| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Crisis in Russia by Arthur Ransome: position as a natural and satisfactory result of victory.
When I was in Moscow in the spring of this year the Russian
Trades Unions received a telegram from the Trades Union
Congress at Amsterdam, a telegram which admirably
illustrated the impossibility of separating judgment of the
present position of the Unions from judgments of the
Russian revolution as a whole. It encouraged the Unions "in
their struggle" and promised support in that struggle. The
Communists immediately asked "What struggle?
Against the capitalist system in Russia which does not exist?
Or against capitalist systems outside Russia?" They said that
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: bear me witness that no man under the sun can search out secrets
with more diligence than I, how then could I have considered
divine things, that call for worship and serious consideration,
unworthy of thought, and not rather have devoted all my zeal and
might, all my mind and soul to the investigation thereof, to find
out the right and the true? Aye, and I have laboriously sought
thereafter. Many nights and days have I spent thus: many wise
and learned men have I called to my council; and with many of
them that are called Christians have I conversed. By untiring
enquiry and ardent search I have discovered the pathway of truth,
witnessed by wise men honoured for their intelligence and wit, --
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: gifts), be diligently joined in unity of doctrine, faith,
Sacraments, prayer, and works of love, etc., as St. Jerome
writes that the priests at Alexandria together and in common
governed the churches, as did also the apostles, and
afterwards all bishops throughout all Christendom, until the
Pope raised his head above all.
This teaching shows forcefully that the Pope is the very
Antichrist, who has exalted himself above, and opposed himself
against Christ because he will not permit Christians to be
saved without his power, which, nevertheless, is nothing, and
is neither ordained nor commanded by God. This is, properly
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