
myself, and would sacrifice him to God.” Tears choked his utterance,
and the whole assembly wept, with one accord exclaiming: “We will
live and die for the Catholic religion!”—D’Aubigne, History of the
Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, b. 4, ch. 12.
Terrible had become the darkness of the nation that had rejected
the light of truth. The grace “that bringeth salvation” had appeared;
but France, after beholding its power and holiness, after thousands
had been drawn by its divine beauty, after cities and hamlets had
been illuminated by its radiance, had turned away, choosing darkness
rather than light. They had put from them the heavenly gift when
it was offered them. They had called evil good, and good evil,
till they had fallen victims to their willful self-deception. Now,
though they might actually believe that they were doing God service
in persecuting His people, yet their sincerity did not render them
guiltless. The light that would have saved them from deception,
from staining their souls with bloodguiltiness, they had willfully
rejected.
A solemn oath to extirpate heresy was taken in the great cathedral
where, nearly three centuries later, the Goddess of Reason was to
be enthroned by a nation that had forgotten the living God. Again
the procession formed, and the representatives of France set out to
begin the work which they had sworn to do. “At short distances
scaffolds had been erected, on which certain Protestant Christians
were to be burned alive, and it was arranged that the fagots should be
 French Reformation 195

lighted at the moment the king approached, and that the procession
should halt to witness the execution.”—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 21. The
details of the tortures endured by these witnesses for Christ are too
harrowing for recital; but there was no wavering on the part of the
victims. On being urged to recant, one answered: “I only believe in
what the prophets and the apostles formerly preached, and what all
the company of saints believed. My faith has a confidence in God [230]
which will resist all the powers of hell.”—D’Aubigne, History of the
Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, b. 4, ch. 12.
Again and again the procession halted at the places of torture.
Upon reaching their starting point at the royal palace, the crowd
dispersed, and the king and the prelates withdrew, well satisfied
with the day’s proceedings and congratulating themselves that the
work now begun would be continued to the complete destruction of
heresy.
The gospel of peace which France had rejected was to be only
too surely rooted out, and terrible would be the results. On the 21st
of January, 1793, two hundred and fifty-eight years from the very
day that fully committed France to the persecution of the Reformers,
another procession, with a far different purpose, passed through the
streets of Paris. “Again the king was the chief figure; again there
were tumult and shouting; again there was heard the cry for more
victims; again there were black scaffolds; and again the scenes of the
day were closed by horrid executions; Louis XVI, struggling hand
to hand with his jailers and executioners, was dragged forward to the
block, and there held down by main force till the ax had fallen, and
his dissevered head rolled on the scaffold.”—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 21.
Nor was the king the only victim; near the same spot two thousand
and eight hundred human beings perished by the guillotine during
the bloody days of the Reign of Terror.
The Reformation had presented to the world an open Bible,
unsealing the precepts of the law of God and urging its claims upon
the consciences of the people. Infinite Love had unfolded to men the
statutes and principles of heaven. God had said: “Keep therefore and
do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight
of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely
this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” Deuteronomy
4:6. When France rejected the gift of heaven, she sowed the seeds of
 196 The Great Controversy

anarchy and ruin; and the inevitable outworking of cause and effect
resulted in the Revolution and the Reign of Terror.
[231] Long before the persecution excited by the placards, the bold
and ardent Farel had been forced to flee from the land of his birth.
He repaired to Switzerland, and by his labors, seconding the work of
Zwingli, he helped to turn the scale in favor of the Reformation. His
later years were to be spent here, yet he continued to exert a decided
influence upon the reform in France. During the first years of his
exile, his efforts were especially directed to spreading the gospel in
his native country. He spent considerable time in preaching among
his countrymen near the frontier, where with tireless vigilance he
watched the conflict and aided by his words of encouragement and
counsel. With the assistance of other exiles, the writings of the
German Reformers were translated into the French language and,
together with the French Bible, were printed in large quantities. By
colporteurs these works were sold extensively in France. They were
furnished to the colporteurs at a low price, and thus the profits of the
work enabled them to continue it.
Farel entered upon his work in Switzerland in the humble guise
of a schoolmaster. Repairing to a secluded parish, he devoted himself
to the instruction of children. Besides the usual branches of learning,
he cautiously introduced the truths of the Bible, hoping through
the children to reach the parents. There were some who believed,
but the priests came forward to stop the work, and the superstitious
country people were roused to oppose it. “That cannot be the gospel
of Christ,” urged the priest, “seeing the preaching of it does not bring
peace, but war.”—Wylie, b. 14, ch. 3. Like the first disciples, when
persecuted in one city he fled to another. From village to village,
from city to city, he went, traveling on foot, enduring hunger, cold,
and weariness, and everywhere in peril of his life. He preached in
the market places, in the churches, sometimes in the pulpits of the
cathedrals. Sometimes he found the church empty of hearers; at
times his preaching was interrupted by shouts and jeers; again he was
pulled violently out of the pulpit. More than once he was set upon
[232] by the rabble and beaten almost to death. Yet he pressed forward.
Though often repulsed, with unwearying persistence he returned to
the attack; and, one after another, he saw towns and cities which had
been strongholds of popery, opening their gates to the gospel. The
 French Reformation 197

little parish where he had first labored soon accepted the reformed
faith. The cities of Morat and Neuchatel also renounced the Romish
rites and removed the idolatrous images from their churches.
Farel had long desired to plant the Protestant standard in Geneva.
If this city could be won, it would be a center for the Reformation in
France, in Switzerland, and in Italy. With this object before him, he
had continued his labors until many of the surrounding towns and
hamlets had been gained. Then with a single companion he entered
Geneva. But only two sermons was he permitted to preach. The
priests, having vainly endeavored to secure his condemnation by the
civil authorities, summoned him before an ecclesiastical council, to
which they came with arms concealed under their robes, determined
to take his life. Outside the hall, a furious mob, with clubs and
swords, was gathered to make sure of his death if he should succeed
in escaping the council. The presence of magistrates and an armed
force, however, saved him. Early next morning he was conducted,
with his companion, across the lake to a place of safety. Thus ended
his first effort to evangelize Geneva.
For the next trial a lowlier instrument was chosen—a young
man, so humble in appearance that he was coldly treated even by
the professed friends of reform. But what could such a one do
where Farel had been rejected? How could one of little courage and
experience withstand the tempest before which the strongest and
bravest had been forced to flee? “Not by might, nor by power, but
by My Spirit, saith the Lord.” Zechariah 4:6. “God hath chosen the
weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness
of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:27, 25.
Froment began his work as a schoolmaster. The truths which he
taught the children at school they repeated at their homes. Soon the [233]
parents came to hear the Bible explained, until the schoolroom was
filled with attentive listeners. New Testaments and tracts were freely
distributed, and they reached many who dared not come openly to
listen to the new doctrines. After a time this laborer also was forced
to flee; but the truths he taught had taken hold upon the minds of
the people. The Reformation had been planted, and it continued to
strengthen and extend. The preachers returned, and through their
labors the Protestant worship was finally established in Geneva.
 198 The Great Controversy

The city had already declared for the Reformation when Calvin,
after various wanderings and vicissitudes, entered its gates. Return-
ing from a last visit to his birthplace, he was on his way to Basel,
when, finding the direct road occupied by the armies of Charles V,
he was forced to take the circuitous route by Geneva.
In this visit Farel recognized the hand of God. Though Geneva
had accepted the reformed faith, yet a great work remained to be
accomplished here. It is not as communities but as individuals that
men are converted to God; the work of regeneration must be wrought
in the heart and conscience by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by
the decrees of councils. While the people of Geneva had cast off the
authority of Rome, they were not so ready to renounce the vices that
had flourished under her rule. To establish here the pure principles
of the gospel and to prepare this people to fill worthily the position
to which Providence seemed calling them were not light tasks.
Farel was confident that he had found in Calvin one whom he
could unite with himself in this work. In the name of God he
solemnly adjured the young evangelist to remain and labor here.
Calvin drew back in alarm. Timid and peace-loving, he shrank from
contact with the bold, independent, and even violent spirit of the
Genevese. The feebleness of his health, together with his studious
habits, led him to seek retirement. Believing that by his pen he
[234] could best serve the cause of reform, he desired to find a quiet retreat
for study, and there, through the press, instruct and build up the
churches. But Farel’s solemn admonition came to him as a call from
Heaven, and he dared not refuse. It seemed to him, he said, “that
the hand of God was stretched down from heaven, that it lay hold of
him, and fixed him irrevocably to the place he was so impatient to
leave.”—D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation in Europe in the
Time of Calvin, b. 9, ch. 17.
At this time great perils surrounded the Protestant cause. The
anathemas of the pope thundered against Geneva, and mighty nations
threatened it with destruction. How was this little city to resist the
powerful hierarchy that had so often forced kings and emperors to
submission? How could it stand against the armies of the world’s
great conquerors?
Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by
formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation past, Rome
 French Reformation 199

summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At

this time the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, un-
scrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. Cut off
from earthly ties and human interests, dead to the claims of nat-
ural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew
no rule, no tie, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend
its power. (See Appendix.) The gospel of Christ had enabled its
adherents to meet danger and endure suffering, undismayed by cold,
hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in face of the
rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat these forces, Jesuitism
inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure
like dangers, and to oppose to the power of truth all the weapons
of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no
deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for
them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was
their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the
overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the papal
supremacy.
When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of [235]
sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the
poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred
name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless
exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed.
It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the
means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not
only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests
of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way
into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and
shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies
upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes
and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of
Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All
the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought
to bear to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination,
and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was
betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over
Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.
 200 The Great Controversy

To give them greater power, a bull was issued re-establishing

the inquisition. (See Appendix.) Notwithstanding the general abhor-
rence with which it was regarded, even in Catholic countries, this
terrible tribunal was again set up by popish rulers, and atrocities too
terrible to bear the light of day were repeated in its secret dungeons.
In many countries, thousands upon thousands of the very flower of
the nation, the purest and noblest, the most intellectual and highly
educated, pious and devoted pastors, industrious and patriotic citi-
zens, brilliant scholars, talented artists, skillful artisans, were slain
or forced to flee to other lands.
Such were the means which Rome had invoked to quench the
light of the Reformation, to withdraw from men the Bible, and
[236] to restore the ignorance and superstition of the Dark Ages. But
under God’s blessing and the labors of those noble men whom He
had raised up to succeed Luther, Protestantism was not overthrown.
Not to the favor or arms of princes was it to owe its strength. The
smallest countries, the humblest and least powerful nations, became
its strongholds. It was little Geneva in the midst of mighty foes
plotting her destruction; it was Holland on her sandbanks by the
northern sea, wrestling against the tyranny of Spain, then the greatest
and most opulent of kingdoms; it was bleak, sterile Sweden, that
gained victories for the Reformation.
For nearly thirty years Calvin labored at Geneva, first to establish
there a church adhering to the morality of the Bible, and then for the
advancement of the Reformation throughout Europe. His course as a
public leader was not faultless, nor were his doctrines free from error.
But he was instrumental in promulgating truths that were of special
importance in his time, in maintaining the principles of Protestantism
against the fast-returning tide of popery, and in promoting in the
reformed churches simplicity and purity of life, in place of the pride
and corruption fostered under the Romish teaching.
From Geneva, publications and teachers went out to spread the
reformed doctrines. To this point the persecuted of all lands looked
for instruction, counsel, and encouragement. The city of Calvin
became a refuge for the hunted Reformers of all Western Europe.
Fleeing from the awful tempests that continued for centuries, the
fugitives came to the gates of Geneva. Starving, wounded, bereft
of home and kindred, they were warmly welcomed and tenderly
 French Reformation 201

cared for; and finding a home here, they blessed the city of their
adoption by their skill, their learning, and their piety. Many who
sought here a refuge returned to their own countries to resist the
tyranny of Rome. John Knox, the brave Scotch Reformer, not a few
of the English Puritans, the Protestants of Holland and of Spain, and
the Huguenots of France carried from Geneva the torch of truth to
lighten the darkness of their native lands.
[237] Chapter 13—The Netherlands and Scandinavia

In The Netherlands the papal tyranny very early called forth

resolute protest. Seven hundred years before Luther’s time the
Roman pontiff was thus fearlessly impeached by two bishops, who,
having been sent on an embassy to Rome, had learned the true
character of the “holy see“: God “has made His queen and spouse,
the church, a noble and everlasting provision for her family, with a
dowry that is neither fading nor corruptible, and given her an eternal
crown and scepter; ... all which benefits you like a thief intercept.
You set up yourself in the temple of God; instead of a pastor, you are
become a wolf to the sheep; ... you would make us believe you are a
supreme bishop, but you rather behave like a tyrant.... Whereas you
ought to be a servant of servants, as you call yourself, you endeavor
to become a lord of lords.... You bring the commands of God into
contempt.... The Holy Ghost is the builder of all churches as far
as the earth extends.... The city of our God, of which we are the
citizens, reaches to all the regions of the heavens; and it is greater
than the city, by the holy prophets named Babylon, which pretends
to be divine, wins herself to heaven, and brags that her wisdom is
immortal; and finally, though without reason, that she never did err,
nor ever can.”—Gerard Brandt, History of the Reformation in and
About the Low Countries 1:6.
[238] Others arose from century to century to echo this protest. And
those early teachers who, traversing different lands and known by
various names, bore the character of the Vaudois missionaries, and
spread everywhere the knowledge of the gospel, penetrated to the
Netherlands. Their doctrines spread rapidly. The Waldensian Bible
they translated in verse into the Dutch language. They declared “that
there was great advantage in it; no jests, no fables, no trifles, no
deceits, but the words of truth; that indeed there was here and there
a hard crust, but that the marrow and sweetness of what was good
and holy might be easily discovered in it.”—Ibid. 1:14. Thus wrote
the friends of the ancient faith, in the twelfth century.
202
 Netherlands and Scandinavia 203

Now began the Romish persecutions; but in the midst of fagots

and torture the believers continued to multiply, steadfastly declar-
ing that the Bible is the only infallible authority in religion, and
that “no man should be coerced to believe, but should be won by
preaching.”—Martyn 2:87.
The teachings of Luther found a congenial soil in the Nether-
lands, and earnest and faithful men arose to preach the gospel. From
one of the provinces of Holland came Menno Simons. Educated a
Roman Catholic and ordained to the priesthood, he was wholly igno-
rant of the Bible, and he would not read it for fear of being beguiled
into heresy. When a doubt concerning the doctrine of transubstan-
tiation forced itself upon him, he regarded it as a temptation from
Satan, and by prayer and confession sought to free himself from it;
but in vain. By mingling in scenes of dissipation he endeavored to
silence the accusing voice of conscience; but without avail. After a
time he was led to the study of the New Testament, and this, with
Luther’s writings, caused him to accept the reformed faith. He soon
after witnessed in a neighboring village the beheading of a man who
was put to death for having been rebaptized. This led him to study
the Bible in regard to infant baptism. He could find no evidence for
it in the Scriptures, but saw that repentance and faith are everywhere [239]
required as the condition of receiving baptism.
Menno withdrew from the Roman Church and devoted his life
to teaching the truths which he had received. In both Germany and
the Netherlands a class of fanatics had risen, advocating absurd and
seditious doctrines, outraging order and decency, and proceeding to
violence and insurrection. Menno saw the horrible results to which
these movements would inevitably lead, and he strenuously opposed
the erroneous teachings and wild schemes of the fanatics. There
were many, however, who had been misled by these fanatics, but
who had renounced their pernicious doctrines; and there were still
remaining many descendants of the ancient Christians, the fruits of
the Waldensian teaching. Among these classes Menno labored with
great zeal and success.
For twenty-five years he traveled, with his wife and children,
enduring great hardships and privations, and frequently in peril of his
life. He traversed the Netherlands and northern Germany, laboring
chiefly among the humbler classes but exerting a widespread influ-
 204 The Great Controversy

ence. Naturally eloquent, though possessing a limited education,

he was a man of unwavering integrity, of humble spirit and gentle
manners, and of sincere and earnest piety, exemplifying in his own
life the precepts which he taught, and he commanded the confidence
of the people. His followers were scattered and oppressed. They suf-
fered greatly from being confounded with the fanatical Munsterites.
Yet great numbers were converted under his labors.
Nowhere were the reformed doctrines more generally received
than in the Netherlands. In few countries did their adherents endure
more terrible persecution. In Germany Charles V had banned the
Reformation, and he would gladly have brought all its adherents to
the stake; but the princes stood up as a barrier against his tyranny.
In the Netherlands his power was greater, and persecuting edicts
followed each other in quick succession. To read the Bible, to hear
[240] or preach it, or even to speak concerning it, was to incur the penalty
of death by the stake. To pray to God in secret, to refrain from
bowing to an image, or to sing a psalm, was also punishable with
death. Even those who should abjure their errors were condemned,
if men, to die by the sword; if women, to be buried alive. Thousands
perished under the reign of Charles and of Philip II.
At one time a whole family was brought before the inquisitors,
charged with remaining away from mass and worshiping at home.
On his examination as to their practices in secret the youngest son
answered: “We fall on our knees, and pray that God may enlighten
our minds and pardon our sins; we pray for our sovereign, that
his reign may be prosperous and his life happy; we pray for our
magistrates, that God may preserve them.”—Wylie, b. 18, ch. 6.
Some of the judges were deeply moved, yet the father and one of his
sons were condemned to the stake.
The rage of the persecutors was equaled by the faith of the
martyrs. Not only men but delicate women and young maidens
displayed unflinching courage. “Wives would take their stand by
their husband’s stake, and while he was enduring the fire they would
whisper words of solace, or sing psalms to cheer him.” “Young
maidens would lie down in their living grave as if they were entering
into their chamber of nightly sleep; or go forth to the scaffold and
the fire, dressed in their best apparel, as if they were going to their
marriage.”—Ibid., b. 18, ch. 6.
 Netherlands and Scandinavia 205

As in the days when paganism sought to destroy the gospel, the

blood of the Christians was seed. (See Tertullian, Apology, paragraph
50.) Persecution served to increase the number of witnesses for
the truth. Year after year the monarch, stung to madness by the
unconquerable determination of the people, urged on his cruel work;
but in vain. Under the noble William of Orange the Revolution at
last brought to Holland freedom to worship God.
In the mountains of Piedmont, on the plains of France and the
shores of Holland, the progress of the gospel was marked with the [241]
blood of its disciples. But in the countries of the North it found
a peaceful entrance. Students at Wittenberg, returning to their
homes, carried the reformed faith to Scandinavia. The publica-
tion of Luther’s writings also spread the light. The simple, hardy
people of the North turned from the corruption, the pomp, and the
superstitions of Rome, to welcome the purity, the simplicity, and the
life-giving truths of the Bible.
Tausen, “the Reformer of Denmark,” was a peasant’s son. The
boy early gave evidence of vigorous intellect; he thirsted for an edu-
cation; but this was denied him by the circumstances of his parents,
and he entered a cloister. Here the purity of his life, together with
his diligence and fidelity, won the favor of his superior. Examination
showed him to possess talent that promised at some future day good
service to the church. It was determined to give him an education
at some one of the universities of Germany or the Netherlands. The
young student was granted permission to choose a school for himself,
with one proviso, that he must not go to Wittenberg. The scholar
of the church was not to be endangered by the poison of heresy. So
said the friars.
Tausen went to Cologne, which was then, as now, one of the
strongholds of Romanism. Here he soon became disgusted with
the mysticisms of the schoolmen. About the same time he obtained
Luther’s writings. He read them with wonder and delight, and
greatly desired to enjoy the personal instruction of the Reformer.
But to do so he must risk giving offense to his monastic superior and
forfeiting his support. His decision was soon made, and erelong he
was enrolled as a student at Wittenberg.
On returning to Denmark, he again repaired to his cloister. No
one as yet suspected him of Lutheranism; he did not reveal his secret,
 206 The Great Controversy

but endeavored, without exciting the prejudices of his companions,

to lead them to a purer faith and a holier life. He opened the Bible,
and explained its true meaning, and at last preached Christ to them as
the sinner’s righteousness and his only hope of salvation. Great was
[242] the wrath of the prior, who had built high hopes upon him as a valiant
defender of Rome. He was at once removed from his own monastery
to another and confined to his cell under strict supervision.
To the terror of his new guardians several of the monks soon
declared themselves converts to Protestantism. Through the bars of
his cell Tausen had communicated to his companions a knowledge
of the truth. Had those Danish fathers been skilled in the church’s
plan of dealing with heresy, Tausen’s voice would never again have
been heard; but instead of consigning him to a tomb in some under-
ground dungeon, they expelled him from the monastery. Now they
were powerless. A royal edict, just issued, offered protection to the
teachers of the new doctrine. Tausen began to preach. The churches
were opened to him, and the people thronged to listen. Others also
were preaching the word of God. The New Testament, translated
into the Danish tongue, was widely circulated. The efforts made
by the papists to overthrow the work resulted in extending it, and
erelong Denmark declared its acceptance of the reformed faith.
In Sweden, also, young men who had drunk from the well of Wit-
tenberg carried the water of life to their countrymen. Two of the lead-
ers in the Swedish Reformation, Olaf and Laurentius Petri, the sons
of a blacksmith of Orebro, studied under Luther and Melanchthon,
and the truths which they thus learned they were diligent to teach.
Like the great Reformer, Olaf aroused the people by his zeal and elo-
quence, while Laurentius, like Melanchthon, was learned, thought-
ful, and calm. Both were men of ardent piety, of high theological
attainments, and of unflinching courage in advancing the truth. Pa-
pist opposition was not lacking. The Catholic priest stirred up the
ignorant and superstitious people. Olaf Petri was often assailed by
the mob, and upon several occasions barely escaped with his life.
These Reformers were, however, favored and protected by the king.
[243] Under the rule of the Roman Church the people were sunken
in poverty and ground down by oppression. They were destitute of
the Scriptures; and having a religion of mere signs and ceremonies,
which conveyed no light to the mind, they were returning to the
 Netherlands and Scandinavia 207

superstitious beliefs and pagan practices of their heathen ancestors.

The nation was divided into contending factions, whose perpetual
strife increased the misery of all. The king determined upon a
reformation in the state and the church, and he welcomed these able
assistants in the battle against Rome.
In the presence of the monarch and the leading men of Sweden,
Olaf Petri with great ability defended the doctrines of the reformed
faith against the Romish champions. He declared that the teachings
of the Fathers are to be received only when in accordance with the
Scriptures; that the essential doctrines of the faith are presented in the
Bible in a clear and simple manner, so that all men may understand
them. Christ said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me”
(John 7:16); and Paul declared that should he preach any other gospel
than that which he had received, he would be accursed (Galatians
1:8). “How, then,” said the Reformer, “shall others presume to enact
dogmas at their pleasure, and impose them as things necessary to
salvation?”—Wylie, b. 10, ch. 4. He showed that the decrees of the
church are of no authority when in opposition to the commands of
God, and maintained the great Protestant principle that “the Bible
and the Bible only” is the rule of faith and practice.
This contest, though conducted upon a stage comparatively ob-
scure, serves to show us “the sort of men that formed the rank and
file of the army of the Reformers. They were not illiterate, sectarian,
noisy controversialists—far from it; they were men who had studied
the word of God, and knew well how to wield the weapons with
which the armory of the Bible supplied them. In respect of erudition
they were ahead of their age. When we confine our attention to
such brilliant centers as Wittenberg and Zurich, and to such illus-
trious names as those of Luther and Melanchthon, of Zwingli and [244]
Oecolampadius, we are apt to be told, these were the leaders of
the movement, and we should naturally expect in them prodigious
power and vast acquisitions; but the subordinates were not like these.
Well, we turn to the obscure theater of Sweden, and the humble
names of Olaf and Laurentius Petri—from the masters to the disci-
ples—what do we find? ... Scholars and theologians; men who have
thoroughly mastered the whole system of gospel truth, and who win
an easy victory over the sophists of the schools and the dignitaries
of Rome.”—Ibid., b. 10, ch. 4.
208 The Great Controversy

As the result of this disputation the king of Sweden accepted

the Protestant faith, and not long afterward the national assembly
declared in its favor. The New Testament had been translated by
Olaf Petri into the Swedish language, and at the desire of the king
the two brothers undertook the translation of the whole Bible. Thus
for the first time the people of Sweden received the word of God
in their native tongue. It was ordered by the Diet that throughout
the kingdom, ministers should explain the Scriptures and that the
children in the schools should be taught to read the Bible.
Steadily and surely the darkness of ignorance and superstition
was dispelled by the blessed light of the gospel. Freed from Romish
oppression, the nation attained to a strength and greatness it had
never before reached. Sweden became one of the bulwarks of Protes-
tantism. A century later, at a time of sorest peril, this small and
hitherto feeble nation—the only one in Europe that dared lend a
helping hand—came to the deliverance of Germany in the terrible
struggle of the Thirty Years’ War. All Northern Europe seemed
about to be brought again under the tyranny of Rome. It was the
armies of Sweden that enabled Germany to turn the tide of popish
success, to win toleration for the Protestants,—Calvinists as well as
Lutherans,—and to restore liberty of conscience to those countries
that had accepted the Reformation.
 Chapter 14—Later English Reformers [245]

While Luther was opening a closed Bible to the people of Ger-

many, Tyndale was impelled by the Spirit of God to do the same for
England. Wycliffe’s Bible had been translated from the Latin text,
which contained many errors. It had never been printed, and the
cost of manuscript copies was so great that few but wealthy men or
nobles could procure it; and, furthermore, being strictly proscribed
by the church, it had had a comparatively narrow circulation. In
1516, a year before the appearance of Luther’s theses, Erasmus had
published his Greek and Latin version of the New Testament. Now
for the first time the word of God was printed in the original tongue.
In this work many errors of former versions were corrected, and the
sense was more clearly rendered. It led many among the educated
classes to a better knowledge of the truth, and gave a new impetus
to the work of reform. But the common people were still, to a great
extent, debarred from God’s word. Tyndale was to complete the
work of Wycliffe in giving the Bible to his countrymen.
A diligent student and an earnest seeker for truth, he had received
the gospel from the Greek Testament of Erasmus. He fearlessly
preached his convictions, urging that all doctrines be tested by the
Scriptures. To the papist claim that the church had given the Bible,
and the church alone could explain it, Tyndale responded: “Do you
know who taught the eagles to find their prey? Well, that same God [246]
teaches His hungry children to find their Father in His word. Far
from having given us the Scriptures, it is you who have hidden them
from us; it is you who burn those who teach them, and if you could,
you would burn the Scriptures themselves.”—D’Aubigne, History
of the Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, b. 18, ch. 4.
Tyndale’s preaching excited great interest; many accepted the
truth. But the priests were on the alert, and no sooner had he left the
field than they by their threats and misrepresentations endeavored
to destroy his work. Too often they succeeded. “What is to be
done?” he exclaimed. “While I am sowing in one place, the enemy
209
 210 The Great Controversy

ravages the field I have just left. I cannot be everywhere. Oh! if

Christians possessed the Holy Scriptures in their own tongue, they
could of themselves withstand these sophists. Without the Bible it is
impossible to establish the laity in the truth.”—Ibid., b. 18, ch. 4.
A new purpose now took possession of his mind. “It was in the
language of Israel,” said he, “that the psalms were sung in the temple
of Jehovah; and shall not the gospel speak the language of England
among us? ... Ought the church to have less light at noonday than
at the dawn? ... Christians must read the New Testament in their
mother tongue.” The doctors and teachers of the church disagreed
among themselves. Only by the Bible could men arrive at the truth.
“One holdeth this doctor, another that.... Now each of these authors
contradicts the other. How then can we distinguish him who says
right from him who says wrong? ... How? ... Verily by God’s
word.”—Ibid., b. 18, ch. 4.
It was not long after that a learned Catholic doctor, engaging in
controversy with him, exclaimed: “We were better to be without
God’s laws than the pope’s.” Tyndale replied: “I defy the pope and
all his laws; and if God spare my life, ere many years I will cause
a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scripture than you
do.”—Anderson, Annals of the English Bible, page 19.
[247] The purpose which he had begun to cherish, of giving to the
people the New Testament Scriptures in their own language, was
now confirmed, and he immediately applied himself to the work.
Driven from his home by persecution, he went to London, and there
for a time pursued his labors undisturbed. But again the violence of
the papists forced him to flee. All England seemed closed against
him, and he resolved to seek shelter in Germany. Here he began
the printing of the English New Testament. Twice the work was
stopped; but when forbidden to print in one city, he went to another.
At last he made his way to Worms, where, a few years before, Luther
had defended the gospel before the Diet. In that ancient city were
many friends of the Reformation, and Tyndale there prosecuted his
work without further hindrance. Three thousand copies of the New
Testament were soon finished, and another edition followed in the
same year.
With great earnestness and perseverance he continued his labors.
Notwithstanding the English authorities had guarded their ports with
 Later English Reformers 211

the strictest vigilance, the word of God was in various ways secretly
conveyed to London and thence circulated throughout the country.
The papists attempted to suppress the truth, but in vain. The bishop
of Durham at one time bought of a bookseller who was a friend of
Tyndale his whole stock of Bibles, for the purpose of destroying
them, supposing that this would greatly hinder the work. But, on
the contrary, the money thus furnished, purchased material for a
new and better edition, which, but for this, could not have been
published. When Tyndale was afterward made a prisoner, his liberty
was offered him on condition that he would reveal the names of
those who had helped him meet the expense of printing his Bibles.
He replied that the bishop of Durham had done more than any other
person; for by paying a large price for the books left on hand, he had
enabled him to go on with good courage.
Tyndale was betrayed into the hands of his enemies, and at one
time suffered imprisonment for many months. He finally witnessed
for his faith by a martyr’s death; but the weapons which he prepared
have enabled other soldiers to do battle through all the centuries [248]
even to our time.
Latimer maintained from the pulpit that the Bible ought to be
read in the language of the people. The Author of Holy Scripture,
said he, “is God Himself;” and this Scripture partakes of the might
and eternity of its Author. “There is no king, emperor, magistrate,
and ruler ... but are bound to obey ... His holy word.” “Let us not
take any bywalks, but let God’s word direct us: let us not walk after
... our forefathers, nor seek not what they did, but what they should
have done.”—Hugh Latimer, “First Sermon Preached Before King
Edward VI.”
Barnes and Frith, the faithful friends of Tyndale, arose to defend
the truth. The Ridleys and Cranmer followed. These leaders in the
English Reformation were men of learning, and most of them had
been highly esteemed for zeal or piety in the Romish communion.
Their opposition to the papacy was the result of their knowledge of
the errors of the “holy see.” Their acquaintance with the mysteries
of Babylon gave greater power to their testimonies against her.
“Now I would ask a strange question,” said Latimer. “Who is
the most diligent bishop and prelate in all England? ... I see you
listening and hearkening that I should name him.... I will tell you: it
 212 The Great Controversy

is the devil.... He is never out of his diocese; call for him when you
will, he is ever at home; ... he is ever at his plow.... Ye shall never
find him idle, I warrant you.... Where the devil is resident, ... there
away with books, and up with candles; away with Bibles, and up
with beads; away with the light of the gospel, and up with the light
of candles, yea, at noondays; ... down with Christ’s cross, up with
purgatory pickpurse; ... away with clothing the naked, the poor, and
impotent, up with decking of images and gay garnishing of stocks
and stones; up with man’s traditions and his laws, down with God’s
traditions and His most holy word.... O that our prelates would be as
diligent to sow the corn of good doctrine, as Satan is to sow cockle
and darnel!”—Ibid., “Sermon of the Plough.”
[249] The grand principle maintained by these Reformers—the same
that had been held by the Waldenses, by Wycliffe, by John Huss, by
Luther, Zwingli, and those who united with them—was the infallible
authority of the Holy Scriptures as a rule of faith and practice. They
denied the right of popes, councils, Fathers, and kings, to control
the conscience in matters of religion. The Bible was their authority,
and by its teaching they tested all doctrines and all claims. Faith in
God and His word sustained these holy men as they yielded up their
lives at the stake. “Be of good comfort,” exclaimed Latimer to his
fellow martyr as the flames were about to silence their voices, “we
shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I
trust shall never be put out.”—Works of Hugh Latimer 1:8.
In Scotland the seeds of truth scattered by Columba and his
colaborers had never been wholly destroyed. For hundreds of years
after the churches of England submitted to Rome, those of Scotland
maintained their freedom. In the twelfth century, however, popery
became established here, and in no country did it exercise a more
absolute sway. Nowhere was the darkness deeper. Still there came
rays of light to pierce the gloom and give promise of the coming day.
The Lollards, coming from England with the Bible and the teachings
of Wycliffe, did much to preserve the knowledge of the gospel, and
every century had its witnesses and martyrs.
With the opening of the Great Reformation came the writings
of Luther, and then Tyndale’s English New Testament. Unnoticed
by the hierarchy, these messengers silently traversed the mountains
and valleys, kindling into new life the torch of truth so nearly ex-
 Later English Reformers 213

tinguished in Scotland, and undoing the work which Rome for four
centuries of oppression had done.
Then the blood of martyrs gave fresh impetus to the movement.
The papist leaders, suddenly awakening to the danger that threat-
ened their cause, brought to the stake some of the noblest and most [250]
honored of the sons of Scotland. They did but erect a pulpit, from
which the words of these dying witnesses were heard throughout the
land, thrilling the souls of the people with an undying purpose to
cast off the shackles of Rome.
Hamilton and Wishart, princely in character as in birth, with a
long line of humbler disciples, yielded up their lives at the stake. But
from the burning pile of Wishart there came one whom the flames
were not to silence, one who under God was to strike the death knell
of popery in Scotland.
John Knox had turned away from the traditions and mysticisms
of the church, to feed upon the truths of God’s word; and the teaching
of Wishart had confirmed his determination to forsake the commu-
nion of Rome and join himself to the persecuted Reformers.
Urged by his companions to take the office of preacher, he shrank
with trembling from its responsibility, and it was only after days of
seclusion and painful conflict with himself that he consented. But
having once accepted the position, he pressed forward with inflexible
determination and undaunted courage as long as life continued.
This truehearted Reformer feared not the face of man. The fires of
martyrdom, blazing around him, served only to quicken his zeal to
greater intensity. With the tyrant’s ax held menacingly over his head,
he stood his ground, striking sturdy blows on the right hand and on
the left to demolish idolatry.
When brought face to face with the queen of Scotland, in whose
presence the zeal of many a leader of the Protestants had abated, John
Knox bore unswerving witness for the truth. He was not to be won
by caresses; he quailed not before threats. The queen charged him
with heresy. He had taught the people to receive a religion prohibited
by the state, she declared, and had thus transgressed God’s command
enjoining subjects to obey their princes. Knox answered firmly:
“As right religion took neither original strength nor authority
from worldly princes, but from the eternal God alone, so are not
subjects bound to frame their religion according to the appetites of [251]
 214 The Great Controversy

their princes. For oft it is that princes are the most ignorant of all
others in God’s true religion.... If all the seed of Abraham had been
of the religion of Pharaoh, whose subjects they long were, I pray
you, madam, what religion would there have been in the world? Or
if all men in the days of the apostles had been of the religion of the
Roman emperors, what religion would there have been upon the face
of the earth? ... And so, madam, ye may perceive that subjects are
not bound to the religion of their princes, albeit they are commanded
to give them obedience.”
Said Mary: “Ye interpret the Scriptures in one manner, and they
[the Roman Catholic teachers] interpret in another; whom shall I
believe, and who shall be judge?”
“Ye shall believe God, that plainly speaketh in His word,” an-
swered the Reformer; “and farther than the word teaches you, ye
neither shall believe the one nor the other. The word of God is plain
in itself; and if there appear any obscurity in one place, the Holy
Ghost, which is never contrary to Himself, explains the same more
clearly in other places, so that there can remain no doubt but unto
such as obstinately remain ignorant.”—David Laing, The Collected
Works of John Knox, vol. 2, pp. 281, 284.
Such were the truths that the fearless Reformer, at the peril of his
life, spoke in the ear of royalty. With the same undaunted courage
he kept to his purpose, praying and fighting the battles of the Lord,
until Scotland was free from popery.
In England the establishment of Protestantism as the national
religion diminished, but did not wholly stop, persecution. While
many of the doctrines of Rome had been renounced, not a few of its
forms were retained. The supremacy of the pope was rejected, but in
his place the monarch was enthroned as the head of the church. In the
service of the church there was still a wide departure from the purity
and simplicity of the gospel. The great principle of religious liberty
[252] was not yet understood. Though the horrible cruelties which Rome
employed against heresy were resorted to but rarely by Protestant
rulers, yet the right of every man to worship God according to
the dictates of his own conscience was not acknowledged. All
were required to accept the doctrines and observe the forms of
worship prescribed by the established church. Dissenters suffered
persecution, to a greater or less extent, for hundreds of years.
 Later English Reformers 215

In the seventeenth century thousands of pastors were expelled

from their positions. The people were forbidden, on pain of heavy
fines, imprisonment, and banishment, to attend any religious meet-
ings except such as were sanctioned by the church. Those faithful
souls who could not refrain from gathering to worship God were
compelled to meet in dark alleys, in obscure garrets, and at some
seasons in the woods at midnight. In the sheltering depths of the
forest, a temple of God’s own building, those scattered and perse-
cuted children of the Lord assembled to pour out their souls in prayer
and praise. But despite all their precautions, many suffered for their
faith. The jails were crowded. Families were broken up. Many
were banished to foreign lands. Yet God was with His people, and
persecution could not prevail to silence their testimony. Many were
driven across the ocean to America and here laid the foundations of
civil and religious liberty which have been the bulwark and glory of
this country.
Again, as in apostolic days, persecution turned out to the further-
ance of the gospel. In a loathsome dungeon crowded with profligates
and felons, John Bunyan breathed the very atmosphere of heaven;
and there he wrote his wonderful allegory of the pilgrim’s journey
from the land of destruction to the celestial city. For over two hun-
dred years that voice from Bedford jail has spoken with thrilling
power to the hearts of men. Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress and Grace
Abounding to the Chief of Sinners have guided many feet into the
path of life.
Baxter, Flavel, Alleine, and other men of talent, education, and
deep Christian experience stood up in valiant defense of the faith [253]
which was once delivered to the saints. The work accomplished by
these men, proscribed and outlawed by the rulers of this world, can
never perish. Flavel’s Fountain of Life and Method of Grace have
taught thousands how to commit the keeping of their souls to Christ.
Baxter’s Reformed Pastor has proved a blessing to many who desire
a revival of the work of God, and his Saints’ Everlasting Rest has
done its work in leading souls to the “rest” that remaineth for the
people of God.
A hundred years later, in a day of great spiritual darkness, White-
field and the Wesleys appeared as light bearers for God. Under the
rule of the established church the people of England had lapsed
 216 The Great Controversy

into a state of religious declension hardly to be distinguished from

heathenism. Natural religion was the favorite study of the clergy,
and included most of their theology. The higher classes sneered at
piety, and prided themselves on being above what they called its fa-
naticism. The lower classes were grossly ignorant and abandoned to
vice, while the church had no courage or faith any longer to support
the downfallen cause of truth.
The great doctrine of justification by faith, so clearly taught
by Luther, had been almost wholly lost sight of; and the Romish
principle of trusting to good works for salvation, had taken its place.
Whitefield and the Wesleys, who were members of the established
church, were sincere seekers for the favor of God, and this they had
been taught was to be secured by a virtuous life and an observance
of the ordinances of religion.
When Charles Wesley at one time fell ill, and anticipated that
death was approaching, he was asked upon what he rested his hope
of eternal life. His answer was: “I have used my best endeavors to
serve God.” As the friend who had put the question seemed not to
be fully satisfied with his answer, Wesley thought: “What! are not
my endeavors a sufficient ground of hope? Would he rob me of my
endeavors? I have nothing else to trust to.”—John Whitehead, Life
of the Rev. Charles Wesley, page 102. Such was the dense darkness
[254] that had settled down on the church, hiding the atonement, robbing
Christ of His glory, and turning the minds of men from their only
hope of salvation—the blood of the crucified Redeemer.
Wesley and his associates were led to see that true religion is
seated in the heart, and that God’s law extends to the thoughts as
well as to the words and actions. Convinced of the necessity of
holiness of heart, as well as correctness of outward deportment, they
set out in earnest upon a new life. By the most diligent and prayerful
efforts they endeavored to subdue the evils of the natural heart.
They lived a life of self-denial, charity, and humiliation, observing
with great rigor and exactness every measure which they thought
could be helpful to them in obtaining what they most desired—that
holiness which could secure the favor of God. But they did not
obtain the object which they sought. In vain were their endeavors to
free themselves from the condemnation of sin or to break its power.
It was the same struggle which Luther had experienced in his cell at
 Later English Reformers 217

Erfurt. It was the same question which had tortured his soul—“How
should man be just before God?” Job 9:2.
The fires of divine truth, well-nigh extinguished upon the altars
of Protestantism, were to be rekindled from the ancient torch handed
down the ages by the Bohemian Christians. After the Reformation,
Protestantism in Bohemia had been trampled out by the hordes
of Rome. All who refused to renounce the truth were forced to
flee. Some of these, finding refuge in Saxony, there maintained the
ancient faith. It was from the descendants of these Christians that
light came to Wesley and his associates.
John and Charles Wesley, after being ordained to the ministry,
were sent on a mission to America. On board the ship was a company
of Moravians. Violent storms were encountered on the passage, and
John Wesley, brought face to face with death, felt that he had not
the assurance of peace with God. The Germans, on the contrary,
manifested a calmness and trust to which he was a stranger.
“I had long before,” he says, “observed the great seriousness of [255]
their behavior. Of their humility they had given a continual proof,
by performing those servile offices for the other passengers which
none of the English would undertake; for which they desired and
would receive no pay, saying it was good for their proud hearts, and
their loving Saviour had done more for them. And every day had
given them occasion of showing a meekness which no injury could
move. If they were pushed, struck, or thrown about, they rose again
and went away; but no complaint was found in their mouth. There
was now an opportunity of trying whether they were delivered from
the spirit of fear, as well as from that of pride, anger, and revenge. In
the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke
over, split the mainsail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in
between the decks as if the great deep had already swallowed us up.
A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly
sang on. I asked one of them afterwards, ‘Were you not afraid?’ He
answered, ‘I thank God, no.’ I asked, ‘But were not your women and
children afraid?’ He replied mildly, ‘No; our women and children
are not afraid to die.’”—Whitehead, Life of the Rev. John Wesley,
page 10.
Upon arriving in Savannah, Wesley for a short time abode with
the Moravians, and was deeply impressed with their Christian de-
 218 The Great Controversy

portment. Of one of their religious services, in striking contrast to

the lifeless formalism of the Church of England, he wrote: “The
great simplicity as well as solemnity of the whole almost made
me forget the seventeen hundred years between, and imagine my-
self in one of those assemblies where form and state were not; but
Paul, the tentmaker, or Peter, the fisherman, presided; yet with the
demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”—Ibid., pages 11, 12.
On his return to England, Wesley, under the instruction of a
Moravian preacher, arrived at a clearer understanding of Bible faith.
He was convinced that he must renounce all dependence upon his
[256] own works for salvation and must trust wholly to “the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” At a meeting of
the Moravian society in London a statement was read from Luther,
describing the change which the Spirit of God works in the heart of
the believer. As Wesley listened, faith was kindled in his soul. “I
felt my heart strangely warmed,” he says. “I felt I did trust in Christ,
Christ alone, for salvation: and an assurance was given me, that He
had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of
sin and death.”—Ibid., page 52.
Through long years of wearisome and comfortless striving—
years of rigorous self-denial, of reproach and humiliation—Wesley
had steadfastly adhered to his one purpose of seeking God. Now he
had found Him; and he found that the grace which he had toiled to
win by prayers and fasts, by almsdeeds and self-abnegation, was a
gift, “without money and without price.”
Once established in the faith of Christ, his whole soul burned
with the desire to spread everywhere a knowledge of the glorious
gospel of God’s free grace. “I look upon all the world as my parish,”
he said; “in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my
bounden duty, to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad
tidings of salvation.”—Ibid., page 74.
He continued his strict and self-denying life, not now as the
ground, but the result of faith; not the root, but the fruit of holiness.
The grace of God in Christ is the foundation of the Christian’s hope,
and that grace will be manifested in obedience. Wesley’s life was
devoted to the preaching of the great truths which he had received—
justification through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, and the
 Later English Reformers 219

renewing power of the Holy Spirit upon the heart, bringing forth
fruit in a life conformed to the example of Christ.
Whitefield and the Wesleys had been prepared for their work
by long and sharp personal convictions of their own lost condition;
and that they might be able to endure hardness as good soldiers of [257]
Christ, they had been subjected to the fiery ordeal of scorn, derision,
and persecution, both in the university and as they were entering
the ministry. They and a few others who sympathized with them
were contemptuously called Methodists by their ungodly fellow
students—a name which is at the present time regarded as honorable
by one of the largest denominations in England and America.
As members of the Church of England they were strongly at-
tached to her forms of worship, but the Lord had presented before
them in His word a higher standard. The Holy Spirit urged them to
preach Christ and Him crucified. The power of the Highest attended
their labors. Thousands were convicted and truly converted. It was
necessary that these sheep be protected from ravening wolves. Wes-
ley had no thought of forming a new denomination, but he organized
them under what was called the Methodist Connection.
Mysterious and trying was the opposition which these preachers
encountered from the established church; yet God, in His wisdom,
had overruled events to cause the reform to begin within the church
itself. Had it come wholly from without, it would not have penetrated
where it was so much needed. But as the revival preachers were
churchmen, and labored within the pale of the church wherever they
could find opportunity, the truth had an entrance where the doors
would otherwise have remained closed. Some of the clergy were
roused from their moral stupor and became zealous preachers in
their own parishes. Churches that had been petrified by formalism
were quickened into life.
In Wesley’s time, as in all ages of the church’s history, men
of different gifts performed their appointed work. They did not
harmonize upon every point of doctrine, but all were moved by the
Spirit of God, and united in the absorbing aim to win souls to Christ.
The differences between Whitefield and the Wesleys threatened at
one time to create alienation; but as they learned meekness in the [258]
school of Christ, mutual forbearance and charity reconciled them.
 220 The Great Controversy

They had no time to dispute, while error and iniquity were teeming
everywhere, and sinners were going down to ruin.
The servants of God trod a rugged path. Men of influence and
learning employed their powers against them. After a time many
of the clergy manifested determined hostility, and the doors of the
churches were closed against a pure faith and those who proclaimed
it. The course of the clergy in denouncing them from the pulpit
aroused the elements of darkness, ignorance, and iniquity. Again
and again did John Wesley escape death by a miracle of God’s mercy.
When the rage of the mob was excited against him, and there seemed
no way of escape, an angel in human form came to his side, the mob
fell back, and the servant of Christ passed in safety from the place
of danger.
Of his deliverance from the enraged mob on one of these occa-
sions, Wesley said: “Many endeavored to throw me down while we
were going down hill on a slippery path to the town; as well judging
that if I was once on the ground, I should hardly rise any more. But
I made no stumble at all, nor the least slip, till I was entirely out
of their hands.... Although many strove to lay hold on my collar or
clothes, to pull me down, they could not fasten at all: only one got
fast hold of the flap of my waistcoat, which was soon left in his hand;
the other flap, in the pocket of which was a bank note, was torn but
half off.... A lusty man just behind, struck at me several times, with
a large oaken stick; with which if he had struck me once on the back
part of my head, it would have saved him all further trouble. But
every time, the blow was turned aside, I know not how; for I could
not move to the right hand or left.... Another came rushing through
the press, and raising his arm to strike, on a sudden let it drop, and
only stroked my head, saying, ‘What soft hair he has!’ ... The very
first men whose hearts were turned were the heroes of the town, the
[259] captains of the rabble on all occasions, one of them having been a
prize fighter at the bear gardens....
“By how gentle degrees does God prepare us for His will! Two
years ago, a piece of brick grazed my shoulders. It was a year after
that the stone struck me between the eyes. Last month I received one
blow, and this evening two, one before we came into the town, and
one after we were gone out; but both were as nothing: for though
one man struck me on the breast with all his might, and the other on
 Later English Reformers 221

the mouth with such force that the blood gushed out immediately, I
felt no more pain from either of the blows than if they had touched
me with a straw.”—John Wesley, Works, vol. 3, pp. 297, 298.
The Methodists of those early days—people as well as preach-
ers—endured ridicule and persecution, alike from church members
and from the openly irreligious who were inflamed by their misrepre-
sentations. They were arraigned before courts of justice—such only
in name, for justice was rare in the courts of that time. Often they
suffered violence from their persecutors. Mobs went from house
to house, destroying furniture and goods, plundering whatever they
chose, and brutally abusing men, women, and children. In some
instances, public notices were posted, calling upon those who de-
sired to assist in breaking the windows and robbing the houses of
the Methodists, to assemble at a given time and place. These open
violations of both human and divine law were allowed to pass with-
out a reprimand. A systematic persecution was carried on against
a people whose only fault was that of seeking to turn the feet of
sinners from the path of destruction to the path of holiness.
Said John Wesley, referring to the charges against himself and
his associates: “Some allege that the doctrines of these men are
false, erroneous, and enthusiastic; that they are new and unheard-of
till of late; that they are Quakerism, fanaticism, popery. This whole
pretense has been already cut up by the roots, it having been shown
at large that every branch of this doctrine is the plain doctrine of
Scripture interpreted by our own church. Therefore it cannot be [260]
either false or erroneous, provided the Scripture be true.” “Others
allege, ‘Their doctrine is too strict; they make the way to heaven
too narrow.’ And this is in truth the original objection, (as it was
almost the only one for some time,) and is secretly at the bottom
of a thousand more, which appear in various forms. But do they
make the way to heaven any narrower than our Lord and His apostles
made it? Is their doctrine stricter than that of the Bible? Consider
only a few plain texts: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy strength.’ ‘For every idle word which men shall speak, they shall
give an account in the day of judgment.’ ‘Whether ye eat, or drink,
or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’
 222 The Great Controversy

“If their doctrine is stricter than this, they are to blame; but you
know in your conscience it is not. And who can be one jot less
strict without corrupting the word of God? Can any steward of the
mysteries of God be found faithful if he change any part of that
sacred depositum? No. He can abate nothing, he can soften nothing;
he is constrained to declare to all men, ‘I may not bring down the
Scripture to your taste. You must come up to it, or perish forever.’
This is the real ground of that other popular cry concerning ‘the
uncharitableness of these men.’ Uncharitable, are they? In what
respect? Do they not feed the hungry and clothe the naked? ‘No;
that is not the thing: they are not wanting in this: but they are so
uncharitable in judging! they think none can be saved but those of
their own way.’”—Ibid., vol. 3, pp. 152, 153.
The spiritual declension which had been manifest in England
just before the time of Wesley was in great degree the result of
antinomian teaching. Many affirmed that Christ had abolished the
moral law and that Christians are therefore under no obligation to
observe it; that a believer is freed from the “bondage of good works.”
[261] Others, though admitting the perpetuity of the law, declared that it
was unnecessary for ministers to exhort the people to obedience of its
precepts, since those whom God had elected to salvation would, “by
the irresistible impulse of divine grace, be led to the practice of piety
and virtue,” while those who were doomed to eternal reprobation
“did not have power to obey the divine law.”
Others, also holding that “the elect cannot fall from grace nor
forfeit the divine favor,” arrived at the still more hideous conclusion
that “the wicked actions they commit are not really sinful, nor to be
considered as instances of their violation of the divine law, and that,
consequently, they have no occasion either to confess their sins or
to break them off by repentance.”—McClintock and Strong, Cyclo-
pedia, art. “Antinomians.” Therefore, they declared that even one
of the vilest of sins, “considered universally an enormous violation
of the divine law, is not a sin in the sight of God,” if committed by
one of the elect, “because it is one of the essential and distinctive
characteristics of the elect, that they cannot do anything that is either
displeasing to God or prohibited by the law.”
These monstrous doctrines are essentially the same as the later
teaching of popular educators and theologians—that there is no
 Later English Reformers 223

unchangeable divine law as the standard of right, but that the standard
of morality is indicated by society itself, and has constantly been
subject to change. All these ideas are inspired by the same master
spirit—by him who, even among the sinless inhabitants of heaven,
began his work of seeking to break down the righteous restraints of
the law of God.
The doctrine of the divine decrees, unalterably fixing the char-
acter of men, had led many to a virtual rejection of the law of God.
Wesley steadfastly opposed the errors of the antinomian teachers and
showed that this doctrine which led to antinomianism was contrary
to the Scriptures. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath [262]
appeared to all men.” “This is good and acceptable in the sight of
God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come
unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave
Himself a ransom for all.” Titus 2:11; 1 Timothy 2:3-6. The Spirit
of God is freely bestowed to enable every man to lay hold upon the
means of salvation. Thus Christ, “the true Light,” “lighteth every
man that cometh into the world.” John 1:9. Men fail of salvation
through their own willful refusal of the gift of life.
In answer to the claim that at the death of Christ the precepts of
the Decalogue had been abolished with the ceremonial law, Wesley
said: “The moral law, contained in the Ten Commandments and
enforced by the prophets, He did not take away. It was not the
design of His coming to revoke any part of this. This is a law which
never can be broken, which ‘stands fast as the faithful witness in
heaven.’ ... This was from the beginning of the world, being ‘written
not on tables of stone,’ but on the hearts of all the children of men,
when they came out of the hands of the Creator. And however the
letters once wrote by the finger of God are now in a great measure
defaced by sin, yet can they not wholly be blotted out, while we
have any consciousness of good and evil. Every part of this law
must remain in force upon all mankind, and in all ages; as not
depending either on time or place, or any other circumstances liable
to change, but on the nature of God, and the nature of man, and their
unchangeable relation to each other.
“‘I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.’ ... Without question,
His meaning in this place is (consistently with all that goes before
 224 The Great Controversy

and follows after),—I am come to establish it in its fullness, in spite

of all the glosses of men: I am come to place in a full and clear
view whatsoever was dark or obscure therein: I am come to declare
the true and full import of every part of it; to show the length and
breadth, the entire extent, of every commandment contained therein,
[263] and the height and depth, the inconceivable purity and spirituality of
it in all its branches.”—Wesley, sermon 25.
Wesley declared the perfect harmony of the law and the gospel.
“There is, therefore, the closest connection that can be conceived,
between the law and the gospel. On the one hand, the law continually
makes way for, and points us to, the gospel; on the other, the gospel
continually leads us to a more exact fulfilling of the law. The law,
for instance, requires us to love God, to love our neighbor, to be
meek, humble, or holy. We feel that we are not sufficient for these
things; yea, that ‘with man this is impossible;’ but we see a promise
of God to give us that love, and to make us humble, meek, and holy:
we lay hold of this gospel, of these glad tidings; it is done unto us
according to our faith; and ‘the righteousness of the law is fulfilled
in us,’ through faith which is in Christ Jesus....
“In the highest rank of the enemies of the gospel of Christ,” said
Wesley, “are they who openly and explicitly ‘judge the law’ itself,
and ‘speak evil of the law;’ who teach men to break (to dissolve, to
loose, to untie the obligation of) not one only, whether of the least
or of the greatest, but all the commandments at a stroke.... The most
surprising of all the circumstances that attend this strong delusion,
is that they who are given up to it, really believe that they honor
Christ by overthrowing His law, and that they are magnifying His
office while they are destroying His doctrine! Yea, they honor Him
just as Judas did when he said, ‘Hail, Master, and kissed Him.’ And
He may as justly say to every one of them, ‘Betrayest thou the Son
of man with a kiss?’ It is no other than betraying Him with a kiss,
to talk of His blood, and take away His crown; to set light by any
part of His law, under pretense of advancing His gospel. Nor indeed
can anyone escape this charge, who preaches faith in any such a
manner as either directly or indirectly tends to set aside any branch
of obedience: who preaches Christ so as to disannul, or weaken in
any wise, the least of the commandments of God.”—Ibid.
[264] To those who urged that “the preaching of the gospel answers all
 Later English Reformers 225

the ends of the law,” Wesley replied: “This we utterly deny. It does
not answer the very first end of the law, namely, the convincing men
of sin, the awakening those who are still asleep on the brink of hell.”
The apostle Paul declares that “by the law is the knowledge of sin;”
“and not until man is convicted of sin, will he truly feel his need
of the atoning blood of Christ.... ‘They that be whole,’ as our Lord
Himself observes, ‘need not a physician, but they that are sick.’ It is
absurd, therefore, to offer a physician to them that are whole, or that
at least imagine themselves so to be. You are first to convince them
that they are sick; otherwise they will not thank you for your labor.
It is equally absurd to offer Christ to them whose heart is whole,
having never yet been broken.”—Ibid., sermon 35.
Thus while preaching the gospel of the grace of God, Wesley,
like his Master, sought to “magnify the law, and make it honorable.”
Faithfully did he accomplish the work given him of God, and glori-
ous were the results which he was permitted to behold. At the close
of his long life of more than fourscore years—above half a century
spent in itinerant ministry—his avowed adherents numbered more
than half a million souls. But the multitude that through his labors
had been lifted from the ruin and degradation of sin to a higher and
a purer life, and the number who by his teaching had attained to a
deeper and richer experience, will never be known till the whole fam-
ily of the redeemed shall be gathered into the kingdom of God. His
life presents a lesson of priceless worth to every Christian. Would
that the faith and humility, the untiring zeal, self-sacrifice, and devo-
tion of this servant of Christ might be reflected in the churches of
today!
[265] Chapter 15—The Bible and the French Revolution

In the sixteenth century the Reformation, presenting an open

Bible to the people, had sought admission to all the countries of
Europe. Some nations welcomed it with gladness, as a messenger
of Heaven. In other lands the papacy succeeded to a great extent in
preventing its entrance; and the light of Bible knowledge, with its
elevating influences, was almost wholly excluded. In one country,
though the light found entrance, it was not comprehended by the
darkness. For centuries, truth and error struggled for the mastery.
At last the evil triumphed, and the truth of Heaven was thrust out.
“This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light.” John 3:19. The nation was left to
reap the results of the course which she had chosen. The restraint of
God’s Spirit was removed from a people that had despised the gift
of His grace. Evil was permitted to come to maturity. And all the
world saw the fruit of willful rejection of the light.
The war against the Bible, carried forward for so many centuries
in France, culminated in the scenes of the Revolution. That terrible
outbreaking was but the legitimate result of Rome’s suppression
of the Scriptures. (See Appendix.) It presented the most striking
illustration which the world has ever witnessed of the working out
of the papal policy—an illustration of the results to which for more
[266] than a thousand years the teaching of the Roman Church had been
tending.
The suppression of the Scriptures during the period of papal
supremacy was foretold by the prophets; and the Revelator points
also to the terrible results that were to accrue especially to France
from the domination of the “man of sin.”
Said the angel of the Lord: “The holy city shall they tread un-
derfoot forty and two months. And I will give power unto My two
witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and
threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.... And when they shall have
finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottom-
226
 Bible and the French Revolution 227

less pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and
kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great
city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our
Lord was crucified.... And they that dwell upon the earth shall re-
joice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another;
because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
And after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered
into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon
them which saw them.” Revelation 11:2-11.
The periods here mentioned—“forty and two months,” and “a
thousand two hundred and threescore days”—are the same, alike
representing the time in which the church of Christ was to suffer
oppression from Rome. The 1260 years of papal supremacy began
in A.D. 538, and would therefore terminate in 1798. (See Appendix
note for page 54.) At that time a French army entered Rome and
made the pope a prisoner, and he died in exile. Though a new pope
was soon afterward elected, the papal hierarchy has never since been
able to wield the power which it before possessed.
The persecution of the church did not continue throughout the
entire period of the 1260 years. God in mercy to His people cut
short the time of their fiery trial. In foretelling the “great tribulation” [267]
to befall the church, the Saviour said: “Except those days should
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s
sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:22. Through the
influence of the Reformation the persecution was brought to an end
prior to 1798.
Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further:
“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing
before the God of the earth.” “Thy word,” said the psalmist, “is a
lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Revelation 11:4; Psalm
119:105. The two witnesses represent the Scriptures of the Old and
the New Testament. Both are important testimonies to the origin and
perpetuity of the law of God. Both are witnesses also to the plan of
salvation. The types, sacrifices, and prophecies of the Old Testament
point forward to a Saviour to come. The Gospels and Epistles of the
New Testament tell of a Saviour who has come in the exact manner
foretold by type and prophecy.
 228 The Great Controversy

“They shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three-score

days, clothed in sackcloth.” During the greater part of this period,
God’s witnesses remained in a state of obscurity. The papal power
sought to hide from the people the word of truth, and set before them
false witnesses to contradict its testimony. (See Appendix.) When
the Bible was proscribed by religious and secular authority; when its
testimony was perverted, and every effort made that men and demons
could invent to turn the minds of the people from it; when those
who dared proclaim its sacred truths were hunted, betrayed, tortured,
buried in dungeon cells, martyred for their faith, or compelled to
flee to mountain fastnesses, and to dens and caves of the earth—then
the faithful witnesses prophesied in sackcloth. Yet they continued
their testimony throughout the entire period of 1260 years. In the
darkest times there were faithful men who loved God’s word and
[268] were jealous for His honor. To these loyal servants were given
wisdom, power, and authority to declare His truth during the whole
of this time.
“And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their
mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them,
he must in this manner be killed.” Revelation 11:5. Men cannot with
impunity trample upon the word of God. The meaning of this fearful
denunciation is set forth in the closing chapter of the Revelation: “I
testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him
the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and
from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18,
19.
Such are the warnings which God has given to guard men against
changing in any manner that which He has revealed or commanded.
These solemn denunciations apply to all who by their influence lead
men to regard lightly the law of God. They should cause those to fear
and tremble who flippantly declare it a matter of little consequence
whether we obey God’s law or not. All who exalt their own opinions
above divine revelation, all who would change the plain meaning of
Scripture to suit their own convenience, or for the sake of conforming
to the world, are taking upon themselves a fearful responsibility.
 Bible and the French Revolution 229

The written word, the law of God, will measure the character of
every man and condemn all whom this unerring test shall declare
wanting.
“When they shall have finished [are finishing] their testimony.”
The period when the two witnesses were to prophesy clothed in
sackcloth, ended in 1798. As they were approaching the termination
of their work in obscurity, war was to be made upon them by the
power represented as “the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless
pit.” In many of the nations of Europe the powers that ruled in
church and state had for centuries been controlled by Satan through
the medium of the papacy. But here is brought to view a new [269]
manifestation of satanic power.
It had been Rome’s policy, under a profession of reverence for the
Bible, to keep it locked up in an unknown tongue and hidden away
from the people. Under her rule the witnesses prophesied “clothed
in sackcloth.” But another power—the beast from the bottomless
pit—was to arise to make open, avowed war upon the word of God.
“The great city” in whose streets the witnesses are slain, and
where their dead bodies lie, is “spiritually” Egypt. Of all nations
presented in Bible history, Egypt most boldly denied the existence
of the living God and resisted His commands. No monarch ever
ventured upon more open and highhanded rebellion against the
authority of Heaven than did the king of Egypt. When the message
was brought him by Moses, in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh proudly
answered: “Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice
to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let
Israel go.” Exodus 5:2, A.R.V. This is atheism, and the nation
represented by Egypt would give voice to a similar denial of the
claims of the living God and would manifest a like spirit of unbelief
and defiance. “The great city” is also compared, “spiritually,” to
Sodom. The corruption of Sodom in breaking the law of God was
especially manifested in licentiousness. And this sin was also to
be a pre-eminent characteristic of the nation that should fulfill the
specifications of this scripture.
According to the words of the prophet, then, a little before the
year 1798 some power of satanic origin and character would rise
to make war upon the Bible. And in the land where the testimony
 230 The Great Controversy

of God’s two witnesses should thus be silenced, there would be

manifest the atheism of the Pharaoh and the licentiousness of Sodom.
This prophecy has received a most exact and striking fulfillment
in the history of France. During the Revolution, in 1793, “the world
[270] for the first time heard an assembly of men, born and educated in
civilization, and assuming the right to govern one of the finest of the
European nations, uplift their united voice to deny the most solemn
truth which man’s soul receives, and renounce unanimously the
belief and worship of a Deity.”—Sir Walter Scott, Life of Napoleon,
vol. 1, ch. 17. “France is the only nation in the world concerning
which the authentic record survives, that as a nation she lifted her
hand in open rebellion against the Author of the universe. Plenty of
blasphemers, plenty of infidels, there have been, and still continue to
be, in England, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere; but France stands
apart in the world’s history as the single state which, by the decree
of her Legislative Assembly, pronounced that there was no God, and
of which the entire population of the capital, and a vast majority
elsewhere, women as well as men, danced and sang with joy in
accepting the announcement.”—Blackwood’s Magazine, November,
1870.
France presented also the characteristics which especially distin-
guished Sodom. During the Revolution there was manifest a state
of moral debasement and corruption similar to that which brought
destruction upon the cities of the plain. And the historian presents
together the atheism and the licentiousness of France, as given in the
prophecy: “Intimately connected with these laws affecting religion,
was that which reduced the union of marriage—the most sacred
engagement which human beings can form, and the permanence of
which leads most strongly to the consolidation of society—to the
state of a mere civil contract of a transitory character, which any
two persons might engage in and cast loose at pleasure.... If fiends
had set themselves to work to discover a mode of most effectually
destroying whatever is venerable, graceful, or permanent in domestic
life, and of obtaining at the same time an assurance that the mischief
which it was their object to create should be perpetuated from one
generation to another, they could not have invented a more effec-
tual plan than the degradation of marriage.... Sophie Arnoult, an
[271] actress famous for the witty things she said, described the republican
 Bible and the French Revolution 231

marriage as ‘the sacrament of adultery.’”—Scott, vol. 1, ch. 17.

“Where also our Lord was crucified.” This specification of the
prophecy was also fulfilled by France