1521-1522
In Germany, the Wittenburgers
had been infiltrated by so-called apostles, giving new revelation from God
discounting the Bible. And from among
their own congregation, a professor named Carlstadt, though rejecting to some
degree the false-prophets, was advocating the forced profession of
'Protestantism' or at least its practices(no mass, no statues…etc.), and so
abusing the Catholics by destroying the statues of saints, abolishing the
mass…etc. In March 1522 Luther has arrived from his
exile in the Wartburg castle to speak in the pulpit in Wittenburg for the first
time since his exile. He has returned
because he is concerned about what is happening with his congregation:
(the following excerpt is taken from D'aubigne's History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century)His language was
simple, noble, yet full of strength and gentleness: one might have supposed him to be a tender
father returning to his children, inquiring into their conduct, and kindly
telling them what report he had heard about them. He candidly acknowledged the progress they
had made in faith; and by this means prepared and captivated their minds. He then continued in these words: But we need something more than faith; we
need charity… What does a mother do to her infant? At first she
Gives it milk, then
some very light food. If she were to
begin by giving it meat and wine, what would be the consequence?......So should
we act towards our brethren…permit your brother to drink as long as yourself.
…The abolition of
the mass, say you, is in conformity with Scripture: Agreed!
But what order, what decency have you observed? It behoved you to offer
up fervent prayers to the Lord, and apply to the public authority; then might
every man have acknowledged that the thing was of God.
The mass is a bad
thing; God is opposed to it; it ought to be abolished; and I would that
throughout the whole world it were replaced by the Supper of the Gospel. But let no one be torn from it by force. His Word must act, and not we. And why so, will you ask? Because I do not hold men's hearts in my
hand, as the potter holds the clay. We
have a right to speak; we have not a the
right to act. Let us preach: the rest belongs unto God. Were I to employ force, what should I gain? Grimace, formality, ape-ings, human
ordinances, and hypocrisy…..But there would be no sincerity of heart, nor
faith, nor charity. Where these are
wanting, all is wanting…
Our first object
must be to win men's hearts; and for that purpose we must preach the
Gospel. To-day the Word will fall in one
heart, to-morrow in another, and it will operate in such a manner that each one
will withdraw from the mass and abandon it.
God does more by his Word alone than you and I and all the world by our
united strength. God lays hold upon the
heart; and when the heart is taken, all is won.
I do not say this
for the restoration of the mass. Since
it is down, in God's name there let it lie!
But should you have gone to work as you did? Paul, arriving one day in the powerful city
of Athens, found there alters raised to false gods. He went from one to the other, and observed
them without touching one. But he walked
peaceably to the middle of the market-place, and declared to the people that
all their gods were idols. His language
took possession of their hearts, and the idols fell without Paul's having
touched them.
I will preach,
discuss, and write; but I will constrain none, for faith is a voluntary
act. See what I have done! I stood up against the pope, indulgences, and
papists, but without violence or tumult.
I put forward God's Word; I
preached and wrote - this was all I did.
And yet while I was asleep, or seated familiarly at table with Amsdorff
and Melancthon…the Word that I had preached overthrew popery, so that neither
prince nor emperor has done it so much harm.
And yet I did nothing: the Word
alone did all. If I had wished to appeal
to force, the whole of Germany would perhaps have been deluged with blood. But what would have been the result? Ruin and desolation both to body and
soul. I therefore kept quiet, and left
the Word to run through the world alone.
Do you know what the devil thinks when he sees men resort to violence to
propagate the Gospel through the world?
Seated with folded arms behind the fire of hell, Satan says, with
malignant looks and frightful grin:
'Ah! How wise these madmen are to
play my game!' But when he sees the Word
running and contending alone on the field of battle, then he is troubled, and
his knees knock together; he shudders and faints with fear.
