The Holy Scripture - english version B.indd - Sabbat

408 Double Foreview of the Reformation.should not be "sacrificing priests" but gospel [Editor: good tidings] preachers,preachers of the word, heralds of the great salvation ; and by anacknowledgment of the right of private judgment in the interpretation of Scripture.3. And, lastly, the Reformation produced Protestant kingdoms-nations whichservered all the links that bound them to Rome, and asserted their own absoluteindependence of the popes.In a word, the movement was one of renovation and liberation, which spreadin successive and ever-widening circles, from the individual to the Church, andfrom the Church to the nation. It was one founded on a recovered Bible, extendedby a renewal of the long-disused practice of preaching, and issuing in the largelyimproved but still imperfect state of things which we see around us this day. Itemancipated the minds of men from long and bitter bondage ; it gave an impetus toarts and sciences, to enterprise and culture, to freedom and liberty. It was naturallyhailed as a glad deliverance by all who came under its influence ; but it broughtupon them long struggles and cruel sufferings under the terrible and mightyRom wild beast. The world reeled under the fierceness of his wrath onthe escape of so many of his victims, his thunderous roar rent the air, hismad passion caused the blood of saints to flow in torrents, his cruel clawsdragged thousands into his dens of torture in dark Inquisition dungeons ;and so horrible was the sacrifice of human life resulting from his rage, thatthe world turned on him at last and bade him be still, bound, and beat himinto silence, drew his claws and his teeth, deprived him of dominion and thepower to do further damage, and left him feeble and defenceless, albeit asfierce as ever.We stated just now that this great Reformation movement was doubly foretoldin the Bible. It is foreshadowed in the typical history of Israel in the Old Testament,and its story forms one act of the prophetic drama of the Apocalypse in the New.1. IT WAS FORESHADOWED IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. Just as theexodus of Israel from Egypt after the passover and their crossing of the Red Seaforeshadowed the redemption of the Church by the death and resurrection of"Christ our passover," just as the murmurings and rebellions of Israel in thewilderness prefigured the similar incidents in Church history - so the idolatriesof Israel foreshadowed the idolatry which early crept into the Church, and whichsoon corrupted it altogether. Even in the desert Israel fell intoidolatry, and worshippped the golden calf ; and perhaps themost salient feature of their history is the constant tendency to relapse into thisdegrading iniquity. No sooner were Moses and Joshua and their cotemporariesdead and gone than declensions into idolatry became frequent. Various tyrantswere allowed to conquer and oppress the people as a chastisement for this sin ;and when they cried to God in their trouble, and He sent judges and deliverers,they perhaps served Jehovah [Editor: YAHWEH!] as long as the judge lived, butquickly afterwards relapsed again. Six times over they were given up to theirenemies, and the united servitudes they endured extended to a hundred and elevenyears. Still they did evil "in the sight of the Lord [Editor: YAHWEH!], and servedBaalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria and Zidon, the gods of Moab and