XIX. A. D. 1519. CHAP: structions to its progress. Under his protection the new opinions gained considerable strength; and as his reputation for integrity, talents, and A. Pont. VII. personal worth, was equal to that of any sovereign of his time, the partiality which he manifested to Luther greatly contributed to the success of the efforts of that daring innovator.(a) Leo endea vours to pacify Luther. No sooner had the political ferment subsided, than Leo again turned his attention to the progress of Luther, which from its rapidity and extent now began to excite a real alarm at Rome. The new decretal which Leo had' issued in confirmation of indulgences, had answered no other purpose than to impel Luther to a more direct opposition. To whatever height the pontifical authority erected its crest, Luther opposed himself to it with equal confidence, and Leo at length resolved to try the effect of conciliatory measures. In this it is probable that he followed the dictates of his own temper and judgment, which were naturally inclined to lenity and forbearance; and it (a) "Procedebat feliciter Evangelium sub umbra istius "principis, et late propagabatur. Movebat ejus autoritàs plurimos, qui cum esset sapientissimus et oculatissimus "princeps, not poterat, nisi apud invidos, suspicionem in66 currere quod hæresin aut hæreticos vellet alere et tueri." Luther. in præf. ad. op. XIX. A. D. 1519. A. ft. 4. A. Pont. VII. it is certain that the measure which he adopted CHAP. was warmly reprobated by many of the firm. and orthodox adherents of the church. The person selected by the pontiff for this purpose was Charles Miltitz, a Saxon nobleman, who had served him for some years in a military capacity, and had been afterwards nominated to the office of counsellor and apostolic chamberlain. To this choice Leo was perhaps, in some degree, led by the consideration that the elector Frederick was supposed to have long wished for the honour of the consecrated rose, which is annually given by the pontiff to some distinguished personage; and he therefore thought that, by transmitting this mark of his esteem by the hands of Miltitz, he should, at the same time, conciliate the favour of the elector, and find an opportunity of treating with Luther, without humiliating himself by the appearance of sending an express messenger for that purpose. To this it may be added, that Miltitz had already acted the part of a mediator with the pope on behalf of Luther, to obtain a hearing of his cause in Germany; which office he had been solicited to undertake by a letter from the university of Wittemberg. (a) Nor is it improbable that Leo preferred (a) Appendix, No. CLXXIX. XIX. CHAP. preferred a secular to an ecclesiastical envoy, in the hope of avoiding those speculative disputations which had hitherto only tended to widen the breach which he wished to close. A. D. 1519. A. Et. 44. A. Pont. VII. The reception of Miltitz at the electoral court gave but an ill omen of his success. Neither the letters of the pontiff, nor the recommendations which Miltitz had brought to Degenhart Pfeffinger and George Spalatino, two of the principal officers of the court, could remove the unfavourable impressions which had preceded his arrival.(a) Instead of receiving with satisfaction and respect the high mark. of pontifical favour of which Miltitz was the bearer, the elector desired it might be consigned to an officer of his court, who would convey it to him without the formality of a public interview ;(b) and to the remonstrances of (a) Appendix, No. CLXXX. (b) This rose the pontiff describes in his letter to the elector as " Sacratissimam auream Rosam, quarta domi"nica Sanctæ Quadragesimæ a nobis chrismate sancto deli"batam, odoriferoque musco inspersam, cum benedictione "Apostolica, ut vetus est consuetudo, aliis adhibitis sacris "ceremoniis consecratam; munus quippe dignissimum et "magni mysterii, a Romano pontifice non nisi alicui ex pri"moribus christianorum orbis Regi aut Principi de Sancta "Apostolica sede bene merito quotannis dicari et mitti so "litam." XIX. of Miltitz respecting Luther, he coldly an- CHAP. swered, that he would not act as a judge, to oppress a man whom he hitherto considered A. D. 1519. as innocent. pa A. t. 44. A. Pont. VII. Conferen ces be ther and Miltitz. These discouraging appearances tended still further to convince Miltitz that the mediation of the elector would be hopeless, except he tween Lucould first prevail upon Luther to listen to cific measures. He therefore requested an interview with him, which was with some difficulty obtained. On this occasion, Miltitz cautiously avoided all theological questions, and endeavoured, by the most earnest persuasions, to induce him to lay aside the hostility which he had manifested to the holy see. acknowledged the abuses to which the promulgation of indulgences had given rise, and highly censured the misconduct and the violence of Tetzel, whom he called before him, and reprehended with such severity, as being the cause and promoter of these dissensions, that the unfortunate monk, terrified by the He threats "litam." Leon. x. Ep. ad Fred. Ducem. ap. Seckend. p. 65. Luther, however, asserts, that the elector treated the present of the pope with contempt: "Nam et Rosam quam 66 vocant auream, eodem anno ei a Leone X. missam, nullo "honore dignatus est, imo, pro ridiculo habuit, ita desperare "coacti sunt Romanistæ à studiis fallendi tanti principis." Luth. in præf. et v. Pallavicini, Concil. di Trent. lib. i. p. 96. XIX. CHAP. threats of the legate and by the letters which were afterwards addressed to him, fell a sacrifice to his vexation and his grief.(a) A. D. 1519. A. Et. 44. By A Pont. VII. these and similar measures, Luther was at length prevailed upon to relax in his opposition, and to address a letter to the pontiff, in which he laments, with apparent sincerity, the part which he had acted, and to which, as he asserts, he had been impelled by the misconduct, avarice, and violence of his enemies; and declares, in the sight of God and the world, that he had never wished to impeach the authority of the Roman see and of the pontiff, which was held by him as supreme over all in heaven and in earth, except our Lord Jesus Christ. He also professes his readiness to refrain from the further discussion of the question concerning indulgences, provided his adversaries would do the like.(b) From the pacific and obedient tenor of this letter, there is indeed reason to infer that Luther was not at this time averse to a reconciliation; nor did Leo hesitate to reply to it in terms equally pacific; (a) When Luther was informed of his sickness, he addressed a letter to him, entreating him "to keep up his "spirits, and to fear nothing from his resentment," &c. Luth. op. in praf. Whether this was really intended as a consolation, the reader will judge. v. App. No. CLXXXI. |