Luther by a Lutheran

Front matter

OR,

A FULL-LENGTH PORTRAIT

OF

Preface

In presenting the Life of Luther to the American public, it would seem to be proper to give a few reasons for such an undertaking at this time. It may be asked and no doubt will be, have we not Lives of Luther in abundance? Why then add another to the list? It is true we have D'Aubigne, and Milner, and Scott, and Bowers, and Tischer, and a number of inferior works ; but it is a remarkable fact, that we have not in the English language a single life of Luther, that pretends to give any thing like a correct and extensive account of the great Reformer, written by a Lutheran. And yet we humbly conceive that the great Reformer ought to be fairly represented in English by a member of the church that bears his illustrious name. There are thousands and tens of thousands of as warm-hearted and whole-souled Lutherans in this country as ever lived, who are not able to read the rich and copious language of their fathers ; and ought they not to be supplied with a correct and impartial life of the illustrious Reformer? Far be it from us to accuse those good and learned men of other churches who have written the life of Luther, of doing him injustice, or intentionally misrepresenting him, but in most of such works we often see a parsimony of praise, which actually amounts to unintentional misrepresentation. This we have endeavored to correct in the following pages, and how well we may have succeeded, the intelligent reader will be able to judge after a careful perusal.

In the following pages we have endeavored to be minute with-

IV. PREFACE.

out being prolix, brief without being abrupt, and we have aimed at a laconic perspicuity.

The writing of biographies is not unlike pouring water from one vessel into another, especially is this the case with Luther's life. We lay no claims to originality in the facts stated ; they have all been stated again and again, long before the author of this or any other life of Luther, now living was born. And in this respect the living writers of Luther's life are all on equal footing. It would require a large volume to record even the names and titles of Luther's biographers. We have therefore been at no loss for materials, the only difficulty has been to guard against saying too much. We have used chiefly the following works, viz:

1. " Alle Bucher und Schriften des Theuren Seligen Mannes Gottes Dr. M. Luther," published at Jena and Wittenberg, 1561 — 2 — 3 and 4. This, according to the testimony of all competent judges, is the best edition of Luther's works.. This splendid work which is very rare in this country, contains with the exception of a few letters given by Dr. De Wette, all Luther's works in chronological order. This is the fountain head, Walch, Plochman, Ammon, Lomler, Vent, Von Garlach, Meurer, Stang, Tischer, Mathesius, D'Aubigre, and indeed all the editors and compilers of Luther's works — have been obliged to draw from this rich and exhaustless source. This work is the basis of ours so far as Luther's letters, sermons, &c, are concerned. While accessible to the fountain, we thought it unnecessary to go to any of the streams that flow from it.

2. " Luther und dessen Reformation," published at Magdeburg, 1834. This is a kind of eclective work which contains a vast amount of matter, and is very much condensed, for many incidents in the life of Luther we are indebted to this excellent volume,

PREFACE. V

3. " Dr. Stang's Life of Luther." This is a valuable work.

4. "D'Aubigne's History of tlie Great Reformation." This also is an excellent compilation of facts interspersed with interesting and lively remarks, which some admire and others do not. Dr. D'Aubigne's work has been much more popular in this country than in Europe, while in the former upwards of 200,000 copies have been circulated, in the latter only about 4,000 have found their way among the people! This is a remarkable fact, and can only be accounted for upon the supposition that the Europeans are better supplied with works on this subject than we of America, and of course with better works. Although D'Aubigne's work has met with but little favor in France and Germany, yet it is a splendid work, and ought to be read even more extensively than it has been. We have made some use of this valuable publication, and hereby acknowledge ourselves indebted to it for many beautiful and striking thoughts.

5. "Dr. C. E. Stowe's splendid articles on Luther in the Biblical Repository." Here we found many interesting and striking facts, some of which we have incorporated into our work. Dr. Stowe seems to have formed a correct estimate of the great Reformer, nor is he backward in giving utterance to his feelings.

6. "Scott's Life of Luther," fromMilner, who has almost literally translated Seckendorf. We have also availed ourselves of his labors. We have not generally referred to the book and page of the authors we have quoted, simply because most of those books are rare in this country.

We have written fearlessly, with the sole view of promoting correct views concerning LutLer. In matters of doctrine we have permitted Luther to speak for himself. We do not vouch for, nor are we responsible for his views — we agree with him, only so far as we consider his views taught in the Bible. This is the first Life of Luther ever attempted by a Lutheran in the

VI. PREFACE.

English language, and is therefore fully entitled to an impartial reading in the Lutheran Church. Much more might have been written, there is an ocean of learning in Luther's works, we have only dipt the soles of our feet into this boundless sea, let those who have time and inclination wade in deeper.

R. WEISER.

December 10th, 1847.

Contents

INTRODU CTION

State of the Church before the Reformation — Reasons why the Romish Church seems to be darker just before the Reformation — Roderic Borgio — Pope Alexander VI. — Fifty prostitutes in the Papal palace — A poisoning scrape — Dr. Southey's exclamation — Learning among the Clergy — Luther's opinion — Myconius gives a horrid Picture — One hundred Grievances — Testimony of Erasmus — Household of a Priest — Papal Harems — Prohibitions against the Vices of Priests — Priests' Tax for licentiousness — Number of Ecclesiastics in Gotha — Prof. Tischer's testimony — Contrast between Paganism and Romanism — The Pope's Curse — Luther's service — Incest of Pope Alexander VI. — Murder in the Papal chamber — Mezerai Alsege's testimony — Leo X. — Moral character of Monks and Nuns — Cloisters, sinks of Sin — Spain — South America — Mexico — Popery the same always — Priest Hogan's testimony — Rev. John McCron's testimony — Complaint of J. Schiphower — Luther's Letter on the subject — Prof. Schmucker's testimony, - - - - - - - -17

Chapter II

The great purposes of Jehovah, how carried out — Luther's fame — Prof. Stowe's opinion — Luther's grandfather — Father — Mother — Parental influence— Wesley — Byron — Luther's parents lived at Eisleben — Occupation of John Luther—

VIII CONTENTS.

Luther's letter to his Father — Letter to his Mother — Birth of Luther — Baptism — His parents move to Mansfield — Poverty at Mansfield — Remarkable half-prophetic prayer of John Luther — Martin goes to School — Is carried thither — Severe treatment — Disposition of Martin — Eye — Hair — Complexion — Size of Luther — Grasp of mind — Application — His Religious training, ---------38

Chapter III

Luther goes to Magdeburg — Hard times — Begs his Bread — Goes to Eisenach — Dr. B. Kurtz's testimony — Taken into the pious Cotta family — Luther's musical talents — Luther learned the Turning trade — Standing as a Student — Luther goes to Erfurt — His knowledge of the Classics — Cicero — Plautus — Comparison between Cicero and Luther — Studies the Schoolmen — Aristotle — Branches he studied — Luther finds the Bible — Carlstadt twenty-five years old before he saw a Bible — the Reformation hid in the Bible — Luther studying law — Luther's love for, and knowledge of the Bible — Luther becomes Bachelor of Arts, ------ 59

Chapter IV

Luther the awakened Sinner — The means of his awakening — His training at home — Sickness — The pious old Monk— Partial awakening — Death of his friend Alixis — Overtaken in a thunder storm — Becomes Master of Arts — Lectures on Philosophy — His mental depression returns — Makes a vow to become a Monk — Goes about to establish his own righteousness — Longs for holiness of heart — Determines to become a Monk — Invites a number of his friends to his room — Makes known his firm resolve — Enters the Augustinian Convent — His reflections — Excitement in Erfurt — Servile labor he had

CONTENTS. IX.

to perform in the Convent — Reads St. Augustine — Reads the Schoolmen — Occam — Gerson — Aquinas — Biel — Duns Scotus — Time not lost in reading the Schoolmen — Bible chained at Erfurt — Commences studying Greek and Hebrew — Read Nic. Lyra's Commentaries — Deep conviction of Sin — Finds some little relief from St. Augustine — Deep study — Labors hard to merit Salvation— Effects of mental struggles and agony upon his body — Great conflict — Luther refers to his former state in after life — Luther explains the 38th and 21st Psalms- Seems to point out his former condition — Religion of Rome- Luther's agony of mind increases — Becomes insensible— Luther brought to by the influence of Music — Becomes acquainted with Staupitz — Points the awakened young's Monk to Christ — Luther receives some hope — Some peace — Luther takes sick — His convictions return — Seems to have been decided as to his Conversion—The pious Monk refers him to his Credo— Luther becomes converted — Luther's own account of his Conversion — His love for the words, " the just shall live by faith," -------- 79

CHAPTER V . Luther, the Preacher

The importance of Luther's Religion in the Reformation- Rome hunted up her ablest men — Luther the greatest enemy Rome ever met — The opponents of Luther — Luther's great talents — Staupitz selects him a Professor for Wittenberg — Luther goes to Wittenberg — Attacks Aristotle's system — Luther not satisfied with his Professorship — Wishes to teach Christian Theology — Is appointed Professor of Theology — His popularity — Opinion concerning his Lectures by Dr. Pollich — His fame spreads — Staupitz urges him

to become a Preacher — Effects of his preaching — His man-

1*

X. CONTENTS.

ner — Style — Testimony of his enemies as to his great speaking talents — Equal to Demosthenes and Cicero — Testimony of D'Aubigne — Fred, von Schlegel — L. Maimbourg — Audin — Professor Stone — F. Raimund— Keil — Mossellanus — His powers in debate unequalled — Luther visits Rome — Incidents on the way — Impressions Rome made upon his mind — Climbs up Pilate's Stair-way — Justification by faith — Sees the impiety of Rome — Returns to Wittenberg — Becomes Doctor of Divinity — Letter to John Lange — Foolish topics of the Schoolmen's investigation — Luther a Bible preacher — Feldkirchen — Luther appointed sub-Vicar General by Staupitz — Visits the Convents — Luther's great labors — His own account — The Plague at Wittenberg — Moral courage of Luther — His confidence in God — Preaches before Duke George — Laughable scene at Supper — Puts up ninety-five Theses on the Freedom of the Will — No one debates with him — Sent them to Erfurt— Sent them to Dr. Eck, - - - 101

CHAPTER VI. Luther, the Reformer

Luther knew the errors of the Church — But did not think they could be removed — Had no idea of ever becoming a Reformer — All attempts at Reformation had failed — Leo X. — His prodigality — Indulgences— Theory of Indulgences — John Tetzel described — Immoral conduct — Form of Indulgence — A true copy of one — Price of Indulgences — Tetzel's Speeches — His chest — Money, money, the sole object — Tetzel out-Tetzelled by Bartholomew — Luther first hears of Tetzel — Tetzel comes to Jiiterboch and Zerbst — Some from Wittenberg go to Jiiterboch and buy them — Luther refuses absolution on the merits of them — Tetzel enraged — Luther's Sermon on Indulgences — The Elector's curi-

CONTENTS. XIr

ous dream — Luther writes letters to the Bishops — Nails ninety-five Thesis to the Church door — Effects produced by the Theses — The favor they met everywhere — Letter to the Pope — Erasmus admires them — The Theses — Luther attacked by Tetzel — Dr. Eck — Erasmus urged to attack Luther — Hesitates — Wimpina prepares one hundred and fifty-six Theses in the name of Tetzel — Luther's opinion of them — Disputation at Frankfort — Knipstrow alarms all the Papists — The controversy shifted — Luther forced to attack the Pope — The Pope's opinion of the squabble — Prierias vs. Luther — The Dominicans oppose him — Hochstraten — Luther's sarcastic reply — Luthei goes to Heidleburg — Disputation there ends in fun — Bucer — Brentz — Snepf — Luther's submissive letter to the Pope — Luther changes his opinion of the Pope — The Pope writes to the Elector of Saxony — Luther's bold stand — The Sultan threatens to invade Germany — The Emperor Maximilian opposed to Luther — Receives a summons to appear at Rome — Luther's friends remonstrate — Cardinal Cajetan — Pope's letter to Cajetan — Sublime position of Luther — Melancthon — Comparison between Luther and Melancthon — Luther and Cajetau meet — Serra Longa — Luther comes out Victor — The deep interest felt for Luther's safety — Luther appeals from a Pope ill-informed to one better informed — The first blow struck — Luther pays the Cardinal in his own coin — Luther returns to Wittenberg — Number of students at Wittenberg — Disappointment of Cajatan — Tries to influence the Elector against Luther — Cannot succeed — Gloomy prospects of Luther- — Determines to leave Germany — The Elector urges him to remain — The Pope's Bull — Alarm of the Pope — Miltitz sent to Germany — The Elector refuses to do any thing against Luther — Emperor Maximilian dies — The important position of the Elector of Saxony — Flattery of Miltitz — No effect on Lu-

XII. CONTENTS.

ther — Miltitz influences Luther to write a letter to the Pope — Luther writes a letter — This letter one of the finest he ever wrote — Read it with care — Tetzel dies — The great disputation at Leipsic — Effects of the disputation — Both parties claim the victory — Meanness of Dr. Eck — Staupitz refuses to answer Luther's letters — Miltitz meets Luther again — Commentary on Galatians — Luther an absolute predestinarian — Changed his views — Luther at Worms,, - - - - 123

Chapter VII

Luther, the Great Champion of God's Truth. Luther sees more and more the errors of Rome — Two thousand hearers attend his lectures — Publications — His address to the nobility of the German nation — The rapidity with which he produced his works — Character of Luther's writings — Frederick of Saxony refuses the crown of the Caesars — Charles V. king of Spain elected — Bull against Luther — Luther writes to the Emperor — Luther attacks the Pope — Extenuations for Luther's harshness — Luther was not blind to his own faults — No man knew better what, and how to write than Luther — Effects of his writing — Luther burns the Pope's Bull — His reasons for this daring measure — The war now fairly begun — Luther's tract in justification of the step he had taken — The Pope appoints Aleander and Carracioli his Nuncios — Ulric von Hutten — The sluggish mind of Germany was moving — Hans Sacks — L. Cranch — A. Durer — Poetry and painting aid Luther's work — Luther the great master spirit of the whole movement — Luther an enthusiast — But no fanatic — The Emperor Charles V. at Aix — The Emperor refuses to burn Luther — Frederick of Saxony's influence saves Luther — The hand of God seen here — Diet of Worms — The splendor of the Diet — Charles wanted Luther there — The Romish party did not

CONTENTS. XTT1.

want him there — Another Bull against Luther — Luther anxious to go to Worms — His letter to the Elector on the subject — The motives of Luther — John Glapio — Pontanus — Aleander's ingenious speech — Effects of Aleander's oration — Duke George's speech — Shows the state of morals in the Romish Church — Neutralized Aleander's speech — The Diet determines that Luther must be heard — The Nuncio fears Luther's eloquence — Luther is summoned to appear — Luther starts for Worms — His journey — His courage — His reception — Ulric von Hutton write to Luther — Luther's Prayer — Incidents at Worms — His appearance in the Diet — Luther's conduct before the Diet — Excitement at Worms — Luther's speech — His firmness — Luther returns — His letter to Cranach — Edict against Luther — Luther at Eisenach — The Plot — Luther taken prisoner — At Wartburg — Luther's change of opinion while at Wartburg — His employment while there — Translates the New Testament — The merits of Luther's translation — Roman Catholic testimony — Luther's writings — His works ought to be re-published against Romanism — Influence of the Bible on the Reformation — Audin's testimony — Other works written at Wartburg — Sale of Indulgences renewed — Luther's bold and daring letters to the Elector — To the Archbishop — Luther tired of his Patmos — Visits Wittenberg — Joy of his friends — Returns to Wartley — Temptation of the Devil — His Table-talk — Great changes at Wittenberg — Fanaticism — Carlstadt — Luther vs. Carlstadt — Luther's powerful letter — Fanaticism the curse of the Church — Fanaticism rejects the Bible — Country in an uproar — Luther leaves Wartburg — Returns to Wittenberg — Calms the storms of excitement — Luther's greatness — Prostrates the leaders — Drives them from Wittenberg — Luther's reply to King Henry VIII. — The Reformation spreading — Luther's publications — Luther outdone

FTP CONTENTS.

fcy the fanatics — Death of Leo X. — Luther's danger — The one hundred grievances — The Pope's letter to the Elector — Duke George's edict — Bull against Luther — His sublime position—Luther's letter on war — His prudence — Luther rebukes the Pope — Luther's calmness — Pope Adrian VI. dies — Campeggio — Diet of Nuremberg — Proceedings of Diet — Luther throws aside the monastic habit — Erasmus again — His Diatribe — Luther's reply — His De Servo Arbitrio — Luther bound to no Creed — Controversy between Luther and Carlstadt — Luther vs. the fanatics — Luther in favor of common schools — Luther reforms the Church at "Wittenberg — The Martyrs — The Peasant wars — Luther vs. the heavenly prophets — Opinions of fanatics — Battle of Mulhausen— End of the fanatical war, - - - - - - - 193

CHAPTER VIII. Luther the Father of a Family

Catnerme von Bora — Escapes from the nunnery — Protected by Luther — Offers her in marriage to others — Marries her himself — Reasons for marrying — Great storm of excitement — Domestic happiness — Luther's playfulness — Deep thought — Abstraction — Luther and his wife good house-keepers — Domestic affliction — His Salary — Worn out — Blind of one eye — Luther's love for his wife — The lesson taught the Teacher — Luther's children — ^-Luther at home — Death of his infant daughter — Thrilling scene at the death-bed of his daughter — Parental love — Loves music — Domestic habits — Luther's piety — Roman Catholic slanders — Spalding — Protestantism Luther's apology — A man of Prayer — His faith' — His diet — Dress — Luther's defects, - 323

CONTENTS. XV.

Chapter IX

Luther, the Writer and Unconquerable Victor. League of Torgau — Diet of Spires — Rome taken by the Emperor — Plague at Wittenberg — The succession in the Lutheran Church-Sacramentarian Controversy-Remarkable temptation and sickness of Luther — Visitation of the Saxon Churches — Rud system of Theology— Foundation of Lutheran Church- Luther's Smaller and Larger Catechisms-Occasion of the name. Protestant — Protestant Princes united — Luther the ruling spirit — Origin of the Torgau Articles — Philip, Landgrave of Hesse bring the Doctors together at Marburg — Controversy at Marburg — Luther's views on the Lord's Supper — Melancthon's Apology — Zwingle — Not so great a man as Luther — Luther first in the Reformation — The question as to priority in the work settled — Augsburg Diet — Luther opposed to war — Luther draws up the Torgau Articles — Why so called — Schwambach — Journey of the Protestants to Augsburg — Luther's celebrated hymn translated — Luther remains at Coburg — Why Luther remained at Coburg — Magnificence of the Diet — Melancthon prepares the Confession — Luther's approval— Friendship between Luther and Melancthon — Luther's faith — Encourages Melancthon — Confession signed — Read before the Emperor — Refutation of Confession — Reformation in great danger — Strong measures of the Diet — Meeting at Smalcald — Death of John Elector of Saxony — Persecution in Duke George's dominions — Luther's keen letter to Duke George — Anabaptist difficulties — John Bekold king of the Fanatics — The Church safe — Negotiation — Vergerius in. Germany — Promise of a General Council — Luther laughs at the idea of a General Council — Bishop Bugenhagen — Luther's opinion of the Reformation in England — Attempt to

XVI. CONTENTS.

reconcile the Lutherans and Zwinglians — Partial success- Bull for a General Council — Luther's opinion of it — Smalcaldic Articles — Luther sick at Smalcald — Luther returns to Wittenberg — Convention at Hagenau— Melancthon sick — Luther's prayer — Cause of Melancthon's illness — Unbecoming conduct of Philip of Hesse — Bigamy — Dr. Schmucker's account of — Dr. Milner's views — Labors of Luther — Luther's opinion of himself — Preferred others to himself — His love for the Bible — Luther vs. Agricola — Dr. Chalmer's opinion of Luther — Luther's health begins to decline — His afflictions — Influence of Luther — Roman Catholic account of Luther's death before it occurred — Luther's note on subject — Difficulties in the Lutheran Church — Evils of secret marriages at Wittenberg — Unbecoming conduct of the students in visiting the young ladies of Wittenberg — Unbecoming dress of the ladies — Luther unable to stem the torrent — Leaves Wittenberg — Letter to his wife — Great excitement occasioned by Luther's departure — His return — Finishes his comment on Genesis — Luther's property — His will, - - 339

CHAPTER X. Death of Luther

Luther goes to Eisleben — Remains a few days with Dr. Justus Jonas — Crossing the River — Reception at Eisleben — Preaches at Eisleben — Habits of Devotion — Discusses the question of the recognition of friends in heaven — Luther takes sick — Alarm of his friends — Disease he had — Wretched state of Medical science at that time — Luther's prayer — Firm confidence — Dies — Excitement by his death — Funeral — Thrilling scene at Wittenberg — Great men visit the tomb of Luther— Gratitude for Luther— Catalogue of Luther's writings, ------- 412

Introduction

State of the Church before the Reformation.

If the out-skirts of a quagmire be deep and filthy, what must it be in the interior 1 The age immediately preceding the glorious Reformation, was, as it were, the out-skirts of that long — dark — dark night of ignorance and sin that had brooded over the world for near a thousand years. The moral darkness of the Papal Church was perhaps no greater upon an average, in this age, than it had been for many preceding, but it seems to have a deeper moral turpitude in consequence of the light that was then glimmering upon it. More than this — if the courts of some of those inhuman popes who reigned from the seventh century down, had had historians, as minute and faithful in chronicling their enormities, as were John Burchard and Jacob Saunazar, the one the Master of Ceremonies, and the other the Royal Poet of Pope Alexander VI, we should perhaps, if such an amount of wickedness were possible, see more flagrant crimes, and a deeper and more fiendish tinge of human depravity, than even the infamous Court of Roderic Borgio, that masterpiece of the devil presents. Alexander VI, is called the Papal Nero. — Why even that monster of sin, was a decent and modest man in some things, when compared with his unholiness the Pope.

.X^IIIo IMMORAL POPES*

Alexander VI. was perhaps as wicked and unprincipled a Pope as ever filled St. Peter's chair. Dean Waddington says, "the ecclesiastical records of fifteen centuries contain no name so loathsome, no crimes so foul as his ; and while the voice of every impartial writer is loud in his execration, he is in one respect, singularly consigned to infamy, since not one of the zealous annalists of the Romish Church has breathed a whisper in his praise !" In early life, during the pontificate of Pius II, Roderic Borgio, already a Cardinal, had been stigmatized by a public censure for his unmuffled debaucheries. Afterwards he publicly cohabited with a Roman matron named Vanozia, by whom he had five acknowledged children. Neither in his manners, nor in his language, did he affect any regard for morality or decency ; and one of the earliest acts of his pontificate was, to celebrate, with scandalous magnificence in his own palace, the marriage of his daughter Lucretia ! On one occasion, this prodigy of vice, gave a splendid entertainment within the walls of the Vatican, to no less than fifty public prostitutes at once, and that in the presence of his own daughter, at which entertainment deeds of darkness were done, over which decency must throw a veil ; and yet this monster of vice was, according to papists, the legitimate successor of the Apostles, and the vicar of God upon earth, and was addressed by the title of "His Holiness." Again I ask, is not that apostate church — of which for eleven years this Pope was the crowned and anointed head, and a necessary link in the chain of pretended Apostolic succession— is she not fitly described by the pen of inspiration "Mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth" — Rev. xvii. 5.

ROBERT SOUTHEY. XIX.

Caesar Borgio, a licentious Cardinal of this holy church, was the acknowledged son of this infamous Pope. Alexander VI. and his son Caesar, in order to get the money of a rich Cardinal, Corneto by name, had poison put into a bottle of wine, which the unsuspecting Cardinal was to irink at an entertainment, but by mistake, Alexander and Caesar drank it, the former was killed and the latter had a narrow escape. We mention the case of Alexander VI., because he was one of the most prominent men at Rome at the very time Luther was born, (1483.) In view of such a state of morals as then existed in the Court of Rome, and indeed as will appear soon, throughout the whole Church, well might Dr. R. Southey, the Poet Laureate of England exclaim, "Blessed be the day of Martin Luther's birth — it should be a festival only second to that of the nativity of Jesus Christ."

In order to see the full force of this remark, we must take a view of the state of morals and learning among the clergy, and the common people of that age.

By a long series of usurpations the Pope and higher clergy had wrested every particle of civil and religious liberty from the people. The common people, and even their rulers with them, were parcelled out by the Pope to the Bishops, as if they had been so many cattle, the bishop or his friends paid so many dollars, for such an amount of territory containing so many souls, and then his chief business was to wring so much money out of them, as was needed to pay perhaps for keeping so many concubines, and so many children, and so many horses and dogs.

XX. POPERY OPPRESSIVE.

The people of Germany, Luther says in his celebrated "Address to the Nobility of the German Nation," had to pay annually to the Pope 300,000 gold florins, no wonder says he that our nation is poor, the only wonder is that we are not in a state of starvation ! And what, says he, do we pay this money for, or what do we get in return, but shame and derision ! To form some idea of the greatness of this sum at that time, Luther says, Rome receives more money from us, than the government formerly received ! And be it remembered this was not the money the poor Germans paid by way of support for Religion at home, but it was a kind of religious bonus they paid the Pope, for the privilege of belonging to holy Mother Church ! Yes, for the glorious privilege of having their minds stupified, their morals degraded- — the morals of their wives and daughters corrupted by a set of vicious and licentious confessors, and their heads cut off if they objected to the holiness and infallibility of the Church, and her wicked priests ! One of the most lively pictures — a real daguerreotype of the state of the Church in the beginning of the sixteenth century, is given by Frederick Myconius, who was a contemporary with Luther, and a close observer of what transpired around him. " The passion (i. e. the sufferings and death) of Christ, and the atonement, were treated merely as a story, like the Odyssey of Homer. Concerning faith, by which the righteousness of the Redeemer, and eternal life are apprehended, there was the deepest silence. Christ was described as a severe judge, ready to condemn all who were destitute of the intercea