The Holy Scripture - english version B.indd - Sabbat

Interpretation of the Reformers.373who, as the Scripture witnesses, sits not in a stable of fiends, or in a swine-sty,or in a company of infidels, but in the highest and holiest place of all, namely,in the temple of God.“Again he exclaims: „Is not this to sit in the temple of God, to profess himselfto be ruler in the whole Church? What is the temple of God? Is it stones anwood? Did not Paul say, The temple of God is holy, which temple you are? Tosit - what is it but to reign, to teach, and to judge? Who from the beginning of theChurch has dared to call himself master of the whole Church but the pope alone?None of the saints, none of the heretics has ever uttered so horrible a word ofpride.“ („Works,“ vol. ii., p. 385)Elsewhere again he says (p.386), that when Daniel „saw the terrible wildbeast which had ten horns, which by the consent of all is the Roman empire,he also beheld another small horn come up in the middle of them. This isthe Papal power, which rose up in the middle of the Romanempire.“Thus did Luther intergret prophecy; and under the influence of these interpretationsof the prophetic teachings of Daniel, Paul, and John sprang up andadvanced the glorious Reformation of the sixteenth century.One of the witnesses of Luther‘s disputation at Leipsic in the year 1519 wasPhilip Melanchthon, the learned professor of Greek at Wittemberg. Melanchthonwas a man of wonderful ability and application. The treatment of the most difficultsubjects became simple in his hands. He was one of the greatest theologiansof his age, and composed the celebrated Confession of Augsburg in 1530, thefoundation of the reformed German faith. At this Confession was intended to bepublicly read to the hostile Roman Catholic emperor Charles V., in the presenceof princes and ecclesiastical dignitaries, Melanchthon toned it down as fas aspossible, avoiding all judgments of the Roman Catholic Church which wouldcause offence. Luther complained of the omission. „Satan sees clearly,“ said he,„that your apology has passed lightly over the articles of purgatory, the worshipof saints, and above all of the pope and of antichrist.“ (See D‘Aubigné‘s „History of theReformation,“ book xiv., chap. viii.)Melanchthon lacked the bold spirit of Luther, but he shared most of hissentiments. He was clear in his convictions that Rome is the Babylonof the Apocalypse, and the pope the man of sin. („Works“,“ vol. iv.,p. 537) In his disputation on marriage, referring to the first Epistle to Timothy, hesays, „Since it is most certain that the pontiffs and the monks have forbiddenmarriage, it is most manifest, and without any doubt true, that the Romanpontiff, with his whole order and kingdom, is the veryantichrist.“ („Quod Romanus pontifex, cum universo ordine suo et regno, sit ipsissimusantichristus,“ etc. - „Works,“ vol. iv., p. 537) He adds: „Likewise in 2 Thessalonians ii.,Paul clearly says that the man of sin shall rule in the Church, exalting himselfagainst the worship of God, etc. But it is manifest that the popes do rule in theChurch, and under title of the Church in defending idols. Wherefore I affirmthat no heresy has arisen, nor indeed shall be, with which these descriptions ofPaul can more truly and certainly accord and agree that to this Papal kingdom.“(„Quare affirmo, nullam, unquam extitisse hæresin, neque adeo futuram esse, cui