The Great Controversy - Righteousness is Love

153majority." Having thus spoken, he withdrew from the assembly, giving theReformers no opportunity for deliberation or reply. "To no purpose theysent a deputation entreating the king to return." To their remonstrances heanswered only: "It is a settled affair; submission is all that remains." Ibid.,b. 13, ch. 5.The imperial party were convinced that the Christian princes would adhereto the Holy Scriptures as superior to human doctrines and requirements; andthey knew that wherever this principle was accepted, the papacy wouldeventually be overthrown. But, like thousands since their time, looking only"at the things which are seen," they flattered themselves that the cause ofthe emperor and the pope was strong, and that of the Reformers weak. Hadthe Reformers depended upon human aid alone, they would have been aspowerless as the papists supposed. But though weak in numbers, and atvariance with Rome, they had their strength. They appealed "from the reportof the Diet to the word of God, and from the emperor Charles to JesusChrist, the King of kings and Lord of lords." Ibid., b. 13, ch. 6.As Ferdinand had refused to regard their conscientious convictions, theprinces decided not to heed his absence, but to bring their Protest before thenational council without delay. A solemn declaration was therefore drawnup and presented to the Diet:"We protest by these presents, before God, our only Creator, Preserver,Redeemer, and Saviour, and who will one day be our Judge, as well asbefore all men and all creatures, that we, for us and for our people, neitherconsent nor adhere in any manner whatsoever to the proposed decree, inanything that is contrary to God, to His holy word, to our right conscience,to the salvation of our souls.""What! we ratify this edict! We assert that when Almighty God calls a manto His knowledge, this man nevertheless cannot receive the knowledge ofGod!" "There is no sure doctrine but such as is conformable to the word ofGod. . . . The Lord forbids the teaching of any other doctrine. . . . The HolyScriptures ought to be explained by other an clearer texts; . . . this HolyBook is, in all things necessary for the Christian, easy of understanding, andcalculated to scatter the darkness. We are resolved, with the grace of God,to maintain the pure and exclusive preaching of His only word, such as it iscontained in the biblical books of the Old and New Testaments, withoutadding anything thereto that may be contrary to it. This word is the onlytruth; it is the sure rule of all doctrine and of all life, and can never fail ordeceive us. He who builds on this foundation shall stand against all the