r petition too, the petition of
the whole world, lying in dark bondage of soul, paralysed under a
black spectral Nightmare and triple-hatted Chimera, calling itself
Father in God, and what not: "Free us; it rests with thee; desert us
not!"

Luther did not desert us. His speech, of two hours, distinguished
itself by its respectful, wise and honest tone; submissive to
whatsoever could lawfully claim submission, not submissive to any more
than that. His writings, he said, were partly his own, partly derived
from the Word of God. As to what was his own, human infirmity entered
into it; unguarded anger, blindness, many things doubtless which it
were a blessing for him could he abolish altogether. But as to what
stood on sound truth and the Word of God, he could not recant it. How
could he? "Confute me," he concluded, "by proofs of Scripture, or else
by plain just arguments: I cannot recant otherwise. For it is neither
safe nor prudent to do ought against conscience. Here stand I; I can
do no other: God assist me!"--It is, as we say, the greatest moment in
the Modern History of Men. English Puritanism, England and its
Parliaments, Americas, and vast work these two centuries; French
Revolution, Europe and its work everywhere at present: the germ of it
all lay there: had Luther in that moment done other, it had all been
otherwise! The European World was asking him: Am I to sink ever lower
into falsehood, stagnant putrescence, loathsome accursed death; or,
with whatever paroxysm, to cast the falsehoods out of me, and be cured
and live?--

* * * * *

Great wars, contentions and disunion followed out of this Reformation;
which last down to our day, and are yet far from ended. Great talk and
crimination has been made about these. They are lamentable,
undeniable; but after all what has Luther or his cause to do with
them? It seems strange reasoning to charge the Reformation with all
this. When Hercules turned the purifying river into King Augeas's
stables, I have no doubt the confusion that resulted was considerable
all around: but I think it was not Hercules's blame; it was some
other's blame! The Reformation might bring what results it liked when
it came, but the Reformation simply could not help coming. To all
Popes and Popes' advocates, expostulating, lamenting and accusing, the
answer of the world is: Once for all, your Popehood has become untrue.
No matter how good it was, how good you say it