faith　and　a　holier　life。　He　opened　the　Bible；　and　explained　its　true
  meaning；　and　at　last　preached　Christ　to　them　as　the　sinner's　righteousness
  and　his　only　hope　of　salvation。　Great　was　the
  242
  wrath　of　the　prior；　who　had　built　high　hopes　upon　him　as　a　valiant　defender
  of　Rome。　He　was　at　once　removed　from　his　own　monastery　to　another　and
  confined　to　his　cell　under　strict　supervision。
  To　the　terror　of　his　new　guardians　several　of　the　monks　soon　declared
  themselves　converts　to　Protestantism。　Through　the　bars　of　his　cell　Tausen
  had　communicated　to　his　companions　a　knowledge　of　the　truth。　Had　those
  Danish　fathers　been　skilled　in　the　church's　plan　of　dealing　with　heresy；
  Tausen's　voice　would　never　again　have　been　heard；　but　instead　of　consigning
  him　to　a　tomb　in　some　underground　dungeon；　they　expelled　him　from　the
  monastery。　Now　they　were　powerless。　A　royal　edict；　just　issued；　offered
  protection　to　the　teachers　of　the　new　doctrine。　Tausen　began　to　preach。　The
  churches　were　opened　to　him；　and　the　people　thronged　to　listen。　Others　also
  were　preaching　the　word　of　God。　The　New　Testament；　translated　into　the
  Danish　tongue；　was　widely　circulated。　The　efforts　made　by　the　papists　to
  overthrow　the　work　resulted　in　extending　it；　and　erelong　Denmark　declared
  its　acceptance　of　the　reformed　faith。
  In　Sweden；　also；　young　men　who　had　drunk　from　the　well　of　Wittenberg　carried
  the　water　of　life　to　their　countrymen。　Two　of　the　leaders　in　the　Swedish
  Reformation；　Olaf　and　Laurentius　Petri；　the　sons　of　a　blacksmith　of　Orebro；
  studied　under　Luther　and　Melanchthon；　and　the　truths　which　they　thus　learned
  they　were　diligent　to　teach。　Like　the　great　Reformer；　Olaf　aroused　the
  people　by　his　zeal　and　eloquence；　while　Laurentius；　like　Melanchthon；　was
  learned；　thoughtful；　and　calm。　Both　were　men　of　ardent　piety；　of　high
  theological　attainments；　and　of　unflinching　courage　in　advancing　the　truth。
  Papist　opposition　was　not　lacking。　The　Catholic　priest　stirred　up　the
  ignorant　and　superstitious　people。　Olaf　Petri　was　often　assailed　by　the　mob；
  and　upon　several　occasions　barely　escaped　with　his　life。　These　Reformers
  were；　however；　favored　and　protected　by　the　king。
  243
  Under　the　rule　of　the　Roman　Church　the　people　were　sunken　in　poverty　and
  ground　down　by　oppression。　They　were　destitute　of　the　Scriptures；　and　having
  a　religion　of　mere　signs　and　ceremonies；　which　conveyed　no　light　to　the
  mind；　they　were　returning　to　the　superstitious　beliefs　and　pagan　practices
  of　their　heathen　ancestors。　The　nation　was　divided　into　contending　factions；
  whose　perpetual　strife　increased　the　misery　of　all。　The　king　determined　upon
  a　reformation　in　the　state　and　the　church；　and　he　welcomed　these　able
  assistants　in　the　battle　against　Rome。
  In　the　presence　of　the　monarch　and　the　leading　men　of　Sweden；　Olaf　Petri
  with　great　ability　defended　the　doctrines　of　the　reformed　faith　against　the
  Romish　champions。　He　declared　that　the　teachings　of　the　Fathers　are　to　be
  received　only　when　in　accordance　with　the　Scriptures；　that　the　essential
  doctrines　of　the　faith　are　presented　in　the　Bible　in　a　clear　and　simple
  manner；　so　that　all　men　may　understand　them。　Christ　said；　〃My　doctrine　is
  not　Mine；　but　His　that　sent　Me〃　（John　7：16）；　and　Paul　declared　that　should
  he　preach　any　other　gospel　than　that　which　he　had　received；　he　would　be
  accursed　（Galatians　1：8）。　〃How；　then；〃　said　the　Reformer；　〃shall　others
  presume　to　enact　dogmas　at　their　pleasure；　and　impose　them　as　things
  necessary　to　salvation？〃Wylie；　b。　10；　ch。　4。　He　showed　that　the　decrees　of
  the　church　are　of　no　authority　when　in　opposition　to　the　commands　of　God；
  and　maintained　the　great　Protestant　principle　that　〃the　Bible　and　the　Bible
  only〃　is　the　rule　of　faith　and　practice。
  This　contest；　though　conducted　upon　a　stage　comparatively　obscure；　serves　to
  show　us　〃the　sort　of　men　that　formed　the　rank　and　file　of　the　army　of　the
  Reformers。　They　were　not　illiterate；　sectarian；　noisy　controversialistsfar
  from　it；　they　were　men　who　had　studied　the　word　of　God；　and　knew　well　how　to
  wield　the　weapons　with　which　the　armory　of　the　Bible　supplied　them。　In
  respect　of　erudition　they　were　ahead　of　their　age。　When　we　confine　our
  attention　to　such　brilliant　centers　as　Wittenberg　and　Zurich；　and　to　such
  illustrious
  244
  names　as　those　of　Luther　and　Melanchthon；　of　Zwingli　and　Oecolampadius；　we
  are　apt　to　be　told；　these　were　the　leaders　of　the　movement；　and　we　should
  naturally　expect　in　them　prodigious　power　and　vast　acquisitions；　but　the
  subordinates　were　not　like　these。　Well；　we　turn　to　the　obscure　theater　of
  Sweden；　and　the　humble　names　of　Olaf　and　Laurentius　Petri　from　the　masters
  to　the　discipleswhat　do　we　find？　。　。　。　Scholars　and　theologians；　men　who
  have　thoroughly　mastered　the　whole　system　of　gospel　truth；　and　who　win　an
  easy　victory　over　the　sophists　of　the　schools　and　the　dignitaries　of
  Rome。〃Ibid。；　b。　10；　ch。4。
  As　the　result　of　this　disputation　the　king　of　Sweden　accepted　the　Protestant
  faith；　and　not　long　afterward　the　national　assembly　declared　in　its　favor。
  The　New　Testament　had　been　translated　by　Olaf　Petri　into　the　Swedish
  language；　and　at　the　desire　of　the　king　the　two　brothers　undertook　the
  translation　of　the　whole　Bible。　Thus　for　the　first　time　the　people　of　Sweden
  received　the　word　of　God　in　their　native　tongue。　It　was　ordered　by　the　Diet
  that　throughout　the　kingdom；　ministers　should　explain　the　Scriptures　and
  that　the　children　in　the　schools　should　be　taught　to　read　the　Bible。
  Steadily　and　surely　the　darkness　of　ignorance　and　superstition　was　dispelled
  by　the　blessed　light　of　the　gospel。　Freed　from　Romish　oppression；　the　nation
  attained　to　a　strength　and　greatness　it　had　never　before　reached。　Sweden
  became　one　of　the　bulwarks　of　Protestantism。　A　century　later；　at　a　time　of
  sorest　peril；　this　small　and　hitherto　feeble　nationthe　only　one　in　Europe
  that　dared　lend　a　helping　handcame　to　the　deliverance　of　Germany　in　the
  terrible　struggle　of　the　Thirty　Years'　War。　All　Northern　Europe　seemed　about
  to　be　brought　again　under　the　tyranny　of　Rome。　It　was　the　armies　of　Sweden
  that　enabled　Germany　to　turn　the　tide　of　popish　success；　to　win　toleration
  for　the　Protestants；Calvinists　as　well　as　Lutherans；and　to　restore
  liberty　of　conscience　to　those　countries　that　had　accepted　the　Reformation。
  （245）
  Chapter　14
  Later　English　Reformers
  While　Luther　was　opening　a　closed　Bible　to　the　people　of　Germany；　Tyndale
  was　impelled　by　the　Spirit　of　God　to　do　the　same　for　England。　Wycliffe's
  Bible　had　been　translated　from　the　Latin　text；　which　contained　many　errors。
  It　had　never　been　printed；　and　the　cost　of　manuscript　copies　was　so　great
  that　few　but　wealthy　men　or　nobles　could　procure　it；　and；　furthermore；　being
  strictly　proscribed　by　the　church；　it　had　had　a　comparatively　narrow
  circulation。　In
  1516；　a　year　before　the　appearance　of　Luther's　theses；
  Erasmus　had　published　his　Greek　and　Latin　version　of　the　New　Testament。　Now
  for　the　first　time　the　word　of　God　was　printed　in　the　original　tongue。　In
  this　work　many　errors　of　former　versions　were　corrected；　and　the　sense　was
  more　clearly　rendered。　It　led　many　among　the　educated　classes　to　a　better
  knowledge　of　the　truth；　and　gave　a　new　impetus　to　the　work　of　reform。　But
  the　common　people　were　still；　to　a　great　extent；　debarred　from　God's　word。
  Tyndale　was　to　complete　the　work　of　Wycliffe　in　giving　the　Bible　to　his
  countrymen。
  A　diligent　student　and　an　earnest　seeker　for　truth；　he　had　received　the
  gospel　from　the　Greek　Testament　of　Erasmus。　He　fearlessly　preached　his
  convictions；　urging　that　all　doctrines　be　tested　by　the　Scriptures。　To　the
  papist　claim　that　the　church　had　given　the　Bible；　and　the　church　alone　could
  explain　it；　Tyndale　responded：　〃Do　you　know　who　taught
  246
  the　eagles　to　find　their　prey？　Well；　that　same　God　teaches　His　hungry
  children　to　find　their　Father　in　His　word。　Far　from　having　given　us　the
  Scriptures；　it　is　you　who　have　hidden　them　from　us；　it　is　you　who　burn　those
  who　teach　them；　and　if　you　could；　you　would　burn　the　Scriptures
  themselves。〃D'Aubigne；　History　of　the　Reformation　of　the　Sixteenth
  Century；　b。　18；　ch。　4。
  Tyndale's　preaching　excited　great　interest；　many　accepted　the　truth。　But　the
  priests　were　on　the　alert；　and　no　sooner　had　he　left　the　field　than　they　by
  their　threats　and　misrepresentations　endeavored　to　destroy　his　work。　Too
  often　they　succeeded。　〃What　is　to　be　done？〃　he　exclaimed。　〃While　I　am　sowing
  in　one　place；　the　enemy　ravages　the　field　I　have　just　left。　I　cannot　be
  everywhere。　Oh！　if　Christians　possessed　the　Holy　Scriptures　in　their　own
  tongue；　they　could　of　themselves　withstand　these　sophists。　Without　the　Bible
  it　is　impossible　to　establish　the　laity　in　the　truth。〃Ibid。；　b。　18；　ch。　4。
  A　new　purpose　now　took　possession　of　his　mind。　〃It　was　in　the　language　of
  Israel；〃　said　he；　〃that　the　psalms　were　sung　in　the　temple　of　Jehovah；　and
  shall　not　the　gospel　speak　the　language　of　England　among　us？　。　。　。　Ought　the
  church　to　ha