the story of mankind-第49章

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He　had　become　a　priest　and　for　a　time　he　had　lived　in　a　monastery。

He　had　travelled　a　great　deal　and　knew　whereof　he　wrote；

When　he　began　his　career　as　a　public　pamphleteer　（he　would

have　been　called　an　editorial　writer　in　our　day）　the　world　was

greatly　amused　at　an　anonymous　series　of　letters　which　had

just　appeared　under　the　title　of　‘‘Letters　of　Obscure　Men。''

In　these　letters；　the　general　stupidity　and　arrogance　of　the

monks　of　the　late　Middle　Ages　was　exposed　in　a　strange

German…Latin　doggerel　which　reminds　one　of　our　modern

limericks。　Erasmus　himself　was　a　very　learned　and　serious

scholar；　who　knew　both　Latin　and　Greek　and　gave　us　the　first

reliable　version　of　the　New　Testament；　which　he　translated

into　Latin　together　with　a　corrected　edition　of　the　original

Greek　text。　But　he　believed　with　Sallust；　the　Roman　poet；

that　nothing　prevents　us　from　‘‘stating　the　truth　with　a　smile

upon　our　lips。''



In　the　year　1500；　while　visiting　Sir　Thomas　More　in　Eng…

land；　he　took　a　few　weeks　off　and　wrote　a　funny　little　book；

called　the　‘‘Praise　of　Folly；''　in　which　he　attacked　the　monks

and　their　credulous　followers　with　that　most　dangerous　of　all

weapons；　humor。　The　booklet　was　the　best　seller　of　the　sixteenth

century。　It　was　translated　into　almost　every　language

and　it　made　people　pay　attention　to　those　other　books　of

Erasmus　in　which　he　advocated　reform　of　the　many　abuses　of

the　church　and　appealed　to　his　fellow　humanists　to　help　him

in　his　task　of　bringing　about　a　great　rebirth　of　the　Christian

faith。



But　nothing　came　of　these　excellent　plans。　Erasmus　was

too　reasonable　and　too　tolerant　to　please　most　of　the　enemies

of　the　church。　They　were　waiting　for　a　leader　of　a　more

robust　nature。



He　came；　and　his　name　was　Martin　Luther。



Luther　was　a　North…German　peasant　with　a　first…class

brain　and　possessed　of　great　personal　courage。　He　was　a

university　man；　a　master　of　arts　of　the　University　of　Erfurt；

afterwards　he　joined　a　Dominican　monastery。　Then　he　became

a　college　professor　at　the　theological　school　of　Wittenberg

and　began　to　explain　the　scriptures　to　the　indifferent　ploughboys

of　his　Saxon　home。　He　had　a　lot　of　spare　time　and　this　he　used

to　study　the　original　texts　of　the　Old　and　New　Testaments。

Soon　he　began　to　see　the　great　difference　which　existed　between

the　words　of　Christ　and　those　that　were　preached　by　the　Popes　and　the　Bishops。

In　the　year　1511；　he　visited　Rome　on　official　business。

Alexander　VI；　of　the　family　of　Borgia；　who　had　enriched　himself

for　the　benefit　of　his　son　and　daughter；　was　dead。　But　his

successor；　Julius　II；　a　man　of　irreproachable　personal　character；

was　spending　most　of　his　time　fighting　and　building　and

did　not　impress　this　serious　minded　German　theologian　with

his　piety。　Luther　returned　to　Wittenberg　a　much　disappointed

man。　But　worse　was　to　follow。



The　gigantic　church　of　St。　Peter　which　Pope　Julius　had

wished　upon　his　innocent　successors；　although　only　half　begun；

was　already　in　need　of　repair。　Alexander　VI　had　spent　every

penny　of　the　Papal　treasury。　Leo　X；　who　succeeded　Julius

in　the　year　1513；　was　on　the　verge　of　bankruptcy。　He　reverted

to　an　old　method　of　raising　ready　cash。　He　began　to　sell

‘‘indulgences。''　An　indulgence　was　a　piece　of　parchment　which

in　return　for　a　certain　sum　of　money；　promised　a　sinner　a　decrease

of　the　time　which　he　would　have　to　spend　in　purgatory。

It　was　a　perfectly　correct　thing　according　to　the　creed　of　the

late　Middle　Ages。　Since　the　church　had　the　power　to　forgive

the　sins　of　those　who　truly　repented　before　they　died；　the

church　also　had　the　right　to　shorten；　through　its　intercession

with　the　Saints；　the　time　during　which　the　soul　must　be　punfied

in　the　shadowy　realms　of　Purgatory。



It　was　unfortunate　that　these　Indulgences　must　be　sold　for

money。　But　they　offered　an　easy　form　of　revenue　and　besides；

those　who　were　too　poor　to　pay；　received　theirs　for　nothing。



Now　it　happened　in　the　year　1517　that　the　exclusive　territory

for　the　sale　of　indulgences　in　Saxony　was　given　to　a

Dominican　monk　by　the　name　of　Johan　Tetzel。　Brother

Johan　was　a　hustling　salesman。　To　tell　the　truth　he　was　a

little　too　eager。　His　business　methods　outraged　the　pious

people　of　the　little　duchy。　And　Luther；　who　was　an　honest

fellow；　got　so　angry　that　he　did　a　rash　thing。　On　the　31st　of

October　of　the　year　1517；　he　went　to　the　court　church　and　upon

the　doors　thereof　he　posted　a　sheet　of　paper　with　ninety…five

statements　（or　theses）；　attacking　the　sale　of　indulgences。

These　statements　had　been　written　in　Latin。　Luther　had　no

intention　of　starting　a　riot。　He　was　not　a　revolutionist。　He

objected　to　the　institution　of　the　Indulgences　and　he　wanted　his

fellow　professors　to　know　what　he　thought　about　them。　But

this　was　still　a　private　affair　of　the　clerical　and　professorial

world　and　there　was　no　appeal　to　the　prejudices　of　the　community

of　laymen。



Unfortunately；　at　that　moment　when　the　whole　world　had

begun　to　take　an　interest　in　the　religious　affairs　of　the　day

it　was　utterly　impossible　to　discuss　anything；　without　at　once

creating　a　serious　mental　disturbance。　In　less　than　two

months；　all　Europe　was　discussing　the　ninety…five　theses　of

the　Saxon　monk。　Every　one　must　take　sides。　Every　obscure

little　theologian　must　print　his　own　opinion。　The　papal

authorities　began　to　be　alarmed。　They　ordered　the　Wittenberg

professor　to　proceed　to　Rome　and　give　an　account　of　his　action。

Luther　wisely　remembered　what　had　happened　to　Huss。　He

stayed　in　Germany　and　he　was　punished　with　excommunication。

Luther　burned　the　papal　bull　in　the　presence　of　an

admiring　multitude　and　from　that　moment；　peace　between　himself

and　the　Pope　was　no　longer　possible。



Without　any　desire　on　his　part；　Luther　had　become　the

leader　of　a　vast　army　of　discontented　Christians。　German

patriots　like　Ulrich　von　Hutten；　rushed　to　his　defence。　The

students　of　Wittenberg　and　Erfurt　and　Leipzig　offered　to

defend　him　should　the　authorities　try　to　imprison　him。　The

Elector　of　Saxony　reassured　the　eager　young　men。　No　harm

would　befall　Luther　as　long　as　he　stayed　on　Saxon　ground。



All　this　happened　in　the　year　1520。　Charles　V　was　twenty

years　old　and　as　the　ruler　of　half　the　world；　was　forced　to

remain　on　pleasant　terms　with　the　Pope。　He　sent　out　calls

for　a　Diet　or　general　assembly　in　the　good　city　of　Worms　on

the　Rhine　and　commanded　Luther　to　be　present　and　give　an

account　of　his　extraordinary　behaviour。　Luther；　who　now

was　the　national　hero　of　the　Germans；　went。　He　refused　to

take　back　a　single　word　of　what　he　had　ever　written　or　said。

His　conscience　was　controlled　only　by　the　word　of　God。　He

would　live　and　die　for　his　conscience



The　Diet　of　Worms；　after　due　deliberation；　declared

Luther　an　outlaw　before　God　and　man；　and　forbade　all　Germans

to　give　him　shelter　or　food　or　drink；　or　to　read　a　single

word　of　the　books　which　the　dastardly　heretic　had　written。

But　the　great　reformer　was　in　no　danger。　By　the　majority

of　the　Germans　of　the　north　the　edict　was　denounced　as　a　most

unjust　and　outrageous　document。　For　greater　safety；　Luther

was　hidden　in　the　Wartburg；　a　castle　belonging　to　the　Elector

of　Saxony；　and　there　he　defied　all　papal　authority　by　translating

the　entire　Bible　into　the　German　language；　that　all　the

people　might　read　and　know　the　word　of　God　for　themselves。



By　this　time；　the　Reformation　was　no　longer　a　spiritual

and　religious　affair。　Those　who　hated　the　beauty　of　the　modern

church　building　used　this　period　of　unrest　to　attack　and

destroy　what　they　did　not　like　because　they　did　not　understand

it。　Impoverished　knights　tried　to　make　up　for　past　losses　by

grabbing　the　territory　which　belonged　to　the　monasteries。

Discontented　princes　made　use　of　the　absence　of　the　Emperor

to　increase　their　own　power。　The　starving　peasants；　following

the　leadership　of　half…crazy　agitators；　made　the　best　of

the　opportunity　and　attac