this "a noble admission, which would cause us to rejoice, if soon afterwards, when opposed to the Catholics, Luther was not ready to deny words which he had hurled against Zwingli."1

In 1527, Luther reckoned eight different interpretations of the words of Christ: "Hoc est corpus meum." Thirty years later, there were no less than eighty-five.2

It is not a matter of surprise, then, that in the disputation on the Eucharist between Luther and Zwingli at the conference of Marburg, in 1529, nothing was done towards reconciling their differences. On the contrary, the breach was widened, and, not only on this, but on other points of doctrine, to Luther's chagrin, it continuously increased until his death, which took place at Eisleben, February 14th, 1546.

In estimating the public life and character of Luther, much depends upon the standpoint from which he is regarded. Whilst Protestants extol him to the skies, Catholics view with horror his virulent attacks on the Church and its Supreme Pastor, its sacred doctrines, and venerable institutions. That he was a leader of vast ability, a man to sway the multitude by his earnest eloquence, cannot be denied; but it is no less true that his impulsive nature, aroused into full activity in maintaining and propagating his own doctrines, and assailing those of the Catholic Church, carried him, on many occasions, far beyond the bounds of ordinary prudence, and betrayed him into the use of language and the propounding of opinions, which, in moments of cool reflecinsuper in Papatu veram Christianitatem esse, imo verum nucleum Christianitatis esse."

1 Audin, "Life of Luther," ii. 302.

2 Ibid., ii. 301.

3 The Conference of Marburg was held by desire of the Landgrave of Hesse, who was anxious to restore peace to his dominions, disturbed by the violent disputes of the two great Reformers and their followers. Luther was accompanied by Melancthon, Justus Jonas, and Creuziger; and Zwingli by Ecolampadius, Martin Bucer, and Gaspard Hedion. Osiander from Nuremberg, Hans Brenz from Halle, and Agricola from Augsburg were also present. The conference opened September 23,

tion, he might have been expected to regret. Yet, we never meet with any retractation or apology from him, save in the one instance of his penitent letter to King Henry VIII.

Most accurately does he himself contrast his own temperament and that of his best-beloved follower Melancthon, in these words: "I was born to contend. with the devil: hence my writings are full of fury. It is my destiny to roll rocks and masses, to eradicate thorns and briars, to fill up marshes, to trace out roads: but Philip has another mission; he walks silently and softly; and builds, plants, waters, and sows, in peace and joy of heart." 1

Luther came forth as a professed reformer of the doctrine of the Church. Yet he was wanting in the coolness and calm reasoning qualities, which one would naturally expect to meet with in any person entering on so momentous, so difficult, and so delicate a task. All through his voluminous writings, there are to be found force and fervid eloquence, mingled with unmeasured abuse of all those who differed from his opinions, whether Pope or Prince, or prelate or Swiss minister, Catholic or Calvinist-all the same: but we often look in vain for sustained argument, amidst the confusion and din of violent declamation; and the result is, that the searcher after truth is rather confused and bewildered than convinced by the perusal of his works. With justice has it been observed of Luther, that while he has pulled down or destroyed much, he has raised up or built very little on the ruins of his creation.

In his antagonism to particular tenets of the communion of which he was once a consecrated minister, he goes to the uttermost verge of the opposite extreme. This is especially manifest in his treatise on Monastic Vows, and his remarkable Sermon on Marriage, preached

1 Audin's "Life of Luther," ii. 363.

at Wittenberg in 1522-a discourse which certainly would not meet the approval of any one of his followers at the present day.1

Again, in the cause of the Reformation, he sometimes did not hesitate to sacrifice principle to expediency, as is strikingly exemplified in the instance, which will presently be detailed, of his officially sanctioning the bigamy of the Landgrave of Hesse.

In all the relations of private life, Luther is represented as having been kindly and amiable; and further it is evident that he was personally most disinterested. All his days, he was a poor man; and, after his death, his wife and children were steeped in poverty, which latter circumstance was a disgrace to his powerful patrons, whom he had enriched by transferring to them so much Church property, and whom he had elevated, severally in their own dominions, to the supreme headship of the Church.

1 "Martini Lutheri de Matrimonio, sermo habitus Wittembergæ, anno 1522;" "Opera," v. p. 19, Wittembergæ, 1544. "It is remarkable," observes Audin, "that this sermon is not to be found in subsequent editions of Luther's works " ("Life of Luther," ii. 17).

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE OTHER LEADING REFORMERS.

It is necessary that we should now dwell briefly on the histories of the other leading Reformers, who, although differing from Luther and from each other on several points of doctrine, were unanimous in repudiating the authority, and opposing the teaching, of the Catholic Church.

Of these the first to present himself is Melancthon, who may well be styled the lieutenant of Luther. Philip Melancthon, or Melanchthon, was born at Bretten in Western Germany, on the 16th of February, 1497. At the suggestion of his relative Reuchlin, under whom he made his studies, he altered his name, Schwartz-Erde (black earth) to Melancthon, which in Greek has the same signification-a usage not uncommon among scholars at that day. In 1518, on the recommendation of Reuchlin, he was promoted to the professorship of Greek in the University of Wittenberg, by Frederick, Elector of Saxony. There he became united, in close bonds of friendship, with Luther, who filled the chair of philosophy in the same university. Ere long, the reputation of Melancthon widely spread throughout Germany, and his lectures sometimes numbered over two thousand auditors, including several persons of the highest rank. "Imagine," says one of his cotemporaries, "a thin spare youth, buried in the ample robe of a professor, with hanging sleeves; a scholar apparently but fifteen, who, when he walks scarcely reaches Luther's shoulder, but who is a perfect

giant in learning and languages-a fragile frame which contains we know not what treasures of wisdom and

erudition." 1 At the same time his amiability, and that spirit of universal charity, in which, all through life, he yearned for general peace and the reconciling of religious differences, endeared him to all who knew him. But unfortunately he did not possess strength of character to resist the influences by which he was surrounded; and he too readily yielded himself captive to every new doctrine, although he frequently looked longingly back to the ancient Church which he had left.

Melancthon's accomplishments as a scholar and his singular moderation pointed him out as the most suitable one of his party to draw up the Confession of Augsburg in 1530, which, as we have seen, was a most difficult task. His well-known disposition, and his laudable anxiety to restore union among Christians, led Francis I. of France to invite him to a conference with the Doctors of Sorbonne in 1536; but the Elector of Saxony could not spare him. It is said that Francis became doubly anxious for this conference, on perusing the "Twelve Articles," which Melancthon had presented to him. In these will be found the following words, which show how much the writer inclined to a reconciliation with the Church: "First therefore we all unanimously profess this: that Ecclesiastical government is a holy and useful thing; so that there should certainly be some bishops, who would preside over the many ministers of the Churches; again, that the Roman Pontiff should preside over all the bishops. For the Church has need of rulers, to examine and ordain those called to the Ecclesiastical ministry, . . . to supervise the doctrine of the priests: and, if there should be no bishops, such nevertheless ought to be created." 2

1 Audin, "Life of Luther," ii. 356.

2 "Primum igitur hoc omnes unanimiter profitemur, politiam eccle siasticam rem esse sanctam et utilem, ut sint utique aliqui episcopi qui