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

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“‘When, however, I had performed all these things, though I had
some intervals of quiet, I was still far off from true peace of
conscience; for, whenever I descended into myself, or raised my
mind to Thee, extreme terror seized me—terror which no
expiations or satisfactions could cure. And the more closely I
examined myself, the sharper the stings with which my conscience
was pricked, so that the only solace which remained to me was to
delude myself by obliviousness. Still, as nothing better offered, I
continued the course which I had begun, when, lo! a very different
form of doctrine started up, not one which led us away from the
Christian profession, but one which brought it back to its fountainhead,
and, as it were, clearing away the dross, restored it to its
original purity.
“‘Offended by the novelty, I lent an unwilling ear, and at first, I
confess, strenuously and passionately resisted; for (such is the
firmness or effrontery with which it is natural to men to persist in
the course which they have once undertaken) it was with the
greatest difficulty I was induced to confess that I had all my life
long been in ignorance and error. One thing, in particular, made me
averse to those new teachers, viz. reverence for the Church.
“‘But when once I opened my ears, and allowed myself to be
taught, I perceived that this fear of derogating from the majesty of
the Church was groundless. For they reminded me how great the
difference is between schism from the Church, and studying to
correct the faults by which the Church herself was contaminated.
They spoke nobly of the Church, and showed the greatest desire to
cultivate unity. And lest it should seem they quibbled on the term
Church, they showed it was no new thing for Antichrists to preside
there in place of pastors. Of this they produced not a few examples,
from which it appeared they aimed at nothing but the edification of
the Church, and in that respect were similarly circumstanced with
many of Christ’s servants whom we ourselves included in the
catalogue of saints.
“‘For inveighing more freely against the Roman Pontiff, who was
reverenced as the Vicegerent of Christ, the Successor of Peter, and
the Head of the Church, they excused themselves thus: Such titles
as those are empty bugbears, by which the eyes of the pious ought