CHAP. I. Hist. of Charles V. vol. ii. p. 105, 107, 108. 30. From this private quarrel, proceeded that memorable revolution, called the Blessed Reformation. The causes, and first means of its promotion are briefly stated, by that noted Protestant writer Dr. Robertson, in the following words: 31. "It was from causes seemingly fortuitous, and from a source very inconsiderable, that all the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed. The princes and nobles were irritated at seeing their vassals drained of so much wealth, in order to replenish the treasury of a profuse pontiff. Even the most unthinking were shocked at the scandalous behaviour of Tetzel and his associates, who often squandered in drunkenness, gaming, and low debauchery, those sums which were piously bestowed." 32. Such then was the favorable state of affairs, when Luther first inveighed against the traffic of indulgences. The princes and nobles being irritated at seeing their vassals, the common people, whom they themselves kept as slaves, drained of so much wealth, were ready to protect Luther's cause in order to support their own tyranny. 33. Luther published ninety-five theses or propositions against indulgences; to the whole (says Robertson,) he subjoined Ibid. p. 112. solemn protestations of his high respect for the Apostolic [i.e. the papal] see, and of his implicit submission to its authority.' Ibid. p. 113. Ibid. p. 120. 34. The friars of St. Angustin, Luther's own order, though addicted to the papal see with no less ready obedience than the other monastic fraternities, gave no check to this publication. Luther had acquired extraordinary authority among his brethren; for he, as well as they, professed the highest regard for the authority of the pope. 35. And as a secret enmity, excited by interest or emulation, subsists among all the monastic orders in the Romish church, the Augustinians were highly pleased with his invectives against the Dominicans, and hoped to see them exposed to the hatred and scorn of the people." 36. "Nor was his sovereign, the elector of Saxony, dissatisfied with this obstruction which Luther threw in the way of the publication of indulgences. He secretly encouraged the attempt, and flattered himself that this dispute among the ecclesiastics themselves, might give some check to the exactions of the court of Rome, which the secular princes had long, though without success, been endeavoring to oppose." 37. It was therefore not from religious considerations that Tetzel was the principal agent for Germany; but instead of returning the money to the pope, he and his subordinates shamefully squandered a great portion of it in dissipation, and the most bare-faced and shameless debauchery. This therefore produced the quarrel between him and Luther, which like a flame spread through the Catholic world! Could anything more blasphemous and sacrilegious be propagated? Luther was countenanced by the elector; his protection flowed CHAP. I. entirely from political motives. 66 38. LEO regarded with the utmost indifference the operations of an obscure friar, who, in the heart of Germany, carried on a scholastic disputation in a barbarous style. Little did he apprehend, or Luther himself dream, that the effects of this quarrel would be so fatal to the papal see. LEO imputed the whole to monastic enmity and emulation, [and such it really was,] and seemed inclined not to interpose in the contest, but to allow the Augustinians and Dominicans to wrangle about the matter with their usual animosity." So says Robertson. 39. Here then was the first cause from which the mighty effects of the Reformation flowed; from quarrelling, wrangling, and animosity, after the usual manner of the monkish orders. The princes supported the cause from political motives, first secretly, and then openly, and at last by force of arms. Hist. of Charles V. vol. ii p. 115, 116 117. 40. These contentions, being of a growing nature, became at Ibid. p. 116, length a matter of serious concern to the pope, who in July, 1518, summoned Luther to appear at Rome within sixty days, and at the same time wrote to the elector of Saxony, not to protect him. 41. The professors in the university of Wittemberg, after employing several pretexts to excuse Luther from appearing at Rome, intreated the pope that his doctrines might be examined by some persons of learning and authority in Germany. The elector requested the same thing of cardinal Cajetan, the pope's legate or, representative, at the diet of Augsburg. 42. And after all this quarrelling, and wrangling about indulgences, "Luther himself, who, at that time, was so far from having any intention to disclaim the papal authority, that he did not even entertain the smallest suspicion concerning its divine original, had written to LEO a most submissive letter, promising an unreserved compliance with his will." 43. A striking evidence this, that Luther had no divine commission; but that he had altogether been influenced by his own natural sagacity, and his usual spirit of animosity, as the promoters of his cause have testified. 120. 44. The contention was now carried on between Luther and Ibid. p. 119, Cajetan who was a Dominican. But as a secret enmity prevailed between the orders of St. Augustin and St. Dominic, the dispute remained undecided, and Luther secretly retreated and published an appeal from the pope to a general council; but still continued to express no less reverence than formerly for the papal see. 45. Upon this retreat of Luther, Cajetan wrote to the elector Ibid. p. 121. of Saxony, to send that seditious monk a prisoner to Rome, or to banish him out of his territories. But the elector, who had secretly protected Luther, from political motives, now with less CHAP. I. Eccl. His tory, vol. iv. p. 38. P-41. Ibid. p. 42. reserve, but under various pretexts, and with many professions of esteem for the cardinal, as well as reverence for the pope, not only declined complying with either of his requests, but openly discovered great concern for Luther's safety. 46. A new legate was now appointed by the court of Rome. This was Miltitz, who held three conferences with Luther, two in the year 1519, and one in 1520. In these conferences, Luther manifestly discovered the gross darkness and superstition under which he still lay, and that his conduct was influenced by a spirit of animosity and resentment against the Dominicans, with whom he had the quarrel. 47. "For he not only offered to observe a profound silence for the future, with respect to indulgences, provided the same conditions were imposed on his adversaries, but he went still further; he proposed writing an humble and submissive letter to the pope, [which he accordingly did,] acknowledging that he had carried his zeal and animosity too far." 48. "He even consented to publish a circular letter, exhorting all his disciples and followers to reverence and obey the dictates of the holy Roman Church. He declared, that his only intention, in the writings that he had composed, was to brand with infamy those emissaries who abused its authority, and employed its protection as a mask to cover their abominable and impious frauds." 49. "Had the court of Rome been prudent enough to have accepted of the submission made by Luther, they would have almost nipped in the bud the cause of the Reformation, or would, at least, have considerably retarded its growth and progress. 50. "But the flaming and excessive zeal [or animosity] of some inconsiderate bigots, renewed the divisions, which were so near being healed, and, by animating both Luther and his followers-promoted the principles, and augmented the spirit, which produced, at length, the blessed Reformation." Such is the testimony of our historian. 51. But the fact was, that the flaming and excessive zeal or animosity, of those inconsiderate bigots who animated Luther and his followers, promoted the principles and augmented the spirit, which produced, at length, an innumerable spawn of heresies, seditions, tumults, blood and carnage, and every evil work. 52. Thus the first means of reforming the Church went on, and was promoted from one degree of animosity and contention to another, until the Reformation was completed by a grand division between papists and protestants. CHAPTER II. THE FINAL DIVISION BETWEEN PAPISTS AND PROTESTANTS. ONE of the circumstances that contributed, principally, to render CHAP. II the conferences of Miltitz with Luther ineffectual, was a famous controversy carried on at Leipsic, several weeks successively, in the year 1519, between a Catholic doctor named Eckius, and Luther and Carlostadt his colleague and companion. 2. "The military genius of our ancestors (says Mosheim) had so far infected the schools of learning, that differences in point of religion or literature, when they grew to a certain degree of warmth and animosity, were decided, like the quarrels of valiant knights, by a single combat. Some famous university was pitched upon as the field of battle, while the rector and professors beheld the contest, and proclaimed the victory." 3. "Eckius, therefore, in compliance with the spirit of this fighting age, challenged Carlostadt and Luther to try the force of his theological arms. The challenge was accepted, the day appointed, and the three champions appeared in the field. 4. Carlostadt disputed with Eckius concerning the powers and freedom of the human will. Luther disputed concerning the Church of Rome; that in earlier ages it was not superior to other churches, and combated his antagonist from the authority of the fathers, and from the decrees of the Nicene council. 5. These disputes were carried on from the 25th of June, to the 15th of July following. Luther's cause was left undecided, both were confirmed in their own opinions, and both parties boasted of having obtained the victory. 6. In the mean time, the dissensions increased, instead of diminished. For while Miltilz was treating with Luther in Saxony, and the fairest prospect of accommodation was offered, as has been observed, Eckius hastened to Rome, and entered into a league with the Dominicans, who were in high credit at the papal court, and entreated LEO to excommunicate Luther from the communion of the Church. Eccl. His iv. p. 43. tory, vol. Ibid. p. 44. Ibid. p. 43. Note [b]. vol. ii. p. 125. Eccl. His tory, vol. iv. p. 49. Hist. of Charles V. 7. The Dominicans, desirous of revenging the affront which Ibid. p. 50. their order had received by Luther's treatment of Tetzel, used their utmost endeavors to have the request of Eckius granted. 8. The request was granted; and the Roman pontiff issued out a bull against Luther, dated the 15th of June, 1520, in which all persons are forbidden to read his writings, and he is again summoned to confess and retract his errors within the space of sixty days; and if he did not, is pronounced an obstinate her. vol. ii. p. 127. CHAP. II. etic; is excommunicated, and delivered unto Satan for the destruction of his flesh. Hist. of Charles V. vol. ii. p. 128. Ibid. p. 128. Eccl. History, vol. iv. p. 52. Ibid. p. 51. 9. In some cities, the people violently obstructed the promulgation of the bull; in others, the persons who attempted to publish it were insulted, and the bull itself was torn in pieces, and trodden under foot. 10. Luther, who, but a little while before, had declared that his only intention in the writings he had composed, was to brand with infamy those emissaries, who abused the authority of the holy Roman church, now boldly declared the pope to be that man of sin, or antichrist, whose appearance was foretold in the New Testament. He declaimed against his tyranny and usurpations with greater violence than ever, and exhorted the princes to shake off that ignominious yoke. 11. LEO having, in execution of the bull, appointed Luther's books to be burnt at Rome, he, by way of retaliation, (being evidently actuated by the same spirit of fury and resentment which influenced his adversaries) assembled all the professors and students of the university of Wittemberg, on the 10th of December, 1520, without the walls of the city, and with great pomp, in presence of a vast multitude of spectators, cast the volumes of the canon law, together with the bull of excommunication into the flames; and his example was imitated in several cities in Germany. 12. On the 6th of January, 1521, a second bull was issued out against Luther, by which he was expelled from the communion of the church. Thus Luther furiously opposed the power of the pope, and as furiously did the pope expel him from the communion of the church. 13. "It is not improbable, (says Mosheim,) that Luther was directed, in this critical measure, by persons skilled, [not in the Gospel, but] in the law, who are generally dextrous in furnishing a perplexed client with nice distinctions and plausible evasions. Be that as it may, (continues the doctor,) he separated himself only from the church of Rome, which considers the pope as infallible, and not from the church, considered in a more extensive sense; for he submitted to the decision of the universal [or Catholic] church." 14. Therefore he still belonged, and professed to belong to that corrupt church established by Constantine, from which the papists originated, and to which the protestants have uniformly with them, claimed an equal relation. 15. Here then was at length effected, that grand division in the Catholic or universal church, first between LUTHER an LEO, and consequently between the parties who espoused the cause of each. 16. It now remained to be decided who should have the preeminence; for each had his claim, the first under a pretence of |