The Greatest Works of Charles Carleton Coffin. Charles Carleton Coffin
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will march his armies across the Alps and pounce upon Milan, and perhaps carry his victorious legions to Naples.
Cardinal Wolsey, who had the private interview with Charles, and promised to manage Henry in Charles's interest, is laying his plan, and every move that he may make in life will have reference to it; he is going to be Pope when Leo dies. Charles has promised to place him in the pontifical chair. Henry has not yet laid his plan; what it will be we shall see by-and-by. He would like to lead his armies to victory; but the people of England have no desire to go philandering over the Continent searching for some one whom they may conquer. Henry is wishing that he had a younger wife — a lady fresh and fair, sparkling and witty. Such a one as Anne Boleyn, for instance, for the wrinkles are coming in Katherine's cheeks, and she will soon be an old woman.
Anne Boleyn has gone to London. She is bright and beautiful. Whatever plans she may be laying, she keeps them to herself; but the king smiles upon her, and she is graciously received at court.
Charles has laid his plan to be emperor, and has carried it out. Now what shall he do ? Why not aim to be ruler of the world, and be as great as Caesar or Alexander. He is master of more than half of Europe — Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Naples, and part of Italy, all the New World — the empire in the West. Why not go on and crush France? He will.
Leo is building his great church in Rome. He is employing sculptors and painters. He will make his pontifical rule so brilliant that people in all coming time shall praise it. There is only one thing to mar his plan: that monk in Germany, who, on All-saints-eve, in 1517, nailed a paper upon the door of Wittenberg church, has created such a disturbance that the people have stopped giving money. He must have money, or he cannot go on with his grand project. He will have the heretic put out of the way, and the heresy suppressed.
On the very day that Cardinal Wolsey takes Charles one side to have a confidential talk after the Field of the Cloth of Gold, Leo writes an order commanding Friar Martin Luther to stop preaching and writing. He gives him sixty days, in which he must take back all that he has said ; if he does not retract it in that time, he will condemn him as a wicked heretic. All persons having Friar Martin's writings are commanded to throw them into the fire; and all who have supported him must at once abandon him, or they will be excommunicated, and also condemned as heretics.
Leo has been giving so much attention to the building of St. Peter's and the painting of pictures, that he has not kept himself fully informed in regard to what has been going on in Germany the last three years. He does not know that since All-saints-day, in 1517, only two and a half years ago, half of the people of Germany have become heretics. Many good men in the Church and out of it are heart and soul with Doctor Luther, who is no longer a friar. Some of them are writing books. Doctor Luther's friend, Philip Melancthon, is hard at work with his pen. Some of the bishops are writing in his favor, others against him. When King Henry gets home to England, from the Field of the Cloth of Gold, he takes his pen and writes against the doctor, which so pleases the Pope that he gives Henry a new title — Defender of the Faith — borne by all the sovereigns of England from that day to the present hour.
The order of the Pope is published, and people wait to see what Doctor Luther will do. Will he yield? Not he.
There comes an evening in December. The snow is on the ground. The air is chill, but, though dreary the night, it does not prevent the students at Wittenberg from assembling in procession. They march out through the gate of the town. Doctor Luther leads them. They kindle a fire, and as the flames rise the doctor burns a lot of the Pope's books. If the Pope can bum Luther's books, Luther will let the world know that he can burn the Pope's. the book which he throws into the flames contains the claim of the Pope as being superior in all things — as lord of the liberties, rights, actions, hearts, and consciences of men. He also casts the Pope's bull into the fire. The students shout and hurrah, and the procession goes back into the town.
Christmas comes. The Wittenberg students, seeing the boldness of their beloved doctor, lose all fear of Rome. They have a carnival. One of their number dresses himself up to represent the Pope. Some wear red cloaks and hats, to represent the cardinals. The other students seize the mock pope, put a paper cap on his head, carry him on their shoulders through the streets, and tumble him into the river. They strip the red cloaks from the mock cardinals, beat them and hustle them about, amidst the shouts and laughter of the people.
The Pope cannot permit such a heretic as Doctor Luther to go unpunished. He sends word to the emperor, Charles V., that he must be seized and sent to Home. The emperor is young and ambitious. He has his plans against the King of France: it will not do for him to take action which will offend his subjects in Germany, for he wants their aid; but here is half of Germany ready to support the heretic.
"I cannot strike such a blow without first consulting my councillors," is the emperor's reply to the Pope.
One of his councillors is Frederick of Saxony.
"What shall we do with Doctor Luther?" Charles asks of Frederick.
Frederick does not know what reply to make. But that learned man from Holland, just at this time, makes Frederick a visit — Doctor Erasmus, who was so disgusted at the sight of St. Thomas's shirt in England.
"What do you think of Doctor Luther?" Frederick asks.
"He has committed two great sins: he has attacked the Pope's crown and the monks' bellies," Doctor Erasmus replies.
Frederick laughs.
"Please give me a serious answer."
"Well, then, the cause of all this trouble is the hatred of the monks and friars to knowledge. They see that if the people acquire such knowledge as Luther wishes them to have, there will be an end to their tyranny and power. If the emperor imprison Luther, it will be a bad beginning for him. The world is thirsting for truth. Let the matter be examined by wise men: that will be the best thing for the Pope and for all concerned."
They are wise words, and Frederick repeats them to the emperor. Charles will not seize Doctor Luther.
Doctor Luther makes appeal to the Council of the Empire, or Diet, as the Germans call it, which is composed of the emperor, the electors, princes, counts, barons, representatives of the free cities, and other great men of the realm.
"The Pope is superior to all others," say those opposed to Luther.
"The council is superior to the Pope," Doctor Luther replies.
The Pope does not wish for a council. The very fact of its meeting will be the upsetting of his claim of superiority. It will be a declaration of liberty. What shall Charles do? He would like to please the Pope; ho wants him on his side in the fight which he is going to have with Francis: he wants, at the same time, to please his German subjects, for he needs money and troops. If he seizes Doctor Luther, will they not be offended? Upon the whole, it will be better to have the council.
The council meets in the old city of Worms. The emperor sends his marshal, dressed in a gorgeous uniform, bearing a golden eagle, as the emblem of imperial authority, to summon Doctor Luther to attend it.
The Town Council of Wittenberg obtain a carriage for their preacher. Three of his friends accompany him — to die with him, if need be, in behalf of liberty. They reach the old town of Weimar. The Pope's agents are there posting up a paper, in which everybody is commanded to abandon the heretic.
"Will you go on?" asks the herald of the empire.
"Go on! Yes; though I am interdicted in every city. The emperor has given me his safe-conduct — the promise that I shall not be harmed while going or coming," Doctor Luther replies.
"They will bum you as they burned John Huss," say his friends.
"Though they should make a fire extending from Wittenberg to Worms, and flaming to the skies, I will pass through it in behalf of truth and in the name of the Lord," is the reply.
"The emperor will deliver you over to be burned, as Sigismund delivered John Huss. Don't go," is the word which one