23. Standing up to the Cardinal
J H Merle d’Aubigné
On Friday, October 14, Luther returned to the Cardinal, accompanied by the Elector’s counsellors, and presented his protest to the Cardinal. His courtiers regarded this paper with astonishment – a paper so presumptuous in their eyes. This is what Luther declared to their master:
“You attack me on two points. First, you oppose to me the constitution of Pope Clement VI, in which it is said that the treasure of indulgences is the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the saints – which I deny in my theses. Panormitanus2 declares in his first book that, in whatever concerns the holy faith, not only a general council but . . . each believer is above the pope if he can bring forward the declarations of Scripture and allege better reasons than
1This is a further abridged extract from d’Aubigné’s The History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, vol 1, continued from last month. That article told of Luther in Augsburg in 1518, where he had come to be examined by Cardinal Cajetan – a legate, or representative, of the Pope. Appearing before Cajetan, Luther refused to retract his scriptural opinions. It should be noted, however, that he had not yet broken with Rome.
2Author of a famous collection of ecclesiastical laws, a bishop of the eleventh century.
the pope. The voice of our Lord Jesus Christ is far above the voice of all men, whatever names they bear.
“My greatest cause of grief and of serious reflection is that this constitution contains doctrines entirely at variance with the truth. It declares that the merits of the saints are a treasure, while the whole of Scripture bears witness that God rewards us far more richly than we deserve. The prophet exclaims, ‘Enter not into judgement with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified’ (Ps 143:2). ‘Woe to men, however honourable and however praiseworthy their lives may have been,’ says Augustine, ‘if a judgement from which mercy was excluded should be pronounced on them!’
“Thus the saints are not saved by their merits, but solely by God’s mercy, as I have declared. I maintain this, and in it I stand fast. The words of Holy Scripture, which declare that the saints have not merit enough, must be set above the words of men, which affirm that they have an excess. For the pope is not above the Word of God, but below it.”
Luther did not stop here; he showed that, if indulgences cannot be the merits of the saints, they certainly cannot be the merits of Christ. He proved that indulgences are barren and fruitless, since their only effect was to exempt men from performing good works, such as prayer and almsgiving. “No,” he exclaimed, “the merits of Jesus Christ are not a treasure of indulgence exempting man from [performing] good works, but a treasure of grace which gives life. The merits of Christ are applied to the believer without indulgences, without the keys, by the Holy Ghost alone, and not by the pope. If anyone has an opinion better founded than mine,” he added, bringing to an end what referred to this first point, “let him make it known to me, and then I will retract.”
Coming to the second article, Luther said, “I affirm that no man can be justified before God if he does not have faith”. Luther proves his proposition by a multitude of declarations from Scripture. “Condescend, therefore, to intercede for me with our most holy father the Pope,” he added, “in order that he may not treat me with such harshness. My soul is seeking for the light of truth. I am not so proud or so vainglorious as to be ashamed of retracting if I have taught false doctrines. My greatest joy will be to witness the triumph of what is according to God’s Word. Only do not let men force me to do anything against the voice of my conscience.”
The legate took the declaration from Luther’s hands. After glancing over it, he said coldly: “You have indulged in useless verbiage; you have penned many idle words; you have replied in a foolish manner to the two articles, and have blackened your paper with a great number of passages from Scripture that have no connection with the subject”. Then, with an air of contempt, he flung Luther’s protest aside as if it was of no value, and began again in the
tone which had been so successful in the previous interview. He exclaimed with all his might that Luther ought to retract.
Luther was immovable. “Brother, brother,” Cajetan cried in Italian, “on the last occasion you were very tractable, but now you are very obstinate.” The Cardinal then began a long speech extracted from the writings of Thomas Aquinas; he again extolled the constitution of Clement VI, maintaining that this constitution showed that the very merits of Jesus Christ are dispensed to the believer by means of indulgences. He thought he had reduced Luther to silence, yet he sometimes interrupted; but Cajetan, without stopping, claimed the sole right of speaking as on the previous day.
This method had partially succeeded the first time, but Luther was not a man to submit to it again. His indignation burst out; it was his turn to astonish the spectators, who believed he had already been conquered by the prelate’s ready speech. He raised his voice, seized on the Cardinal’s favourite objection, and made him pay dearly for his rashness in venturing to enter into discussion with him. “Retract, retract!” repeated Cajetan, pointing to the papal constitution. “Well, if it can be proved by this constitution,” said Luther, “that the treasure of indulgences is the very merits of Jesus Christ, I consent to retract, according to your Eminence’s good will and pleasure.”
The Italians, who had expected nothing of the kind, opened their eyes in astonishment, and could not contain their joy at seeing their adversary caught in the net. As for the Cardinal, he was beside himself; he laughed aloud, but with an angry laugh he sprang forward, seized the book which contained this famous constitution, looked for it, found it and eagerly read the passage aloud, exulting in the victory he thought certain.
The Italians were elated; the Elector’s councillors were uneasy; Luther was waiting for his adversary. At last, when the Cardinal came to these words: “The Lord Jesus Christ has acquired this treasure by His sufferings”, Luther stopped him, saying, “Most worthy father, pray, meditate, and weigh these words carefully: ‘He has acquired’. Christ has acquired a treasure by His merits; the merits therefore are not the treasure; for, to speak philosophically, the cause and effect are very different matters. The merits of Jesus Christ have acquired for the pope the power of giving certain indulgences to the people; but it is not the very merits of our Lord that the hand of the pontiff distributes. Thus then my conclusion is the true one, and this constitution, which you invoke with so much noise, testifies with me to the truth I proclaim.”
Cajetan still held the book in his hands, his eyes resting on the fatal passage; he could make no reply. He was caught in the very snare he had laid, and Luther held him there with a strong hand, to the inexpressible astonish-
ment of the Italian courtiers around him. The legate would have eluded the difficulty, but did not have the means. He had long abandoned the testimony of Scripture and of the Fathers; he had taken refuge in this work of Clement VI and he was caught. Yet he was too cunning to betray his confusion. Trying to conceal his disgrace, he suddenly moved on from this subject and violently attacked other points. Luther perceived this skilful manoeuvre and did not let him escape; he tightened the net in which he had taken the Cardinal and made all escape impossible. “Most reverend Father,” he said, with an ironical, yet very respectful tone, “your eminence cannot, however, imagine that we Germans are ignorant of grammar: to be a treasure, and to acquire a treasure, are two very different things.”
“Retract, retract!” said Cajetan; “Or if you do not, I shall send you to Rome to appear before judges commissioned to take notice of your affair. I shall excommunicate you with all your supporters, with all who are or who may be favourable to you, and reject them from the Church. All power has been given me in this respect by the holy apostolic see. Do you think that your protectors will stop me? Do you imagine that the Pope cares anything for Germany? The Pope’s little finger is stronger than all the German princes put together.”
“Condescend,” replied Luther, “to forward to Pope Leo X . . . the answer which I have sent to you in writing.” At these words, the legate, highly pleased at finding a moment’s release, again assumed an an air of dignity, and said to Luther with pride and anger: “Retract, or return no more”. These words struck Luther. This time he replied in another way than by speeches: he bowed and left the hall, followed by the Elector’s counsellors. The Cardinal and the Italians, remaining alone, looked at one another in confusion at such a result.
Thus the Dominican system had haughtily dismissed its humble adversary. But Luther was conscious that there was a power – Christian doctrine, the truth – that no secular or spiritual authority could ever subdue. Of the two combatants, he who withdrew remained master of the field of battle. This was the first step by which the Church separated from the papacy.
Luther and Cajetan did not meet again, but the Reformer had made a deep impression on the legate, which was never effaced. What Luther had said about faith and what Cajetan read in Luther’s subsequent writings greatly modified his opinions. The theologians of Rome beheld with surprise and discontent the sentiments he advanced on justification in his commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. The Reformer did not recede, did not retract; but his judge, who had not ceased from crying, “Retract, retract,” changed his views and indirectly retracted his errors, in the face of the unshaken fidelity of the Reformer.
Luther returned to the monastery where he had been entertained. He had stood fast; he had given testimony to the truth; he had done his duty. God would perform the rest! His heart overflowed with peace and joy.