AFTER burning the pope's bull, Luther reentered Wittemberg. On the morrow a crowded audience awaited his appearance in the lecture-room, expecting an address from the intrepid doctor. All were excited, but a solemn feeling pervaded the assembly. Upon his arrival Luther resumed his lectures on the Psalms-a course that he had commenced in March of the preceding year. When his explanations were finished he remained silent for a few minutes, then continued energetically, "Be on your guard against the laws and statutes of the pope. I have burnt his decretals, but this is merely child's play. It is time, and more than time, that the pope were burnt; that is, the See of Rome with all its doctrines and abominations." Then in a more solemn tone he added, "If you do not contend with your whole heart against the impious government of the pope you cannot be saved. Whoever takes delight in the religion and worship of popery will be eternally lost in the world to come.”
“If you reject it," continued Luther, "you must expect to incur every kind of danger, and even to lose your lives. But it is better to be exposed to such perils in this world than to keep silence! So long as I live I will denounce to my brethren the sore and the plague of Babylon, for fear that many who are with us should fall back like the rest into the bottomless pit.”
These bold words, following upon a bold deed, produced a great effect upon the assembly. The firmness of Luther spread to his friends and fellow-countrymen. The perils that threatened him threatened also his supporters. Yet the nation rallied round the Reformer, and the University of Wittemberg especially became daily more attached to this hero who had shed such glory upon it. Carlstadt, doctor of divinity, and archdeacon at Wittemberg, exclaimed against that "furious lion of Florence" which tore all human and divine laws, and trampled under foot the principles of divine truth.
Melancthon about this time addressed the states of the empire in a writing characterized by his peculiar elegance and wisdom. After proving by various passages of Scripture that the pope is not superior to the other bishops, he says:
“What is it that prevents our depriving the pope of the rights that we have given him? It matters little to Luther whether our riches—that is to say the treasures of Europe—are sent to Rome; but the great cause of his grief and ours is, that the laws of the pontiffs and the reign of the pope not only endanger the souls of men but entirely ruin them. Each one may judge for himself whether it is becoming or not to contribute his money for the maintenance of Roman luxury; but to judge of religion and its sacred mysteries is not within the scope of the community. It is on this ground, then, that Luther appeals to your faith and zeal, and that all pious men unite with him—some aloud, others with sighs and groans. Call to remembrance that you are Christians, ye princes of a Christian people, and wrest these sad relics of Christendom from the tyranny of Antichrist. They are deceivers who pretend that you have no authority over priests. That same spirit which animated Jehu against the priests of Baal urges you, by this precedent, to abolish the Roman superstition, which is much more horrible than the idolatry of Baal.”
War was declared on both sides. Society was shaken, and the timid were afraid. Many deprecated the storm that had been raised, and would have tolerated error and corruption so long as peace was maintained. But wise men, though often deploring the need of strife, thought differently, and tried to remedy the prevailing abuses.
“We are well aware," said Melancthon, "that statesmen have a dread of innovation; and it must be acknowledged that, in this sad confusion which is denominated human life, controversies, and even those which proceed from the justest causes, are always tainted with some evil. It is requisite, however, that in the Church the Word and commandments of God should be preferred to every mortal thing. God threatens with His eternal anger those who endeavor to suppress the truth. For this reason it was a duty incumbent on Luther, and from which he could not draw back, especially as he was a doctor of the Church of God, to reprove the pernicious errors which unprincipled men were disseminating with inconceivable effrontery. If controversy engenders many evils, as I see to my great sorrow, it is the fault of those who, filled with diabolical hatred, are now seeking to uphold it.”
Maximilian was succeeded by Charles V., King of Spain. This prince, the youngest but most powerful monarch of Christendom, had been elected Emperor of Germany, and was crowned with great magnificence at Aix-la-Chapelle on October 22nd, 1520. Immediately after the ceremony, he, with the Elector Frederick, the assembled princes, ministers, and ambassadors, repaired to Cologne, as the plague was raging in the city where the coronation had taken place. It was clearly seen that the cause of the Reformation would speedily be brought before the new emperor, and every effort was made on the part of Rome to prejudice this monarch against Luther and to secure his condemnation.
Among the crowd of strangers who thronged Cologne at this time were the two papal nuncios Marino Caraccioli and Jerome Aleander. The latter had been specially charged by the Roman consistory to prevail upon Charles to crush the rising Reformation. Both set every wheel in motion to obtain the emperor's sanction to the burning of Luther's books throughout the empire, and especially under the eyes of the German princes assembled at Cologne. Already Charles II had given his consent to the burning of these books in his hereditary states. Would he act in the same manner for Germany?
Men's minds were in great agitation. Charles' ministers and even the nuncios themselves were expostulated with. "Such measures," it was explained, "far from healing the wound, will only increase it. Do you imagine," said those who defended the Reformer, "that Luther's doctrines are found only in those books that you are throwing into the fire? They are written where you cannot reach them-in the hearts of the nation.”
The nuncios, especially Aleander, defended the burning piles. "These flames," said he, "are a sentence of condemnation written in colossal characters, equally intelligible to those who are near and those who are afar off, to the learned and to the ignorant, and even to those who cannot read.”
But papers and books were not what the nuncios really required, it was Luther himself. "These flames," said Aleander, "are not sufficient to purify the infected air of Germany. If they terrify the simple, they do not punish the wicked. We require an imperial edict against Luther's person.”
Charles was not, however, as easily led as the nuncios expected. "As I have but recently ascended the throne," said he to Aleander, “I cannot, without the advice of my councilors and the consent of the princes, strike such a blow as this against a numerous faction surrounded by so many powerful defenders.
Let us first learn what our father, the Elector of Saxony, thinks of the matter; we shall afterward see what reply we can make to the pope.” All the eloquence and artifice of the papal nuncios was therefore tried upon the elector, but without avail. Though placed in a very difficult position, he replied with dignified firmness that neither the emperor nor any other person had shown that Luther's writings had been refuted and deserved to be burned. He requested, therefore, that Doctor Luther should be furnished with a safe-conduct, so that he might appear before a tribunal of learned, pious, and impartial judges.
The friends of the Reformer rejoiced, and Melancthon was overjoyed when the elector's reply reached Wittemberg. "The German nobility," said he, "will direct their course by the example of the prince, whom they follow in all things as their Nestor. If Homer styled his hero the bulwark of the Greeks, why should not we call Frederick the bulwark of the Germans?”
The elector, knowing that Erasmus was at this time at Cologne, and that the opinion of a man so greatly respected would have much influence invited this illustrious scholar to visit him. "What is your opinion of Luther?" asked Frederick. The prudent Dutchman at first evaded a reply, but seeing that the elector required one, said in a half-jocular tone: "Luther has committed two great faults: he has attacked the crown of the pope and the bellies of the monks." Then, seeing the earnestness of the elector, Erasmus laid aside his reserve and gave his opinion as follows:—“The cause of all this dispute is the hatred of the monks towards learning, and the fear they have of seeing their tyranny destroyed. What weapons are they using against Luther?-clamor, cabals, hatred, and libels. The more virtuous a man is, and the greater his attachment to the Gospel, the less is he opposed to Luther. The severity of the bull has aroused the indignation of all good men, and no one can recognize in it the gentleness of a vicar of Christ. Two only, out of all the universities, have condemned Luther; and they have only condemned him, not proved him in the wrong. Do not be deceived; the danger is greater than some men imagine. Arduous and difficult things are pressing us. To begin Charles' reign by so odious an act as Luther's imprisonment would be a mournful omen. The world is thirsting for evangelical truth; let us beware of setting up a blamable opposition. Let this affair be inquired into by serious men, men of sound judgment; this will be the course most consistent with the dignity of the pope himself.”
While Rome was thus seeking the destruction of the Reformer, Germany was overwhelming him with acclamations. Although the plague was raging at Wittemberg, new students arrived every day, and from four to six hundred disciples habitually sat at the feet of Luther and Melancthon in the halls of the academy.