Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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deluded them with I know not what follies. Among the people
themselves, the highest veneration paid to Thy Word was to revere
it at a distance, as a thing inaccessible, and abstain from all
investigation of it.
“‘Owing to this supine state of the pastors, and this stupidity of the
people, every place was filled with pernicious errors, falsehoods,
and superstition. They, indeed, called Thee the only God, but it was
while transferring to others the glory which thou hast claimed for
Thy Majesty. They figured and had for themselves as many gods as
they had saints, whom they chose to worship. Thy Christ was
indeed worshipped as God, and retained the name of Saviour; but
where He ought to have been honored, He was left almost without
honor. For, spoiled of His own virtue, He passed unnoticed among
the crowd of saints, like one of the meanest of them. There was
none who duly considered that one sacrifice which He offered on
the cross, and by which He reconciled us to Thyself—none who
ever dreamed of thinking of His eternal priesthood, and the
intercession depending upon it—none who trusted in His
righteousness only. That confident hope of salvation which is both
enjoined by Thy Word, and founded upon it, had almost vanished.
Nay, it was received as a kind of oracle, that it was foolish
arrogance, and, as they termed it, presumption for any one trusting
to Thy goodness, and the righteousness of Thy Son, to entertain a
sure and unfaltering hope of salvation.
“‘Not a few profane opinions plucked up by the roots the first
principles of that doctrine which Thou hast delivered to us in Thy
Word. The true meaning of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, also,
was corrupted by numerous falsehoods. And then, when all, with
no small insult to Thy mercy, put confidence in good works, when
by good works they strove to merit Thy favor, to procure
justification, to expiate their sins, and make satisfaction to Thee
(each of these things obliterating and making void the virtue of
Christ’s cross), they were yet altogether ignorant wherein good
works consisted. For, just as if they were not at all instructed in
righteousness by Thy law, they had fabricated for themselves many
useless frivolities, as a means of procuring Thy favor, and on these
they so plumed themselves, that, in comparison of them, they
almost contemned the standard of true righteousness which Thy