id down a difference
between the canonical books by preferring the gospel of St. John to the
three other evangelists; by depreciating the Epistle of St. James as an
epistle of straw, that contained nothing of the Gospel in it, and which
an apostle could not have written, since it attributes to works a merit
which they did not possess. It was in the Bible that Luther discovered
these two great truths of salvation, which he revealed to the world at
the beginning of his apostleship--_the slavery of man's will, and the
impeccability of the believer_.

It is said in Exodus, chapter ix, that God hardened the heart of
Pharaoh. It was questioned whether these words were to be construed
literally. This Erasmus rightly denied, and it roused the doctor's
wrath. Luther, in his reply, furiously attacks the fools who, calling
reason to their aid, dare call for an account from God why he condemns
or predestines to damnation innocent beings before they have even seen
the light. Truly, Luther, in the eyes of all God's creatures, must
appear a prodigy of daring when he ventures to maintain that no one can
reach heaven unless he adopts the slavery of the human will. And it is
not merely by the spirit of disputation, but by settled conviction, that
he defends this most odious of all ideas. He lived and died teaching
that horrible doctrine, which the most illustrious of his
disciples--among others, Melanchthon and Matthew Albert of
Reutlingen--condemned. "How rich is the Christian!" repeated Luther;
"even though he wished it, he cannot forfeit heaven by any stain;
believe, then, and be assured of your salvation: God in eternity cannot
escape you. Believe, and you shall be saved: repentance, confession,
satisfaction, good works, all these are useless for salvation; it is
sufficient to have faith."

Is not this a fearful error--a desolating doctrine? If you demonstrate
to Luther its danger or absurdity, he replies that you blaspheme the
Spirit of light. Neither attempt to prove to him that he is mistaken; he
will tell you that you offend God. No, no, my brother, you will never
convince me that the Holy Spirit is confined to Wittenberg any more than
to your person.

Not content with maledictions, Luther then turns himself to prophecy; he
announces that his doctrine, which proceeds from heaven, will gain, one
by one, all the kingdoms of the world. He says of Zwingli's explanation
of the eucharist, "I am not afraid of this fanatical interpret