The Holy Scripture - english version B.indd - Sabbat

Double Foreview of the Reformation.407in England by the glorious Revolution, which placed William of Orange on thethrone, and passed the act of succession excluding Popish monarchs for the future.Not without so severe and long-continued a struggle did the reformed religionestablish itself, even in the countries where it did take root, or Protestantism ceaseto resist, even in the countries where it was ultimately crushed.As to the various aspects of this great Reformation movement, you mustdistinguish especially between three.1. It was first and mainly, as we have said, a return from gross and longcontinuedapostasy to primitive Christianity ; it was a revival of spiritual religionin the hearts of men. As at the first promulgation of the gospel [Editor: goodtidings] in Europe the pagan people "turned from idols to serve the living andtrue God, and to wait for His Son from heaven," so in the sixteenth century. Menturned once more from the idols of Papal instead of pagan Rome which theyhad been worshipping, and they turned to GOD. They turned from thedoctrines of demons to the gospel [Editor: good tidings]of Christ ; they began once more to rejoice in the belief that Jesus haddelivered them from the wrath to come ; they received the doctrines proclaimedby the reformers not as the word of men, but as it was in truth, theword of God. It worked in them effectually, so that they took joyfully thespoiling of their goods, and all the other sufferings which came upon them fromtheir enemies, and from them sounded out everywhere the word of the Lord[Editor: YAHWEH]. They received the word in much affliction, but in joy ofthe holy Ghost [Editor: Spirit], and in power and assurance. The reformers werelike the apostles, holy, self-denying, Bible-loving, hard-working preachers of thegospel [Editor: good tidings]. In its first and primary aspect the Reformation was aspiritual work. Its germ was the work of the holy Ghost [Editor: Spirit] in the soulof Luther, convincing him of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, leading himto repentance and to belief of the gospel [Editor: good tidings] of God's grace, andconvincing him that salvation was "not of works." It was what we shouldin these days call a spiritual revival, traceable to the sovereign grace of God in thefirst place, and to the republication of His word in the second.2. But the Reformation did more than produce a spiritual revival. As a matterof history, it gave also to the world a new ecclesiastical system. It establishedreformed Churches in separation from the Church of Rome, national Churches[Editor: today all are falling before the face of YAHWEH!], with secular monarchsin some cases at their head. This was the case in England, where Henry VIII.made himself head of the Church in these lands. Whether this was for evil or forgood we must not here consider, but simply note the fact that the Reformationmovement built up a new out ward organization of an ecclesiastical character, withnew articles and rubrics, new ceremonies and practices, and a new fountain headof authority. This new organization was not only distinct from, but antagonisticto Romanism, and because of its being so was called Protestant. It has grownwith enormous rapidity during the last three centuries, and has already attainedproportions not far short of those of the ancient and apostate Church against whichit protests. It is characterized by the circulation of the Bible, and the reference toit as to a standard of all controversies ; by the recognition that ministers of Christ