continually perplexed the confciences of men upon that head. He dared to reject the conclufions of the fchools in part; but others afcribed too much to them, and yet difagreed with them as well as he, altering them often, and introducing new notions in the place of those they abolished. It was matter of grief to pious minds, to hear almost nothing faid in the schools of the doctrines of the gofpel,-and that, in the fermons, little mention was made of Christ, but much of papal power, and of the opinions of recent writers.-Luther has written a great deal that relifhes more of imprudence than irreligion; but the greatest offence he has given, is, his want of refpect to Thomas Aquinas; his leffening of the profits of indulgences; his defpifing of the Mendicant friars; his preferring of the gospel to the doctrines of the fchools; his oppofing of the sophistries of difputants;-all these are intolerable herefies*." The reader, in this last instance, has had before him a witness, perfectly competent to decide on many of the points, which, ufually, afford matter for much controversy between papists and protestants; and, as we truft, the true character of the Saxon reformer, in regard to his motives, abilities, and learning, is now fully afcertained; we return to the narrative of the progrefs of the difpute concerning the fale of indulgences. Vid. Erafm. Epis. and Brandts History of the Reformation. CHAP. CHA P. III. THE PROGRESS OF THE CONTROVERSY CONCERN- AND CAJETAN. T ETZEL the Dominican, alarmed at the pub one hundred and fix propofitions, in which he attempted to refute the arguments of the Auguftine monk; and not content with this, by virtue of his inquifitorial authority, he alfo directed Luther's compofitions to be burnt. It appears from very authentic documents*, that this fhameless monk was an experienced veteran in the traffic of indul gences. He himself, in the year 1507, that is, A. D. ten years before the prefent difpute with Luther, 1507. had collected at Friberg two thousand florins in the space of two days by the iniquitous fale of that article. The fale of indulgences, therefore, was no new thing in the papal fyftem; and the inftance before us proves, that, occafionally at least, the fcandalous practice might be carried to a very great extent. It is, however, a relief to the indignant mind, to find that ecclefiaftical history furnishes fome few examples of pious Chriftians with enlightened understanding, who had bravely withftood the growing corruption. To mention one : John, bishop of Mifnia, had effectually discharged from his own diocefe the popifh proclaimers of indulgences, who, like merchants, had been vending every where their certificates of pardon of fins, VOL. IV. • Moller. Cron. Fribergen. as as if they were an ordinary commodity*. He had blamed the people for foolishly putting their money into a cheft, of which they had not the key; and had declared that, by reading the bible, he had dif covered the Apoftolical religion to be very different from that which prevailed at present. This good prelate, a little before his death, happening to hear that Tetzel was again employed in a fimilar way, prophecied he would be the laft of the dealers in indulgences, on account of his fhameless audacity.Notwithstanding this, and every other warning or remonftrance, the Dominican commiffioner perfevered in the traffic with augmented industry; and fo much incenfed the minds of Luther's difciples at Wittemberg, that they ventured, by way of retaliation, to burn publicly his propofitions, or Thefes, as they were called, with • Chytr. Lib. II. every +"A foul," faid Tetzel in his Thefes," may go to heaven, in the very moments, in which the money is caft into the cheft.-The man, who buys off his own fins by indulgences, merits more than he who gives alms to the poor, unless it be in extreme neceffity." Other extraordinary affertions are likewise contained in his tracts, which demonftrate that Proteftant writers have not mifrepresented the controverfy before us. Suffice it to mention two fentences more. "The minifters of the church do not barely declare men's fins forgiven, but do really pardon them by virtue of the facraments, and by the power of the keys.They may impofe a punishment to be fuffered AFTER DEATH; and it is better to fend a penitent with a small penance into purgatory, than by refufing him abfolution to send him into Hell." Du Pin, B. II. Seck. Lib. I. When Tetzel was at Leipfic, and had fcraped together a great deal of money from 'all ranks of people, a nobleman, who fufpected the impofture, put this question to him, "Can you grant abfolution for a fin, which a man fhall intend to commit in future?" "Yes," replied the frontlefs commiffioner, but on condition that the proper fum of money be actually paid down." The nobleman inftantly produced the fum demanded; and in return, received a diploma fealed and figned by Tetzel, every mark of disapprobation and ignominy. Luther was much grieved at this rafh action; and finding himself to be accused of inftigating his followers to commit it, writes thus to a friend. “I wonder, you could believe, that I was the author of the deed. Think you that I am fo deftitute of common sense, as to ftigmatize, in fuch a manner, a perfon in fo high an office? I know better the rules of ecclefiaftical fubordination, and have more regard to my own character, both as a monk and as a theologian than to act fo." There were alfo perfons, who, pretending to be in poffeffion of court intrigues, were fond of circulating the report, that Luther had published his thefes by the fecret inftigations of the elector Frederic. Luther, with great concern, takes notice of this falfe furrnife. In a letter to his friend Spalatinus he thus expreffes his feelings. I am heartily vexed at the fcandalous report, which is diffufed with much malignity, namely, that in all I do, I am only the ENGINE of our illuftrious prince, for the purpose of difgracing the arch-bishop of Mentz. What do you think I ought to do on the occafion? Shall I open the matter to the elector? I am extremely concerned, that the prince fhould be fufpected on my account, and I cannot bear the thought of being the origin Tetzel, abfolving him from the unexplained crime, which he fecretly intended to commit. Not long after, when Tetzel was about to leave Leipfic, the nobleman made inquiry refpecting the road he would probably travel, waited for him in ambush at a convenient place, attacked and robbed him; then beat him foundly with a ftick, fent him back again to Leipfic with his cheft empty, and at parting faid: "This is the fault I intended to commit, and for which I have your abfolution." This humorous ftory may seem scarcely worthy of the dignity of history; but it is recorded by the cautious Seckendorf, and may serve to fhew the almoft incredible lengths to which the popifh agents proceeded in the deteftable traffic fo clearly laid open by this anecdote. origin of contention among perfons of fo great dignity." Luther alfo published a fermon, preached against indulgences, which Tetzel anfwered; and this produced a reply from Luther. About the same time, Henry, duke of Brunswic, who was afterwards diftinguished among the moft active. enemies of Lutheranifm, appeared in the conteft; and in a public writing accused Frederic of fecretly supporting Luther. The well known character of the elector, for caution and prudence, feems however to have prevented the report from gaining much credit. This prince took extraordinary care not to involve himself unneceffarily in the concerns of Luther. Our intrepid reformer, in all his oppofition to Tetzel, moft certainly had no colleague or affiftant; and he himself declared, that he never had converfed with the elector Frederic in his whole life. Luther never did things by halves. Accordingly, as the affair of felling indulgences had laid firm hold of his mind, he could neither quiet his uneafiness, nor fmother his indignation. He still continued to preach and to write on the fame fubject, till the end of the year 1517. In the next year he went to Heidelberg, and was courteously received by Wolfgang, the brother of the elector Palatine, who was the fcholar of Oecolampadius, a name, afterwards renowned among the reformers. Luther had been advised by his friends not to go to Heidelberg on account of the danger to which he might be expofed. But, as a general affembly of the Auguftinian monks had been called at that place, he thought it right to obey his fuperiors, whatever might be the event. The official business of the affembly was of no great moment; and therefore we need not be furprifed that the zealous and active spirit of Luther was not content with barely discharging |