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Later Reformers
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thy neighbor as thyself.’ [
Luke 10:27
.] ‘Every idle word that men
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shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment.’
[
Matthew 12:36
.] ‘Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ [
1 Corinthians 10:31
.]
“If their doctrine is stricter than this, they are to blame; but
you know in your conscience it is not. And who can be one jot
less strict without corrupting the word of God? Can any steward
of the mysteries of God be found faithful if he change any part of
that sacred deposition?—No; he can abate nothing; he can soften
nothing; he is constrained to declare to all men, I may not bring
down the Scriptures to your taste. You must come up to it, or perish
forever. The popular cry is, The uncharitableness of these men!
Uncharitable, are they? In what respect? Do they not feed the
hungry and clothe the naked? No; that is not the thing; they are not
wanting in this, but they are so uncharitable in judging; they think
none can be saved but those who are of their own way.”
How similar are the arguments urged against those who present
the truths of God’s word applicable to this time.
Among the reformers of the church an honorable place should
be given to those who stood in vindication of a truth generally ig-
nored, even by Protestants,—those who maintained the validity of
the fourth commandment, and the obligation of the Bible Sabbath.
When the Reformation swept back the darkness that had rested down
on all Christendom, Sabbath-keepers were brought to light in many
lands. No class of Christians have been treated with greater injustice
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by popular historians than have those who honored the Sabbath.
They have been stigmatized as semi-Judaizers, or denounced as su-
perstitious and fanatical. The arguments which they presented from
the Scriptures in support of their faith were met as such arguments
are still met, with the cry, The Fathers, the Fathers! ancient tradition,
the authority of the church!
Luther and his co-laborers accomplished a noble work for God;
but, coming as they did from the Roman Church, having themselves
believed and advocated her doctrines, it was not to be expected
that they would discern all these errors. It was their work to break
the fetters of Rome, and to give the Bible to the world; yet there
were important truths which they failed to discover, and grave errors
which they did not renounce. Most of them continued to observe the