The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

a prince of the house of Austria, was King of the Romans, and Emperor of Germany; and
Frederic, already mentioned, Elector of Saxony. The bold efforts of this new adversary of
the pontiffs were honored with the applauses of many, but few or none entertained hopes
of their success. It seemed scarcely possible that this puny David could hurt Goliath,
whom so many [Christian] heroes had opposed in vain. None of the qualities or talents
that distinguished Luther were of a common or ordinary kind. His genius was truly great
and unparalleled; his memory vast and tenacious; his patience in supporting trials,
difficulties, and labors incredible. . . . It would be equally rash and absurd to represent this
great man as exempt from error and free from infirmities and defects; yet if we except the
contagious effects of the age in which he lived, and of the religion in which he had been
brought up, we shall perhaps find but a few things in his character that render him liable
to reproach.
"The first opportunity that this great man had of unfolding to the view of a blinded and
deluded age, the truth, which had struck his astonished sight, was offered by a Dominican,
whose name was John Tetzel. This bold and enterprising monk had been chosen on
account of his uncommon impudence by Albert, archbishop of Mentz and Magdeburgh, to
preach and proclaim in Germany those famous indulgences of Leo X, which administered
the remission of all sins, past, present, and to come, however enormous their nature, to
those rich enough to purchase them. The frontless monk executed this iniquitous
commission, not only with matchless insolence, indecency, and fraud, but even carried his
impiety so far as to derogate from the all-sufficient power and influence of the merits of
Christ. At this, Luther, unable to smother his just indignation, raised his warning voice,
and in ninety-five propositions maintained publicly at Wittemberg on the 30th of
September, in the year 1517 [and nailed to the church door October 31st], censured the
extravagant extortion of these questors, and plainly pointed out the Roman pontiff as a
partaker of their guilt, since he suffered the people to be seduced by such delusions from
placing their principal confidence in Christ the only proper object of their trust. This was
the commencement and foundation of that memorable rupture and revolution in the
church which humbled the grandeur of the lordly pontiffs, and eclipsed so great a part of
their glory."