God had hidden it from them, as the Lord Jesus himself says in Matt. xi [25] and Luke x [21]. . . . Besides, these three persons began not only to storm against schools, but also against churches and images in churches, that they would cast these images out of the churches. And they gave out that no learned man should be allowed as preacher or priest in the churches, but laymen and handicraftsmen, who were only able to read, as I have known many such persons who wished to be called and chosen to the office.

No. 54. Luther on his eight sermons of 9-16 March.

Ut nuntius testari posset se pervenisse, ego scribo, optime. Pater: alioqui nulla erat scribendi causa, praesertim mihi literis et fabulis et ouiaus hominum occupatissimo. . . . Ego Carolostadium offendi quod ordinationes suas cassavi, licet doctrinam non damnarim, nisi quod displicet in solis ceremoniis et externis faciebus laborasse eum, neglecta interim vera doctrina christiana, hoc est, fide et caritate. Nam sua inepta docendi ratione eo populum perduxerat, ut sese Christianum arbitraretur per has res nihili, si utraque specie communicaret, si tangeret, si non confiteretur, si imagines frangeret. En malitiam Satanae, ut per novam speciem molitus est erigere ad ruinam Evangelii. Nam haec ego quaesieram hactenus, ut conscientiae ab istis contrariis faciebus liberarentur, et res ipsa per sese rueret communi consensu. At ille cupiebat fieri subito novus magister, et suas ordinationes in populo pressa auctoritate mea erigere.

No. 55. From the Translation of the New

Testament.

(a) Preface to the Epistles of St. James and St. Jude, 1522.All the genuine books of Holy Writ agree in this, that one and all they preach and treat of Christ. This too is the true touchstone for testing all books, to see whether they treat of Christ or not, since all Scripture witnesses to Christ (Rom. iii. 21) and St. Paul desires not to know anything save Christ (1 Cor. ii. 2). Whatever does not teach Christ that is not apostolic, though St. Peter or St. Paul taught it. Conversely, whatever preaches Christ, that were apostolic, though Judas,

Annas, Pilate, and Herod had the doing of it (Walch, xiv. 149).

(b) Preface to the Exposition of 1 Peter, 1523:-Those apostles who treat oftenest and highest of how faith in Christ alone justifies, are the best Evangelists. Therefore are St. Paul's Epistles more a Gospel than Matthew, Mark, and Luke. For these do not set down much more than the story of the works and miracles of Christ; but the grace which we receive through Christ, no one so boldly extols as St. Paul, especially in his letter to the Romans (Walch, ix. 626).

(c) Preface to the New Testament, 1524.-John's Gospel, St. Paul's Epistles, especially that to the Romans, and St. Peter's First Epistle are the right kernel and marrow of all books... for in them thou findest written down not many works and miracles of Christ, but in a quite masterly way expounded how faith in Christ overcomes sin and death and hell, and gives life, righteousness, and peace. Which is, as thou hast heard, the right kind of Gospel.... Therefore is St. James' Epistle, in comparison with these, a mere letter of straw; for it has nothing evangelical about it (Walch, xiv. 104 sq.).

XXIII

ADRIAN VI AND THE DIET OF NÜRNBERG,

1522-3.

Shortly after the outbreak, Aug. 1521, of the first war, 1521-6, between Charles and Francis, Leo X died, I Dec. 1521. He was succeeded, 9 Jan. 1522, by Adrian VI, by birth, 1459, a Netherlander, once Charles' tutor, and now his Viceroy in Spain. Adrian 'had no sympathy either with the New Learning or the New Theology' (Creighton, History of the Papacy, vi. 223 sq., ed. 1897); but he was genuinely 'desirous of disciplinary reform'. [No. 56] Aleander, among others, urged it upon him (J. Friedrich, Der Reichstag zu Worms, ap. Hist. Abhandlungen der k. Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, XI. Bd. iii. Abth. 89): and he sent as his nuncio to the Diet of Nürnberg, 17 Nov. 1522-9 Feb. 1523, Francesco Chieregato, Bishop of Teramo, 1522-+39, 'to prove to the Germans the willingness of the Pope to remedy abuses which could no longer be defended' (Creighton, vi. 252). On 8 Dec. in [No.57] a conversation with Hans von der Planitz, the Elector Frederick's Chancellor (Wülcker and Virck, Des Kursächsischen Rathes Hans von der Planitz Berichte aus dem Reichsregiment in Nürnberg, 1521-3, 270 sqq.), the Legate seemed to agree that force was no remedy: but on 3 Jan. 1523 he commu

nicated to the Diet [No. 58] a Brief dated 25 Nov. 1522, in which Adrian insisted on taking repression first (Raynaldus, Annales Ecclesiastici, ad ann. 1522, lx-lxiv), in spite of his own admissions of the need for reform which, as part of [No. 59] the Legate's Instruc. tions (ibid. lxv-lxxi), were now read to the Diet. [No. 60] The Estates replied 5 Feb. with a demand for a 'free Christian Council' (ibid. ad ann. 1523, ii-xii; Goldasti Const. Imp. i. 452 sqq.), and when, 7 Feb., the Legate remonstrated (Raynaldus xv-xx), they 'Pontificium oratorem priori responsione contentum esse iusserunt, donec gravamina nationis Germanicae summo Pontifici transmissa forent' (ibid. xx). This re-affirmation (cf. B. Gebhardt, Die Gravamina der deutschen Nation, Breslau, 1884) of [No. 61] German grievances (Goldasti Const. Imp. i. 456 sqq.) was the work of the lay Estates. Thus the Diet threw its shield over Lutheranism, which was within an ace of becoming a national movement. The collection of its decrees or Recess (Deutsche Reichstagsakten, vol. iii, No. 117, 736 sqq., ed. A. Wrede, 1901) was read 9 Feb., and confirmed by [No. 62] the Imperial Edict of 6 March (ibid. No. 84, 448 sqq., and in Latin, Goldasti op. cit. ii. 150 sqq.). Adrian VI died 14 Sept. 1523.

No. 56. Aleander's advice to Adrian VI.

[See Creighton, vi. 240, n. 1.]

Quod in priori feci libro, quem de remediis contra Lutheranam haeresim ab amplissimo Legato in Germania adhibendis scripsi, in hoc itidem, in quo agitur, quid hic interim hac eadem de re Pontifici faciendum restet, etiam atque etiam monere non desinam, omnem salutis spem contra hoc malum quod in dies augescit, a Deo pendere. Hinc sumendum huius consilii principium huc universae rei exitum referendum. Igitur imploranda ad hoc praecipue divina misericordia est, quam facile nobis conciliabimus piis precibus, sed praesertim pristinae vitae in melius reformatione. Neque speremus, ita praeteriturum Deum conniventibus oculis errata nostra, ut proximis retro temporibus. Alia nunc aetas, alia nunc temporum conditio: immutatus est animus populorum, qui prius delicta nostra partim putabant falsa, partim in meliorem partem interpretabantur. Iam flagellum paratum, iam securis ad radicem arboris posita videtur, nisi velimus resipiscere. Neque admodum necesse erit novas nunc leges condere, aut Bullas undequaque fulminare: sacros habemus canones, optima instituta Patrum, ad quae si acta nostra dirigamus, omnia haec mala facile propulsabuntur. Tollat Smus D. N. e Curia sua eos errores, quibus merito Deus et homines offenduntur: et quantum eius vires et auctoritas patiuntur, clerum

sibi toto terrarum orbe subditum, monendo, increpando, etiam sacerdotiis privando castiget. Id si semel Germani quum in nostris tum in suis sacerdotibus factum videant, nulla posthac de Luthero fiet mentio. Itaque in Nobis ipsis omnium malorum origo pariter et medela sita est.

No. 57. Chieregato and Hans von der Planitz, 8 Dec. 1522.

[Bishop Creighton's summary, History of the Papacy, vi. 252 sq.]

'The Pope,' said Chieregato [cf. Wülcker and Virck, op. cit., Nr. 121 §7] was convinced of Frederick's good intentions: [§ 8] Luther had done good service in bringing abuses to light, for many popes had done much that was ill-advised, and Leo X was not free from his share of blame. But when Luther proceeded to attack the order of the Church, the sacraments, the authority of Fathers and Council, he became absurd and intolerable. [89] Now that there was an upright and pious Pope, every one ought to help him in his good endeavours for the repose of the Church, the peace of Christendom, and the expulsion of the Turk.' He expressed his hope that Planitz was of the same opinion'. Planitz [§ 11] 'was no theologian, and did not profess to judge whether Luther's opinions were right or wrong. [12] As for the Elector, he, as a layman, did not pretend to interfere with ecclesiastical matters [13] he did not banish Luther, because, if he were gone, less responsible men would take his place; indeed, Luther's return to Wittenberg had prevented worse mischief, and if he were driven elsewhere he would only speak more strongly and spread his influence. [§ 14] One thing was clear, that force would be no remedy. Luther relied on his learning and on the Scriptures, and could only be met on the same grounds. Learned men must confer quietly with Luther, and the results of their conference must be laid before a General Council. [§ 15] Chieregato listened sympathetically and seemed to agree.'

:

No. 58. Brief of Adrian VI to the Diet,

25 Nov. 1522.

[§ LX] Mox vero ab externis ad intestina animum advertentes. percepimus Martinum Lutherum, post sedis Apostolicae post Caroli Romanorum Regis in

...

sententiam,...

Imperatorem electi et vestrum imperiale edictum super eiusdem sententiae executione in proximis comitiis Wormatiae habitis decretum non modo per quos deceret non punitum... sed, impie contemnentem, novos quotidie libros... divulgare . . . adeo ut . . . in sacerdotum bona iri, et obedientiam tam ecclesiasticis quam saecularibus debitam vilipendi coeptum sit: et tandem inter nonnullos vestrum ad civilia bella deventum.

[§ LXII]... Omittimus quod enormissimum est, tantam tamque religiosam nationem per unum fraterculum . . . seduci ab ea via qua... tot martyres, tot praeclari doctrina et sanctitate viri et maiores denique vestri omnes hactenus incesserunt; quasi solus Lutherus sapiat et sciat, solus nunc primum (ut de se haereticus Montanus gloriabatur) Spiritum Sanctum acceperit, et Ecclesia ipsa ... in tenebris ignorantiae ... semper erraverit, donec novo Lutheri lumine illustraretur.

[§ LXIII] Quae omnia, quamquam apud eos qui sapiunt perridicula iudicantur, simplicibus tamen animis plurimum sunt perniciosa, et eis qui novarum rerum cupiditate omnem ordinem immutatum vellent, plurimas ad ea perpetranda quae nunc experimini, causas et fomenta subministrant. An non consideratis, Germani principes et populi, praeludium esse quoddam hoc eorum malorum quae Lutherus et eius sectatores moliuntur? An non aperte videtis istud praetensum principio a Lutheranis veritatis evangelicae patrocinium, detectum nunc esse merum rerum vestrarum latrocinium? An putatis alio tendere istos iniquitatis filios, quam ut libertatis nomine omni obedientia sublata, quod cuique libuerit faciendi licentiam inducant? An ullius pensi iussa et leges vestras habituros creditis, qui sacros canones et Patrum decreta necnon sacrosancta concilia, quorum auctoritati Imperatorum leges semper et libenter cesserunt . . . non solum vilipendunt, sed etiam diabolica rabie lacerare et comburere non verentur; denique qui sacerdotibus, qui episcopis, qui Pontifici summo debitam obedientiam detrectant? An speratis contenturos sacrilegas manus a laicorum bonis et non omnia potius sibi quae poterunt vindicaturos qui res Deo dicatas quotidie, vobis praesentibus et videntibus, ferunt aguntque? An denique vestris cervicibus parsuros qui non tangendos Christos Domini contemerare, caedere, trucidare ausi sunt? In vos, in vestras res, domos, uxores, liberos, ditiones, dominatus, templa quae colitis, haec miseranda calamitas tendit, nisi mature obviam eatis.

...

[§ LXIV] Proinde . . . requirimus. . . ut . . . ad hoc commune