Leo X. died in the height of his vainglorious
schemes and his reckless ambition. He was suc-
ceeded by Adrian VI., whose very first acts were
directed towards stopping the progress of Luther,
but he soon found how hopeless was the attempt.

As a next step, the great Reformer exposed the
idleness and the vices of the cloistered life, both in
the monasteries of men and the convents of women,
and also the wickedness of forcing persons to take
vows that they abhorred. In consequence of this,
several monks and nuns abandoned their cells, and
among the latter was Catherine de Bore, who
afterwards became the wife of Luther, when he,
among many others, renounced the monastic life,
as Wholly unauthorized and contrary to Scripture.
Soon after, an event occurred that produced a
deep and indelible impression on the mind of
Luther. Hitherto, notwithstanding all his zeal
and his passionate temperament, he had evinced on
many occasions much forbearance towards his
detractors and his enemies; and once had even
gone so far, for the sake of peace, as to make some
concessions to Rome. But now all the vehemence
of his naturally impassioned character was roused
almost to frenzy, and having drawn the sword, he
threw away the scabbard. Two of his most devoted,
and exemplary followers were burnt at Brussels—
these were the first who suffered martyrdom in his
cause—and two noble ladies were cruelly persecuted
for only reading his books.

Clement VII. was now on the Papal throne.
One of his first cares was to send forth edicts
against Luther to the principal states of Germany,
and greatly was he astonished when he found not
only that these were utterly disregarded, but that,
with a very few exceptions, both princes and people
welcomed and upheld the Reformation. In such a
sketch as this it would be out of place to notice the
contest between the two most learned men of their
day—Erasmus and Luther—on the subject of Free
will, except to remark that Erasmus (whose nature
was timid and fearful of incurring public censure
to the disturbance of his own peace) held in the
highest estimation the intellectual powers and manly
worth of his bold and uncompromising adversary.

In 1524, Luther and a vast number of the Re-
formers threw off the monastic yoke, and the year
after he married Catherine de Bore, a woman, by
all accounts, of much strength of mind, and un-
blemished character. But so powerful was the
force of habit, that although, in this act of his life,
Luther merely complied with the principles he
had deduced from the Scriptures, he blamed him-
self much for his marriage, and the excellent
and amiable Melancthon found him in a state of
the deepest depression. But before he left him,
by his salutary interference and his arguments,
Melancthon had the satisfaction to calm and set

MARTIN LUTHER.

at rest the scruples of his friend, and convince him
that in his marriage he had done nothing contrary
to the revealed Word and laws of God. It is
almost needless here to remark that the marriage
of Luther was seized upon by his enemies and the
supporters of the Papal Church with almost un-
exampled bitterness, and all sorts of calumny were
invented against him ; Luther, however, who had
a strong sense of the pride of character, knowing
his own integrity, would not condescend to refute
them *.

About this period occurred the greatest mis-
fortune of Luther’s long career,—the death of his
noble friend, Frederick the Elector of Saxony.
He was sueceeded by his brother John, a zealous
Reformer, but devoid of that ability, moderation,
and firmness which create both influence and awe;
with a man possessed of those qualities, an enemy
will pause before he becomes an open adversary.
John at once renounced the Papal supremacy and
jurisdiction, but his zeal was too indiscreet in his
attempt to settle the affairs of a Church newly
planted by his predecessor. And now were the
Lutherans threatened with a grievous persecution,
and compelled to form a confederacy in their own
defence.

In 1526, a Diet of the Empire was held at
Spires, over which presided Ferdinand, brother of
Charles V., whose great aim, and for the second
time, was to destroy Luther. It was again dis-
appointed by so many of the German princes
insisting on referring the doctrines of the Refor-
mation to a free and general council. Resistance
proved vain; and a reluctant consent for such
a council was given. But this state of things,
so earnestly desired by Luther, was not of long du-
ration. Charles V., who never forgot the interests
of politics in those of religion, foresaw that unless he
could suppress the reformed doctrines, a new bond
of confederacy would subsist between the princes
of the Empire, which in the end would prove most
injurious to his own ambitious schemes and affairs. |
He resolved, therefore, to call a Diet at Spires for |
the express purpose of considering the state of
religion in the Empire; and he took care that |
before the Diet met, all should be arranged to give
sentence to his own liking, and of course the re- |
formed doctrines were utterly condemned. |

But this decree was so revolting to the Elector |
of Saxony and the princes of the states, that no
less than fourteen or fifteen deputies, from as many
of the imperial cities, in the month of April, 1529,
entered their solemn protest against it, and hence- |
forth were the Reformers called ‘‘ Protestants.”

Tt was at this time that Charles V. and Clement
VII. fell out; they could not agree on the best

2 Mosheim, in his “ Ecclesiastical History,” has shown how
wholly unfounded were the calumnies aimed at Luther.

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