Dominicans of Avrillé: Protestantism - Born of Insanity, Leading to Insanity

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Protestantism: Born of Insanity, Leading to Insanity - Part I

Adapted from Jacques Balmès Le Protestantisme comparé au Catholicisme

Republished by the Dominicans of Avrillé in two parts.

Delirium and fanaticism are a natural component of Protestantism. One could write volumes to prove it, but a quick look at the facts will suffice here.

Luther discussed religion with the Devil

Let’s start with Luther. What could be more insane than to claim to be taught by the Devil, to glory in it, and to establish a new doctrine based on this rather doubtful (to say the least!) authority? This is, however, exactly what was done by the founder of Protestantism, Luther himself, who left written accounts of his interview with Satan.

Whether the apparition was real or just a nightmarish hallucination during a long night troubled by fever, it’s impossible to push fanaticism any further than to brag about being instructed by such a teacher.

Luther tells us himself that he had several colloquies with the Devil. The most noteworthy is the vision – which he recounts very seriously – where Satan assailed Luther with arguments against the Mass celebrated privately, without the faithful. Luther depicts the scene in vivid colors. He awakes in the middle of the night, and Satan appears to him: he sweats, trembles; his heart is beating terribly. Nevertheless, a discussion is engaged. The Devil shows himself to be such a good dialectician that Luther is vanquished, and left with no response. The Devil’s logic was accompanied by a voice so terrifying that the blood froze in poor Luther’s veins. He said:

“I then understood how it is that people often die at the dawning of day; it’s because the Devil can kill or suffocate them, and, without going so far as that, when he argues with them, he puts them in such difficulty that he can thus cause their death: this is what I have often experienced myself.”

A very curious passage indeed!


Zwingli helped by a phantom

Another example of this folly: the phantom that appeared to Zwingli, the founder of Protestantism in Switzerland. This heresiarch wanted to deny the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. He claimed that the consecrated bread and wine are nothing more than the sign of the Body and Blood of Christ. However, he was bothered by the texts of Sacred Scripture that clearly affirm the contrary. All of a sudden, just as he was imagining a discussion with the secretary of the town, a black or white phantom (as he says himself), appeared to him and provided him with the desired explanation.

This edifying story comes from Zwingli himself!


Melanchthon’s superstitions

Melanchthon showed himself to be strangely credulous when it came to dreams, extraordinary phenomena and astrological predictions. His letters are full of examples. During the Diet of Augsburg, Melanchthon interpreted various happenings in Rome (the flooding of the Tiber and the birth of a monstrous mule having the foot of a crane), and in the territory of Augsburg (the birth of a calf with two heads) as favorable omens for the new Gospel. These events were for him the unquestionable announcement of the imminent ruin of Rome and the triumph of Protestantism. He affirms this very seriously to Luther in a letter.

He would read his daughter’s horoscope for her, and trembled in seeing that Mars “manifested a dreadful aspect”. He was also terrified by the flames of a comet appearing in the northern sky. The astrologists predicted that the stars would be more favorable to theological debates in autumn, and that sufficed to console him concerning the delays in the conferences of Augsburg. These “reasons” were also good enough to convince his friends, the leaders of the Protestant faction.

Someone having predicted that Melanchthon would be shipwrecked in the Baltic Sea, he refused to embark. A certain Franciscan had prophesied that the power of the Pope was going to disappear, and that in the year 1600 the Turks would become the masters of Italy and Germany: Melanchthon glorified in having the original version of the prophecy. Moreover, the earthquakes which occur shortly after reinforce him in this belief.

To be continued…

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Protestantism: Born of Insanity, Leading to Insanity - Part II

Republished by the Dominicans of Avrillé

Anabaptist Fanaticism

Immediately following the Protestant revolt against the authority of the Church, Germany is inundated with blood. Mathias Harlem, an Anabaptist Protestant, takes charge of a ferocious mob, ordering the pillage of Churches, the destruction of sacred vestments and art, and the burning of all books, except for the Bible.

Setting himself up at Münster, which he names “Mount Zion,” he commands the habitants to bring him all the gold, silver and jewels they possess. He has it all placed in a common treasury, and appoints deacons in charge of the distribution. All his disciples are obligated to eat in common, live in perfect equality, and… prepare themselves for imminent war, because, as he informed them, “they will soon have to leave Mount Zion, and conquer all the nations of the Earth.” He perishes in a foolish enterprise, wanting to exterminate an entire army with a handful of men, as a “new Gideon.”


The delirium of John of Leyden

Becold, better known under the name of John of Leyden, is the heir of Mathias’ fanaticism. A tailor by profession, one day he starts running in the streets, naked, shouting, “Behold the king of Zion cometh!” Returning to his house, he locks himself up for three days, and pretends to be mute when anyone tries to speak with him. Like a new Zachary, he asks (using signs) that he be brought a writing tablet. He then writes that he has received a divine revelation: after the manner of the ancient Hebrews, the people must be governed by “judges”. Twelve men amongst his most faithful disciples are chosen, to whom he leaves the task of taking control of the city. As soon as their power is unquestioned, his authority as a new prophet is assured. However, his ambition doesn’t stop there: he must be proclaimed king, with all the pomp and majesty suited to such a dignity. So blind was the fanaticism of his partisans that the goal is easily attained. He initiates to the art of prophecy a common goldsmith, who then presents himself to the judges, declaring:

“Behold the will of the Eternal Lord God: just as in the days of old I established Saul over Israel, and after him, David, who was only a simple shepherd, today I establish Becold, my prophet, as the king of Zion.”

After a bit of haggling with the judges – who at first refuse to abdicate – and the help of yet another “prophet” who presents him with an unsheathed sword, representing his “power of justice” to extend the reign of Zion to the four corners of the earth, Becold is solemnly crowned on June 24th, 1534.

Becold had espoused the wife of his predecessor. He raises her to the dignity of queen, but without giving up his 17 other wives, in keeping with the holy liberty that he decreed concerning marriage. 16 months of reign will be nothing but an uninterrupted series of crimes, orgies, murders, atrocities and deliria of all sorts.

The Protestants condemn these horrors, but do they have the right? Who rejected the authority of the Church and delivered the Bible over to the whims of the people? The Anabaptists saw this very clearly; when Luther condemned them, they were filled with indignation. What right did he who established the principle of free examination have to limit its consequences?

Luther found in the Bible that the Pope was the Antichrist, and gave himself the mission to destroy his authority. Why couldn’t the Anabaptists rebel against Luther?


Epidemic of Protestant fanaticism

Herman preaches the massacre of priests and all the magistrates of the world. — David George claims to bring a new and perfect doctrine, because that of the Bible was faulty: he is “the true son of God.” — Nicolas rejects the virtue of Faith and any form of worship as useless; he also demolishes all morals by teaching that we must persevere in sin so that “grace may abound.” — Hacket claims that “the spirit of the Messiah is upon him,” and sends two of his disciples to run through the streets of London, crying out: “Behold the Christ cometh, a vessel in his hand!”

All these deplorable spectacles, and a hundred others that we could cite, are proof enough that Protestantism nourishes and exacerbates fanaticism. It would take volumes to describe all the extravagances and crimes of the likes of Venner, Fox, William Sympson, J. Naylor, the Count Zinzendorf, Wesley, the Baron of Swedenborg et alii.

This is no exaggeration. All you have to do is to consult the history books written not only by Catholics, but by the Protestants themselves. You’ll find a multitude of facts witnessing to this truth: public actions, perpetrated in the light of day, in populous cities, at times not very distant from ours.

And don’t think that this source of fanaticism is close to drying up; it seems on the contrary to be going strong…