tlie liigliest cliaritj consists precisely in resisting their sacrilegious fury in every possible way.
" Do you imagine that Luther is a man who will consent to shut his eyes, provided he is tickled with a few cajoling speeches?
I really ought, in justice to myself, to address you in far harsher language : my love is ready to die for ; but touch my faith, and you touch the apple of my eye.
Jest at, or honor the love, as you see fit; but the faith, the word, this you should adore, this you should look upon as the holy of holies.
I pray you earnestly to do so.
Ask any thing of our love, but fear, dread our faith.
" I do not reply to the cardinal himself, because I know not how to write him without either sanctioning or censuring his sincerity or his hypocrisy.
Do you therefore communicate to him Luther's feelings on this matter.
"From my desert, St. Anthony's day, 17tli January, 1522."* But Luther consented to delay the publication of his treatise
; and as the archbishop of Mentz shortly after suppressed the sale of indulgences, it was not printed till long afterwards.f
Luther next attacked the confessional, the Gibraltar of Romanism, whence the priests endeavored to rivet the chains still more tightly upon their dupes.
In his expose of this abomination, he said, " They bring forward these words of ^Confess your faults one to another.^ « Luther's "Werke, IX., 129.
THE LIFE AND TIMES fessor His name is one another.
Whence it would follow that the confessors should also confess to their penitents ; that each Christian should be, in his turn, pope, bisho}), priest
; and that the pope himself should confess to all."* Luther next approached another momentous question, that of monkish celibacy.
The Germans are fond of social life and domestic joys; hence, of all the papal ordinances, compulsory celibacy was that which produced the saddest consequences.
This law, which at first had been imposed on the heads of the clergy, had prevented the ecclesiastical I fiefs from becoming hereditary.
But when extended by Gregory YII. to the inferior clergy, it was attended with the most deplorable results.
Many priests evaded the obligations imposed upon them by this arbitrary and unnatural decree, by the most scandalous disorders, which in time drew general contempt and hatred upon the whole order ; while
\ those who submitted to Hildebrande's law were ini' wardly exasperated against the church, because, while conferring on its sujDerior dignitaries so much power, wealth, and earthly enjoyment, it bound its humbler ministers, Avho were its most indispensable supporters, to a self-denial so contrary to the gospel.t
There was accordingly at this period of the Eeformation a very general disposition manifested, both by the clergy and the monks, to break over the law enjoining celibacy, and to marry.
• L. 0pp., XYII., 701. t D'Aubigu^, Vol. II., pp.
Luther thought the priests ought to niarrj.
-when he heard that Bernard Feldkirchen, who had been the first under his direction to assail the errors of Rome, had married, he exclaimed,
" I admire this new bridegroom, priest of Komberg, who fears nothing, but hastens forward in the midst of uproar."
But touching that kindred question, the marriage of monks, of men who had deliberately given up the pleasures of this life, and accepted all the rigors of asceticism, he was doubtful, nay, at first he was firmly persuaded that it might not be.
Therefore, on learning that the question was much agitated throughout Germany, and on receiving the theses which Carlstadt had published against monachism, and some masterly propositions by Melancthon on the same side, Luther was sorely troubled.
Wittembergers then would give wives even to the monks !"
In the various letters which he wrote at this time, he showed how anxious and undecided he was.
The fact is, that Luther in this matter did not lead, he followed public opinion, " Ah," said he indignantly on another occasion,
" they will not force me to take a wife."* But his rare good sense finally emancipated him from this monkish superstition, and as we shall shortly see, the circumstances under which he married placed his conduct an arro\f's flight beyond that of the most radical of his comTHE LIFE AND TIMES peers.
Indeed Melanctlion's logic convinced him ere he quitted Wartburg of the essential justice of the abolition of celibacj^, as applied not only to priests, but also to monks.
- But while Luther was thus engaged in the investigation and settlement of doctrines, the Reformation abruptly left the domain of speculation, and went into the field of action.
While Luther was quietly immured in the dungeon of Wartburg, events of the greatest significance were occurring at Wittemberg.
Though information reached him only at intervals, what he heard from time to time still further augmented his impatient interest in the progress of reform.
The church still retained the form it had assumed under the plastic power of the Roman domination.
Doctrines had been tried by the test of Scripture, and the belief demanded of mankind had been reduced, or rather exalted to the plain rule of God's own word; but that cumbrous ceremonial which had been invented to disj)lay under visible forms the empty dreams of a fraudulent enthusiasm, presented a barrier which it required a fresh exercise of devout courage to assail.
The minds and ideas of men are sooner convicted of error than their hearts and affections ; consequently their faith as to particular tenets of their creed, may be purified with greater ease than their taste for the external rites of a worship deeply planted and halloAved by age.*
Up to the year 1521, it is certain that no essential alteration had been made in the Roman ritutfl.
But now this giddy scaffolding which defaced tho * Stebbing, Hist. Eef.
THE LIFE AND TIMES outer walls of the Cliristiau cliurcli was about to be taken dowu.
The Augustiue monastery at Wittemberg inaugurated this reform.
They abated the rigors of the cloister asceticism, and abolished private masses.
They affirmed that, since they no longer beheved in the efficacy of private masses for the taking away of sins, thev could not continue to celebrate them without sin; that Jesus had instituted the eucharist with his apostles, who, in their time, had never celebrated the sacrament except by wa^ of communion; and lastly, that as our Lord had at the beginning given both the bread and the wine to his disciples, they also were bound in the most solemn manner to administer both whenever they celebrated mass."'
These strange doctrines echoing from the Wittemberg cloister, caused an intense commotion in the good old town, and in the whole vicinage.
So great indeed was the disturbance at the monastery, that the university interfered, and invoked Frederick's mediation.
That prince accordingly appointed a committee of the "NVittemberg professors, Amsdorff, Carlstadt, Melancthon, and one or two others, to inquire into the reason why these
Augustines had departed from the usual discipline of the church.
The monks returned their answer in writing, giving substantially the reasons just recited.
The deputies who had come to convict, returned them- * Stcbbing, Hist. Ref., Vol.
They then apprized the elector of their sudden conversion, and even out-Heroded Herod by going beyond the monks in their advocacy of this startling innovation.
" To none of the corruptions of the dark ages," they said, "was greater reprobation due tlian to the alterations which the Roman see had arbitrarily introduced into the service of the last supper.
The mass was in fact nothing more than the communion of the body and blood of Christ; and it is as absurd tb celebrate the mass for the salvation of those not present, as it Avould be to baptize one person for another."
In attributing the origin of the most superstitious practices of the mediaeval church to the notion that the mass was a sacrifice, the Wittemberg theologians manifested equal knowledge and acuteness.
This instant capitulation of a militant deputation to the irresistible logic of those whom they were sent to reduce to obedience, is a beautiful and striking instance of the omnipotent influence of Christianity, and proves very conclusively that the fathers of the Beformation were more intent upon the discovery of truth than upon the establishment of a sect.
The cautious elector was astonished upon the reception of this epistle, but his strength of mind enabled him to appreciate the cogency of argument with Avhich the deputies supported the new principle.
Still he thought that in a matter which so vitally concerned the church at large, and which THE LIFE AND TIMES struck so severe a blow at these peculant corrupters of the institution of the eucharist, who had founded their superstitions and extortions upon the Roman s^'stem, it behooved him to proceed with moderation.
Therefore, in his answer to the deputies, ho counselled caution, and requested to be informed of the time when the changes were to be made.*
But the prudent counsels of Frederick were disregarded.
Carlstadt, though possessing neither the vigor nor the elevated genius of Luther, was inspired by a zeal as resolute, if not as wise as that of his great master.
This fervor of disposition, unmodified by the force which Luther derived from his wonderful strength of understanding, urged him to take a step which could only have been rendered safe by the concurrent voices of the whole body of the reformers.
It was j)art of Carlstadt's duty to perform service in the castle church on Christmas day, and he seized the occasion to make numerous and essential alterations in the office of the eucharist.
He not only read the service in German, instead of the prescribed Latin forms, but he left out the regular ordinance of the confessional, most of the old usages and ceremonies, and distributed the bread and wine freely to all present, saying,
" Whosoever feels the burden of his sins, and hungers and thirsts for the grace of God, let him come and receive the body and blood of our Lord."t
An explosion instantly followed.
StebbiiiR, Hist. Ref. Vol. recourse to negotiation to moderate the fiery zeal of Carlstadt, and Luther Avas apprized of the critical state of afi'airs.
Luthur rejoiced at the abolition of the mass, and immediately wrote a tract addressed to the Wittemberg Augustines, in which he restated and enlarged upon the arguments which he had previously advanced upon the same subject in his book on the Bahylonish Captivity.
But while he was rejoicing at the increase of resolution and freedom so manifest in these events, he trembled lest the imprudence of his adherents should lessen the dignity they enjoyed as true and sanctified upholders of the gospel.
He therefore united with Frederick in urging his friends not to proceed too hastily, lest the weak and wavering should be offended."*
Meantime, towards the close of November, his anxiety so completely mastered his prudence, that he quitted his asylum, and repaired in his military incognito to Wittemberg, to enjoy a brief chat with his disciples, and to still, if possible, the rising tempest.
He was absent from Wartburg but a few days, and he carefully concealed his tour from the elector.
" I concealed from Frederick," he wrote to " both my journey and my return; I need not tell you why; you understand my motive."t
But the alarming character which events at Wittemberg were assuming was only checked, not stopped, by Luther's brief visit.
Under the fiery appeals of certain religious fanatics, the Augustine • Luther's Werke, IX.
THE LIFE AND TIMES monastery was comiDletely bi-oken up ', tlie monks, stripping off their gowns, returned into the world.
" There resided in Wittemberg a few men who, agitated by the great events that were then stirring all Christendom, aspired to direct revelations from the Deity, instead of meekly desiring sanctification of heart, and who asserted that they were called to complete the Reformation so feebly sketched out by Luther.
' What is the use,' said they, ' of clinging so closely to the Bible?
The Bible! the Bible! always the Bible ! Can the Bible preach to us?
Is it sufficient for our instruction?
If God had designed to instruct us by a book, would he not have sent us a It is by the Spirit alone that we can be enlightened.
God himself speaks to us.
God himself reveals to us what we should do and wliat we should preach.'
" Thus did these fanatics, like the adherents of Rome, attack the fundamental principle upon which the Reformation was founded; the all-sufficiency of the word of God.'""
The new prophets then ran foaming through the streets, crying, declaring that infant baptism was valueless ; that all priests, as well those who had quitted the cloister as those who continued in it, should be put to death
; that the earth must be purified by blood ; and that the end of all things drew near.
Not contenting themselves with words, tlie fanatics rushed to the churches, spoiled them of their relics, and broke the images.""
The university and the civil authorities, which had already, in January, 1522, regulated the Lord's supper according to the new ritual,t set themselves earnestly to check these disturbances, and threw the ringleaders into prison
;:]: but still the agitation continued ; indeed it received a fresh impetus by the open adhesion of Carlstadt, who, to the lasting blemish of his fame, placed himself at the head of this rabble, and did his utmost to break up tlie university.
The first leader of the fanatics had been an ignorant tailor named Claus Storch.§ But on his incarceration, Carlstadt, followed by Zwilling and a number of persons of the lowest class, entered the church of All-Saints during divine service, and commenced to destroy the statues, pictures, and images ; vociferating,
" Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth."
At the enunciation of this text, which seemed to dazzle their understandings, the magistrates of Wittemberg stood passive, while Carlstadt extended his work of destruction to the other churches.il
Not content with these violent proceedings, Carlstadt returned to the university, and inveighed against the vanity of learning.
He maintained that knowledge was a snare and a delusion, urged the * Seckendorf, p. 480.
THE LIFE AND TIMES students to quit the uuiversitj, and himself practised his doctrine by visiting the haunts of the most
Ignorant men, where repeating the text, The truth is I idden from icise men, and revealed unto hahes, he solicited their opinion on the most obscure bibhcal passages.*
Instantly a unanimous cry arose for Luther.
It was thought that he alone could avert ruin and disgrace.t The reformer, sad and anxious, at first contented himself with writing an urgent letter to Carlstadt, in which he conjured him to desist from his intemperate demonstrations.
In a letter to Melancthon, he implored him to use his utmost exertions to prevent the prince from staining his hands with the blood of the new prophets.|
And writing a little later to the citizens of " You are directing your energies against the n)ass, images, and other comparatively unimportant matters, and in doing so, laying aside that faith and charity of Avhicli you have so much need.
You have afflicted, by your outrageous conduct, many pious men—men perhaps better than yourselves.
You have forgotten what is due to the weak.
If the strong run on at their utmost speed, regardless of their feebler brethren Avho advance more slowly, these last must be left lielpless behind—must needs succumb.
" It is by the aid of the word alone that we must f Corp. Eef., L, 566.
; by that we must conquer ; by that we must j)ull down Avhat our opponents liave raised up by violence or -fraud.
I condemn only by the word : let him who believes, believe, and follow me ; let him who believes not, believe not, and go his way in peace.
No one must be compelled to the faith, or to the things of the faith, against his will; he must be prevailed on by faith alone.
I also condemn the worship of images; but I would have them assailed by the Scripture, and not by blows and fire.
I would destroy n.ot them, but the popular faith in them.
To effect this object must be the work of holy writ, not of unseemly violence."But despite these sober and wise words of the great reformer, the disturbances at Wittemberg continued to increase.
Luther then determined to quit Wartburg without Avaiting to obtain the sanction of the elector, and to repair to that city where his presence was so ardently desired.
He had already proved, on more than one occasion, that where duty beckoned him he would go, Avhatever personal dangers might beset his j)ath, and though legions of devils blocked the way.
His onl}^ fear now was, lest his course might compromise the prince ; but he thought rightly, as the sequel proved, that the emjDeror was so engaged in pushing the war against France that, amid the clash of arms, his movements would escape notice.
Accordingly, after a retirement of about -ten months, from May, 1521, to March, 1522, he left the <» Luther's letter to the citizens of Wittemberg, Dec.
THE LIFE AND TIMES doBJon-keep of Wartburg for ever, and set out upon his journe}^ for Wittemberg.
He had allowed his beard to grow, and laid aside his pilgrim's staff for a stout horse and a ridingwhip.
His monastic habiliments were exchanged for the steel cuirass, the long, heavy sword, the plumed casque, the sj)urs and boots of a man-atarms of the sixteenth century.
In this warlike costume, amid a crowd of valets and a cloud of dust, his painter friend, Lucas Cranach, has represented him as mfiking his entry into Wittemberg.*
One of the historians of the Reformation relates a curious incident of the journey " John Kressler, a young theologian of St. GalL, was proceeding .with a friend to Wittemberg, to finish his studies there, when one evening, in an inn named the ' Black Bear,' situated near the gate of Jena, he met Luther disguised as a cavalier.
Neither of ti;3 young men was acquainted with his jDerson.
He was seated at a table reading a little book, which the inquisitive students soon discovered to be a Psalter in Hebrew.
The cavalier politely saluted them, and invited them to a seat at his table.
"In the conversation which ensued, he asked them what they thought of Luther in Switzerland.
Kressler replied, that some there knew not how to honor him sufficiently, and thanked God daily for having sent him to vindicate and raise wp the wounded and shackled truth
; while others, more particularly the priests, deiioiincecT liim as a heretic, who ought to be condignlj punished.
" From some words Avhich fell from the landlord, the travellers were disposed to think that the m}' sterious trooper who thus read the Hebrew Psalter was Ulric Vou Hiitten.
"By and by in came some merchants.
One of them, soon after his arrival, pulled out of his pocket a pamphlet of Luther's just published, and not yet bovmd, and asked the rest of the company
Avhether they had yet seen it.
" In the course of the conversation which arose hereupon, the cavalier spoke of the indisposition to approach religious topics then manifested by the princes assembled at the diet of Nuremberg.
He also expressed a fervent hope that evangelical truth would bear fuller fruit in the persons of future teachers, not poisoned, like their predecessors, with papal errors.
" One of the merchants replied, ' I am not learned in these matters; but to my mind, Luther must be decidedly one of tAvo things, either an angel from heaven or a demon from hell; and at any rate, he is so remarkable a person that I have put by ten florins to go and confess to him.'
" This passed at supper.
Previously to the meal, Luther had arranged with the host to pay the bill for the wdiole party.
When they separated for the night, Luther, giving a hand to each of the yoang Swiss—the merchants had gone out on their business—requested them, on theii arrival at Wittem-