[194] Mea in ipsos exercebo cornua, irritaturus Satanam, donec effusis viribus et conatibus corruat in se ipso. L. Epp. ii. 236. [195] Ignis et furor insulsissimorum asinorum et Thomisticorum porcorum. Contra Henricum Regem, Opp. Lat. ii. 331. This language reminds us of the Irish agitator. There is, however, greater force and nobility in the orator of the 16th than in him of the 19th century. See _Revue Britannique_ for November 1835. _Le Règne d'O'Connel._ "Soaped swine of civilized society," &c. p. 30. Luther first reproaches Henry VIII. with having supported his doctrines solely by the decrees and opinions of men. "As for me," says he, "I never cease crying the Gospel, the Gospel! Christ, Christ!--And my adversaries continue to reply: Custom, custom! Ordinances, ordinances! Fathers, fathers!--St. Paul says: _Let not your faith stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God_ (1 Cor. ii. 5). And the apostle by this thunderclap from heaven overthrows and disperses, as the wind scatters the dust, all the hobgoblins of this Henry. Frightened and confounded, these Thomists, Papists, and Henrys fall prostrate before the thunder of these words."[196] [196] Confusi et prostrati jacent a facie verborum istius tonitrui. Contra Henricum reg. Opp. Lat. ii. 336. [Sidenote: THE WORD OF GOD AND NOT THE WORD OF MAN.] He then refutes the king's book in detail, and overturns his arguments one after the other, with a perspicuity, spirit, and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and history of the Church, but also with an assurance, disdain, and sometimes violence, that ought not to surprise us. Having reached the end of his confutation, Luther again becomes indignant that his opponent should derive his arguments from the Fathers only: this was the basis of the whole controversy. "To all the words of the Fathers and of men, of angels and of devils," said he, "I oppose, not old customs, not the multitude of men, but the Word of Eternal Majesty,--the Gospel, which even my adversaries are obliged to recognise. To this I hold fast, on this I repose, in this I boast, in this I exult and triumph over the papists, the Thomists, the Henrys, the sophists, and all the swine of hell.[197] The King of heaven is with me; for this reason I fear nothing, although a thousand Augustines, a thousand Cyprians, and a thousand of these churches which Henry defends, should rise up against me. It is a small matter that I should despise and revile a king of the earth, since he himself does not fear in his writings to blaspheme the King of heaven, and to profane His holy name by the most impudent falsehoods."[198] [197] Hic sto, hic sedeo, hic maneo, hic glorior, hic triumphor, hic insulto papistis......Ibid. 342. [198] Nec magnum si ego regem terræ contemno. Ibid. 344, verso.