The Great Apostasy, Considered in the Light of Scriptural and Secular HistoryTalmage, James E. (James Edward)
Religion
The Great Apostasy, Considered in the Light of Scriptural and Secular History
Talmage, James E. (James Edward)
Great Apostasy (Mormon doctrine); Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
13. Now, in the sixteenth century, in connection with the attempted
reform in the doctrines of Catholicism, the terrible Inquisition
"assumed new vigor and activity, and heresy was sternly dealt with."
Consider the following as throwing light on the condition of that
time: "At this point, in connection with the persecutions of the
Inquisition, we should not fail to recall that in the sixteenth
century a refusal to conform to the established worship was regarded
by all, by Protestants as well as Catholics, as a species of treason
against society and was dealt with accordingly. Thus we find Calvin at
Geneva consenting to the burning of Servetus (1553) because he
published views that the Calvinists thought heretical; and in England
we see the Anglican Protestants waging the most cruel, bitter, and
persistent persecutions, not only against the Catholics but also
against all Protestants that refused to conform to the Established
Church."--(Myers, "Gen. Hist.," p. 527.)
14. What shall be said of a Church that seeks to propagate its faith
by such methods? Are fire and sword the weapons with which truth
fights her battles? Are torture and death the arguments of the gospel?
However terrible the persecutions to which the early Church was
subjected at the hands of heathen enemies, the persecutions waged by
the apostate church are far more terrible. Can such a church by any
possibility be the Church of Christ? Heaven forbid!
15. In the revolts we have noted against the Church of Rome, notably
in the Reformation, the zeal of the reformers led to many fallacies in
the doctrines they advocated. Luther, himself, proclaimed the doctrine
of absolute predestination and of justification by faith alone, thus
nullifying belief in the God-given rights of free agency, and
impairing the importance of individual effort.--(See the Author's
"Articles of Faith," Lecture 5.) Calvin and others were no less
extreme. Nevertheless their ministry contributed to the awakening of
individual conscience, and assisted in bringing about a measure of
religious freedom of which the world had long been deprived.--(See
note 2, end of chapter.)
**Rise of the Church of England**.
16. At the time of Martin Luther's revolt against the Church of Rome,
Henry VIII reigned in England. In common with all other countries of
western Europe, Britain was profoundly stirred by the reformation
movement. The king openly defended the Catholic Church and published a
book in opposition to Luther's claims. This so pleased the pope, Leo
X, that he conferred upon King Henry the distinguishing title,
"Defender of the Faith." This took place about 1522, and from that
time to the present, British sovereigns have proudly borne the title.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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