XIX. CHAP. to brave the consequences of an open hostility. His friends also interposed their good offices, and A. D. 1521. perhaps the assembly in general might consider A. Pont.IX. the decision of the emperor, which was made be A. Et. 46. fore the members present had deliberated on, the subject, as at least hasty and premature, if not an infringement on their privileges. From these and similar causes all parties united in requesting the emperor to allow Luther another hearing, alleging, that if he persevered in his heresy, he would afford a still better reason for the proceedings intended to be adopted against him; and although Charles still refused to grant this request in public, yet he consented to give him permission to remain at Worms three days longer, during which time any of the members of the diet might use their endeavours to prevail upon him to retract his errors. (a) In consequence of this resolution, the archbishop of Treves, Richard de Griffelan, undertook the office of mediator between Luther and the diet, for which purpose he had several interviews with him; at which the good archbishop conducted himself with such moderation and kindness towards Luther, and made such concessions and propositions on the part of the church, as greatly displeased the papal nuncio Aleandro, without, however, effecting any alteration in the determination which Luther had adopted, to abide by the consequences of his own conduct. These conferences, by the assent of the diet, were continued for two days longer; but, although Luther appears to have been sensible of the lenity and good inten(a) Pallavicini, lib. i. cap. xxvii. p. 163. XIX. A. Æt. 46. tions of the archbishop, to whom he addressed CHAP. himself in the most respectful and friendly terms, yet, in such a cause, he was no less on his guard A. D. 1521. against the influence of gentleness and persuasion, A.Pont.IX. than he had before been against all the terrors of authority. Being at length asked by the archbishop whether he could himself suggest any expedient which might tend to restore the public quiet, he replied in the words of Gamaliel, if this undertaking be the work of men, it will be overthrown; but if of God, ye cannot overthrow it.(a) The result of this interview being made known to the emperor, Luther was ordered to leave the city, and not to be found within the imperial dominions after the expiration of twenty days. There were not wanting on this occasion, some who suggested to the emperor, that notwithstanding his solemn passport, he ought not to suffer so notorious a heretic to escape; (b) but, besides the disgrace which this would have brought both upon him and the assembly, and the reluctance of the emperor to stain the commencement of his reign by an act of treachery, it is probable that such a measure would have occasioned commotions which would not easily have been allayed. Luther therefore left the city on the twenty-sixth day of April, accompanied by the imperial herald; and being met at the gate by a large body of his friends, proceeded on his journey to Wittemberg. After the departure of Luther, the pontifical (a) "Si ex hominibus consilium aut opus hoc est, dissolvetur ; Si vero ex Deo est, dissolvere non poteritis." Luth. op. vol. ii. p. 416. b. Seckend. lib. i. p. 157. (b) Sarpi, Concil. di Trento, lib. i. p. 15. A. Et. 46. condemned rial edict. CHAP. legates exerted all their influence to obtain a deXIX. cree of the diet against him; but notwithstanding A. D. 1521. their efforts, this was not accomplished until the A. Pont.IX. twenty-sixth day of May. By this document, Luther is which resembles a papal bull rather than a great by an impe- national act, and which represents Luther as the devil in the semblance of a man, and the dress of a monk, (a) all the subjects of the empire are required to seize upon him and his adherents, to destroy their property, and to burn their books and writings; and all printers are prohibited from publishing their works without the approbation of the ordinary. In the mean time Luther had found a shelter against the approaching storm. As he was passing through a wood near Altenstein, on his return to Wittemberg, with only a few attendants, he was seized upon by several persons employed by the elector of Saxony for that purpose, and Is privately carried to the castle of Wartburg, where he rethe castle of mained in great privacy during the remainder of Wartburg. the pontificate of Leo X. At this place, which he conveyed to called his Patmos, he devoted himself to study, and composed several of his theological tracts. He had already, however, sown the seeds, which grew equally well in his absence as in his presence, and which, notwithstanding the storm excited by (a) "Illum unum non ut hominem, sed diabolum ipsum, sub hominis specie, ad perniciem generis humani assumpta monachi cuculla," &c. The form of the edict is said to have been prepared by Aleandro. v. Seckendorf, lib. i. sec. 46. p. 158. But Bossi cannot believe that it could be the work of Aleandro, who was certainly a learned man, and not altogether an inelegant latinist. The supposition of Bossi, that Seckendorf made this statement in order to render Aleandro odious to the protestants, seems however to be entirely without foundation. v. Ital. ed. vol. ix. p. 188. XIX. the apostolic nuncios, soon spread such vigorous CHAP. roots as defied all the efforts of the papal see to destroy them. Nor were the new opinions confined to the limits of Germany. Within the space of four years they had extended themselves from Hungary and Bohemia, to France, and to England; having in all places attracted the notice, and obtained the approbation of a great part of the inhabitants. Such was the reception they met with in this country, that Henry VIII., who had, in his youth, devoted some portion of his time to ecclesiastical and scholastic studies, not only attempted to counteract their effects by severe restrictions, but condescended to enter the lists of controversy with Luther, in his well known work written in Latin, and entitled, A Vindication of the seven Sacraments. (a) This work Henry dedicated to Leo X., and transmitted a copy to Rome with the following distich: 66 Anglorum Rex Henricus, Leo Decime, mittit It was presented to the pontiff in full consistory, by the ambassador of the king, who made a long (a) Assertio septem Sacramentorum adversus Martinum Lutherum. The original, in an elegant MS., is still preserved in the library of the Vatican, and is usually shewn to Englishmen on their visits to Rome. v. Dr. Smith's Tour to the Continent, vol. ii. p. 200. From this copy it was printed at Rome, "in ædibus Francisci Priscianensis Florentini, 1543." as appears by the colophon, Descriptus liber ex eo est, quem ad Leonem X. Pont. Max. Rex ipse misit, but it had before been published in London, in ædibus Pynsonianis, 1521, and at Antwerp, in ædibus Michaelis Hillenii, in the year 1522. On this occasion several of the Italian scholars, and particularly Vida and Colocci, addressed Latin poems to the king. v. App. No. CXCI. A. D. 1521. A.Pont. IX. VIII, writes against Lu ther. CHAP. and pompous oration; to which the pope replied in a concise and suitable manner. (a) The satis XIX. A. D. 1521. A. Æt. 46. (a)" Extat typis eo anno vulgata Joh. Clerici, Angliæ Regis A. Pont. IX. legati, Oratio ad Leonem habita, cum ei librum Regis nomine in consessu Cardinalium offerret, satis tumida; cui Leo breviter et apte respondit." Seckendorf, lib. i. p. 184. Luther replied to this book in his Treatise contra Henricum VIII. Anglia Regem; which he addressed to Seb. Schlick, a Bohemian nobleman, in a dedication which bears date, 15th July, 1522. In this work he treats the king, without any ceremony, as a liar and a blasphemer. "Nunc quum prudens et sciens mendacia componat adversus mei Regis majestatem in cœlis, damnabilis Putredo ista et Vermis, jus mihi erit pro meo Rege, majestatem Anglicam luto suo et stercore conspergere, et coronam istam blasphemam in Christum, pedibus conculcare." But, whilst he stigmatizes the book of Henry VIII. as stolidissimum and turpissimum, he acknowledges it to be "inter omnes qui contra se scripti sunt latinissimum." He insinuates, however, that it was written by some other person in the name of the king. An answer to the work of Luther was published, or re-published, Lond. 1523, under the following title, &c. ERUDITISSIMI VIRI GULIELMI ROSSEI opus elegans, doctum, festivum, pium, quo pulcherrime retegit ac refellit insanas Lutheri calumnias; quibus invictissimum Anglia Galliæque Regem Henricum ejus nominis octavum, Fidei defensorem, haud literis minus quam regno clarum scurra turpissimus insectatur, &c. In this work, which is attributed to Sir Thomas More, the author has not only endeavoured to refute the arguments, but to equal the abuse of the German reformer; and he concludes it by leaving him, "cum suis furiis et furoribus, cum suis merdis et stercoribus, cacantem cacatumque." Such are the elegantia of religious controversies. A few years afterwards, when Luther began to suspect that the king was not indisposed to favour his opinions, he wrote to him to excuse the violence and abuse contained in his book, which he attributed to the advice of others, acknowledging that he had published it too rashly, and offering to make a public apology. To this Henry condescended to write a long and argumentative reply, in which he advises Luther to retract his errors, or to shut himself up in a monastery, and repent of his sins. These letters have been published without note of place or date, and are prefixed, in the copy now before me, to the treatise of Henry on the seven sacraments. |