"We, Charles, fifth of the name, by the grace of God, elected Roman
Emperor, always Augustus, King of Spain, of the Two Sicilies, of
Jerusalem, Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, etc., Arch-Duke of Austria,
Duke of Burgundy, Count of Hapsburg, Flanders, the Tyrol, etc., etc."
Then the king of so many nations giving to wit that he had summoned
before him an Augustin monk named Luther, ordered all princes, lords,
magistrates, and others, to respect the safe-conduct which he gave
him, under pain of punishment by the emperor and the empire.[445]
[445] Lucas Cranach's Stammbuch, etc., herausgegeben, v. Chr. v.
Mecheln, p. 12.
Thus the emperor gave the title of "dear, honourable, and pious," to a
man at whose head the Church had launched her excommunication. It had
been wished, in the drawing up of the document, to remove all distrust
from the mind of Luther and his friends. Gaspard Sturm was appointed
to carry this message to the Reformer, and accompany him to Worms. The
Elector, dreading the public indignation, wrote, on the 12th March, to
the magistrates of Wittemberg to see to the safety of the emperor's
officer, and, if deemed necessary, to provide him with a guard. The
herald set out.
Thus the designs of God were accomplished. God was pleased to set upon
a hill that light which he had kindled in the world, and emperors,
kings, and princes, without knowing it, were forthwith in motion to
execute his design. It is easy for him to exalt the lowest to the
highest. An act of his power suffices to raise the humble child of
Mansfeld from an obscure hut to the palace where kings are assembled.
In regard to Him, there is nothing small, nothing great. When he wills
it, Charles V and Luther meet face to face.
[Sidenote: HOLY THURSDAY AT ROME.]
But will Luther obey this citation? His best friends were in doubt.
The Elector on the 25th of March wrote his brother--"Doctor Martin is
summoned hither, but I know not if he will come. I cannot augur any
good of it." Three weeks later (16th April), this excellent prince
seeing the danger increase wrote anew to Duke John. "There is a
proclamation against Luther. The cardinals and bishops attack him with
much severity. May God turn all to good. Would to God I could procure
him an equitable reception!"[446]
[446] Die Cardinæle und Bischöfe sind ihm hart zuwider ...
(Seckend., p. 365.)
While these things were passing at Worms and Wittemberg, the Papacy
was reiterating its blows. On the 28th March, the Thursday before
Easter, Rome resounded with a solemn excommunication. At this season
it is usual to publish the dreadful bull _in Cœna Domini_, which is
only a long series of imprecations. On that day, the avenues to the
church in which the sovereign pontiff was to officiate were occupied
at an early hour by the papal guards, and by a crowd of people who had
flocked from all parts of Italy to receive the benediction of the holy
father. The square in front of the Basilisk was decorated with
branches of laurel and myrtle; wax tapers were burning on the balcony
of the church, and the ostensorium was raised upon it. All at once
bells make the air re-echo with solemn sounds; the pope, clothed in
his pontifical robes, and carried in a chair, appears on the balcony;
the people kneel, all heads are uncovered, the colours are lowered,
the muskets grounded, and a solemn silence reigns. Some moments after,
the pope slowly stretches out his hands, raises them towards heaven,
then bends them slowly towards the ground, making the sign of the
cross. This movement is repeated thrice, and the air echoes anew with
the ringing of bells, which intimate the pope's benediction to the
surrounding country; then priests advance with impetuosity, holding
lighted torches, which they reverse, brandish, and throw about with
violence, to represent the flames of hell; the people are moved and
agitated, and the words of malediction are heard from the height of
the temple.[447]
[447] This ceremony is described in different works, among others--"
Tagebuch einer Reise durch Deutschland und Italien." (Berlin, 1817,
iv, p. 94.) The principal formalities are of earlier date than the
days of Luther.
When Luther was informed of this excommunication, he published the
tenor of it, with some remarks, written in that caustic style in which
he so much excelled. Although this publication did not appear till
afterwards, we will here give some idea of it. Let us hear the high
priest of Christendom on the balcony of his Basilisk, and the monk of
Wittemberg answering him from the bosom of Germany.[448]
[448] For the papal bull and Luther's commentary, see "Die Bulla vom
Abendfressen." . . . . (L. Op. (L.) xviii, p. 1.)
There is something characteristic in the contrast of the two voices.
[Sidenote: LUTHER AND THE POPE.]
_The Pope._--"Leo Bishop."
_Luther._--"Bishop ... as a wolf is a shepherd; for the bishop ought
to exhort according to the doctrine of salvation, not belch out
imprecations and maledictions."
_The Pope._--"... Servant of all the servants of God...."
_Luther._--"In the evening when we are drunk; but in the morning we
call ourselves Leo lord of all the lords."
_The Pope._--"The Roman bishops, our predecessors, have been wont, on
this festival, to employ the weapons of righteousness."...
_Luther._--"Which, according to you, are excommunication and anathema,
but according to St. Paul, patience, meekness, and charity." (2 Cor.
vi, 7.)
_The Pope._--"According to the duty of the apostolic office, and to
maintain the purity of Christian faith."
_Luther._--"In other words, the temporal possessions of the pope."
_The Pope._--"And its unity, which consists in the union of the
members with Christ their head ... and with his vicar...."
_Luther._--"For Christ is not sufficient; one more than he is
necessary."
_The Pope._--"To guard the holy communion of the faithful, we follow
the ancient custom, and excommunicate and anathematise on the part of
God Almighty the Father."
_Luther._--"Of whom it is said, '_God sent not his Son into the world
to condemn the world._'" (John, iii, 17.)
_The Pope._--"... And the Son and the Holy Spirit, and according to
the power of the Apostles Peter and Paul ... and our own...."
_Luther._--"And myself! says the ravenous wolf, as if the power of God
were too feeble without him."
_The Pope._--"We curse all heretics,--the Garasi,[449] the Patarini,
the Pauperes of Lyon, the Arnoldists, the Speronists, the Passagians,
the Wickliffites, the Hussites, the Fraticelli."
[449] This name is inaccurate; read Gazari or Cathari.
_Luther._--"For they wished to possess the Holy Scriptures, and
insisted that the pope should be sober and preach the Word God."
_The Pope._--"And Martin Luther recently condemned by us for a similar
heresy, as well as all his adherents, and all, whosoever they be, that
show him any favour."
_Luther._--"I thank thee, most gracious Pontiff, for condemning me in
common with all these Christians. I count it an honour to have my name
proclaimed at Rome during the feast in so glorious a manner, and
carried over the world with the names of all those humble confessors
of Jesus Christ."
_The Pope._--"Likewise we excommunicate and curse all pirates and
corsairs...."
[Sidenote: LUTHER AND THE POPE.]
_Luther._--"Who then is the greatest of pirates and corsairs if it be
not he who robs souls, chains them, and puts them to death?"
_The Pope._--"Particularly those who sail upon our sea."
_Luther._--"Our SEA!... Saint Peter, _our_ predecessor, said, '_Silver
and gold have I none_,' (Acts, iii, 6.) Jesus Christ said, '_The kings
of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; but it shall not be so
with you._' (Luke, xxii, 25.) But if a waggon loaded with hay must, on
meeting with a drunken man, give way to him, _à fortiori_ must St.
Peter and Jesus Christ himself give way to the pope."
_The Pope._--"Likewise we excommunicate and curse all who falsify our
bulls, and our apostolic letters...."
_Luther._--"But the letters of God, the Scriptures of God, all the
world may condemn and burn."
_The Pope._--"Likewise we excommunicate and curse all who detain
provisions which are on the way to Rome...."
_Luther._--"He barks and bites like a dog threatened to be deprived of
his bone."[450]
[450] Gleich wie ein Hund ums Beines willen. (L. Op. (L.) xviii, p.
12.)
_The Pope._--"Likewise we condemn and curse all who keep back judicial
rights, fruits, tithes, revenues, appertaining to the clergy."
_Luther._--"For Jesus Christ has said, '_Whosoever will sue thee at
the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also._' (Matt.
v, 40.) and this is our commentary upon the passage."
_The Pope._--"Whatever be their station, dignity, order, power, or
rank; be they even bishops or kings...."
_Luther._--"For '_There will arise false teachers among you who will
despise dominion and speak evil of dignities_,' saith the Scripture.
(Jude, 8.)"
_The Pope._--"Likewise we condemn and curse all those who in any kind
of way attack the city Rome, the kingdom of Sicily, the islands of
Sardinia and Corsica, the patrimony of St. Peter in Tuscany, the duchy
of Spoleto, the margravate of Ancona, the Campagna, the cities of
Ferrara and Benevento, or any other city or country appertaining to
the Church of Rome."
_Luther._--"O, Peter, poor fisherman! where did you get Rome and all
those kingdoms? I salute you, Peter, king of Sicily! ... and fisherman
at Bethsaida!"
_The Pope._--"We excommunicate and curse all chancellors, counsellors,
parliaments, procurators, governors, officials, bishops, and others
who oppose our letters of exhortation, invitation, prohibition,
mediation, execution, etc."
[Sidenote: HOLY THURSDAY AT ROME.]
_Luther._--"For the holy see seeks only to live in idleness,
magnificence, and debauchery, to command, storm, deceive, lie,
insult, and commit all sorts of wickedness in peace and safety...."
"O Lord, arise! it is not as the papists pretend. Thou hast not
forsaken us, nor is thy favour turned away from us."
So spake Leo X at Rome, and Luther at Wittemberg.
The pontiff having finished his anathemas, the parchment on which they
were written was torn in pieces, and the fragments thrown to the
people. Immediately there was a great rush among the crowd, all
pressing forward, and striving to get hold of a morsel of the terrible
bull.
Such were the holy relics which the papacy offered to her faithful on
the eve of the great day of grace of expiation. The multitude soon
dispersed, and the vicinity of the Basilisk resumed its wonted
stillness. Let us return to Wittemberg.