CHAPTER IV. MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS BELONGING TO THE with AMONG the agents whom the pope sent into Luther's Germany on the subject of a council, Peter Paul interview Vergerio, subsequently bishop of Capo d'Istria, Vergerio. who had also been nuncio to king Ferdinand at the period of the diet of Augsburg, held an eminent place. This person eventually became a protestant, and was himself subjected to persecution for his religion; and in that view he will hereafter claim our attention; but at present he was a willing instrument of the pope's insincere and artful proceedings. He was chiefly distinguished for skill in the civil and canon law. Among other things, he was instructed to endeavour, if possible, to bring over Luther and Melancthon, or any other of the more eminent protestant divines.2 Accordingly, on his arrival at Wittemberg, he sent for Luther. Very different accounts are given of their interview: but that delivered by Father Paul, and that inserted in Luther's German works,3 though independent documents, mutually corroborate each other. The latter is written in a somewhat sportive style, and is more brief than the other. We will present it first. 1535. Vergerio, it states, came to Wittemberg on Account the evening of November 6, 1535, with a splen- Luther's from works. Sleid. 175. F. Paul, 72. 3 Edit. Altenb. vi. 492. did retinue, and was conducted to the castle with all due honour by the provincial governor. The next morning Luther sent for his barber at an early hour, and told him, he was summoned to attend the nuncio of his holiness the pope, and he would by no means go in dishabille, for he wished to look young, that his enemies might think he had a long time yet to live. He then put on his best suit, and a golden ornament (a present from the elector,) about his neck, and remarked, when his attendant expressed some surprise, "This is the way in which we must deal with these foxes and serpents." Then getting into a chariot which had been sent for him from the castle, accompanied by Bugenhagius, he said, "Here go the pope of Germany and cardinal Pomeranus!" Being introduced, he conversed with the nuncio, among other things, on the subject of the council. He said, it was not seriously proposed; the pope did but play with them: and, if it were held, it would busy itself only about trifles, such as tonsures and vestments, and not upon faith, and justification, and bringing Christians to the unity of the spirit and of doctrine-for this would not suit their purpose. He added, that he and his friends felt such assurance of what they believed, as not to need the determination of a council, though others might do it, who groaned under the oppression of men who did not themselves know what they believed. "But," "said he, "call your council; God willing, I will attend it, though I should be burned by it." Vergerio asked where he would have it held. "Where you please," he replied; "at Mantua, at Padua, at Florence, or any where else." Vergerio asked, was he willing it should be at Bologna? He inquired to whom that city then belonged; and on being told, "To the pope," "Gracious heaven," he exclaimed, "has the pope seized that place too?-Well, I will come even thither."-The nuncio, in a courtierlike manner, said something of the pope's visit ing Wittemberg. "Let him come," said Luther "we shall be glad to see him." "But," said Vergerio, "would you have him come with an army, or unattended?" "As he pleases," replied Luther; "we shall be ready for him either way." The nuncio then inquired whether the ministers in Saxony were consecrated. Luther replied, "Certainly as the pope will not consecrate them for us, here sits a bishop" (pointing to Pomeranus,) "whom we have consecrated."-" Much more conversation," says the author of the narrative," passed between them, in which Luther fully explained his views, with the utmost freedom, and even, where the case required, with sharpness of remark." On taking leave, Vergerio said, "See that you be ready for the council." "I will come," replied Luther, "with my life in my hand." 1 The reader cannot but be struck with the characteristic address here displayed. The reformer is perfectly at his ease, and assumes the superior ground; which of right belonged to him in every respect except that of external rank; and he was able fully to maintain what he thus assumed. It may be observed, that Luther seems never to have concerned himself, so much as many did, in what place the council should be held : the great point with him was, that the scriptures alone should be the rule of judgment. If 1 Seck. iii. 95. P A. D. 1535. CHAP. From Paul. that were obtained, he had such confidence in his cause, as to be willing to concede every thing of a mere circumstantial kind.1 Father Paul's account of this interview is more copious, and delivered in a more serious style. It is in substance as follows. "Vergerio treated with Luther very courteously, enlarging much on the council and other topics. He assured him that the pope and cardinals respected him highly, and were infinitely grieved for the loss of one, who, had he employed himself in the cause of God and the apostolical see, might have done them inestimable service: that the pope blamed the harshness of Cajetan and the severity of Leo in their dealings with him: that for himself, (the nuncio,) as he did not profess divinity, he would not dispute with him on the existing controversies, but that by common reason he could shew him, that it would be advantageous to reunite himself with the head of the church; for that, seeing his religion, which had come to light only eighteen years before, had raised innumerable sects and popular seditions, attended with the death or banishment of great numbers, it could not be concluded that it came from God: that it demonstrated too blind a self-love for a man to trouble the whole world in order to disseminate his own opinions: that, if he could not but adopt them, it was sufficient for his own conscience and salvation to keep them to himself: that the confusion produced had become so great, that a remedy could no longer be deferred, and that it was in Luther's power to make it easy, if he would be present at the council, and treat with charity, and 1 Seck. iii. 164 (1). oblige the pope-who was a munificent prince, and took special notice of persons of merit. Encas Sylvius, he further observed, by following his own opinions, with incessant toil, could rise no higher than to be canon of Trent; but, being changed to a better mind, became a bishop, a cardinal, and finally pope Pius II; and that cardinal Bessarion's advancement had fallen little short of this.-Luther in reply told him, that he made no account of the estimation in which he was held by the court of Rome, whose hatred he feared not, nor desired their favour that he declined no labour in the ministry of God's word, though he was but an unprofitable servant: that he could see no more affinity between the service of Christ and that of the papacy, than between darkness and light: that nothing in his whole life had been more serviceable to him, than the severity of Leo and the harshness of Cajetan; so that he could not ascribe their conduct to themselves, but to the providence of God; for that, not being at that time enlightened in the great system of Christian truth, but having only discovered certain abuses in the matter of indulgences, he should easily have been prevailed upon to be silent, if only his adversaries would have observed the same condition; but that the writings of Prierias, the haughtiness of Cajetan, and the violence of Leo drove him to investigate the whole subject, and thus to discover errors and abuses, more numerous and more intolerable, such as a man could not conceal with a safe conscience: that the nuncio had ingenuously 1 This is the account which Luther constantly gives of the course he had pursued: and can any account be more simple, more natural, or better supported by fact? It is that which investigation led Dr. Robertson and Dr. Campbell, A. D. 1535. |