1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

the Reformers had shown them insistent proofsof their wrong course, and yet they continued intheir own way, heedless of the Divine warnings.Hence less favor has been felt by Jehovah towardthem than toward Protestantism.Ezekiel 4:5.For I Have laid upon thee the years of theiriniquity, according to the number of the days,three hundred and ninety days; so shalt thoubear the iniquity of the house of Israel.—Upon the reform element was laid the burden ofseeing the dupes of Papal priestcraft continuallylearning and living error. This was a burdenupon conscience, and was repugnant to theenlightened mind of the reform element, knownfor centuries, in name at least, as Protestant.Priestcraft of the larger division of Christendomwas to be under attack for 390 years, duringwhich time the besieging element, the reformers,were to be protected from Papacy by the "ironwall" of the civil powers. This began in 1528 andends in 1918. The year 1528 is one of the turningpoints of history. Protestantism in England andin Germany was in the balance. The sudden riseof Charles V of Germany to great power hadFM394emboldened Pope Clement to side with Charles.He induced the Emperor to support a measuredesigned to limit the spread of Protestantism, tobe followed by its utter destruction. Under theproposed law no Protestant was to convert aRomanist to the reformed faith, nor would it beallowable for Protestantism to spread to othercountries. It meant for all Protestants an end suchas the Huguenots came to in France, thesuppression of the Renaissance with its "increaseof knowledge" (Dan. 12:4), and the end of theprosperous and comparatively enlightenedcivilization of modern times. The future of thewhole world, and of the Divine Plan, was atstake! A general war was barely avoided todestroy Lutheranism. Philip Landgrave ofSaxony discovered the plot, took arms, and in1528 forced indemnity from a Catholic bishop.Other princes of Germany stood with Philip.