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THE KING’S BUSINESS
first time, he begins to realize how strong he is and to display that luxuriance of mas terfulness, which- often arises from such consciousness.” Yet so wedded was he to the Roman church, and so horrified at the thought of falling into the error of Uzzah in touching what he deemed to be as much a divine institution at the Ark of God, that nothing but an overwhelming sense of the demand divine truth made upon him drove him to take the steps he did. Though several writers on Luther notice this growth, yet so far as I have seen none of them appear to have marked its very close connection and dependence on his Bible studies. Perhaps this connection can best be shown by such a table as appears at the bottom of this article. The greatest Biblical influence upon Luther leading to the Refor mation appears clearly to have come from his study of the Epistle to the Galatians, upon which n lectured in the years 1516- 1517. He re-elaborated these lectures in 1519, and as we .have already noticed, it was in the year 1519 that he reached his full ap prehension of the great doctrine of that epistle-—justification by faith. SEEKS THE TRUTH When Tetzel came selling indulgences near Wittenberg in the spring of 1517, Luther was not disturbed by any doubts as to the right or wrong of the theory of indulgences; it was only against their abuses that he protested. In one of the ninety-five theses he affixed to the church door he stated that in desiring to debate on the subject he sought out the truth in regard to them in love. On the same day that he issued these theses he wrote to Archbishop Albert, of Brandenberg, urging him to look into the matter, and that letter was sent by the Archbishop to Rome. Earlier theo logians, says Lilly, had attacked indulgences in much sharper and more bitter tones than Luther did. The theses were brought before the gen eral chapter of the Saxon province field at Heidelberg in April and May, 1518. On August 23, 1518, the Pope wrote his agent,
“And were the world with devils filled All eager to devour us, Our souls to fear shall little yield, They cannot overpower us.” Luther’s independent study and search into the truth of what he was teaching led him to oppose the great authority of Aristotle in the latter’s views of human ability and free will, and he incensed his old teachers at Erfurt in emancipating him self from the traditions in which he had there been trained, and from the authorities he had been taught to reverence. His char acteristic opinions were during the years 1512-1517 slowly maturing, but though he was so firmly convinced that faith alone justifies, he had no sort of presentiment that in so holding, he was in any way opposed to the teaching of the traditional theology. With reference to the year 1516, McGiffert says:' “There is no sign that Luther was pass ing in those days through a mental struggle or consciously breaking with his ;past. In a sermon in this year he reveals a loyal de votion to. the Pope.” He seems to have realized with the Apostle John: “That which our hands have handled of the word of life; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you,” and further, to have entered into the ex perience of the seed which “sprang and grew up he knew not how.” It was only after much shrinking and hesitation that he ac cepted the truth as applying to himself which the Psalmist declares as to having “more understanding than all his teachers.” GROWS IN CONFIDENCE His deeping “hold on doctrine during the years 1512-1517 was also accompanied by a no less striking growth in confidence. Kolde, quoted by Lilly, shows how notably during the years 1513 to 1516 Luther grew in self- - confidence. “Strength,” he says, “is indeed from first to last, a distinguishing note of his charac ter ; the strength of convictions, which, whether right or wrong, dominated his whole being ; the strength of narrow vision and of indomitable will. But now for the
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