account of all its actions; it is necessary that it establish clearly in what respect these acts can contribute to the amelioration of the moral and physical condition of the greatest number.
"The motives which the popes conceal 'in petto,' within their own breasts, must no longer form part of their accounts."
Luther was a man of energy and talent in respect to criticism; but it is in this department alone that he has shown great ability. Thus he has demonstrated, in an energetic and satisfactory manner, that the court of Rome has abandoned the direction of Christianity; that, on the one hand, it attempted to constitute itself an arbitrary power; and, on the other, that it strove to conspire with the powerful against the poor, and that the faithful ought to force it to reform itself.
But that part of his work which respected the reorganization of Christianity, has been far inferior to what it ought to have been. Instead of taking necessary measures to increase the social importance of the Christian religion, he made this religion retrograde even to its point of departure; he has placed it once more out of the pale of the social organization; he has consequently acknowledged that the power of Cæsar is that from which all other power emanates; he has reserved to his clergy only the right of humble supplication to the temporal power; and by these arrangements he has doomed pacific minds to remain for ever in subjection to men of violent passions and military genius.
He has imprisoned in this manner the Christian morality within the narrow limits, which the state of civilization had imposed on the first Christians.
The accusation of heresy which I bring against the Protestants, on account of the morality which they have adopted—a morality which is in arrear of the present state of civilization, is therefore well founded.
I accuse the Protestants of heresy, under this second head; I accuse them of having adopted a bad form of worship.
