The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 206

principle—the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty.
Satan is still working through every means which he can control to
destroy religious liberty. The antichristian power which the protesters
of Spires rejected is now with renewed vigor seeking to re-establish its
lost supremacy. The same unswerving adherence to the word of God
manifested at that crisis of the Reformation is the only hope of reform
today.
There appeared tokens of danger to the Protestants; there were
tokens, also, that the divine hand was stretched out to protect the faithful.
It was about this time that “Melanchthon hastily conducted through the
streets of Spires toward the Rhine his friend Simon Grynaeus, pressing
him to cross the river. The latter was astonished at such precipitation.
‘An old man of grave and solemn air, but who is unknown to me,’ said
Melanchthon, ‘appeared before me and said, In a minute officers of
justice will be sent by Ferdinand to arrest Grynaeus.”’
During the day, Grynaeus had been scandalized at a sermon by
Faber, a leading papal doctor; and at the close, remonstrated with him
for defending “certain detestable errors.” “Faber dissembled his anger,
but immediately after repaired to the king, from whom he had obtained
an order against the importunate professor of Heidelberg. Melanchthon
doubted not that God had saved his friend by sending one of His holy
angels to forewarn him.
“Motionless on the banks of the Rhine, he waited until the waters of
that stream had rescued Grynaeus from his persecutors. ‘At last,’ cried
Melanchthon, as he saw him on the opposite side, ‘at last he is torn
from the cruel jaws of those who thirst for innocent blood.’ When he
returned to his house, Melanchthon was informed that officers in search
of Grynaeus had ransacked it from top to bottom.”—Ibid., b. 13, ch. 6.
The Reformation was to be brought into greater prominence before
the mighty ones of the earth. The evangelical princes had been denied a
hearing by King Ferdinand; but they were to be granted an opportunity
to present their cause

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