Page:The Last Judgement and Second Coming of the Lord Illustrated.djvu/258

 into the possession of the people: to effect this was one of the grand purposes of the Reformation. The art of printing had been recently discovered, and by means of it the sacred books were mercifully rescued from the seal and secrecy of the priesthood, and handed over to the people for them to learn and to publish. By renouncing some of the errors and the grosser vices which had fixed themselves upon the Church, many opportunities were provided for the enjoyment of those advantages which the Church offers to mankind. The blessing which arose from the possession of the Word was the most conspicuous. Still, there were influences at work which impeded the legitimate effect of its Divine teachings. The Reformation retained, as the fundamental principles of its existence, those very creeds which had laid the foundation of, and contributed so certainly to the desolation of, the early Christian Church; and from the errors of those creeds, the reformed Churches engendered others. Among the most conspicuous of these is that which has separated charity from faith, and declared that justification is by faith only: thus that charity may be an ornament, but is not a necessity for salvation. This is another of those circumstances to which the Lord referred as the occasion for His second coming. He spoke of it as the "abomination of desolation standing in the holy place." He so spoke of it because its tendency is to dissipate the truth, and render of none effect the commandments of God. It blights the morals and corrupts the intelligence of the Church. That which it requires is faith, not virtue; belief, not obedience; it therefore breaks down the barrier to criminal indulgence, and offers salvation to any villain who can accept its terms. This may seem strange, but it is impossible to deny its truth; and the reason such a view has been so extensively received, is