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From Rise of Protestantism in France to Publication of the Institutes - James Aitken Wylie

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hunger for <strong>the</strong> bread where<strong>of</strong> he that eateth shall<br />

never die.[5]<br />

These men had grown suddenly learned, "wiser<br />

than <strong>the</strong>ir teachers," <strong>to</strong> use <strong>the</strong> language <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

book <strong>the</strong>y were now so <strong>in</strong>tently perus<strong>in</strong>g. They<br />

were <strong>in</strong>deed wiser than <strong>the</strong> tribe <strong>of</strong> ignorant cures,<br />

and <strong>the</strong> army <strong>of</strong> Franciscan monks, whose highest<br />

aim had been <strong>to</strong> make <strong>the</strong>ir audience gape and<br />

laugh at <strong>the</strong>ir jests. Compared with <strong>the</strong> husks on<br />

which <strong>the</strong>se men had fed <strong>the</strong>m, this was <strong>the</strong> true<br />

bread, <strong>the</strong> heavenly manna. "Of what use are <strong>the</strong><br />

sa<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>to</strong> us?" said <strong>the</strong>y. "Our only Media<strong>to</strong>r is<br />

Christ."[6] To <strong>of</strong>fer any formal argument <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>m<br />

that this book was Div<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>the</strong>y would have felt <strong>to</strong><br />

be absurd. It had opened heaven <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. It had<br />

revealed <strong>the</strong> throne <strong>of</strong> God, and <strong>the</strong>ir way <strong>to</strong> it by<br />

<strong>the</strong> one and only Savior. Whose book, <strong>the</strong>n, could<br />

this be but God's? and whence could it have come<br />

but from <strong>the</strong> skies?<br />

And well it was that <strong>the</strong>ir faith was thus simple<br />

and strong, for no less deep a conviction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Gospel's truth would have sufficed <strong>to</strong> carry <strong>the</strong>m<br />

45

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