25. An Insecure Future?
J H Merle d’Aubigné
Luther and his guide continued their flight far from the walls of Augsburg. He spurred his horse and galloped as fast as the poor animal’s strength would permit. He called to mind the real or supposed flight of John Hus, the manner in which he was caught, and the assertion of his adversaries, who pretended that they had the right of condemning him to the flames on the ground that he had annulled the Emperor’s safe-conduct by his flight. These anxious thoughts did not occupy Luther’s mind for long. He had escaped from a city in which he had passed 10 days under the terrible hand of Rome, which had already crushed so many thousand witnesses to the truth, and sprinkled all around it with blood. Now that he was free, he inhaled the fresh breezes of the country, beheld himself wonderfully delivered by the arm of the Lord and, with his whole being, returned thanks to the Almighty. Truly he could now say, “Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps 124:7,8).
But his thoughts turned to Cardinal Cajetan: “The Cardinal would have liked to have me in his hands to send me to Rome. He is vexed, no doubt, at my escape. He imagined I was in his power at Augsburg; he thought he had me; but he was holding an eel by the tail. Is it not disgraceful that these people set so high a value on me? They would give a heap of crowns to have me in their clutches, while our Lord Jesus Christ was sold for 30 pieces of silver.”
The first day he travelled 42 miles. When he reached the inn where he was to pass the night, he was so fatigued that, when he dismounted, he could not stand upright and lay down on a bundle of straw. Yet he obtained some rest. The next day he continued his journey and at Nuremberg he met Staupitz. It was in this city that he first saw the letter the Pope sent to Cajetan about him. He was indignant at it, and it is very probable that, if he had seen this letter before leaving Wittenberg, he would never have gone to Augsburg. “It is impossible to believe”, he said, “that anything so monstrous could have proceeded from any sovereign pontiff.”
All along the road, Luther was an object of general interest. He had not yielded on any point. Such a victory, gained by a monk over Rome’s representative, filled every heart with admiration. The eternal Word had received more honour than the word of the Pope. This vast power, which for so many centuries had tyrannised the world, had received a formidable check. Luther’s journey was like a triumph. Men rejoiced at the obstinacy of Rome, in the hope that it would lead to her destruction. If she had not insisted on preserving her shameful gains; if she had reformed crying abuses; perhaps, according to human views, all would have returned to that death-like state from which Luther had awakened. But the papacy would not yield; and Luther was to be compelled to bring many other errors to light, and to go forward in the knowledge of the truth.
Luther hastened on, desiring to be at Wittenberg on October 31, under the impression that he should meet the Elector there. The letter which he had read at Nuremberg had disclosed to him all the perils of his situation. In fact, having been condemned already at Rome, he could not hope either to stay at Wittenberg, or to find peace and security anywhere else. The Elector might perhaps be able to defend him, but Luther was far from being sure. He could no longer expect anything from the two friends whom he hitherto had at this prince’s court. Staupitz had lost the favour he had so long enjoyed and was leaving Saxony. Spalatin was beloved by Frederick, but had not much influence over him. The Elector himself was not sufficiently acquainted with the doctrine of the gospel to encounter manifest danger for its sake. Luther thought, however, that he could not do better than return to Wittenberg and wait there to see what the eternal, merciful God would do with him. If, as many expected, he were left alone, he resolved to devote himself entirely to study and to the education of young people.
Luther re-entered Wittenberg on October 30. His whole expedition had been to no purpose. Neither the Elector nor Spalatin had come, but his friends were overjoyed at seeing him again among them. He hastened to inform Spalatin of his arrival. “I returned to Wittenberg today safe and sound, by the grace of God,” said he, “but how long I shall stay here I do not know. . . . I am filled with joy and peace and can hardly conceive that the trial which I endure can appear so great to so many distinguished people.”
Cajetan had not waited long after Luther’s departure to pour forth all his indignation to the Elector. His letter breathed vengeance. He gave Frederick an account of the conference with an air of assurance. “Since brother Martin”, he said in conclusion, “cannot be induced by paternal measures to acknowledge his error and remain faithful to the catholic Church, I beg your highness to send him to Rome, or expel him from your states. Be assured that this difficult, mischievous and envenomed business cannot be protracted much longer, for as soon as I have informed our most holy lord [the Pope] of all this artifice and wickedness, it will be brought to an end.” In a postscript, written with his own hand, the Cardinal entreated the Elector not to tarnish his honour and that of his illustrious ancestors for the sake of a miserable little friar.
Perhaps Luther never felt nobler indignation than when he read the copy of this letter the Elector had forwarded to him. The thought of the sufferings he was to undergo, the value of the truth for which he was contending, contempt inspired by the conduct of the Roman legate – all these agitated his heart. His reply, written in the midst of this agitation, was full of that courage, sublimity and faith which he always displayed in the most trying circumstances of his life. He wrote, “Whatever the people will be among whom I shall dwell in future, I shall ever remember you and pray continually and gratefully for the happiness of yourself and of your family. . . . I am still, thanks be to God, full of joy, and praise Him because Christ, the Son of God, thinks me worthy to suffer in such a cause. May he ever protect your illustrious highness! Amen.”
This letter, so abundant in truth, made a deep impression on the Elector. Never could he have thought of surrendering an innocent man to the hands of Rome; perhaps he would have desired Luther to conceal himself for a time, but he resolved not to appear to yield in any manner to Cajetan’s menaces. He wrote to his councillor Pfeffinger, who was at the Emperor’s court, telling him to inform this prince of the real state of affairs, and to beg him to write to Rome, so that the business might be concluded, or at least that it might be settled in Germany by impartial judges.
A few days afterwards, the Elector replied to the legate: “Since Doctor Martin has appeared before you at Augsburg, you should be satisfied. We did not expect that you would endeavour to make him retract, without having convinced him of his errors. None of the learned men in our principality have informed me that Martin’s doctrine is impious, anti-Christian, or heretical.”
The prince refused to send Luther to Rome, or to expel him from his states.
This letter was given to Luther and filled him with joy. He wrote to Spalatin, “With what delight I have read it again and again! I know what confidence may be put in these words, at once so forcible and moderate. I fear that the Romans will not understand their full bearing; but they will at least understand that what they think already finished is as yet hardly begun. Please return my thanks to the prince. It is strange that he [Cajetan] who, a short time ago, was a monk like myself, does not fear to address the mightiest princes disrespectfully, to call them to account, to threaten, to command them, and to treat them with such inconceivable haughtiness. Let him learn that the temporal power is of God, and that its glory may not be trampled underfoot.”
What had doubtless encouraged the Elector to reply to the legate in a tone the latter had not expected, was a letter addressed to him by the University of Wittenberg. It had good reason to declare in Luther’s favour, for it flourished daily more and more and was eclipsing all the other schools. A crowd of students flocked thither from all parts of Germany to hear this extraordinary man, whose teaching appeared to open a new era to religion and learning. These youths, who came from every province, halted as soon as they saw the steeples of Wittenberg in the distance; they raised their hands to heaven and praised God for having caused the light of truth to shine forth from this city, as from Sion in times of old, and whence it spread even to the most distant countries. A life and activity, till then unknown, animated the University. “Our students here are as busy as ants,” wrote Luther.
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. In his appearances before Cajetan, Luther refused to retract his scriptural opinions and at last left Augsburg; he could not be sure of continued safety if he stayed there any longer. It should be noted that he had not yet broken with Rome.