"I can understand that our national customs have annoyed you as a
--foreigner. Every country has its own customs, and we keep our Roman
Carnival by making ridicule of the dead gods of the old heathen, if
one can call them gods! I believe you do the same in Germany, though
in a coarser way. You must put up with that. As regards the
'Festival of the Ass,' that had originally a beautiful significance,
since the poor animal was honoured with the task of carrying our
Saviour and His mother into Egypt. But, as you know, the common
people drag everything that is great and beautiful into the dust.
Can we help it? Can I do you any service? Do you want anything?"
"Nothing; but I thank you!" Luther was again alone, and the fiends
of doubt were again let loose upon him. The man was certainly right
from his own point of view, and he had strengthened his assertions
by arguments and by citations from Paul. But his point of view was
false;--that was the matter. How, then, was one to alter one's point
of view? That was only the effect of faith through grace, and
therefore not the work of man.
Then his introspective mind, which had been trained in the
Aristotelian dialectic, began to examine his opponent's point of
view. A merciful loving Heavenly Father might very well smile at the
follies and weaknesses of His human children; why, then, should we
not be able to do the same? Why should we be stricter than He? As
long as we live in the flesh, we must think according to the flesh,
but that does not prevent the spirit obtaining its due rights.
Pages:
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248