hope。　At　Wittenberg　a　light　was　kindled　whose　rays　should　extend　to　the
  uttermost　parts　of　the　earth；　and　which　was　to　increase　in　brightness　to　the
  close　of　time。
  But　light　and　darkness　cannot　harmonize。　Between　truth　and　error　there　is　an
  irrepressible　conflict。　To　uphold　and　defend　the　one　is　to　attack　and
  overthrow　the　other。　Our　Saviour　Himself　declared：　〃I　came　not　to　send
  peace；　but　a　sword。〃　Matthew　10：34。　Said　Luther；　a　few　years　after　the
  opening　of　the　Reformation：　〃God　does　not　guide　me；　He　pushes　me　forward。　He
  carries　me　away。　I　am　not　master　of　myself。　I　desire　to　live　in　repose；　but
  I　am　thrown　into
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  the　midst　of　tumults　and　revolutions。〃D'Aubigne；　b。　5；　ch。　2。　He　was　now
  about　to　be　urged　into　the　contest。
  The　Roman　Church　had　made　merchandise　of　the　grace　of　God。　The　tables　of　the
  money…changers　（Matthew　21：12）　were　set　up　beside　her　altars；　and　the　air
  resounded　with　the　shouts　of　buyers　and　sellers。　Under　the　plea　of　raising
  funds　for　the　erection　of　St。　Peter's　Church　at　Rome；　indulgences　for　sin
  were　publicly　offered　for　sale　by　the　authority　of　the　pope。　By　the　price　of
  crime　a　temple　was　to　be　built　up　for　God's　worshipthe　cornerstone　laid
  with　the　wages　of　iniquity！　But　the　very　means　adopted　for　Rome's
  aggrandizement　provoked　the　deadliest　blow　to　her　power　and　greatness。　It
  was　this　that　aroused　the　most　determined　and　successful　of　the　enemies　of
  popery；　and　led　to　the　battle　which　shook　the　papal　throne　and　jostled　the
  triple　crown　upon　the　pontiff's　head。
  The　official　appointed　to　conduct　the　sale　of　indulgences　in　GermanyTetzel
  by　namehad　been　convicted　of　the　basest　offenses　against　society　and
  against　the　law　of　God；　but　having　escaped　the　punishment　due　for　his
  crimes；　he　was　employed　to　further　the　mercenary　and　unscrupulous　projects
  of　the　pope。　With　great　effrontery　he　repeated　the　most　glaring　falsehoods
  and　related　marvelous　tales　to　deceive　an　ignorant；　credulous；　and
  superstitious　people。　Had　they　possessed　the　word　of　God　they　would　not　have
  been　thus　deceived。　It　was　to　keep　them　under　the　control　of　the　papacy；　in
  order　to　swell　the　power　and　wealth　of　her　ambitious　leaders；　that　the　Bible
  had　been　withheld　from　them。　（See　John　C。　L。　Gieseler；　A　Compendium　of
  Ecclesiastical　History；　per。　4；　sec。　1；　par。　5。）
  As　Tetzel　entered　a　town；　a　messenger　went　before　him；　announcing：　〃The
  grace　of　God　and　of　the　holy　father　is　at　your　gates。〃D'Aubigne；　b。　3；　ch。
  1。　And　the　people　welcomed　the　blasphemous　pretender　as　if　he　were　God
  Himself　come　down　from　heaven　to　them。　The　infamous　traffic　was　set　up　in
  the　church；　and　Tetzel；　ascending　the
  128
  pulpit；　extolled　the　indulgences　as　the　most　precious　gift　of　God。　He
  declared　that　by　virtue　of　his　certificates　of　pardon　all　the　sins　which　the
  purchaser　should　afterward　desire　to　commit　would　be　forgiven　him；　and　that
  〃not　even　repentance　is　necessary。〃Ibid。；　b。　3；　ch。　1。　More　than　this；　he
  assured　his　hearers　that　the　indulgences　had　power　to　save　not　only　the
  living　but　the　dead；　that　the　very　moment　the　money　should　clink　against　the
  bottom　of　his　chest；　the　soul　in　whose　behalf　it　had　been　paid　would　escape
  from　purgatory　and　make　its　way　to　heaven。　（See　K。　R。　Hagenbach；　History　of
  the　Reformation；　vol。　1；　p。　96。）
  When　Simon　Magus　offered　to　purchase　of　the　apostles　the　power　to　work
  miracles；　Peter　answered　him：　〃Thy　money　perish　with　thee；　because　thou　hast
  thought　that　the　gift　of　God　may　be　purchased　with　money。〃　Acts　8：20。　But
  Tetzel's　offer　was　grasped　by　eager　thousands。　Gold　and　silver　flowed　into
  his　treasury。　A　salvation　that　could　be　bought　with　money　was　more　easily
  obtained　than　that　which　requires　repentance；　faith；　and　diligent　effort　to
  resist　and　overcome　sin。　（See　Appendix　note　for　page　59。）
  The　doctrine　of　indulgences　had　been　opposed　by　men　of　learning　and　piety　in
  the　Roman　Church；　and　there　were　many　who　had　no　faith　in　pretensions　so
  contrary　to　both　reason　and　revelation。　No　prelate　dared　lift　his　voice
  against　this　iniquitous　traffic；　but　the　minds　of　men　were　becoming
  disturbed　and　uneasy；　and　many　eagerly　inquired　if　God　would　not　work
  through　some　instrumentality　for　the　purification　of　His　church。
  Luther；　though　still　a　papist　of　the　straitest　sort；　was　filled　with　horror
  at　the　blasphemous　assumptions　of　the　indulgence　mongers。　Many　of　his　own
  congregation　had　purchased　certificates　of　pardon；　and　they　soon　began　to
  come　to　their　pastor；　confessing　their　various　sins；　and　expecting
  absolution；　not　because　they　were　penitent　and　wished　to　reform；　but　on　the
  ground　of　the　indulgence。　Luther　refused　them　absolution；　and　warned　them
  that　unless　they　should
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  repent　and　reform　their　lives；　they　must　perish　in　their　sins。　In　great
  perplexity　they　repaired　to　Tetzel　with　the　complaint　that　their　confessor
  had　refused　his　certificates；　and　some　boldly　demanded　that　their　money　be
  returned　to　them。　The　friar　was　filled　with　rage。　He　uttered　the　most
  terrible　curses；　caused　fires　to　be　lighted　in　the　public　squares；　and
  declared　that　he　〃had　received　an　order　from　the　pope　to　burn　all　heretics
  who　presumed　to　oppose　his　most　holy　indulgences。〃D'Aubigne；　b。　3；　ch。　4。
  Luther　now　entered　boldly　upon　his　work　as　a　champion　of　the　truth。　His
  voice　was　heard　from　the　pulpit　in　earnest；　solemn　warning。　He　set　before
  the　people　the　offensive　character　of　sin；　and　taught　them　that　it　is
  impossible　for　man；　by　his　own　works；　to　lessen　its　guilt　or　evade　its
  punishment。　Nothing　but　repentance　toward　God　and　faith　in　Christ　can　save
  the　sinner。　The　grace　of　Christ　cannot　be　purchased；　it　is　a　free　gift。　He
  counseled　the　people　not　to　buy　indulgences；　but　to　look　in　faith　to　a
  crucified　Redeemer。　He　related　his　own　painful　experience　in　vainly　seeking
  by　humiliation　and　penance　to　secure　salvation；　and　assured　his　hearers　that
  it　was　by　looking　away　from　himself　and　believing　in　Christ　that　he　found
  peace　and　joy。
  As　Tetzel　continued　his　traffic　and　his　impious　pretensions；　Luther
  determined　upon　a　more　effectual　protest　against　these　crying　abuses。　An
  occasion　soon　offered。　The　castle　church　of　Wittenberg　possessed　many
  relics；　which　on　certain　holy　days　were　exhibited　to　the　people；　and　full
  remission　of　sins　was　granted　to　all　who　then　visited　the　church　and　made
  confession。　Accordingly　on　these　days　the　people　in　great　numbers　resorted
  thither。　One　of　the　most　important　of　these　occasions；　the　festival　of　All
  Saints；　was　approaching。　On　the　preceding　day；　Luther；　joining　the　crowds
  that　were　already　making　their　way　to　the　church；　posted　on　its　door　a　paper
  containing　ninety…five　propositions　against　the　doctrine　of　indulgences。　He
  declared　his　willingness
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  to　defend　these　theses　next　day　at　the　university；　against　all　who　should
  see　fit　to　attack　them。
  His　propositions　attracted　universal　attention。　They　were　read　and　reread；
  and　repeated　in　every　direction。　Great　excitement　was　created　in　the
  university　and　in　the　whole　city。　By　these　theses　it　was　shown　that　the
  power　to　grant　the　pardon　of　sin；　and　to　remit　its　penalty；　had　never　been
  committed　to　the　pope　or　to　any　other　man。　The　whole　scheme　was　a　farce；an
  artifice　to　extort　money　by　playing　upon　the　superstitions　of　the　people；a
  device　of　Satan　to　destroy　the　souls　of　all　who　should　trust　to　its　lying
  pretensions。　It　was　also　clearly　shown　that　the　gospel　of　Christ　is　the　most
  valuable　treasure　of　the　church；　and　that　the　grace　of　God；　therein
  revealed；　is　freely　bestowed　upon　all　who　seek　it　by　repentance　and　faith。
  Luther's　theses　challenged　discussion；　but　no　one　dared　accept　the
  challenge。　The　questions　which　he　proposed　had　in　a　few　days　spread　through
  all　Germany；　and　in　a　few　weeks　they　had　sounded　throughout　Christendom。
  Many　devoted　Romanists；　who　had　seen　and　lamented　the　terrible　iniquity
  prevailing　in　the　church；　but　had　not　known　how　to　arrest　its　progress；　read
  the　propositions　with　great　joy；　recognizing　in　them　the　voice　of　God。　They
  felt　that　the　Lord　had　graciously　set　His　hand　to　arrest　the　rapidly
  swelling　tide　of　corruption　that　was　issuing　from　the　see　of　Rome。　Princes
  and　magistrates　secretly　rejoiced　that　a　check　was　to　be　put　upon　the
  arrogant　power　which　denied　the　right　of　appeal　from　its　decisions。
  But　the　sin…loving　and　superstitious　multitudes　were　terrified　as　the
  sophistries　that　had　soothed　their　fears　were　swept　away。　Crafty
  ecclesiastics；　interrupted　in　their　work　of　sanctioning　crime；　and　seeing
  their　gains　endangered；　were　enraged；　and　rallied　to　uphold　their
  pretensions。　The　Reformer　had　bitter　accusers　to　meet。　Some　charged　him　with
  acting　hastily　and　from　impulse。　Others　accused　him　of　presumption；
  declaring　that　he　was　not　directed　of　God；　but　was　acting　from　pride　and
  forwardness。　〃Who　does　not
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  know；〃　he　responded；　〃that　a　man　rarely　puts　forth　any　new　idea　without
  having　some　appearance　of　pride；　and　without　being　accused　of　exciting
  quarrels？　。　。　。　Why