Timotuy Georce eee R&ADING SCRIPTURE with THs REFORMERSFour Wuoss Brse? Wuicu TRapITion? eimai Sep ino mae sd ey inert ther ha sl lee? Aad al de? shah) Gk hat plain pak is Wad drt ha he Wed thes you pe ier le one the The Wed f God plan dhe lai re pera ty ino pla, Hetil ho wich one coeur in epi th ame or ce iter lc ht hr en rain dt, eat ich ait rma prin Conran srw Jon Kx ano Man vee Sr) Thing larity nt Bil nighen te det and eon brit ume em Sere at nearer We Bae Which Tot 103 Tress, rn aan oF rx Sno Ansana, Willan Weston, an Exgis-born, Oxford-eucted Jest pit, found inself pe nein Wisbech Casale, not fms he own of Ely inthe Fenland tepon of Cambridgeshire Wen wars sealous Coolie minionay in Hlzabetht Prone Eagan, He coud bout oe orb sc ces in wining forthe Chrch of Rome eel converts fm the nol, icading Philip Howard, the Earl of Arundel. ot is pros thy, Wearn had ben are and placed in re coninement a Wishech Cae log with mor than thie cher Catholic tants. Are looked ou fom hisprion ell one day in 1588, Weston wtzesied a emasable aero of parcan belles who bad a sembled on lag level setch of ground within the precincts af he riton fra kind of pear Bib conference. Dring his elo ears 6fimpritonment, Wen had en his oe of thing before, nd be described with ome amusement, the cee before his Each of them had his own Bible, and seduouly cured the ages and looked up the ex cited by the preachers discussing ‘he prtages among themaclesto see whecher they had quoted them othe point and accurately, and in harmony wich cir tenets Also they would stare arguing among themuelves about the meaning of passages from the Scripeues—men, women, boys gis russ, laborers and idios—and moce often chan ot ic ended in violence and fisictfi .. Here, over a how sand of them somesimes assembled, thei horses and pack an ‘mals burdened with 4 mukitude of Bibles. Te was a wretched nd ely psf ight but in some ways was comic and laugh se fr the onlookers? ‘One of the major argument gaint making the Bible available in ‘Wun Wa, Dy fon eet alr was ip Carman (ew oF, Som Cy, SS108 anon Senrrane wir vue Reronns ‘the common languages ofthe people wae that it would undermine the normative authority ofthe church and lato theknd of mas conf sion and confi wienessed by Weston. Thomas Hobbes was born in the year Weston wrote hie description ofthe gtherng st Wisbech Cac Though Hobbes was no Jesuit—he was halfhesredProtes- ‘ane with leanings toward atheism —he shared Weston concern aboue giving unlkered accesso che Serpe oust anybody In is famous book, Bebemth (1682), he argued for police absolutism ‘aguinac the poplieand libertarian tends of the Renaissance and Reformation. Looking back onthe cultural transformation effected by the translation and distenination of che Bible inthe sixteenth century, Hobbes lamented char afer the Bible wa ranlaed "every man, ay, every boy and wench, that could read English thought they spoke with God Almighey and undersraod what he sid, when by «ectain number of ehapetsa day they had ead the Seripesresonce ot cas been sggesed thar Henty VIII permite the 1539 Gest Bible to be published in England noe becsute he was keen for che common people rave the Scripcues in their native sngoe but asa pradenial response co a growing Bible-based popular reformation from below. In his view, Henry needed the support ofthe emerging rocestant movement for his assertion of royal supremacy aginst the ope, and this wat one way og it This maybe tru enough, but by 1545 che king was having second houghesabour giving che Bible 39 fecely ro the laity. Ax Margo Toda explain, the Bible “had become ‘vo popular, unleashing individual ay interpretation in an age thie valued conformity and hierarchy Addvesing himself to che leaders ofPariament, Henry warned ehem about the dangersofan unleashed ‘Singin Mardallnd Company 889, 9p 2122. ‘Maye Ta 'A eps Raa forint Be Mao (Mngt ome 0079 eon Toni an Whe ie Whi Taio? 105 Bible and instructed them “orto dispute and make Scripture sri ing and stasning stock against priests and preaches (as many ike person do} am very sory to know and hear how unceverenly hat ‘most precious jewel, the Word of God is dspute,ehymed, sungand Jingle in every ale house and tavern, contrary to che eve mesning land doctrine of the same Befote Heney’ death in 1547, English ‘ranaatons of the Bibl, including chowe of William Tyndale and ‘Miles Coverdale, were once agin beng collected and burned at Saint Pauls Cros in Londo. Noss or Wax? Weston, Hibbs and Henry VII all seemed ro blame the exegetical anarchy they observed on the widespread diseribation of dhe Bible among the commen people. But while the advent of printing may have acclerated controversies over the prope interpretation of Scrip ture auc dupute were nothing new inthe sixteenth cenrry. Wean- ing ove oly rex endemic to any religion tha takes seriously 2 fied canon of sacred writings witness, among many other disputes, the debates over che esurzection between Pharisees and Sadducees luring Second Temple Juda, othe diferences among Sunnis, ‘Shins and Safe over the correct interpretation of the Quan today. Because the Christan faith 30 deeply ted tothe ory of lara iis oe suprising that he cole ofthe Ol Testament law became a ma ‘er of great conttoersy within che apostle church. Pal addressed ‘hiss in his ever bu, a we know, his writings generated even futher controversy, The Neo Testament islf claimed that ehey ‘onttn somethings the ae hard vo understand, which the gpoeant and unstable ewite ro their own destruction, a they do the other Serieute (2 Per316). The debate over Paul's lees inensfed inthe second centary Sac Rea Ha Hay Vic C Whig Conbs E ECk106 -RaaneSenirens wore rea Reroueen Wh Bi Whi Taio? 107 when Marcion touted them as normative Scripeute fr Christians to the ecusion of he enie Old Testament and mot ofthe rest ofthe New. The gnostic lo sppealed ro the Scriptures. While they cher lished cheie own sparous gospels and secret Jess sayings, they also ‘ite the texts ofthe Old and New Testaments, which they inter preted by means of extreme allegory to sui thelr preconceived Schemes of ralaton Irenaeus accused the Valentinians of distorting the Scripraresin che manner of someone wh cock beautfl mossie image of aking, shared tino pieces ad then rearranged the gems Jno the shape ofa dog ors fox. The wlsin would chen parade before ‘the ignorane this reconsructed parody of the genie likeness in cnder ro make them think tha he real image of the king resembled shat of fourfooted animal. "Tn like manner” Irenaeus weoe, “do these persons pach together old wies ables and then endeavor by ‘olentl drawing away from their proper connection, words, expres sions, and parables whenever found, 9 adape the oracles of God to ‘her baseles fictions Tecllian also challenged the gos exege- ss of the Bible tha alegrized sway he hisoricy ofthe bith and «rcifxion and resurrection ofJesus."And, indeed, fll are gues Incase, “where will be chat af which they ae the igutes? How can you old upamizrr for your face, ithe face nowhere exits? But in ‘ruth alae noe igure, but here are ls ier statements nor are allshadows, bur there are bodies ls... Ie was not Figurative chat the Virgin concesed in ee wombs nor ina trope dl she bear Em ‘samuel chat Jesus, God with us"” Through the work of Origen and Augustine, the use of allegory became 3 sandard featur in the (Christan undersanding of che Bible inthe Middle Ages, but the carl stugglsaguinse the gnosis showed the danger of incespetie schemes noc governed bythe rule of ih In che sixteenth century the eeormers fond another image to Tema gs Fa FI, “erllan eRe ek 38 ANE 335 show how the Bible could be malleslyewisted his way or that suit the predilections of the iterpreter—a nore of wax. This image can be traced back othe relfth century when Alan of Lil refered to the competing “authorities” used by scholastic theologians co con steoct an argument a8 cre sus 2 waten nose capable of being turned one way or anther to ft che argument. On the eve ofthe Reformation, johannes Geiler of Kalarsberg, a famous exthedal preacher at Strasbourg, appli the image of the waxen nose diccty {othe Bible" The first complete Geman Bible ad been published at ‘Seeasboug in 1466 and went through seventeen repeiaing prior to the publication of Lachers German New Teseament in 1522. Geiler ‘opposed he dissemination ofthe Bible in German for fea ofits being risineepreted by the unlatined Lay. Inthe Reformation debates that followed, Catholics and Protestant alike accused one anther of using the Scvprares by turning into anos of wa ‘The sixteenth cencury was not shore of vivid verbal images. “Thomas More came up with graphic one in 1532 hen he compared Bible cransltor Willits Tyndale with “a burly fallen ona lime ‘og, which the more i stsveth and fluterec, ever the aster i hangeth™ Tyndale was not long in responding, and he charged that “Moe anda he "papi make Scripture “note of wax, and wrest this way and that way i ie agree” The Durch scholar Abert Pighis, he frst Catholic cheologan eo write againsc Calving Dui tuts, uke the charge rghe back. To che reformers, be sid “the ‘Scripcute is ike ane of wax that easily flere slo Be drawn backoand and forward andeo be molded in fashion this way nd hat “a0. hn a Tg rt Pui ei 57.38 alr oa "Makesconmen Dk often eee agai ‘ol nomad eerie Xs ers Se 179 3 “Foca Conn fr ape ed RE tft Repl Hod Sey 14096815.108 RraoineSennrone wir re Revonas way, and howsoever ye lie”! Roger Hutchison, an English Protes- tant quoted Pighiuss comment in 1550 not forgetting ro return she compliment in kind while expanding the inage with ametaphor from sports. The Catholics, he sd, "ake the Seriprres nose of wa, and tennis ball” Back and forth t went. Acatnsr Rowe “The Prorestant reformers faced abate on eo fronts in thei tue les fora proper ineepretaion ofthe Bible. On the one hand, they denied tac che institutional chueh, es hierarchy, prelates and scl 1s could si in judgment ever the Seriprre. In March 1542, the dean and faculty of eeology a he Sorbonne in Paris set forth 2 e- riesoFarticesharalleachers and cheolgical rudent were required ‘osubsrbe on penalty of banishment fom the commanty, The ar sles prescribed “what doctors and preachers ought to teach, andthe reat of che fichfu,wieh the whole church, belive” Calin’ “ant ote" to the Pars aries dips wich sarcasm as he places in the mouths of his opponents there words: “Although our masters ae de- ficient in proof from Scripeure, they compensate the defect by an- ‘ther authority which ehey have, vi, tha of the church, which is ‘equivalent to Serpeare, o een (according othe doctors) surpaises fein certaney"™ ‘I 1520, Luther responded to an aeac agains im by the Fran ‘scan monk Augustine Alked of Leipsig. He accused Alved and his religous cohorts of making ofthe Seripeure ‘whatever they want out fi, aie were wax nose ro be pulled to and fi." They have done this be alleged, by throwing many passage eogetherheeerakeler "Ae aed pon bh eyo Seed Tey Paw he Acie ie fi te an Jab hp Cad Wh Bi Whih Taito 109 wether hey ft not IF were follow such procedure in inte preing the Bile, Lather cotinaed, I could prove From the Bible that *Rastrum beer i better than Malmecy wine Rastrum was the name of loa Leipig eer knows to turn the stomach inside out because of biceress, whereas Maley was sweet Gree wine known today as Madeira. One example of such exegetical legerde main wat the effort of Catholic acholar o draw a dizee parle be- tween che high priesthood of Aaron inthe Ol Testament and the office of the pope in che church today. Inequacing dese rwo, Luther says they jumble ogether figure and Falfllment. The gure of Aaron inthe Old Testament is physical and external, whereas che falfil ‘ment is spiritual and internal, Arguing from the leer to the He- brews be aimed thai was Crist not Peer ot che pope who fale filled the priestly ollie prefigured in Aaron. "Let Aaron be juse ‘Aaron inthe simples sense" Luther wrote, unless the Spirit inter pres him in anew lel sense—as when St, Paul makes Chiscout ‘of Aaron forthe Hebrews (Hebrews 9:10," Lather found another example of Scripture twisting by his Roman “opponencs in che way hat Jeu interpretation of the fifth command tment in the Sermon on the Moun was understood. Jesus had made clea that"when a man lees at woman or cracks shady joes or even thinks about ec lsflly hii an adler f he eyes or the et, ‘oe the moth and above all an adultery ofthe hears" But the plain ‘meaning of this text (Me 5:2728) has been so ewisted that various inerpeters have drawn ludicrous consequeness in opposite dee tons, On the one hand, Lather sy, ehere ae "espectable people in Tely nowadays” (wat he ealing some scandalous hinge he had sen when he visited Rome at 3 young monk in 15102) who consider it honorable ocohabi with a whore outside of mariage.” Ache op-no a posite end of such libertnism,chere ar leslcs who have so tight ened the meaning of Jesus! words aguna lustful gaing that shey for bid all companionship berween men and women, hiding chersthes in monasteries 4 asco avo all contact ad association with the ‘word, Bu Jesus di noel for such sequestration He diinguished looking and lusting nd lowed aking laughing, nd hainga good ‘im with ll women Jesu words were cll chaticy no just or 2 elec few bu forall oie dacples whom he expected oie inthe real world while resisting its empation. To drive home his pine, Luther recited the well-known saying fom the lives ofthe fathers: «cannot keep bind fom fying oer my head. Bu can certainly keep Jtfrom nesting in ny hair o from biting my nose off" ‘When news of the controversy about indulgences firs reached Rome, Pope Leo X dismised tae a mere “monks quarrel” The hawker of indulgences, Johannes Tez, wat a Dominica, and the procester, Marcin Luther, was an Augustinian. The Holy Father ex pected che whole mater ro blow ovr in ashore while a quarcls beeween iva orders usually di. Bur when he asked the papal court ‘theologian SylveserPrierias—another Dominicano respond to Lathes Nineeyie Theses, ie soon Became clear thar ce distur: bance in Wittenberg had fr-teaching implications. In his Dislgue Concerning the Powe of he Poe, riers declared chat he who does not acepe che doctrine of the Church of Rome and poniffof Rome 1 an inal rule of faith, fom which the Holy Scriptures, so, deaw their stength and authority, ia here." Privat’ asecion of pupal infallible New in che face ofconeiaristunderiandings of suthorey and anticipated che dogma of papal peimacy and nfl lity defined by the Fes Vaian Council in 1870. Pieris made lear ‘*Quray Hesl Obrman Lah Man Rvs Glen New Hae Ye ad apg eon of Pen thar the pope wa infilible not by vier of his personal holiness but winenever he made 3 decision in his capaci as a pope. Bar he also argued that such authority incaded not ony ues of doctrine bat lke matrecs of ith and moral suchas the use of indulgences. [Ar chis pine, Lather had nor ye ejected the fic ofthe papacy andstillopoke with espectof Pope Leo X, referring him asa shep- Irerdibadvised in need of bce informed advisors. However, his ‘responce ro Preri indicated char the Reformation struggle would bedefined ata contest between Seripare onthe one band and tradi tion a8 interpreted bythe pope on the other. Lather answered Pei rays anguments for papal infallible by quoting wo Palin ext thar became central in Protetane argument against Rome: "Prove all ding: hol fc thar which ie good” (1 Thess $21) "Even fan angel descend frm heaven and peach a gospel contrary to that you have ecived, echim be accursed" (Gal 18). However, i rom ely ing on "Scripture alone” ro defend the supremacy ofthe Bible, Lathee alto cited an eae papal decretl, one by Pope Clement V repult ing he practice of indulgences. And for good measure he threw in2 ference foam the eatiy church, leer of Augustine o Jerome sertng the primacy of Scrpcure overall other writings, ine only she inspite author ofthe Bible ha been preserved fom all ero. Thus from the beginning, the consoversy with Rome was net simply 2 mater of Scripture verso tradition. Lucher was arguing aginst Aisin from tradition, or becer pu, he was arguing from shallower raion oa profounder one, tain that asserted the supremacy of Scripsure overall ther ecesil decisions and docements In October 1518, Lcher was summoned to Augsburg, where he inet yet another Dominican theologian, Thomas de Vie, beter known to history as Cardinal Cajetn. Speaking inthe name ofthe pope he demanded tha Luther rcant. Lathe later remembered his meeting aa rorning point chat led to his final beak with Rome If CCajean had heard hi our he ae recalled, had he ben willing toWhe Bike Whi Tio mw ‘consider scriptural prof rather than simply demand lind abe ence to papal fat hinge might have cured out diferent. Bat at ‘Aupsarg, Lather could noe bring himelf oxy those six eters, en “Trecant” Everyone expected Luther to be arrested fllowing his imeerview wih Catan. Bt Lather was ever the reformer af nat row escapes. Under cover oF night with the star or his canopy be wat whisked our oftowa on an unsadled horse. For Luther the road from Augsburg ro Worms pased chrough Leipeg, where in 1519 he was ect, “cornered” by Johann Eck into _ximicing chat no only could popes, pat and present, ll into eroe tbr that also general council of the church could be and had ben mistaken, The condemnation of John His a the Council of Con- stance in 1415 was a casein poi. Ele declared Lather pagan anda publican for alying himself wich a condemned heres and fo ep iaing che auchovey of general ‘council wel as that ofthe pope Lather answered that Gods Word {is ahove all harman words. A sim le layman, he sd, armed with Scripeureshouldbe believed above a pope ora council without. Ex histeeaise on che Babylonian Ca fees mcr muon ity of be Chr 1520, Lather Bor seated this principle negatively m "What is asserced without the Pre pairciceinrnmn —Serpeures or proven revelation BGR adgpcrtrem may be held as a opinion, but eranineenhn ition: ed nace believed ‘Ache Diet of Woes in 152, Lather was confroned by the high: ces chuschly and remporal autos inthe Chistian world. There Ine famously sid, My conscience ie capeive eo dhe Woed af Go.” In modern depictions ofthis scene, Luther emerges ax the champion of priate incerprearion, Freedom of concince and modern individual fn, Homeves,chis popular tereosype of Lather wil not bear sr tiny. Bor ov can we understand hs concluding remark inthe Diu tain Aint Scholae Theology (1517), repeated in other ating: “Tall waned 10 sy, we believe we have sad nothing tha is nein agreement with che Catholic chutch and the teacher ofthe church’ =* In fic, n making his astounding lain at Leipig, Lather was not saying anything new. Weng neary2 century belore, Nicholas de Ta dkschis 4. 1445, archbishop of Palermo, had put forth a similar claim: "Tn maces offithanjone armed with beter reasons and au thorites ofthe New and Old Testaments isto be prefered even othe pope!” Bien eater, Henry of Ghene(d 1293), in commenting on che Sentenes of Peter Lomb, ose the question of whether Seripeare ‘or the church shouldbe belevedifthey coneradice one another. Inhis hypotherical cleavage, Henry sided with the Seripeares over againut tha communicy which sem tbe the church" The true church, he ecard, may be found “in few jst people” Daring che malkpspacy of the Great Schism, che idea ofthe em el dvr sna 3206S en ey ‘Sh omenaPch-Ln e Cxnte Tinton” te eel) ‘io oh 394 Te 159 ar ced ha nal nano fed snc agent wa Sr de OW. ons, Tarai ia Kina ling Nie Kink a Kae Made Td (Geen (eee bil pp. Sen Hema She Seba ary fein nd eo ‘oman Cane Gap ye (Wang DC. Cabal Urey Ame (eropln te Cao She ca SIAC SAisdcinoontteman onion ibnae Reson Senerone wr rant church emerged a a major motin lace medieval ecesilogy. ‘The Viegin Mary was seen a the achetypeof hi remnanechurchy he udhfulnes alone hep che Catholic ith tract daring Chats pasion onthe cross. When ll ofthe disciples, including Pete, had Adin ea, May ened tru to Chie and his Word. Her fdlicy tnder the coe showed tha the tue fh could be preserved in one sole individual and hus Mary became the mother ofthe ae rem: ane) church, ‘The early eefrmers retained a stronger degree of Marian devo- tion than thei ltr followers even Zwingl defended the we ofthe “Ave Marsal Calvin celesed co Mary athe" reanacerofgrace"™ Bat was Marys submission tothe Word of God and he fdeliy to ic contra mundum tac einfoced their owen commitment the pri- macy of Scripture. Only in thi way can we undevsand Lather’ ap peat che “simple layman’ at Leipig or his audacious summary of the events of 1521: "At Worms I was che church"—a ema that se sound a ating Catholics ag Piss IXs"Tam tradition!” does to Protestant. Raprcat Insuncens Ifthe mainline reformers found thee Catholis opponent guilty of istortng the Srieursin der peop up postbblial nsicwions sch ae monastic and she papacy, was not long before some of theit own radicalized followers were efetring ro Lather as the Wie tenberg pope and Geneva as the Proteatan Rome. The ire tem ors of the radial reformation cook place in Wicenberg under the Alicection of Lather senior colleague, Andreas Radlff Bodenstein von Karltads If the nase sounds pretentious, so was he. He held [Sia ae naeeeatee ‘Eplefioe hecho nem cou bended jor espancn, Ohana eae We ile Whi Tai us hee doctorates, one in cv av, one in canon aw (boc eared in Rome) and one in thology. Trained in Thomistic cheology, be was adept in Grec and Hebrew aswell a Lain, He presided over the ceremony at which Luther's doctorate was conferred in 151, and be had been designated as che principal debate again Eck at Leipzig when hisundescady Luther stole the show (Karltade wagon fll of book ad broken down on she way to Lapa an omen ofad things rocome) His zee confice with Lather began while Lather was holed up fochis own safety in the Wareburg Castle. On the bass of the sci plementation ofthe principle of ola srptury, Karlee set forth a "New Onde forthe ity of Wittenberg” In apd secession nus ber ofrevlutonary changes tok place: imagesin the parish churches were smashed the fis “Prowstant communion” was celebrated at Karlaade unvested, faced che congregation and distributed both ‘bread and wine othe communicans without requiring pio conf sion toa pris: che intercession of Mary and the veneration ofthe saints were condemned; monastic vows, ncading the vow of celibacy, were tepudited as woreles. Three year efor Luce arsed the ‘runaway nun Katavin von Boa, Kasse married sixteen-year-old ‘Anna von Mochau, the daughter of poor nobleman. To justify hie bold actions, Karstade appealed noc only tothe legible word (che Bible) and the audible word (preaching), bu expecially tothe inner word af he Spire Karleade' pneumatic ur led him sharply tod vide Word from Spire is the experience ofthe believe. Chit he said, had called unlearned fisherman to confound the wise and mig in the days of the spowles, and he has given che ste Spi to his ere followers today ‘Arewe not robe compared wih teapots? What does Peet syto Cornelia tharhe ad received he Spiilike them? What does Paul say thar we most be his imitators? Dida Christ6 Reson Seneren wr promis ws his Spin ase did co the apoeles? Only the Spi leads us othe cognition of God's words. Therefore, flloms ‘hr thove who dont hear what God’ Spire says, dnt under stand God's word, neiher ae they Chistian As ic rurned ous, Witenberg wat ot large enough f0 contain bots ible trarstd Lather and Spire anointed Kala. “Brier Andreas” ah came to syle himlf lle Wicenberg and accepted 4 pastoral charge in he vllge church of Orland, where he pushed the Reformation even Further in radial direction, He te fused to baptize infans, inching roof his own, both of whom die without benef ofthe eeditional sacrament ro the dismay of his young wile. He also denied there presence of Chis in the Lord's Supper construing i at service of remembrance. In his claminde period, Karlade evn renounced his own academic ta- tus and pedigree, Luther recalled how Karltade had once come “swaggering into Wicenberg in ie academic regalia with hie double doctorate From Rome. Now he spored instead the simple garments ‘of a peasant farmer. His academic renuncasons wore shored, however, for he spent ie final yes teaching Hebrew and OM Tes. ‘amen athe University of Basel Kalaeade died in the arm of his wife in 154, but mot all leaders ofthe radial reformation were so fortunate. Thomas Manze, che Aeebeand preacher ofthe apcalype, was killed during the Peasants War and hisbody drawn and quartered, Melchior Hoffman a frter curned ser, predicted the end of te wodd in 1533, bu that was the yeare wat arrested and imprisoned in Strasbourg. He remained be- ‘pay ik Guo Ca Pe ec ee fp ne a Oyo as ras "Was Ur ie” S80 (968 9750 Orca Whe i Whi Taio 47 Inn bars for ten years, constantly adjusting his prophecies ofthe end time to accommodate the nonappearance of Jesus. He died therein 158, sill awaiting the second coming. Badhasar Hubmaier, che rmostlearned ofthe early Anabaptist eaders,wartortaredandbarned athe stake in 1528; his wife was drowned inthe Danube Rive {In commenting on 1 Joba 219, “They went out from us, but they were not of ws” Lather recalled his debates with Karta and “Mincze the “asa” who came up with anew gospel. "T have often teflected” he sid, “whether it would have been berter to eep the papacy than fo see ao many disturbances. Bu ee beter co eseue Some frm che jaws of the del han forall opevsh:” Luther once ‘complained that Kaslcae sounded as though he had swallowed the “Holy Ghost, feathers and al! Bae hi problem was nr so much with the radical appeal othe Sprite with hee deeachment ofthe pict from what Cltin wool call "che external means of aids by which God invites us inc che sociery of Christies 4.1.1). While at table with his cudent, Lather once sid, sola experieta fc theo lagu, “Experience alone makes one a theologian.” The context of this rematk shows that Lather was no using experience a an inde- pendene category of human appercepton. Hl was refering instead toexperience wid the Seripure "Scriptures not endertod, un Jes iis brought homme, chai, experienced” Wha Kadlradt and other cada cies considered Luther’s preoccupation with the death-dalng ler of Scripture (his incessae “Bible, bible, bab- Me) he reformer aw a2 esecial medium of he fe giving sc isery ofthe Spit. Word and Spr belonged inseparably together. For when you aik them how one comes by this lofty Spice, they dont poine ro che ourwardgoopel but go up into loud ‘HS Bp tte "Wht es Thin in Ma ates Tig & Corey arom eRe Bes 208 9p. 212 iv Hest Destoraetceseone nae sob ie oeas Resor Sener ‘cuckoo land snd say, Ah, you murthaveche experienc of wai {ng and suddenly, jus lke tha, God will be elkng wih you. Wit the vey worde "Spi, Spire piri [the dei] kicks xray the very bridge by hich the Holy Spcitcan come to you, samely the oucward ordinances of God like she hoy sign of| bapritm, and the preached Word of God and (he teaches not how che Spive comes to you, bu ow you come tothe Spi, se cha you may sail up into the sky, however so high, and ide upon the wind.” Searrrons ano TaanrrioN In light oftheieeworfron struggle aginat che Catholic elevation ofthe church above the Bible andthe adial distancing of Word from Spi the maine reformers wer forced 0 clarify thes deestanding of the relationship between Scriptute and tradition.” “The principle of sale sriptur is found inal of che casi confer- slons ofthe Reformation, but nowheee ist more clearly stated chan in the solemn Protetation (om which the word Protestant de tives) se forth on behalf of the evangelical cause at che Diet of Speyer in 15294 ‘There is we affirm, no sure preaching of doccrne bur shat which abies by the Word of God. According co God's com- pease rae eee Suk dln wee nth genet tara ree de ye perce ae ee eee een Sareea eee eee oe ae raed teers ere aga ce ea as es ee Se eee oe Sagres rar a See iat oan Sieber eee Petatea uate oon Sepa’ Pease ret mee Whe Bil Whi Tie! ns mand, no other doctrine should be preached. Each text ofthe holy and divine Scripeores shouldbe elcidaed and explained by other eats. Tie hal ook isin all chinge necessary for the (Christan: shines cleat in own light, and is found ro en- lighten the darkness. We are determined by God's grace and aid abide in God's Word alone, the holy gospel contained i the biblical books of che Old and New Testaments. This Word alone shouldbe poeached, and nothing that is contrary ot Fe ‘sche only Truth. leische sue rule ofall Cristian doctine and conduct Ie can never fil ut or deceive us, Whosoever builds and abides on this foundation sal stand agsna ll the gates of tl wheal merely aman adisons and vais seup against, semua fl before ce presence of Goa ® With such robust commie tothe authorey of che written ‘Word of God, how could che reformer stil claim that cey were part ofthe ongoing Catholic radivon, indeed che legitimate Bearers oft? “To answer thi question, i ix necensary co see how the Bible Fane ioned as ritcal principle in che chought ofthe reformers. They almost aways used the word radon inthe purl orefe o those “aman tradivons insite to placate God to meri grace, and to make satsfiction foe sins” at the Augsburg Confession pus i?* “Zavingli was more radial than Locher in his liturgical pruning, ‘liminatng holy days, incene, ce buraing of andes the sprinkling of oly water, church et and msc instraments—dhis"wholerab- bish heap of cersmoniale” and “hodgepodge of human ordinances” ‘that amounted to nothing bu tom folery’™"Tn both cases, however, Stein alee GL Ay Pani di 1 28 RS Cd Cdn Gnd apa ae 197.12 "ert cd Wipe pone aa iyi Wr ‘aetna nn mo os120 Reso Scorn wert Reon the majority use of wraditiones referred to specif practices and acs believed to be depareues from, or distortions of true worship and ound per. Ths negative atiude toward eradition echoed the oft «quoted word of Jesus in Mask 7:8:"You have lego ofthe commands of God and are holding on othe radtons of men.” ‘The Procestant criticism of "human radions” was severe at poines, bu ied noe mean the wholetale rejection of ll hat came before Luther's hammer blows in Witenberg on October 3, 1517 Indeed, the Refocmation appeal ro the Bible implied the icrnsc «connection beeween Scripture and tradition in a ensine evangelical sense. This was see in numerous way in che writings ofthe forme cs: Here we shall mention only thre: thei sen ofeotinity with the church ofthe peceding centuries heir embrace ofthe ecumeni-