s there were false
christs in the first century of the Christian church, so there arose false
prophets in the sixteenth century.

A few men, deeply affected by the excitement in the religious world,
imagined themselves to have received special revelations from Heaven, and
claimed to have been divinely commissioned to carry forward to its
completion the Reformation which, they declared, had been but feebly begun
by Luther. In truth, they were undoing the very work which he had
accomplished. They rejected the great principle which was the very
foundation of the Reformation,--that the word of God is the all-sufficient
rule of faith and practice; and for that unerring guide they substituted
the changeable, uncertain standard of their own feelings and impressions.
By this act of setting aside the great detector of error and falsehood,
the way was opened for Satan to control minds as best pleased himself.

One of these prophets claimed to have been instructed by the angel
Gabriel. A student who united with him forsook his studies, declaring that
he had been endowed by God Himself with wisdom to expound His word. Others
who were naturally inclined to fanaticism united with them. The
proceedings of these enthusiasts created no little excitement. The
preaching of Luther had aroused the people everywhere to feel the
necessity of reform, and now some really honest persons were misled by the
pretensions of the new prophets.

The leaders of the movement proceeded to Wittenberg, and urged their
claims upon Melanchthon and his co-laborers. Said they: "We are sent by
God to instruct the people. We have held familiar conversations with the
Lord; we know what will happen; in a word, we are apostles and prophets,
and appeal to Doctor Luther."(265)

The Reformers were astonished and perplexed. This was such an element as
they had never before encountered, and they knew not what course to
pursue. Said Melanchthon: "There are indeed extraordinary spirits in these
men; but what spirits?... On the one hand, let us beware of quenching the
Spirit of God, and on the other, of being led astray by the spirit of
Satan."(266)

The fruit of the new teaching soon became apparent. The people were led to
neglect the Bible, or to cast it wholly aside. The schools were thrown
into confusion. Students, spurning all restraint, abandoned their studies,
and withdrew from the university. The men who thought themselves competent
to revive and control the wo