Their bones and their disgrace paved the highway on which Luther walked as a giant to a fame world-wide and abiding. At first the work of the Protestants, like that of all the Reformers, was negative, exposing the errors and sins of the Catholic party; clearing the spot on which to erect their Church; fighting with words and blows. In the war of the giants, sore strokes must be laid on. The ground shook and the sky rang with the quarrel. “God will see,” said stout Martin, “which gives out first, the Pope or Luther.” The Church thundered and lightened from the seven-hilled city looking with a frown towards Saxony. Luther gave back thunder for thunder, scorn for scorn. Did the Church condemn Luther? He paid it back in the same pence. The Church says, “Luther is a heretic, and should be burned had we skill to catch him.” Luther declares, “The Pope is a wolf possessed with the devil, and we ought to raise the hue and cry, and tear him to pieces without judge or jury.”
I. The Merit of Protestantism.
Its merit as a Reformation was both negative and positive. It was right in declaring the Roman Church, with its clergy, cardinals, councils, popes, no more inspired than other men, and therefore no more fit than others to keep Tradition, expound Scripture, and hold the keys of Heaven; nay, more, that by reason of their prejudice, ignorance, sloth, ambition, crime, and sin in general, they had less inspiration, for they had grieved away the Spirit of God. It was right in denying the authority of the Church in temporal matters; in declaring that its tradition was no better than other tradition, nay, was even less valuable, for the Church had told lies in the premises, and the fact was undeniable. The Protestants justified their words in this matter by exposing the weak points of the Church, its lies, false doctrines, and wicked practices; its arrogance and worldly ambition; the disagreement of the popes; the contradictions of the councils and fathers, and the crimes of the clergy, who make up the Church. It was right in examining the canon of Scripture, casting off what was apocryphal, or spurious; in demanding that the laity should have the Bible and the Sacraments in full, and claim
