beacon lights of history-iii-2-第40章

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aggressions；　until　he　attacks　those　venerable　institutions　which　he

once　respected；all　the　dexterous　inventions　of　Mediaeval

despotism；　all　the　machinery　by　which　Europe　had　been　governed　for

one　thousand　years；　yea；　the　very　throne　of　the　Pope　himself；　whom

he　defies；　whom　he　insults；　and　against　whom　he　urges　Christendom

to　rebel。　　As　a　combatant；　a　warrior；　a　reformer；　his　person　and

character　somewhat　change。　　He　is　coarser；　he　is　more　sensual…

looking；　he　drinks　more　beer；　he　tells　more　stories；　he　uses　harder

names；　he　becomes　arrogant；　dogmatic；　he　dictates　and　commands；　he

quarrels　with　his　friends；　he　is　imperious；　he　fears　nobody；　and　is

scornful　of　old　usages；　he　marries　a　nun；　he　feels　that　he　is　a

great　leader　and　general；　and　wields　new　powers；　he　is　an　executive

and　administrative　man；　for　which　his　courage　and　insight　and　will

and　Herculean　physical　strength　wonderfully　fit　him；the　man　for

the　times；　the　man　to　head　a　new　movement；　the　forces　of　an　age　of

protest　and　rebellion　and　conquest。



How　can　I　compress　into　a　few　sentences　the　demolitions　and

destructions　which　this　indignant　and　irritated　reformer　now　makes

in　Germany；　where　he　is　protected　by　the　Elector　from　Papal

vengeance？　　Before　the　reconstruction；　the　old　rubbish　must　be

cleared　away；　and　Augean　stables　must　be　cleansed。　　He　is　now　at

issue　with　the　whole　Catholic　regime；　and　the　whole　Catholic　world

abuse　him。　　They　call　him　a　glutton；　a　wine…bibber；　an　adulterer；　a

scoffer；　an　atheist；　an　imp　of　Satan；　and　he　calls　the　Pope　the

scarlet　mother　of　abominations；　Antichrist；　Babylon。　　That　age　is

prodigal　in　offensive　epithets；　kings　and　prelates　and　doctors

alike　use　hard　words。　　They　are　like　angry　children　and　women　and

pugilists；　their　vocabulary　of　abuse　is　amusing　and　inexhaustible。

See　how　prodigal　Shakspeare　and　Ben　Jonson　are　in　the　language　of

vituperation。　　But　they　were　all　defiant　and　fierce；　for　the　age

was　rough　and　earnest。　　The　Pope；　in　wrath；　hurls　the　old　weapons

of　the　Gregorys　and　the　Clements。　　But　they　are　impotent　as　the

darts　of　Priam；　Luther　laughs　at　them；　and　burns　the　Papal　bull

before　a　huge　concourse　of　excited　students　and　shopkeepers　and

enthusiastic　women。　　He　severs　himself　completely　from　Rome；　and

declares　an　unextinguishable　warfare。　　He　destroys　and　breaks　up

the　ceremonies　of　the　Mass；　he　pulls　down　the　consecrated　altars；

with　their　candles　and　smoking　incense　and　vessels　of　silver　and

gold；　since　they　are　the　emblems　of　Jewish　and　Pagan　worship；　he

tears　off　the　vestments　of　priests；　with　their　embroideries　and

their　gildings　and　their　millineries　and　their　laces；　since　these

are　made　to　impose　on　the　imagination　and　appeal　to　the　sense；　he

breaks　up　monasteries　and　convents；　since　they　are　dens　of　infamy；

cages　of　unclean　birds；　nurseries　of　idleness　and　pleasure；　abodes

at　the　best　of　narrow…minded；　ascetic　Asiatic　recluses；　who　rejoice

in　penance　and　self…expiation　and　other　modes　of　propitiating　the

Deity；　like　soofists　and　fakirs　and　Braminical　devotees。　　In

defiance　of　the　most　sacred　of　the　institutions　of　the　Middle　Ages；

he　openly　marries　Catherine　Bora　and　sets　up　a　hilarious　household；

and　yet　a　household　of　prayer　and　singing。　　He　abolishes　the　old

Gregorian　service；　and　for　Mediaeval　chants；　monotonous　and　gloomy；

he　prepares　hymns　and　songs；not　for　boys　and　priests　to　intone　in

the　distant　choir；　but　for　the　whole　congregation　to　sing；　inspired

by　the　melodies　of　David　and　the　exulting　praises　of　a　Saviour　who

redeems　from　darkness　into　light。　　How　grand　that　hymn　of　his；



　　　　〃A　mighty　fortress　is　our　God；

　　　　　　　A　bulwark　never　failing。〃





He　makes　worship　more　heartfelt；　and　revives　apostolic　usages：

preaching　and　exhortation　and　instruction　from　the　pulpit；a

forgotten　power。　　He　appeals　to　reason　rather　than　sense；　denounces

superstitions；　while　he　rebukes　sins；　and　kindles　a　profound

fervor；　based　on　the　recognition　of　new　truths。　　He　is　not　fully

emancipated　from　the　traditions　of　the　past；　for　he　retains　the

doctrine　of　transubstantiation；　and　keeps　up　the　holidays　of　the

Church；　and　allows　recreation　on　the　Sabbath。　　But　what　he　thinks

the　most　of　is　the　circulation　of　the　Scriptures　among　plain

people。　　So　he　translates　them　into　German。　　And　this；　not　the

first　but　the　best　translation；　is　done　so　well　that　it　becomes　the

standard　of　the　German　language；　as　the　Bible　of　Tindale　helped　to

form　the　English　tongue；　and　not　only　so；　but　it　has　remained　the

common　version　in　use　throughout　Germany；　even　as　the　authorized

King　James　version；　made　nearly　a　century　later　by　the　labor　of

many　scholars　and　divines；　has　remained　the　standard　English　Bible。

Moreover；　he　finds　time　to　make　liturgies　and　creeds　and　hymns；　and

to　write　letters　to　all　parts　of　Christendom；a　Jerome；　a

Chrysostom；　and　an　Augustine　united；　a　kind　of　Protestant　pope；　to

whom　everybody　looks　for　advice　and　consolation。　　What　a　wonderful

man！　　No　wonder　the　Germans　are　so　fond　of　him　and　so　proud　of

him；a　Briareus　with　a　hundred　arms；　a　marvel；　a　wonder；　a　prodigy

of　nature；　the　most　gifted；　versatile；　hard…working　man　of　his

century　or　nation！



At　last；　this　great　theologian；　this　daring　innovator；　is　summoned

by　imperial；　not　papal；　authority　before　the　Diet　of　the　empire　at

Worms；　where　the　Emperor；　the　great　Charles　V。；　presides；　amid

bishops；　princes；　cardinals；　legates；　generals；　and　dignitaries。

Thither　Luther　must　go；yet　under　imperial　safe　conduct；and

consummate　his　protests；　and　perhaps　offer　up　his　life。　　Painters；

poets；　historians；　have　made　that　scene　familiar；the　most

memorable　in　the　life　of　Luther；　as　well　as　one　of　the　grandest

spectacles　of　the　age。　　I　need　not　dwell　on　that　exciting　scene；

where；　in　the　presence　of　all　that　was　illustrious　and　powerful　in

Germany；　this　defenceless　doctor　dares　to　say　to　supremest　temporal

and　spiritual　authority；　〃Unless　you　confute　me　by　arguments　drawn

from　Scripture；　I　cannot　and　will　not　recant　anything　。　。　。　　Here　I

stand；　I　cannot　otherwise：　God　help　me！　　Amen。〃　　How　superior　to

Galileo　and　other　scientific　martyrs！　　He　is　not　afraid　of　those

who　can　kill　only　the　body；　he　is　afraid　only　of　Him　who　hath　power

to　cast　both　soul　and　body　into　hell。　　So　he　stands　as　firm　as　the

eternal　pillars　of　justice；　and　his　cause　is　gained。　　What　if　he

did　not　live　long　enough　to　accomplish　all　he　designed！　　What　if　he

made　mistakes；　and　showed　in　his　career　many　of　the　infirmities　of

human　nature！　　What　if　he　cared　very　little　for　pictures　and

statues；the　revived　arts　of　Greece　and　Rome；　the　Pagan

Renaissance　in　which　he　only　sees　infidelity；　levities；　and

luxuries；　and　other　abominations　which　excited　his　disgust　and

abhorrence　when　he　visited　Italy！　　HE　seeks；　not　to　amuse　and　adorn

the　Papal　empire；　but　to　reform　it；　as　Paul　before　him　sought　to

plant　new　sentiments　and　ideas　in　the　Roman　world；　indifferent　to

the　arts　of　Greece；　and　even　the　beauties　of　nature；　in　his

absorbing　desire　to　convert　men　to　Christ。　　And　who；　since　Paul；

has　rendered　greater　service　to　humanity　than　Luther？　　The　whole

race　should　be　proud　that　such　a　man　has　lived。





We　will　not　follow　the　great　reformer　to　the　decline　of　his　years；

we　will　not　dwell　on　his　subsequent　struggles　and　dangers；　his

marvellous　preservation；　his　personal　habits；　his　friendships　and

his　hatreds；　his　joys　and　sorrows；　his　bitter　alienations；　his

vexatious；　his　disappointments；　his　gloomy　anticipations　of

approaching　strife；　his　sickened　yet　exultant　soul；　his　last　days

of　honor　and　of　victory；　his　final　illness；　and　his　triumphant

death　in　the　town　where　he　was　born。　　It　is　his　legacy　that　we　are

concerned　in；　the　inheritance　he　left　to　succeeding　generations；

the　perpetuated　ideas　of　the　Reformation；　which　he　worked　out　in

anguish　and　in　study；　and　which　we　will　not　let　die；　but　will

cherish　in　our　memories　and　our　hearts；　as　among　the　most