plain every part of the Bible. He continued
to read the best Latin and Greek classics,
studied diligently the more eminent fathers,
as Augustine, Ambrose, and Chrysostom,
and pressed the study of Hebrew and the
kindred, dialects. He now publicly ex
pounded the Scriptures, as the Gospels, the
Epistles of Paul and Peter, &c., and incul
cated, that the Bible is the only standard of
religious truth. While he was thus leading
the people gradually to better views of re
ligion, in the year 1518 Samson came into
Switzerland to sell indulgences ; and the
year following, on his arrival at Zurich,
Zwingle openly opposed him, and procured
his exclusion from the canton. The prog
ress of the people in knowledge was rapid,
and the reformation went forward with great
success. Luther s books were circulated
extensively, and by Zwingle s recommenda
tion, though he chose not to read them him
self, lest he should incur the charge of being
a Lutheran. He was however assailed bv
the friends of the hierarchy, and at length
accused of heresy before the council of Zu
rich, Jan. 1523. He now presented sixty-
ositions before the coun-
e fundamental doctrines
since held by the Reformed church ; and of
fered to defend them against all opposers, by
Scripture. His enemies wished to bring tra
dition and the schoolmen to confute him. But
the council declared, that the decision must
rest on the Scriptures. Zwingle of course
triumphed ; and the council decreed, that he
should be allowed to preach as heretofore, un
molested ; and that no preacher in the can
ton should inculcate any doctrine, but what
he could prove from the Scriptures. The
next year, 1524, the council of Zurich re
formed the public worship, according to the
advice of Zwingle. Thus the reformation
of that canton was now completed. Zicingle
continued to guide his flock, and to lend aid
to the other portions of the church, till the
month of October, 1531 ; when a Catholic
force from the popish cantons, marched
against Zurich ; and Zwingle, according to
the usage of his country, bore the standard
amid the citizens that attempted to repel
them. The enemy were victorious, and
Zwingle was slain near the commencement
of the battle, and his body cut to pieces and
burned to ashes. See the writers before re
ferred to, particularly HoUingcr, Gcrdcs, and
Schrocckh; also the article Zwingle, in Rccs
Cyclopaedia. His works were printed, Zu
rich, 1544-45, 4 vols. fol. Tr.]
(31) [This charge against Zwingle in both
parts of it, appears to be wholly groundless.
See Gerdes, Historia Evang. renovati, torn,
i., p. 287, Supplementa. TV.]
HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION. 29
of their brother Tetzel, and then in that of Cajetan. Overcome by their
importunate applications, ind by those of their friends and abettors, Leo
X. most imprudently issued the first bull against Luther, on the 15th of
June, 1520; in which forty one of his tenets were condemned, his writing*
adjudged to the flames, and he was commanded to confess his faults within
sixty days, and implore the clemency of the pontiff, or be cast out of the
church. (32)
13. As soon as Luther heard of this first sentence of the pontiff, he
consulted for his own safety by renewing his appeal from the pontiff to the
supreme tribunal of a future council. And foreseeing that this appeal
would be treated with contempt at Rome, and that as soon as the time
prescribed by the pontiff was elapsed he would be excommunicated by
another bull, he soon formed the resolution to withdraw from the Romish
church, before he should be excommunicated by the new rescript of the
pontiff. In order to proclaim this secession from the Romish community,
by a public act, he on the 10th of December, 1520, caused a fire to be
kindled without the walls of the city, and in presence of a vast multitude
of spectators, committed to the flames the bull issued against him, togeth
er with a copy of the pontifical canon law. By this act, he publicly signi.
fied that he would be no longer a subject of the Roman pontiff; and con.
sequently, that the second decree, which was daily expected from Rome,
would be nugatory. For whoever publicly burns the statute-book of his
prince, protests, by so doing, that he will no longer respect and obey his
authority; and one who has excluded himself from any society, cannot
afterwards be cast out of it. I must suppose, that Luther acted in this
matter with the advice of the jurists. Luther withdrew however, only
from the Romish church which looks upon the pontiff as infallible, and not
from the church universal, the sentence of which pronounced in a legiti
mate and free council, he did not refuse to obey. And this circumstance
wil. show, why wise men among the papists who were attached to the lib,
erties of Germany, looked upon this bold act of Luther without offence. (33)
(32) The friends of the pontiffs confess, tus ; valde cnim timent, ne res latins serpat
that Leo erred greatly, in this matter. See Hsec causa fuit, cur bulla tam atrox cmanav
Jo Fred. Mayer s Diss. de Pontificiis Leo- erit, multis bonis et prudentibus viris recla
nis X. processum adversus Lutherum inipro- mantibus, qui suadebant maturius consulen
bantibus ; which is a part of the work he dum, et Martino potius modestia et ration!
published at Hamburg, 1698, 4to, with the bus quam detestationibus occurrendurn esse
following title : Ecclesia Romana reforma- hoc enim deccre mansuetudincm, illud ver
tionis Lutheranae patrona et cliens. And tyrannidem sapere, et rem mali exempli vi-
there were at that time, many wise and cir- deri. SchL]
cumspect persons at Rome, who did not (33) [Some modern jurists, as Schlcge-
hssitate publicly to avow their disapproba- tells us, have condemned this act of Luther,
t on of the violent counsels of Eckius and the as being a treasonable act against the estab-
Dorninicans, and who wished to wait for the lished laws of the land. But it was not so.
issue of Mz tos s embassy. [See Ricdercr s in that age. For the canon law contained
Nachrichtenzur Kirchen-Gelehrten-und Bu- enactments only of the popes and councils,
chergeschichte, Stuck ii., n. 18, p. 178, with which the civil powers were supposed
where there is an anonymous letter from to have no concern. It was the statute-book
Rome to Pirkheimcr, saying : Scias nemi- of a foreign and spiritual sovereign, who
nem Romae esse, si saltern sapiat, qui non claimed jurisdiction equally over the tempo-
certo certius sciat et cognoscat, Martinum ral sovereigns of Germany and over their sub-
in pluribus veritatem dicere, veruin boni ob jects. To burn this book therefore was trea-
tyrannidis metum dissimulant, mali vero, son against that foreign sovereign, the pope ;
quia veritatem audire coguntur, insaniunt. but not so, against the temporal sovereigns
Jnde illorum oritur indignatio pariter et me- of Germany. Luther s motives for this act,
JO BOOK IV. CENTURY XVI. SEC. I. CHAP. II.
Before one month after this heroic deed of Luther had elapsed, on the 4th
day of January, 1521, the second bull of Leo against Luther was issued ; in
which he was expelled from the bosom of the Romish church, for having
violated the majesty of the pontiff. (34)
14. When these severe bulls had been issued against the person and
the doctrines of Luther and his friends, nothing remained for him but to
attempt to found a new church opposed to that of Rome, and to establish
a system of doctrine consonant to the holy scriptures. For to subject
himself to the dominion of his most cruel enemy, would have been mad
ness ; and to return again, contrary to the convictions of his own mind, to
the errors he had opposed and rejected, would have been base and dishon
est. From this time therefore, he searched for the truth with redoubled
ardour, and not only revised and confirmed more carefully the doctrines he
had already advanced, but likewise boldly attacked the very citadel of the
pontifical authority, and shook it to its foundation. In his heroic enter,
prise, he had the aid of other excellent men in various parts of Europe, as
well as of the doctors at Wittemberg who joined his party, and especially
of Philip Melanzthon. And as the fame of Luther s wisdom and heroism,
and the great learning of Melancthon, drew a vast number of young men
to Wittemberg, the principles of the reformation were spread With ama
zing rapidity through various nations. (35)
15. In the mean time, [January 12th, 1519], the emperor Maximilian
[. died ; and his grandson Charles V. king of Spain, was elected his suc
cessor, on the 28th of July A.D, 1519. Leo X. therefore reminded the
new emperor of the office he had assumed of advocate and defender of the
church, and called upon him to inflict due punishment upon that rebellious
member of the church Martin Luther. On the other hand, Frederic the
Wise of Saxony, counselled him not to proceed rashly and improperly
against Luther, but to conduct the whole business according to the rights
of the Germanic churches and the laws of the empire. Charles was un
der greater obligations to Frederic, than to any other of the German prin
ces. For it was principally by his efforts and zeal, that Charles had ob.
tained the imperial dignity, in preference to his very potent rival, Francis
I. king of France. (36) In order therefore to gratify both this friend, (to
whom he owed every thing), and likewise the pontiff, he determined to give
Luther a hearing before the diet to be assembled at Worms, prior to the
he himself stated in a tract on the subject, of this appeal, the pope could no longer have
Among them were these, first, that his en- jurisdiction of the case. Hence the number
emies had burned his books, and he must of Luther s friends increased the more, after
burn theirs in order to deter the people from the publication of this bull. SM.~\
reverencing them and being led astray by (35) On the rapid progress of the refor-
them ; and secondly, that he had found thirty mation in Germany, Dan. Gcrdes treats par-
abominable assertions, in the canon law, ticularly, in his Historia renovati Evangelii,
which rendered the book worthy of the flames, torn. ii. ; also Renj. Grosch, in his Verthei-
TV.] digung <i er Evangelischen Kirche gegen Ar-
(34) Both these Bulls are in the Bullarium, nold, p. 156, &c.
[ed. Cherub., Luxemb., 1742, torn, i., p. 610, (36) [During the six months of the inter
file., p. 614, &c. Tr.] and also in Christ, regnum, Frederic had been at the head of
Matth. Pfaff s Histor. Theol. litter., torn, ii., the Germanic empire, had refused the impe-
p 42, &c. [The excommunicating bull was rial crown offered to himself, and had great-
an attack upon the rights of the German ly exerted himself to secure the election o/
churches. For Luther had appealed to an Charles. TV.]
ecclesiastical council ; and in consequence
HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION.
3i
passing of any decree against him. It may seem strange, and contrary to
ecclesiastical law, for an ecclesiastical cause to be discussed and subject
ed to examination before a diet. But it must be recollected, that as the
archbishops, bishops, and some of the abbots, had seats among the princes,
those Germanic diets were at the same time provincial councils of the
German nation, to which, according to ancient canon law, the trial of such
causes as that of Luther properly belonged.
10. Luther therefore appeared at Worms, protected by a safe conduct
from the emperor, and on the 17th and 18th of April [1521], boldly urged
his cause before the diet. Being called upon and admonished to renounce
the opinions he had hitherto defended, and to become reconciled to the
pope ; he replied with great constancy, that ho would never do so, unless
first convinced of error, by proofs from the holy scriptures or from sound
reason. And, as neither promises nor menaces could move him from his
purpose, he obtained indeed from the emperor the liberty of returning
home unmolested, but after his departure, on the 27th of May, by the joint
voices of the emperor and the princes, he and his adherents were proscri
bed and declared to be enemies of the Roman-Germanic empire. Hi?
prince, Frederic, foreseeing this storm, caused him to be intercepted on
his return near Eisenach, by persons in disguise, and to be conducted to
the castle of Wartburg ; (perhaps with the privity of the emperor) ; and
in that castle, .which he called his Patmos, he lay concealed ten months,
beguiling the time very profitably with writing and study. (37)
(37) See the writers, mentioned by Jo.
Alb. Fabricius, Centifolium Lutheranum, pt.
i., cap. xliii., p. 79-84, and pt. ii., p. 563,
&,c. [This journey to Worms was a very
perilous undertaking for Luther. His friends
advised him not to go ; and even the elec
toral prince his sovereign, did not allow him
to go, till he had obtained for him a safe con
duct from the emperor. This safe conduct
however, would have afforded him no pro
tection against the operations of the papal
bulls and the snares of his enemies, if the
high-minded emperor had been willing to lis
ten to those who whispered in his ear the
inhuman and unchristian maxim, that a man
is not to keep his promise to a heretic. But
the emperor had nobler views ; and Luther
himself was so unshaken, that he would let
nothing deter him from the journey ; and
when arrived in the territory of Worms, and
some persons in the name of his friend Spal-
ilin warned him of his danger, he replied,
that he would go thither, if there were as
many devils there, as tiles on the roofs of
their houses. He therefore proceeded fear
lessly to Worms, and when there, showed
indescribable fortitude. He was conducted,
in his monkish dress, from his lodgings to
the assembled diet, by the marshal of the
empire, Von Pappenhcim ; and two ques
tions were now put to him by the official 01
the archbishop of Treves, namely whethef
he acknowledged those books, that were laid
upon a bench before him, to be his produc
tions ; and whether he would recall the opin
ions contained in them. To the first ques
tion, Luther was on the point of answer
ing at once affirmatively ; but Dr. Jerome
Schurf, a jurist of Wittemberg, who had
been assigned to him as his counsellor, re
minded him that he should first ascertain
whether there were not some books among
them that were not his. So he heard the
titles read over ; and then answered to the
first question, Yes. But to the second ques
tion, at the suggestion of his counsellor, he
requested to be allowed till the next day, to
consider of his answer. The following day
he appeared, and the quesfion being repeat
ed, he answered by making distinctions.
Some of his writings, he said, treated of a
Christian s faith and life, others were direct
ed against the papacy, and others against pri
vate individuals, who defended the Romish
tyranny, and assailed his holy doctrines. As
for the first, he could not renounce them, be
cause even his enemies admitted that they
contained much good matter ; nor could he
renounce the second, because that would be
lending support to the papal tyranny ; in
those of the third class, he freely acknowl
edged, that he had often been too vehement ;
yet he could not at once renounce them, un
less it were first shown, that he had gone too
far. As the official now demanded of him
a categorical answer, whether he wo.ild !*
BOOK IV.- CENTURY XVI. SEC. I. CHAP. II.
17. From this his Patmos, Luther returned to Wittemberg in the
month of March, 1522, without the knowledge or consent of the elector
Frederic ; being influenced by the commotions which, he was informed,
Carolostadt and others were producing hurtful to religion and the common
wealth. For in Luther s absence, Andrew Carolostadt a doctor of Wittem-
burg, a man of learning and not ignorant of the truth, whom the pontiff at
the instigation of Eckius had excommunicated in conjunction with Luther,
but a man of precipitancy and prone to an excess of ardour, had begun to
destroy images, and had put himself at the head of a fanatical sect who in
several places greatly abused, as is common, the dawning of liberty. (38)
nounce, or not ; he replied, that he could not,
unless he was first convicted of error, either
by scripture, or hy reason. And the official
alleging, that he must have erred, because
he had contradicted the pope and the coun
cils ; he answered : The pope and ecclesi
astical councils have often erred, and have
contradicted themselves. He at last closed
with this declaration : Here I stand : I can
say no more : God help me. Amen. After
this, Luther appeared no more before the
diet ; but the emperor caused him to be in
formed, that as he would not be reconciled
to ths church, the emperor would do as law
required ; he must however repair to his usual
residence, within 21 days. On the eighth
of May, the bill of outlawry was drawn up
against him ; which was published, a few
days after his departure. (Pallavicini says,
Hist, concil. Trident., lib. i., c. 28, $ 7, that
the bill was drawn up May 25th, and signed
May 26th, but dated back to May 8th. The
reason, it is said, was, that the bill was
passed at the close of the diet, and when
many of the members had retired, and it was
wished to disguise that fact. TV.) By
virtue of this bill, after the 21 days of the
safe conduct expired, no man might har
bour or conceal Luther, on pain of treason ;
but whosoever might find him, in any place,
was to apprehend him, and deliver him up
to the emperor ; and all his adherents were
to be seized in the public streets, imprisoned
and stripped of all their goods. This arbi
trary decree of the emperor contravened all
thn laws of humanity, as well as the rights
of the German churches. For it required a
man to renounce what he was not convinced
was wrong ; and on the assumption of the
infallibility of the pope, condemned him,
against an intervening appeal to a council.
This bill of outlawry however, produced very
little effect ; and indeed, the emperor does
not seem to have been much in earnest in
respect to it. For although the perplexed
state of his affairs, the political movements
of Europe, and the internal disquietude of
his piivate territories, might call his atten
tion to very different subjects from the ex
ecution of the edict of Worms, yet it is
difficult to comprehend how Luther could
safely return to Wittemberg, and there
preach, and write, and teach, if the emperor
did earnestly wish to give him trouble. Nay,
he might easily have discovered his retreat
at W T artburg. But probably the emperor
took no pains to discover him, in order to
avoid collision, either with the pontiff or the
elector of Saxony. At Wartburg, Luther
prosecuted the study of the Hebrew and
Greek languages, commenced his German
translation of the scriptures, expounded some
portions of the Bible, composed his Postills,
and some other works. Schl.]
(38) [Andrew Bodenstcin, born at Carl-
s/adt in Franconia, (and hence called in Latin
Carolostadius), was a doctor of biblical
learning, a canon, and archdeacon of the
church of All Saints at Wittemberg, and pro
fessor in the university there. He support
ed Luther in the work of reformation, as ap
pears from the history of the conference ai
Leipsic, and was highly esteemed by him,
and is mentioned with praise in his writings.
But in respect to the manner of effecting the
reformation, these two men had very dif
ferent views. Carolostadt would have the
abuses of popery abolished at once, but Lu
ther preferred a gradual process. The monks
of Luther s fraternity at Wittemberg, the Au-
gustinians, had, during his absence, begun
to reform their monastery, and to abolish the
mass ; and they now wished to effect the
same reform in the city. But the court were
afraid lest it should give offence both to other
princes and cities and also to the citizens
themselves ; and the elector therefore, called
for the opinion of the professors at VYittern-
berg. Their opinion was in favour of abol
ishing the mass ; but this did not satisfy the
court. Luther, whose opinion was also ask
ed, assumed the rational principle, that the
reformation should commence, not with the
pictures, nor with other external things,
among which he accounted the mass, but
with the understandings of the people ; and
to his opinion, all the professors now subscri
bed, except only Carolostadt. He gathered
HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION.
He therefore first energetically repressed the impetuosity of this man,
wisely declaring that errors must first be extirpated from people s minds,
before the insignia of those errors can be advantageously removed. And
t vi establish this principle by facts and by his own example, inviting certain
learned men to aid him, he proceeded gradually to perfect and to finish the
German translation of the Bible, which he had commenced. (39) The
event confirmed the excellence of his plan ; for the parts of this work be
ing successively published and circulated, the roots of inveterate errors
were soon extirpated from the minds of vast numbers.
18. In the mean time, Leo X. died, A.D. 1522. Hadrian VI. of
Utrecht, succeeded him, by the aid of Charles V., whose tutor he had been.
He was an honest man, and so ingenuous as to confess that the Christian
church laboured under ruinous maladies, and to promise readily that he
would correct them. (40) By his legate to the diet of Nuremberg, A.D.
around him the common people ; and as soon
as he thought himself strong enough, he
broke out, and with a throng of enthusiastic
followers rushed into the cathedral church,
destroyed the pictures and the altar, and hin
dered <,he clergy from any longer saying mass.
Melancthon was too timid to control this
uproar. Luther therefore came forward,
[reached against these violent innovations,
and restored tranquillity. From that time
onward, there was a coldness between Lu
ther and Corolostadt, which at length broke
out into hostilities that were no honour to
either of them. Schl. Luther has been
taxed with opposing Caroiostadt, from mo
tives of ambition, or from unwillingness that
another should take the lead in any thing.
And this censure is repeated by Madame,
Bower, &c. But Seckendorf (Historia Lu-
theranismi, lib. i., 121, p. 197, 198), seems
to have confuted the charge ; which has no
support, except a single sentence in one of
Luther s letters, in which he charges Carolo-
stadt with wishing to be foremost ; a charge,
which Melancthon advanced in quite as strong
terms. For an account of Carolostadt prior
to 1522, see Gcrdex, Miscellan. Groning.,
torn, i., p. 1, &c. TV.]
(39) A history of Luther s German trans
lation of the Holy Scriptures, which contrib
uted more than any thing else to establish
the Lutheran church, was published by Jo.
Fred,. Mayer, Hamb., 1701, 4to. A much
fuller history was long expected from Jo.
Melchior Kraft, than whom no one laboured
upon the subject with greater care, assiduity,
and success, during many years. But a
premature death frustrated our expectations.
Compare Jo. Alb. Falricius, Centifclium
Lutheranum, pt. i., p. 147, &c., and pt. ii.,
p. 617, &c. [What Kraft was prevented
by a premature death from accomplishing,
has since been performed, by Jo. Geo. Palm,
in his Historic der teutchen Bibeliiberset-
VOL T !L E
zung Lutheri ; which was published, with
notes, by Jo. Melchior Gotze, Halle, 1772,
4to, and Gottl. Christ. Giese, historischc
Nachricht von dieser Bibeliibersetzung ;
published by Reidcrcr, Altdorf, 1771, 8vo.
Schl.-\
(40) See Casper Burmanri s HadrianuS
VI. sive Analecta historica de Hadriano VI.
Papa Romano ; Utrecht, 1727, 4to. [This
is a collection of historical papers relating to
the life of this pope. Hadrian was of hum
ble parentage, but of great attainments in
scholastic theology ; and therefore had long
filled the office of a professor at Louvain.
He had a natural aversion to pomp, extrava
gance, and luxury, and a very upright dispo
sition. He therefore did not grasp the fire
and sword, in order to still the complaints
of the Germans, but commenced with the
reformation of his own court, curtailed his
own table, dismissed all superfluous servants,
and required of the cardinals a more retired
life, and retrenchment in their expenses.
But this was so displeasing to the Romans,
that they not only lampooned him much, du
ring his lifetime, but spoke very ill of him
after his death. Indeed it has been suspect
ed, that they were instrumental of his death.
So gratifying to the Romish populace was
his decease, that the night after it took place,