lished at Constance and other Councils, it is my privilege to uphold. A single monk, led astray by private judgement, has set himself against the faith held by all Christians for a thousand years and more, and impudently concludes that all Christians up till now have erred. I have therefore resolved to stake upon this cause all my dominions, my friends, my body and my blood, my life and soul. For myself and you, sprung from the holy German nation, appointed by peculiar privilege defenders of the faith, it would be a grievous disgrace, an eternal stain upon ourselves and our posterity, if, in this our day, not only heresy, but its very suspicion, were due to our neglect. After Luther's stiff-necked reply in my presence yesterday, I now repent that I have so long delayed proceedings against him and his false doctrines. I have now resolved never again, under any circumstances, to hear him. Under protection of his safe-conduct he shall be escorted home, but forbidden to preach and to seduce men with his evil doctrines and incite them to rebellion. I warn you to give witness to your opinion as good Christians and in accordance with your vows. No. 44. The Alliance between the Pope and the Emperor, 8 May. I. Et primo, praedicti duo Principes, Serenissimus Papa Leo X et Serenissimus Caesar Carolus Hispaniarum ac utriusque Siciliae citra et ultra Pharum Rex, faciunt ligam atque amicitiam iunguntque se foedere perpetuo et indissolubili ita ut eosdem habeant amicos, eosdem hostes sine exceptione, ut una atque eadem amborum sit fortuna, idem velle et nolle ad offensionem quorumcunque et defensionem a quibuscunque opus fuerit. . . ut qui alterutrum laeserit aut laedere attentaverit, alterius continuo sit hostis. . . . XVI. Item, quoniam S. D. N. cura est aliquanto etiam maior rerum spiritualium et pastoralis officii quam temporalium, dignitatem Sanctae Apostolicae Sedis supra omnia carissimam habet, multi autem exorti sunt qui et de Fide Catholica male sentire et dictam Sedem sua malignitate et maledicentia lacerare non dubitant, promittit Serenissimus Caesar se contra eos qui Sedem Apostolicam verbo et facto laedere praesumunt aut Fidem Catholicam perturbare conantur, ut iustissimum et Christianissimum Imperatorem decet, omnem vim suae pote omnesque iniurias statis districturum, eosque persecuturum, No. 45. The Edict of Worms, 26 May. Carolus V, Dei benignitate electus Romanus Imperator, semper Augustus; Germaniae, Hispaniae, utriusque Siciliae, Hierosolymae, Hungariae, Dalmatiae, Croatiae, &c., Rex; Archidux Austriae; Dux Burgundiae, &c.; Comes Habsburgi, Flandriae, Tirolis, &c.: universis et singulis Electoribus, Principibus &c. . . . salutem ac prosperitatem cum denunciatione clementiae nostrae. . . 4. Cum . . . sine dubio nemini vestrum sit obscurum quam procul errores haeresesque a Christiana via . . . declinent quas Augustinianae familiae quidam Martinus Lutherus. . . disseminare conatur. . . [here follows, §§ 5-25, a recital of the proceedings in Luther's case.] 25. ... inde nimirum opportunis remediis contra hanc exulceratissimam pestem procedi debet, ut sequitur. 26. Principio, ad laudem gloriamque omnipotentis Dei et propugnationem Christianae fidei Pontificis quoque Romani et Sedis honorem debitum, auctoritate ac potestate nostrae Caesareae dignitatis atque officii, praeterea unanimi consensu et voluntate nostrorum sacrique Imperii Electorum, Principum et Ordinum hic iam congregatorum, Nos ad perpetuam rei memoriam praestandamque decreti, sententiae ac condemnationis Bullae, quam S. N. Pater Papa, velut ordinarius iudex controversiarum religionis edidit, executionem, supramemoratum Martinum Lutherum tanquam membrum ab Ecclesia Dei separatum, perniciosi schismatis auctorem, manifestum pertinacemque haereticum a nobis vobisque universis et singulis existimandum detestandumque renunciamus et declaramus, idque publice testatum his literis volumus, edicentes et imperantes vobis omnibus et unicuique sub sponsione atque iuramento quo nobis sacroque Imperio devincti estis, ad effugiendam item criminis laesae maiestatis poenam nostramque et Imperii proscriptionem ac excommunicationem. . . 27. Imperantes, inquam, Romana Caesareaque potestate severe hoc edicto volumus, ut, elapsis praefatis viginti diebus qui 14 huius mensis Maii terminabuntur, praedictum Martinum Lutherum nemo vestrum hospitio, tecto lectove recipiat ac foveat, nemo cibo potuque alat et sustentet, nec quisquam verbis ac factis, clam palamve, consilio vel auxilio iuvet aut promoveat; sed ubicumque locorum in eum incideritis, si tantum habebitis virium, vinctum comprehendatis diligentique saeptum custodia nobis vel adducatis ipsi vel adduci curetis, aut saltem evestigio nobis ubi captus fuerit indicetis, intereaque carcere clausum providenter asservetis donec quod porro illi inferendum sit instructionem nostram acceperitis, vosque propter huiusmodi sanctum et pium opus, ad compensationem laborum quoque et sumptuum benigne remuneremini. 28. Verum contra illius necessarios, coniunctos, thiasotas, patronos, altores, fautores, consentientes, aemulos atque imitatores, horumque mobilia vel immobilia bona, debetis, in vigore sanctae constitutionis nostrae et Imperii proscriptionis et excommunicationis, hoc ordine procedere: videlicet, iter facientes prosternere, prehendere, fortunas diripere, ad vestrum dominium transferre, nemine obstante vel impediente: excepto, si verisimiliter probabiliterque confirment, se hac scopulosa via deserta Pontificiam absolutionem impetrasse. 29. Praeterea mandamus vobis omnibus et unicuique privatim . . . ne quisquam . . . M. Lutheri libros a S. P. Ñ. Papa . . . condemnatos eiusdemque alia multa scripta, quae seu vernacula seu Latina lingua componit hactenus, tanquam impia, foeda, suspecta, diluta et a notorio pertinacique haeretico edita, amplius, emere, venundare, servare, describere, imprimere, describi vel imprimi facere, nec ipsius opinioni suffragari, adhaerere aut praedicare, defendere, asserere ullis modis . . . praesumat. . . . ... 31. Insuper decernimus ut universi et singuli, cuiuscunque dignitatis, gradus, ordinis, conditionis fuerint, ac praesertim gerentes Magistratus et superiore vel inferiore iurisdictione armati, . . . in omnibus S. R. I. subiectis ditionibus, in nostris item haereditariis Ducatibus atque territorio, de facto severe ordinent, poenas irrogent, imperent atque procurent quascunque tales antedictas Lutheri virulentas commentationes, libellos et lucubrationes, ingentium tumultuum, damnorum, dissipationum, haeresium in Ecclesia Dei administras, igni comburendas et his aliisque mediis funditus abolendas, exstirpandas ad nihilumque redigendas. Similiter Beatitudinis Pontificiae nunciis ipsorumque delectis commissariis, in his ad illorum. . . requisitionem summa voluntate . . . adesse. . . ac... ad haec universa et singula . . . exsequenda . . . operas conferre debetis. . . . 37. Postremo, quo cum praesentia mala tum occasiones futurarum haeresium praccidantur. ... Nos Caesarea Regiaque potestate, consulto unanimique consensu1 nostrorum et Imperii Electorum atque Ordinum, sub nostra Imperiique proscriptione ... decernimus vigore huius Edicti . . . ne quis in posterum typographus aut alius . . . ullum opus scriptumve, in quo fidei Christianae mentio. . . fiat, aut primus imprimat aut ab aliis editum recudat, nisi conscio et annuente loci illius Ordinario ... cum permissione Facultatis Theologiae in Academia aliqua finiendi.... No. 46. German feeling in favour of Luther. (1) DISPATCHES OF GASPAR CONTARINI, THE VENETIAN AMBASSADOR. April 25.-I cannot tell you how much favour he [Luther] enjoys here [Worms], and which is of such a nature that, on the Emperor's departure and the dissolution of the Diet, I suspect it will produce some bad effect, most especially against the prelates of Germany. In truth, had this man been prudent, had he restricted himself to his first propositions, and not entangled himself in manifest errors about the faith, he would have been, I do not say favoured, but adored by the whole of Germany. I was told so at Augsburg by the Duke of Bavaria and many others, and I see the same by experience. April 26.-Luther is a man who will not relinquish his opinion, either through argument, fear, or entreaty. . . . He has many powerful partisans who encourage him, and against whom no one dares to [proceed]. . . . His books are sold publicly in Worms, although the Pope and the Emperor, who is on the spot, have prohibited them." (2) LETTER OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF MAINZ TO LEO X, JULY. Beatissime Pater. . . . In dies post omnium bonorum virorum conatum, post bullam Beatitudinis vestrae et Caesareum edictum in Martinum et complices, augentur copiae Lutheranorum, iamque rarissimi inveniuntur laici qui candide et simpliciter faveant ecclesiasticis; sed et bona pars sacerdotum facit cum Luthero et plerosque pudet stare a parte Romanae Ecclesiae, adeo invisum est nomen curtisanorum et decretorum Beatitudinis vestrae, quae magno supercilio post Wittembergenses et alii quoque reiiciunt... 1 This is misleading. See Ranke, History of the Reformation, 244. XXI MELANCHTHON Philip Schwarzerd, 16 Feb. 1497-†19 Ap. 1560, was born at Bretten in the Palatinate, and was educated first at Heidelberg, 1509-12, then at Tübingen, 1512-14, where, as M.A., 25 Jan. 1514, he began to teach. On the recommendation of his greatuncle, the famous John Reuchlin, 1455-†1522, he was made Professor of Hebrew and Greek at Wittenberg, 26 Aug. 1518. He came thither as a humanist and was always to some extent a theologian against his will (Beard, Hibbert Lectures, 90). Though never in Holy Orders, he took his B.D. 19 Sept. 1519, and began to lend support to Luther by lecturing in theology. A lifelong relation was thus set up between them-I am rough, boisterous, stormy, and altogether warlike' wrote Luther, in a preface to Melanchthon's Commentary on Colossians, 'I am born to fight against innumerable monsters and devils. I must remove stumps and stones, cut away thistles and thorns, and clear the wild forests but Master Philip comes along softly and gently, sowing and watering with joy, according to the gifts which God has abundantly bestowed upon him.' In Dec. 1521 Luther's main ideas found classical expression in Melanchthon's [No. 47] Loci Communes (Corpus Reformatorum, xxi. 82 sqq.: edd. Bretschneider and Bindseil, Brunsvigae, 1834-60), which had its origin in lectures on the Epistle to the Romans. In its earliest form it was a collection of Heads or Loci --topics for ... oral amplification from the Professor at his desk' (Beard, op. cit. 286): `but it became, as enlarged in successive editions, 1521-59, the systematic exposition of Lutheran theology' (ibid. 90; cf. 287). Some of its earliest positions underwent important modifications, for which see J. W. Richard, Philip Melanchthon, 231 sqq. (Putnam, 1898). No. 47. The Loci Communes, Dec. 1521. 2 Loci Communes seu Hypotyposes Theologicae. Requiri solent in singulis artibus loci quidam, quibus artis cuiusque summa comprehenditur, qui scopi vice, ad quem omnia studia dirigamus, habentur. Quod in theologia veteres quoque secutos videmus, parce quidem ac sobrie. Ex recentioribus vero Damascenum ac Longobardum, inepte utrumque. Nimium enim philosophatur Damascenus, Longobardus congerere hominum opiniones quam Scripturae sententiam referre maluit. Et quanquam nolim immorari studiosos ... hoc genus summis, tamen prope necessarium duco indicare 1 John of Damascus, ? joo-t750 ?, Εκδοσις ἀκριβὴς πίστεως ὀρθοδόξου. 2 Peter Lombard, ?-+1160, Sententiarum Libri IV. |