Luther's courage--Bugenhagen at Wittemberg--Persecutions in
Pomerania--Melancthon wishes to set out with
Luther--Amsdorff--Schurff--Suaven--Hütten to Charles V.
[Sidenote: BUGENHAGEN AT WITTEMBERG.]
It was the 24th of March. The imperial herald, Gaspard Sturm, having
at length passed the gates of the town where Luther was, presented
himself before the doctor, and put the summons of Charles V into his
hands. A grave and solemn moment for the Reformer! All his friends
were in consternation. No prince, not even excepting Frederick the
Wise, had as yet declared in his favour. Knights, it is true, uttered
menaces, but the mighty Charles despised them. Still Luther was not
troubled. "The papists," said he, on seeing the anguish of his
friends, "have no wish for my arrival at Worms, they only wish my
condemnation and death.[451] No matter, pray not for me, but for the
Word of God. Before my blood is cold, thousands throughout the world
will be called to answer for having shed it. The _most holy_ adversary
of Christ, the father, master, and generalissimo of homicides, insists
on having my life. Amen! Let the will of the Lord be done. Christ will
give me his Spirit to vanquish these ministers of error. I despise
them during my life, and will triumph over them by my death.[452] They
are doing all they can at Worms, to compel me to retract. Here then
will be my retractation: I once said, that the pope was the vicar of
Christ; now, I say that he is the enemy of the Lord, and the apostle
of the devil." And when he learned that all the pulpits of the
Franciscans were resounding with imprecations and maledictions against
him, he exclaimed, "O what wondrous joy it gives me!"[453] He knew
that he had done the will of God, and that God was with him; why then
should he not set out boldly? This purity of intention, this liberty
of conscience is a hidden power of incalculable might which never
fails the servant of God, and which makes him more invincible than
helmets and armied hosts could make him.
[451] Damnatum et perditum. (L. Ep. i, p. 556.)
[452] ... ut hos Satanæ ministros et contemnam vivens et vincam
moriens. (Ibid. p. 579.)
[453] Quod mire quam gaudeam! (L. Ep. i, p. 567.)
At this time arrived at Wittemberg a man who, like Melancthon, was
destined to be Luther's friend through life, and to console him at the
moment of his departure.[454] It was a priest of thirty-six years of
age, named Bugenhagen, who had fled from the severities with which the
Bishop of Camin, and Prince Bogislas of Pomerania, persecuted the
friends of the gospel of all classes--clergy, citizens, and
literati.[455] Of a senatorial family at Wollin in Pomerania, from
which he is commonly called 'Pomeranus', Bugenhagen, at twenty years
of age, began to teach at Treptow. Youth flocked to hear him, while
nobles and learned men vied with each other for his society. He was a
diligent student of the Holy Scriptures, and prayed to God to instruct
him.[456] One day towards the end of December, 1520, when he was
supping with several friends, Luther's treatise on the _Captivity of
Babylon_ was put into his hands. After turning it over, he exclaimed,
"Many heretics have infested the Church since our Saviour died, but
never was there one more pestilential than the author of this work."
Having taken the book home with him, and read it over and over, his
views entirely changed; new truths presented themselves to his mind,
and returning some days afterwards to his companions, he said to them,
"The whole world is fallen into Cimmerian darkness. This man and none
but he sees the truth."[457] Some priests, a deacon, even the abbot
himself, received the pure doctrine of salvation, and preaching it
with power, "soon," (says a historian,) "turned away their hearers
from human superstitions to the sole efficacious merit of Jesus
Christ."[458] Then persecution burst forth. Several were already
immured in dungeons, when Bugenhagen escaped from his enemies, and
arrived at Wittemberg. "He suffers for the love of the gospel,"
immediately wrote Melancthon to the Elector's chaplain, "where could
he fly if not to our ασυλον, (asylum,) to the protection of
our prince?"[459]
[454] Venit Vittembergam paullo ante iter Lutheri ad comitia Wormatiæ
indicta. (Melch. Adam. Vita Bugenhagii, p. 314.)
[455] Sacerdotes cives et scholasticos in vincula conjecit. (Ibid., p.
313.)
[456] Precesque adjunxit, quibus divinitus se regi ac doceri petivit.
(Ibid., p. 312.)
[457] ... In Cimmeriis tenebris versatur; hic vir unus et solus verum
videt. (Ibid., p. 313.)
[458] A superstitionibus ad unicum Christi meritum traducere. (Ibid.)
[459] Corp. Refor., i, p. 361.
[Sidenote: MELANCTHON. AMSDORFF. SCHURFF. SUAVEN.]
But none received Bugenhagen with so much delight as Luther. It was
arranged between them that, immediately after the Reformer's
departure, Bugenhagen should begin to expound the Psalms. Thus divine
Providence brought this powerful mind to aid in supplying the place of
him whom Wittemberg was going to lose. Placed a year after at the head
of the church of this town, Bugenhagen presided over it for thirty-six
years. Luther distinguished him by the name of _The Pastor_.
Luther behoved to depart. His alarmed friends thought that unless God
miraculously interposed, he was going to death. Melancthon, who had
left his native country, had become attached to Luther with all the
affection of his soul. "Luther," said he, "is to me in place of all my
friends: I feel him to be greater and more admirable than I can
express. You know how Alcibiades admired his Socrates;[460] but I
admire Luther in a higher sense, for he is a Christian." Then he added
the simple but beautiful expression, "Every time I contemplate him, I
find him even greater than himself."[461] Melancthon wished to follow
Luther in his dangers. But their common friends, and doubtless the
doctor himself, were against it. Must not Philip supply the place of
his friend? and, should that friend never return, who would direct the
cause of the Reformation? "Ah! would to God," said Melancthon,
resigned, but grieved, "would to God I had been allowed to go with
him."[462]
[460] "Alcibiades was persuaded that the demon of Socrates was
assistance which the gods sent to instruct and save." (Plutarch's Life
of Alcibiades.)
[461] "Quem quoties contemplor, se ipso subinde majorem judico."
(Corp. Ref., i, p. 264.)
[462] "Utinam licuisset mihi una proficisci." (Ibid., p. 365.)
The ardent Amsdorff immediately declared that he would accompany the
doctor. His strong soul felt a pleasure in exposing itself to danger.
His high bearing enabled him to appear fearless before an assembly of
kings. The Elector had invited to Wittemberg, as professor of law,
Jerome Schurff, the son of a physician of St. Gall, a celebrated man,
of great meekness of temper, and a very intimate friend of Luther. "He
has not yet summoned up courage," said Luther, "to pronounce sentence
of death on a single malefactor."[463] Yet this timid individual
volunteered to act as the doctor's counsel on this dangerous journey.
A young Danish student named Peter Suaven, who boarded with
Melancthon, and afterwards distinguished himself by his labours in
Pomerania and Denmark, also declared that he would accompany his
master. The youth in schools were entitled to have their
representative beside the champion of truth.
[463] L. Op. (W.) xxii, p. 2067, 1819.
[Sidenote: HUTTEN TO CHARLES V.]
Germany was moved at the thought of the dangers which threatened the
representative of her people, and found a voice well fitted to express
her fears. Ulric von Hütten shuddered at the thought of the blow
about to be struck at his country, and, on the 1st of April wrote
directly to Charles V as follows:--"Most excellent emperor, you are on
the point of destroying us, and yourself with us. What is intended in
this affair of Luther but just to destroy our liberty and abridge your
power? There is not throughout the whole breadth of the empire a good
man who does not feel the liveliest interest in this business.[464]
The priests alone are in arms against Luther because he is opposed to
their excessive power, their shameful luxury, their depraved lives,
and has pleaded for the doctrine of Christ, his country's freedom, and
purity of manners.
[464] "Neque enim quam lata est Germania, ulli boni sunt...." (L. Op.
Lat. ii. p. 182, verso.)
"O emperor! dismiss from your presence those orators of Rome, those
bishops and cardinals who would prevent every thing like reform. Did
you not observe the sadness of the people on seeing you on your
arrival approach the people surrounded by those wearers of red hats,
by a herd of priests and not a band of valiant warriors?
"Do not give up your sovereign majesty to those who would trample it
under their feet! Have pity on us! Do not in your ruin drag the whole
nation along with you! Place us amid the greatest perils, under the
swords of the enemy and the canon's mouth;[465] let all nations
conspire against us; let all armies assail us, so that we may be able
openly to manifest our valour, and not be thus vanquished and enslaved
in the dark, like women, without arms and without a struggle.... Ah!
our hope was that you would deliver us from the yoke of the Romans and
overthrow the pontifical tyranny. God grant that the future may turn
out better than the commencement.
[465] "Duc nos in manifestum potius periculum, duc in ferrum, duc in
ignes...." (Ibid. p. 183.)
"All Germany kneels before you; she supplicates you with tears,
implores your aid, your pity, your faith, and, by the holy memory of
those Germans, who, when the whole world was subjugated to Rome,
refused to bend their head before that proud city, conjures you to
save her, restore her to herself, deliver her from slavery, and avenge
her of her tyrants!..."[466]
[466] Omnem nunc Germaniam quasi ad genua provolutum tibi.... (Ibid.,
p. 184.)
So spoke Germany to Charles V through the instrumentality of the
knight. The emperor paid no attention to the letter; perhaps threw it
disdainfully from him to one of his secretaries. He was a Fleming, and
not a German. Personal aggrandisement, not the liberty and glory of
the empire, was the object of all his desires.