126 The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan
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With painful misgivings Luther contrasted this scene with the self-denial and hardship of his own life. His mind was becoming perplexed.
At last he beheld in the distance the seven-hilled city. With deep emotion he prostrated himself upon the earth, exclaiming,“ Holy Rome, I salute thee!” 163 He entered the city, visited the churches, listened to the marvelous tales repeated by priests and monks, and performed all the ceremonies required. Everywhere he looked upon scenes that filled him with astonishment and horror. He saw that iniquity existed among all classes of the clergy. He heard indecent jokes from prelates, and was filled with horror at their awful profanity, even during mass. As he mingled with the monks and citizens, he met dissipation, debauchery. Turn where he would, in the place of sanctity he found profanation.“ No one can imagine,” he wrote,“ what sins and infamous actions are committed in Rome; they must be seen and heard to be believed. Thus they are in the habit of saying,‘ If there is a hell, Rome is built over it: it is an abyss whence issues every kind of sin.’” 164
By a recent decretal, an indulgence had been promised by the pope to all who should ascend upon their knees“ Pilate ' s staircase,” said to have been descended by our Saviour on leaving the Roman judgment hall, and to have been miraculously conveyed from Jerusalem to Rome. Luther was one day devoutly climbing these steps, when suddenly a voice like thunder seemed to say to him,“ The just shall live by faith.” 165 He sprung to his feet, and hastened from the place in shame and horror. That text never lost its power upon his soul. From that time he saw more clearly than ever before the fallacy of trusting to human works for salvation, and the necessity of constant faith in the merits of Christ. His eyes had been opened, and were never again to be
163 D ' Aubigné, b. 2, ch. 6. 164 Ibid. 165 Rom. 1:17.