XIX. CHAP. On the following day he mounted the pulpit, and admonished his audience to be upon their "The con A. D. 1520. guard against papistical decrees. A. Et. 45. A. Pont. VIII. "flagration we have now seen," said he, “is a matter of small importance. It would be 66 more to the purpose if the pope himself, or "in other words, the papal see were also "burnt."(a) The example of Luther at Wittemberg was followed by his disciples in several other parts of Germany, where the papal bulls and decretals were committed to the flames with public marks of indignation and contempt. Such were the ceremonies that confirmed the separation of Luther and his followers from the court of Rome. A just representation of that hostile spirit which has subsisted between them to the present day; and which, unfortunately for the world, has not always been appeased by the burning of heretical works on the one hand, nor of papal bulls and decretals on the other.(b) This (a)" Parum esse hoc deflagrationis negotium; ex re "fore, ut Papa quoque, hoc est, sedes Papalis concremare"tur." Luther. op. vol. ii. p. 320. (b) An account of the ceremony of proclaiming the sentence of the pope against Luther, and the burning his books This irreconcileable dissension between Luther and the church could not have arisen at a and young power CHA P. A. D. 1520. A. Et. 45. VIII. Luther en deavours to ror. more critical juncture. A ful monarch had just been seated on the impe- A, Pont. rial throne, and the part which he might take in this contest might either overthrow the papal authority throughout the central pro- obtain the vinces of Europe, or frustrate the efforts of the favour of reformers in the origin of their undertaking. the empe Hence the eyes of all the Christian world were turned towards Charles V. on whose decision the fate of the reformation seemed to depend. Of the importance of this decision, Luther and the pontiff were equally aware; and accordingly they neither of them spared any pains that might secure his countenance and support. In his severe reprehensions of the bull of Leo X. Luther had already called upon Charles V. to rise up and oppose himself to the kingdom of Antichrist. He also addressed a book in the German language to the emperor and his nobles, in which he had endeavoured to prove that the pope had no authority over the imperial throne, nor any right VOL. IV. D in St. Paul's Church-yard, London, in the presence of Wolsey and the prelates of the realm, is given in the Appendix from the Cottonian MSS. in the British Museum. pendix, No. CLXXXVII. v. Ap XIX. A. t. 45. A. Pont. VIII. CHAP right to exercise those powers which he had long claimed in the German states; and earA. D. 1520. nestly entreated the emperor not to suffer the Roman pontiff to take the sword from his hand and reign uncontrolled in his dominions.(a) Nor was Luther without a powerful friend in the elector of Saxony, who, on account of his magnanimity in refusing the imperial crown, and his effectual recommendation of Charles V. to that high dignity, enjoyed in an eminent degree the favour and confidence of that sovereign. The elector palatine, Lewis, was also supposed to be inclined towards the opinions of Luther, which had now made such a progress in various parts of Germany, as decidedly to shew that they could not be eradicated without the most sanguinary consequences. On this important occasion Luther also availed himself of the services of Ulric Hutten, and of Erasmus, the latter of whom laboured with great earnestness, by means of his friends, to discover the sentiments of Charles V. with respect to the reformers; which Luther had, however, the mortification to find were not favourable to his cause.(b) The (a) Seckendorf. Comment. de Lutheranismo, lib. i. sec. xxxiv. p. 127. (b) "Erasmus scribit, aulam Imperatoris esse mendico❝ tyrannis CHAP. XIX. A. Æt. 45. A. Pont. Aleandro sent as par pal legate The efforts of Leo X. to secure the favour of the emperor, and induce him to take an active part in the support of the Roman church, A. D. 1520. were also unremitting.(a) On the election of Charles V. it became necessary to dispatch an envoy from Rome to congratulate him on that event, for which purpose the pontiff selected Marino Caraccioli, then an apostolic notary, to the impeand who afterwards, in the pontificate of Paul rial court. III. obtained the rank of cardinal. Conceiving however, that this envoy would be sufficiently employed in watching over the political interests of the Roman see, and that the business of the reformation would require all the vigi lance of an active and skilful negotiator, he sent as another nuncio, Girolamo Aleandro, to whom he intrusted the important task of exterminating the heretical opinions of Luther and his adherents. Aleandro was not only a man of great learning, but of uncommon ta "tyrannis occupatam, ut nulla in Carolo spes esse possit. "Nec mirum. Nolite confidere in principibus, in filiis ho"minum, in quibus non est salus." Luther. ad Spalatinum. ap. Seckend. Comment. lib. i. sec. 29. p. 115. et v. Pallavicini, Conc. di Trento, cap. xxiii. p. 132. (a) v. Sadoleti Ep. nomine Leonis x. Ep. Ixxii. p. 101. Ed. Rom. 1759. 8. 1 XIX. A. At. 45. A. Pont. CHAP. lents and activity, and being warmly devoted to the Roman see, he engaged in its service A. D. 1520. with inconceivable earnestness. On his arrival in Flanders, where the emperor yet remained, he obtained his permission to carry into effect the bull of Leo X. throughout his patrimonial dominions. After the coronation of Charles at Aix la Chapelle, Aleandro accompanied him to Cologn, where the works of Luther were publicly burnt, as well as in other cities of Germany; not, however, without such an opposition in some places, as rendered it highly dangerous to those who undertook the office. Aleandro Soon after his coronation, Charles had sumharangues moned a diet of the empire to meet at Nuremthe empire burg, in the month of January, 1521, as well against Lu- for the purpose of making some important the diet of ther. 1521. regulations as to the German confederacy, as for taking into consideration the state of religion; but on account of the plague appearing at that place, the diet assembled at Worms. As the resolutions of this meeting were expected to be decisive of the great question of the reformation, no exertions were spared by either of the contending parties to obtain a favourable decision. Besides the continual efforts of Aleandro, the cause of the Roman see was supported |