Protest of the Princes
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to protect the man of God. Thus did angels guard the workers in the
cause of the Reformation.
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One of the principles most firmly maintained by Luther was that
there should be no resort to secular power in support of the Reforma-
tion, and no appeal to arms for its defense. He rejoiced that the gospel
was confessed by princes of the empire; but when they proposed to
unite in a defensive league, he declared that “the doctrine of the gospel
should be defended by God alone.... The less man meddled in the
work, the more striking would be God’s intervention in its behalf.
All the politic precautions suggested were, in his view, attributable to
unworthy fear and sinful mistrust.”—D’Aubigne, London ed., b. 10,
ch. 14.
When powerful foes were uniting to overthrow the reformed faith,
and thousands of swords seemed about to be unsheathed against it,
Luther wrote: “Satan is putting forth his fury; ungodly pontiffs are
conspiring; and we are threatened with war. Exhort the people to
contend valiantly before the throne of the Lord, by faith and prayer, so
that our enemies, vanquished by the Spirit of God, may be constrained
to peace. Our chief want, our chief labor, is prayer; let the people
know that they are now exposed to the edge of the sword and to the
rage of Satan, and let them pray.”—D’Aubigne, b. 10, ch. 14.
Again, at a later date, referring to the league contemplated by the
reformed princes, Luther declared that the only weapon employed
in this warfare should be “the sword of the Spirit.” He wrote to the
elector of Saxony: “We cannot on our conscience approve the proposed
alliance. We would rather die ten times than see our gospel cause one
drop of blood to be shed. Our part is to be like lambs of the slaughter.
The cross of Christ must be borne. Let your highness be without
fear. We shall do more by our prayers than all our enemies by their
boastings. Only let not your hands be stained with the blood of your
brethren. If the emperor requires us to be given up to his tribunals,
we are ready to appear. You cannot defend our faith: each one should
believe at his own risk and peril.”—Ibid., b. 14, ch. 1.
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From the secret place of prayer came the power that shook the
world in the Great Reformation. There, with holy calmness, the ser-
vants of the Lord set their feet upon the rock of His promises. During
the struggle at Augsburg, Luther “did not pass a day without devoting
three hours at least to prayer, and they were hours selected from those