John H writes:
Betraying the Reformation
Here’s that traitor to the heritage of the Reformation, Martin Luther, on the Roman Catholic Church:
We on our part confess that there is much that is Christian and good under the papacy; indeed everything that is Christian and good is to be found there and has come to us from this source.
For instance we confess that in the papal church there are the true holy Scriptures, true baptism, the true sacrament of the altar, the true keys to the forgiveness of sins, the true office of the ministry, the true catechism in the form of the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the articles of the creed.
Similarly the pope admits that we too, though condemned by him as heretics, and likewise all heretics, have the holy Scriptures, baptism, the keys, the catechism, etc. [...]
I contend that in the papacy there is true Christianity, even the right kind of Christianity and many great and devoted saints. Shall I cease to make this pretence?
Leeman is one of many who have reinterpreted the Reformation as being about the “true saints” separating themselves from the apostate Roman Catholic Church, whereas for those at the time it was about trying to reform (bit of a clue, there (jn)) a church which had fallen into error but in which true Christianity and true saints were to be found.
