it to pass under his name."* Luther caused this book to be printed both in Latin and German. By this act his enemies appeared to gain some advantage over him, and his friends much lamented it; but Luther gave himself little concern about the matter. He invariably answered, "I will not, neither dare I, desist. My affair is not an unimportant one, which may be laid down at will." Even the gentle Melancthon, whose disposition generally led him to a quiet investigation of matters, plainly saw that this overwhelming style was the needful course at that time to be pursued. On this account, he wrote in the following terms to Capito,"I well know that Luther's zeal offends you. But, suppose he be selected by God to preach the gospel, I beseech you, consider the state of the times and circumstances. Paul forbids the spirit to be checked; have a care that you do not do so."

About this time, Luther wrote another little book upon Human Learning; in which he expresses his opinion that the doctrines of men should not be rejected, except when in opposition to the scriptures, which is the case with the papal doctrines. The scriptures grant liberty of conscience, the papal doctrine endeavours to fetter the conscience. Since, then, the scriptures and human learning contradict one another, one must necessarily be false, the other true.+ In another work, he boldly, and with renewed energy, attacks the pope, together with the whole body of the clergy. According to his firm conviction, the ground of all the misery and evil existing at that period might be found in the degenerate tyranny and stubbornness of the bishops and ecclesiastics. He, therefore, declares, that for the future he will have no more to do with these hypocrites, nor belong to the papal hierarchy; to an hierarchy which sets itself in opposition to the ordinances of God. Hear, then," says he," my final resolution: if I live, I will never leave you in peace; if you slay me, your comfort will be diminished in a tenfold degree, and I shall be to you, as Hosea says, A bear in the path, and a lion in the streets.' you thus conduct yourselves towards me, you shall never gain your ends, until your brazen fronts and implacable hatred be broken, either by fair or foul means." He then endeavours to prove, from the scriptures, that it is not only prudent, but even necessary, to chastise the principal heads of them; and concludes by reciting, at length, all the crimes committed by the bishops and clergy. He speaks also of monastic vows, especially that of celibacy, counselling all to enter into the marriage state, who were desirous so to do. In the course of the same year, Luther's most important work, the translation of the

* Luther's Werke, i. p. 295.

+ Ibid. xix. p. 718.

While

Bible, was sent to the press. He had already, during his residence at Wartburg, translated the whole of the New Testament, and the Pentateuch. Immediately after his return, he, together with Melancthon, had revised and corrected the work. The great demand for them may be inferred from a passage in one of Luther's works, wherein he says, "that three presses were employed, which struck off daily ten thousand sheets." The New Testament was first printed. Single books of the Old Testament were afterwards slowly printed in succession, during the course of several years. This single work was sufficient of itself to establish Luther's fame for ever. It is a work unequalled in any other language. It is true, the Germans had ever acknowledged the importance of the scriptures, and the necessity of having them translated into the language of their country. The most ancient translation we possess is that of the Goths, and some very ancient paraphrases of the gospels, made by the Alemanni and Franks. The modern Germans, also, possessed some German bibles, printed in Nuremberg, in the year 1477, and in Augsburg, 1516; but they were in bad German, unfaithful to the text, and without spirit, most of them taken from the Vulgate. Luther may, with justice, be considered the creator of the German language, and especially of its literature. His translation flows, as it were, from one fount, and imitates, with the utmost ease, the variety of style in which the sacred books are written. It is composed with so much energy, zeal, and integrity, that not any of the succeeding translations, which were attempted during the latter half of the last century, at a period when the language had been so much enriched by the works of Klopstock, Lessing, Winklemann, Schiller, Goethe, and Herder, can be compared to it. There is an air of sanctity and dignity about it, which becomes more and more attractive the oftener it is read. His undertaking this translation was considered, by his enemies, as the grossest heresy. Cocleius and Emser loudly exclaimed that Luther had falsified the scriptures; and it was not without cause that they thus raved, for, by this work, Luther had raised a pillar to the reformation of the church, which was never to be overthrown.

Adrian VI., a native of Utrecht, assumed the tiara the 9th of January, 1522. This pope was quite sensible of the crimes and irregularities of the church, and was inclined to reform them, but possessed neither sufficient power or address to enable him to contend with, or overthrow, the many arts and tricks of the Romish clergy. He was, however, no less virulent than his predecessor, Alexander VI., against Luther, and sent a legate to Nuremberg, where the Diet was held, to demand, that the edict of Worms should be put in ex

ecution; but the States set the complaints of the German nation against the papal jurisdiction, and demanded a free council in Strasburg, Maynz, Cologne, and Metz; they, however, promised to pass a censure upon the newly published works, and to deprive the married priests of their benefices and privileges. Luther was tolerably well satisfied with this resolution; the pope, however, far otherwise. Luther published it with explanatory observations; the pope, on the contrary, sent a very vehement brief to the Elector of Saxony, in which he threatened him with punishment in this world, and damnation and the flames of hell after death. Pope Adrian died shortly after he had canonized Berteo, bishop of Meissen, May 31, 1523; and Clement the Seventh was elected in his place, November 19, in the same year. In the same month, a Diet was held, once again, at Nuremberg. Here a council was again urged, and it was agreed, that the grievances of the German nation should be discussed at the next meeting of the Diet. The States, however, were desirous to comply, as nearly as was possible, with the edict of Worms, and to prevent any scurrilous publications, or pictures, from being published. The Diet took place, April 18, 1524. In the mean time, the imperial guard was established at Essling. But the emperor, who was at Burgos, wrote to the States, informing them of his great disapprobation of the resolution taken by the Diet, inasmuch as the States of the empire, in defiance of the rights of the church and empire, had urged a council, and desired to make the doctrines of the church the subject of their deliberation, at Spires. Several princes and bishops now openly entered into a league against the reformation. These were the arch-duke Ferdinand; Lewis and William, dukes of Bavaria ; the archbishop of Salzburg; the bishops of Bamberg, Spires, Strasburg, Augsburg, Constant, Basel, Freisingen, Trent, Brixen, and Passau. The unity of the German empire was destroyed. Luther did not remain an idle spectator of these events. He caused the edict of Worms, which appeared in the same year at Nuremberg, to be printed, under the title of Two Imperial, Discordant, and Contradictory Commands respecting Luther;* and added to them a preface and concluding discourse, besides marginal notes, in which he reproaches the German princes with their blindness, in thus suffering themselves to be fooled by the pope. Yet, notwithstanding the opposition which the new doctrine was destined to meet, it spread rapidly throughout Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, whilst the faggots of the inquisition were vainly kindled to impede its progress. At this period, Luther wrote

* Luther's Werke, xv. p. 2712.

general letters of encouragement and admonition to his adherents; the most remarkable of which is an epistle to the Christians in Holland and Brabant,* where, in the year 1523, the persecution raged with the greatest violence, under the direction of those blood-thirsty men, Nicolaus, Egmondanus, Jaccob, and Hochstraten. Two Augustine monks, Heinrich Voch and Johann Ersch, had been condemned by these men to the stake, June 1, of the same year, for refusing to renounce the new doctrine. As Voch had freely avowed on his trial, that he had found that truth in Luther's writings for which he was now about to sacrifice his life, it was said to him, "Then thou also hast been corrupted by Luther." To which he replied, “ Yes, as the apostles were by Christ." Both met their death with heroism.

Luther has described their martyrdom in the above-named epistle, and celebrated it in a very fine hymn, which he added to it.

Luther was pre-eminently and singularly successful in the composition of sacred poetry. The depth and energy of thought, the heart-piercing words, the beauty and simplicity, displayed in his hymns, have been hitherto unequalled. The effect produced by the composition just alluded to, was astonishing. The Carmelite, Thomas a Jesu, thus expresses himself concerning it: "Many German songs have issued from Doctor Luther's work-shop. Some of them of a symbolical nature, others dogmatical, and several imitations of the holy Psalms. It is singular how greatly they contribute to the success of the Lutheran cause.' Adam Conzen, the Jesuit, also adds, "Luther's hymns have led more souls to eternal perdition than all his other writings and sermons. What antidote will the head of all Christendom provide against such poison!" About this time, Luther published two little books, in which he recommended the Christian commonwealth to elect pious evangelical teachers, and to displace those who adhered to the papal doctrines, without troubling themselves about human laws, ancient traditions, bishops, institutions, or schools; "for the soul of man is immortal, beyond all temporal jurisdiction, and can only be comprehended and directed by the eternal word of God." He adds, " Yet, though it should even appear that the work must perish, through dissensions and violence, and should the incredulous fear lest the heavens should fall, yet fear not, for our rock flinches not before the lightning, nor before the thunderbolt; neither doth it fear, though the heavens grow dark and cloudy; nor trembles when the winds rise, nor

* Luther's Werke, xxi. p. 39. + Ibid. x. p. 1794-1809.

when the storm rages; but still preserves a firm conscience, and waits, in confidence, for the time when it shall be fair weather."

Luther entered the lists against those princes, who were leagued against the reformation, and caused them also to hear his voice of thunder, which was especially directed against those who had commanded that the New Testament should be delivered into the hands of the magistracy. This is the object of his work, entitled, Upon Temporal Authority, and how far we are bound to obey the same. He dedicated it to George, Duke of Saxony. "No one," he says, "can be truly pious in the sight of God through any worldly form of government, unless the spiritual government be added thereto. Where human laws alone prevail, vain and empty hypocrisy is a necessary consequence. Temporal governments can only have jurisdiction over the persons and property of men, and that which is wholly appertaining to the earth. But the soul owns no government beside its own. Therefore, where temporal power endeavours to impose laws on the soul, it infringes the authority of God, and leads the soul into error and perdition." He defines, in the strongest language, the limits, both of spiritual and temporal power; and explains, with great perspicuity, the evil that results by confounding these two authorities. "Spiritual power has assumed temporal sway to the ruin of the nations; and temporal power has interfered with the consciences of men, to the infinite injury of Christianity." Hence, he asserts, that princes are not to be obeyed when they require any thing that is contrary to our faith, even though the disobeying them should cost us our property and life. "Suffer thou the fool to rage, he shall surely not escape his judge." He concludes, therefore, "those tyrants, who command the New Testament to be delivered into the hands of the magistracy, are not to be obeyed. Whoever complies with their command, delivers Christ into the hands of Herod, for they are the murderers of Christ, as Herod was." To this he adds, "Since the beginning of the world, a wise prince has ever been a scarce bird, but a pious one infinitely more rare. If a prince arise, who is wise, pious, and a Christian, it is the greatest of all miracles, and the most precious sign of God's mercy to the land; for, in general, the words of Isaiah are most applicable, I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.' Isaiah, c. iii. v. 4. And of Hosea, I will give thee a king in my anger, and remove him in my displeasure.' The

* Luther's Werke, x. p. 427.