The European Union in Prophecy The EU in Prophecy I | Page 94

The European Union in Prophecy
had been withheld from them. (See John C. L. Gieseler, A Compendium of
Ecclesiastical History, per. 4, sec. 1, par. 5.)
As Tetzel entered a town, a messenger went before him, announcing: "The grace
of God and of the holy father is at your gates."--D'Aubigne, b. 3, ch. 1. And the people
welcomed the blasphemous pretender as if he were God Himself come down from
heaven to them. The infamous traffic was set up in the church, and Tetzel, ascending
the pulpit, extolled the indulgences as the most precious gift of God. He declared that
by virtue of his certificates of pardon all the sins which the purchaser should
afterward desire to commit would be forgiven him, and that "not even repentance is
necessary."-- Ibid., b. 3, ch. 1. More than this, he assured his hearers that the
indulgences had power to save not only the living but the dead; that the very moment
the money should clink against the bottom of his chest, the soul in whose behalf it had
been paid would escape from purgatory and make its way to heaven. (See K. R.
Hagenbach, History of the Reformation, vol. 1, p. 96.)
When Simon Magus offered to purchase of the apostles the power to work
miracles, Peter answered him: "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast
thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." Acts 8:20. But Tetzel's
offer was grasped by eager thousands. Gold and silver flowed into his treasury. A
salvation that could be bought with money was more easily obtained than that which
requires repentance, faith, and diligent effort to resist and overcome sin. (See
Appendix note for page 59.) The doctrine of indulgences had been opposed by men of
learning and piety in the Roman Church, and there were many who had no faith in
pretensions so contrary to both reason and revelation. No prelate dared lift his voice
against this iniquitous traffic; but the minds of men were becoming disturbed and
uneasy, and many eagerly inquired if God would not work through some
instrumentality for the purification of His church.
Luther, though still a papist of the straitest sort, was filled with horror at the
blasphemous assumptions of the indulgence mongers. Many of his own congregation
had purchased certificates of pardon, and they soon began to come to their pastor,
confessing their various sins, and expecting absolution, not because they were
penitent and wished to reform, but on the ground of the indulgence. Luther refused
them absolution, and warned them that unless they should repent and reform their
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