Hallows' Eve, he, in the university of Wittenberg, cautioned his hearers against the snares that were laid for them, declared that it was a scheme altogether opposed to religion, and only intended as a source of emolument. He wrote to the Bishop of Brandenberg, and to the Archbishop of Magdeberg, praying them to silence Tetzel. He did not then know that the archbishop had bargained with the Pope to retain, for his own uses, one half of Tetzel's receipts. As he received no answer from the archbishop, Luther, on the festival of All Saints in November 1517, read in the great church of Wittenberg a series of propositions against those indulgences, in which he set forth their utter worthlessness; but at the same time declared his willingness to bow to the Word of God and the decisions of the church. These propositions were affixed to the outer pillars of the gate of the church of All Saints on the 31st October 1517. The following is one of them—"Why does not the Pope, in his very holy character, clear out purgatory at once, wherein so many souls are suffering? This would be bestowing his power far more worthily, than for him to deliver souls for money; money so gained brings calamity with it, and for what purpose, moreover? For a building."

Tetzel published one hundred and six counter-resolutions in reply, and, subsequently, a second series, in which he denounced Luther and his friends as heretics and heresiarchs. He caused Luther's publications to be burnt publicly in Frankfort. The Wittenbergers retaliated. Tetzel's productions were burnt in the great square amid the cheers and derision of a large proportion of the inhabitants. That was done without the knowledge of either Luther, the Elector, or the magistrates.

John Eck, vice-chancellor of the university of Ingoldstadt, and Silvestro Prierio, master of the apostolical chamber at Rome, and licenser of books, attacked Luther. Concerning the latter, Luther said "I thought it unnecessary to reply further than by simply declaring my convictions that the said Prierio's book, being a compound of blasphemies and lies, must certainly

have been the work of the devil; and that if the Pope and cardinals sanctioned such writing, which I did not then believe, although I now know it well, Rome must be the seat of AntiChrist, the centre of abomination, and the synagogue of Satan." Thus passed the year 1517, so far as Luther and his antagonists were concerned. While Leo looked on with more or less indifference, believing that the storm would blow over without doing much damage to anyone, the masses of Germany were eagerly devouring each word that fell from Luther, who, in short, had but given manly utterance to sentiments long entertained, though but faintly whispered. Luther's propositions were printed in thousands, he himself became alarmed at his success, nor did he hesitate to admit the fact. Indeed, it is more than probable that, at that time, for the sake of peace, he would willingly have retired from the contest, had he not been accused of being the enemy of all religion. That suggestion resolved him to fight to the bitter end. He says "I found that everywhere they (his enemies) were assiduously inculcating among the people that I was not only an obstinate heretic, but the enemy of all religion whatsoever."

Writing to Staupitz about this time, he said in one part of a long letter "To the threatenings with which I am assailed I have little to say, except with Reuchlin, that he who is poor has nothing to fear, because he has nothing to lose. He who is deprived of fame and rewards, loses what I neither possess nor desire."

Matters reached a pass which Rome could not afford to dis regard. Toward the end of August, 1518, Luther was ordered to appear at Rome within sixty days.

It is a fact that must not be lost sight of by those endeavour ing to read the spirit of the times in question, that the emperor, Maximilian, had in vain called upon the powers at Rome not to precipitate matters, he undertaking to do all that the Pope might order to be done with respect to Luther. The emperor was distrusted. It had reached the ears of Rome that he had

said to Pfeffinger, one of the councillors of the Elector of Saxony "That which your monk Luther is doing, is not to be despised. The game with the priests is beginning; take care of him, it may happen that we shall have need of him." Furthermore, he was known to have said—“This pope has acted towards me like a rogue. I can fairly say that I have never found in any pope I have met with, sincerity or good faith, but, please God, I hope this will be the last of them."

Luther relied on the elector, who had declared that he recognised no other rule of faith than the words of the scriptures themselves. He did not go to Rome. His prince, without communicating with him on the subject, took measures for his safety; he had managed that Luther should be examined by a legate in Germany, in the free town of Augsberg, where he himself then was.

Thomas de Vio, Cardinal of Caieta, appointed judge on the occasion, no bigot, regarded the matter from the purely secular point of view. The political and fiscal interests of Rome were his sole concern. Luther went to Augsberg. He reached it on the 9th October, 1518, under the protection of a strong convoy, and the safe conduct of Frederick, prince elector of Saxony. On the third day after his arrival, the Bishop of Trent produced the Emperor's safe conduct to the Cardinal. Luther describes an interview he had with the Cardinal thus:-"When I came before him again, and would absolutely revoke nothing at all, he said to me, 'What! do you think the Pope cares much for Germany? His little finger is more powerful than all Germany. Or, do you think the princes will raise arms and armies to defend you? Oh, no! Where, then, will you remain in safety?' I replied, 'Under heaven.'" When Luther appeared before the Cardinal officially, the Cardinal submitted to him three conditions sanctioned by the Pope, viz. :—(1) That he should alter his opinions and retract his erroneous propositions; (2) That he should engage to abstain from propagating such doctrines in future; and (3) That he should not circulate

any opinions opposed to the authority of the Church. Luther requested to be informed wherein he had been in error, but the Cardinal declined all controversy. Luther says:—“ All he did was to repeat over and over and over again, 'Retract; acknowledge your error, whether you believe it an error or not. The Pope commands you to do this!'" At length the Cardinal changed his tactics and lectured Luther, during which he referred to the "Extravagant" of Clement VI., of which he erroneously assumed Luther to be ignorant, inasmuch as it was not inserted in the collections. Luther says:-"I then in my turn took to raising my voice somewhat. 'Come,' said I, ‘if you can show me that your decretal of Clement VI. says expressly that the merits of Christ are the treasure of the indulgences, I retract.' Lord, what a laugh there was at this! The legate snatched the book, and ran over the pages in breathless haste, till he came to the place where it is written that 'Christ by his passion acquired the treasures.' I stopped him at that word 'acquired."" The conference, which lasted several days, proved abortive. Luther remained firm, and when he quitted Augsberg, left behind him "An Appeal to the Pope better informed." Luther spent the autumn of 1518 in constant alarm. He even contemplated quitting Germany. He knew that the Pope was endeavouring to effect by stratagem what he had failed otherwise to accomplish. The "Golden Rose," a distinction reserved almost exclusively for kings, was offered by the Pope to the Elector. The Elector wrote to the Pope with all due courtesy, but, at the same time, declared his wish to have the matter examined by judges not liable to suspicion.

In January, 1519, the Emperor died. Frederick acted as regent. Frederick's favourite theologian was Luther. Luther's spirit revived. He wrote to the Pope a respectful letter, in which is this passage—" Retract, you say. Were the retractation demanded from me possible, it should be made. Thanks to my adversaries, to their fierce resistance, to their rabid hostility, my writings have spread abroad far more widely than I had an

ticipated; my doctrines have penetrated too deeply into men's hearts for them now to be effaced. Germany* is at this time flourishing in men of learning, of judgment, of genius; if I desire to do honour to the Roman Church, it will be by revoking nothing. A retractation would only injure her in the estimation of the people, and expose her to ill representations. They whom I oppose, most holy father, are the men who have really injured and disgraced the holy Roman Church."

Charles von Miltitz, the Pope's private chancellor, modified his tone towards Luther, and spoke him fair; he tried to persuade him to go and explain his views to the Archbishop of Traves. Luther saw through him; and in his reply to one of Miltitz's letters, said:"If, as you say, you are compelled by my refusal to come yourself, God give you a happy voyage. As to me, I have no time and no money to go wandering about in that manner. Farewell, worthy sir." On the arrival of Miltitz in Germany, Luther said that he would hold his peace, provided his opponents did the same. They released him from his engagement. Eck solemnly challenged Luther to come and dispute with him at Leipzig, and he accordingly proceeded with Carlstadt to the place of meeting. The 20th of June was fixed for the contest. The citadel was prepared as the battlefield. Certain doctors of Erfurt and Paris were the chosen umpires. The authorities were, not unnaturally, on the side of authority. The faculties of Paris, Louvain, and Cologne condemned Luther's propositions. Luther was not content with having defended himself at Leipzig. At Wittenberg he assumed the offensive. Meanwhile, having been judged, or rather, pre-judged and senenced at Rome, he wrote his book "On the captivity of Babylon." In it he maintained that the Church was captive; that

* John Frobin, a celebrated printer of Bâle, wrote Luther on the 14th February, 1519, telling him that his books were read and approved of even at Paris, nay, even in the Sorbonne; and that he had no more than one copy left of all those he had printed at Bâle, which were spread through Italy, Spain, and elsewhere, and everywhere admired by the learned.