But the tempest waxed fiercer and louder every day. Luther's growing
influence the more inflamed his enemies. Hochstrat had induced two
universities to condemn his doctrines. In sundry places his books were
burned by the public hangman. Eck had gone to Italy, and was "moving
the depths of hell" to secure the excommunication of the prejudged
heretic. And could his bloodthirsty enemies have had their way, this
would long since have come. But Leo seems to have had more respect for
Luther than for them. Learning and talent were more to him than any
doctrines of the faith. The monks complained of him as too much given
to luxury and pleasure to do his duty in defending the Church.
Perhaps he had conscience enough to be ashamed to enforce his traffic
in paper pardons by destroying the most honest and heroic man in
Germany. Perhaps he did not like to stain his reign with so foul a
record, even if dangerous complications should not attend it. Whatever
the cause, he was slow to respond to these clamors for blood. Eck had
almost as much trouble to get him to issue the Bull of Luther's
excommunication as he had to answer Luther's arguments in the Leipsic
Discussion. But he eventually procured it, and undertook to enforce
it.
And yet, with all his zealous personal endeavors and high authority,
he could hardly get it posted, promulged, or at all respected in
Germany. His parchment thunder lost its power in coming across the
Alps. Miltitz also was in his way, who, with equal authority from the
pope, was endeavoring to supersede the Bull by attempts at
reconciliation. It came to Wittenberg in such a sorry plight that
Luther laughed at it as having the appearance of a forgery by Dr. Eck.
He knew the pope had been bullied into the issuing of it, but this was
the biting irony by which he indicated the character of the men by
whom it was moved and the pitiable weakness to which such thunders had
been reduced.
But it was a Bull of excommunication nevertheless. Luther and his
doctrines were condemned by the chief of Christendom.[10] Multitudes
were thrown into anxious perturbation. If the strong arm of the
emperor should be given to sustain the pope, who would be able to
stand? Adrian, one of the faculty of Wittenberg, was so frightened
that he threw down his office and hastened to join the enemy.
Amid the perils which surrounded Luther powerful knights offered to
defend him by force of arms; but he answered, "_No_; by _the Word_ the
world was conquered, by _the Word_ the Church was saved, and by _the
Word_ it must be restored." The thoughts of his soul were not on human
power, but centred on the throne of Him who lives for ever. It was
Christ's Gospel that was in peril, and he was sure Jehovah would not
abandon his own cause.
Germany waited to see what he would do. Nor was it long kept in
suspense.