The progressive revelation principle is evinced by an indisputable and authentic development of doctrinal understanding and devotional practices through the centuries.
The Holy Scriptures like the Kingdom can be likened to a storehouse of treasure from which may be brought out new things as well as old672. But Martin Luther went quite beyond authentic development and still further beyond the bounds of reason when he made the following remarks about the Fathers of the Church:
“OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH”
“Behold what great darkness is in the books of the Fathers concerning faith; yet if the article of justification be darkened it is impossible to smother the grossest error of mankind… Augustine wrote nothing to the purpose concerning faith for he was first roused up and made a man by the Pelagians, in striving against them. I can find no exposition upon the Epistles to the Romans or Galatians where anything is taught pure
and aright. Oh, what a happy time have we now in regard to the purity of the doctrine, but alas we little esteem it”673
In all good conscience, how could God deny the world, the Church or any known assembly separated from her any effectual instruction on the means of salvation for over a millennium? For none of the known Christian sects that had separated from the Catholic Church understood saving faith in the counter-intuitive way Luther conceived it. Yet if he were right, they could not have escaped perdition unless they had. For, said he: “It is certain that a man must utterly despair of his own ability before he is prepared to receive the grace of Christ”. This and the other 27 paradoxical theses articulated at the Heidelberg Disputation are effectively the foundation upon which Protestant Evangelicalism has been built, so they need to be reviewed in a little more detail.
28 THEOLOGICAL THESES674 - presented by Martin Luther and Leonhard Beyer to a meeting of the Augustinian order at Heidelberg on 26th April 1518: Introductory Statement [my highlighting]: “Distrusting completely our own wisdom, according to that counsel of the Holy Spirit, “Do not rely on your own insight”
(Prov. 3:5), we humbly present to the judgment of all those who wish to be here these 670 Rev10:1-10 - note v4: uniquely, John was not permitted to write down what he heard, a mystery so profound that it was not intended to be disclosed to the churches at that stage, even symbolically
671 Heidelberg Disputation introductory statement (next page)
672 Cf. Mt13:52
673 Martin Luther “Table Talk” #DXXX Marshall Montgomery Collection
674 https://mbird.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/HeidelbergDisputation.pdf
100
theological paradoxes, so that it may become clear whether they have been deduced well or poorly from St. Paul, the especially chosen vessel and instrument of Christ, and also from St. Augustine, his most trustworthy interpreter” .
1 The law of God, the most salutary doctrine of life, cannot advance man on his way to righteousness, but rather hinders him.
2 Much less can human works, which are done over and over again with the aid
of natural precepts, so to speak, lead to that end.
3 Although the works of man always seem attractive and good, they are nevertheless likely to be mortal sins.
4 Although the works of God are always unattractive and appear evil, they are nevertheless really eternal merits.
5 The works of men are thus not mortal sins (we speak of works which are apparently good), as though they were crimes.
6 The works of God (we speak of those which he does through man) are thus not merits, as though they were sinless.
7 The works of the righteous would be mortal sins if they would not be feared
as mortal sins by the righteous themselves out of pious fear of God.
8 By so much more are the works of man mortal sins when they are done without fear and in unadulterated, evil self-security.
9 To say that works without Christ are dead, but not mortal, appears to constitute a perilous surrender of the fear of God.
10 Indeed, it is very difficult to see how a work can be dead and at the same time not a harmful and mortal sin.
11 Arrogance cannot be avoided or true hope be present unless the judgment of condemnation is feared in every work.
12 In the sight of God sins are then truly venial when they are feared by men to