er attaining a degree of success, consented to
temporize to secure favor with the world, it would have been untrue to God
and to itself, and would thus have insured its own destruction. The
experience of these noble Reformers contains a lesson for all succeeding
ages. Satan's manner of working against God and His word has not changed;
he is still as much opposed to the Scriptures being made the guide of life
as in the sixteenth century. In our time there is a wide departure from
their doctrines and precepts, and there is need of a return to the great
Protestant 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
to-day.

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."(299)

The Reformation was to be brought into greater prominence befor