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At the right hand of Pollich sits Johann Staupitz, vicar-general of the order of Augustine, and, as such, Luther's superior; indeed it was he who had called the latter to Wittemberg. Many years afterward, in 1528, Luther expresses himself as follows, writing to Staupitz: "Through thee the light of the gospel was lit up for the first time in the darkness of my soul."

LUTHER PREACHES IN THE MONASTERY BEFORE STAUPITZ AND THE OTHER BRETHREN PREPARATORY TO PREACHING IN THE PALACE AND TOWN CHURCHES.

LUTHER the teacher is also to have a cure of souls; the man of the school is to become the man of the Church. Unwillingly and fearfully did he comply with the wish of his friend Staupitz, that he should preach. "O, how I dread the pulpit! It is no trifling thing to speak to the people in the name of God, and to preach to them!"

His first sermons, until the town church was open to him, he delivered in the small ruinous chapel of his monastery, only thirty feet long and twenty broad. Myronius says, "This chapel might be compared to VOL. V.-2

the stable in which Christ was born. In this miserable building it was the will of God that his gospel was to be preached, and his beloved Son Jesus Christ, as it were, to be born again; not one among the cathedrals or other grand churches did he choose for these excellent sermons." "When I was a young preacher," says Luther himself, "I was fully in earnest, and would willingly have made all the world pious." "God has led me to it as he did Moses. Had I known all beforehand, he would have had greater trouble ere he had led me thus far. Well, as I have begun, I will go through with this work."

In front the gray-headed Staupitz sits among the hearers, listening attentively to the address of his spiritual foster-son. He lived to see the plant flourish which he had helped to rear.

LUTHER'S JOURNEY TO ROME, 1510.

A vow had led young Luther into a monastery; another vow (added to a commission from his monastery) took him to Rome. In the monastery, as on his pil

grimage thither, experience awaited him : on the tombs of the holy apostles. Nor in each case to be grievously undeceived. was he without a sense of the attraction "In the year 1510," writes Mathesius, of ancient, of classic Rome-that sanc"his monastery sent him to Rome. There tuary of the learned which he had so arhe saw the holy father the Pope, and his dently cultivated in his poor Wittemberg. pompous religion and impious courtiers. His first experience of the country is beThis greatly strengthened him afterward." ing lodged in a monastery, built of marble, Behold Luther in Italy. The hour that at Milan; and so as he proceeds from one first descends from the Alps into this convent to convent, he finds it like changglorious land is one of joy, of vast hopes; ing from palace to palace. In all, alike, and, indisputably, Luther hoped to confirm the way of living is lavish and sumptuous. his faith in the holy city, and lay his doubts | The candid German was somewhat sur

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death; strengthening himself by whispering in the words of the prophet and the apostle, "The just man lives by faith." In one of his conversations he displays with much simplicity the horror felt of Italy by the worthy Germans: "The Italians require no more to take away your life than that you should look into a glass; and can deprive you of all your senses by secret poisons. The very air is deadly in Italy. They close the windows with the greatest care at night, and stop up all the crevices." Luther asserts that both he and the brother who accompanied him fell ill through having slept with the windows open; but two pomegranates that they eat, with God's grace, saved their lives. He resumed his journey, passed through Florence only, and at last entered Rome. He alighted at the convent of his order, near the Porta del Popolo. "As soon as I arrived I fell on my knees, raised my hands to heaven, and exclaimed, 'Hail, holy Rome, sanctified by holy martyrs, and the blood which they have shed here!' " ... In his enthusiasm, he says he hastened to every sacred spot, saw all, believed all. But he soon discovered that he was the only believer. Christianity seemed to be forgotten in this capital of the Christian world. The pope was no longer the scandalous Alexander VI., but the choleric and warlike Julius II.; and this father of the faithful breathed only blood and desolation. His great artist, Michael Angelo, represented him hurling his benediction at Bologna, like a Jupiter hurling thunder; and Julius had just given him an order for a tomb to be as large as a temple. 'Twas the monument, of which the Moses, among other statues, has come down to us.

The sole thought of the pope, and of Rome, at this period, was war with the French. Had Luther undertaken to speak of grace and the powerlessness of works to this strange priest, who besieged towns in person, and who but a short time before would not enter Mirandola except through the breach, he would have met with a patient listener! His cardinals, so many officers serving their apprenticeships to war, were politicians, diplomatists, or else men of letters, learned men sprung from the ranks of the people, who only read Cicero, and would have feared to compromise their Latinity by opening the Bible. When speaking of the pope, they styled

him high pontiff; a canonized saint was, in their language, relatus in'er divos, (translated to Olympus ;) and if they did happen to let fall an allusion to God's grace, it was in the phrase, Deorum immortalium beneficiis, (by the kind aid of the immortal gods.) Did our German take refuge in churches, he had not even the consolation of hearing a good mass. The Roman priest would hurry through the divine service so quickly, that when Luther was no further than the Gospels, the minister who performed service was dismissing the congregation with the words, "Ite, missa est," (Ye may go, service is over.) These Italian priests would often presume to show off the freethinker, and, when consecrating the host, to exclaim, "Panis es, et panis manebis." (Bread thou art, and bread thou shalt remain.) To vail one's head and fly was the only resource left. Luther quitted Rome at the end of a fortnight, bearing with him into Germany the condemnation of Italy and of the Church. In his rapid and saddening visit, the Saxon had seen enough to enable him to condemn, too little to allow him to comprehend. And, beyond a doubt, for a mind preoccupied with the moral side of Christianity, to have discovered any religion in that world of art, law, policy, which constituted Italy, would have required a singular effort of philosophy. "I would not," he somewhere says, "I would not have missed seeing Rome for a hundred thousand florins," (which words he repeats three times.) "I should ever have been uneasy, lest I might have done injustice to the pope."

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Of the outward show of the prince of the Church, he says, "Rome has now its pomps; the pope goes about in triumph, fine, richly adorned horses before him, and he beareth the host on a white horse."

Luther left the holy city with a sharp thorn in his side. "I would wish that every one who is to become a preacher had been first at Rome, and seen how matters are carried on there." "I have myself heard it said at Rome, It is impossible that matters can remain in that state; things must change or break down.'" Again, "Pope Julius said, 'If we do not choose to be pious ourselves, let us at least not prevent others.' I have heard say at Rome, 'If there be a hell, Rome has been built on the top of it.' Rome has been the most holy city; but now

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it has become the most unrighteous and disgraceful. Whoever has been at Rome knows that things are worse there than can be expressed in words, or believed."

LUTHER IS WITH GREAT SOLEMNITIES CREATED AND CONSECRATED DOCTOR OF DIVINITY AND TEACHER OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

On the 18th and 19th of October, 1512, Luther was solemnly sanctified to his great work, as teacher of his Church and people. Mathesius says, "Brother Martin was appointed on St. Luke's day doctor of the Holy Scriptures, and took the oath, and promised to study and proclaim them all his life; also to defend the holy Christian faith in writing and preaching against all heretics, so help him God!"

Luther says, "But I, Doctor Martinus, have been called upon, compelled to become a teacher, without any wish of my own, from pure obedience. I had to take upon myself the degree of doctor, and vow and promise to my beloved Holy Scriptures that I would teach and preach them faithfully in their purity. Teaching accordingly, popedom has come in my way, and wanted to stop me; the consequences whereof may be seen by all who have eyes."

Staupitz had had as much trouble to persuade Luther to accept the dignity of doctor as previously to persuade him to preach. To his many objections Staupitz replied, "It seems that our God will soon have much work to be done for him

in heaven and upon earth, and therefore he will need many young vigorous doctors to fight his battles. Whether you live or die, God has need of you in his councils." Karlstadt presided at the solemnity as theological dean, (decan.)

LUTHER OCCUPIED WITH THE DUTIES OF VICAR-GENE

By the weight of all these labors for the eternal as well as the temporal welfare of those intrusted to his care, was the future head of the new Church to be prepared for the arduous duties of the spiritual government of the Church.

"The word of a brother repeated and made known from the Scriptures, and

EAL OF THE AUGUSTINES, WHICH HAD BEEN IN- spoken in times of trouble and danger, is

TRUSTED TO HIM BY STAUPITZ.

To the mental preparation which Luther had already undergone, a greater experience of life and a more extended intercourse with his fellow-men was now to be added. As locum tenens for his friend Staupitz, he had an opportunity of acquiring the habits of active life.

"About this time Staupitz was dispatched to the Netherlands to bring relics from a monastery. In the mean time Luther received the office of vicar, which included the supervision of the monasteries of the Augustines, and the order to institute a visitation of them. For this purpose he traveled from one to the other, assisted the schools and admonished the brethren to study the Bible, and to live holily, peaceably, and chastely."

weighty and important." "If thou believe as firmly as thou ought," he writes in 1516," then bear patiently with thy disorderly and erring brethren; look upon their sins as thine own, and whatever of good there be in thee, let it be theirs. If thou be a rose and lily of Christ, know that thy path must lie among thorns, and see that thyself become not a thorn through impatience, haughtiness, or secret pride."

On this journey of visitation already he became conscious in his inmost soul of his future calling; for when he learnt, in the monastery at Grimma, how Tetzel, the trafficker in indulgences, was carrying on his trade at the neighboring town of Wurzen, he exclaimed angrily, "I will make a hole in this drum, so God will!"

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