10^ ANIMADVERSIONS ON A TREATISE
tered, in the providence of God, unto that reformation which, in the next place, he gives us the story of. Little cause had he to mind us of this story ; little to boast of the primitive catholic faith ; little to pretend the Romish religion to have been that which was first planted in these nations. His concernments lie not in these things, but only in that tyrannical usurpation of the popes, and irregular devotions of some votaries, which latter ages produced.
CHAPTER XII.
Reformation.
The story of the reformation of religion he distributes into three parts, and allots to each a particular paragraph. The first is of its occasion and rise in general; the second, of its entrance into Eng- land ; the third, of its progress amongst us. Of the first he gives us this account: — " The pastor of Christianity, upon some solicitation of Christian jDrinces for a general compliance to their design, sent forth in the year 1517 a plenary indulgence in favour of the cruciata^ against the Turk. Albertus, the archbishop of Mentz, being dele- gated by the pope to see it executed, committed the promulgation of it to the Dominican friars ; which the hermits of St Augustine in the same place took ill, especially Martin Luther, etc., who, vexed that he was neglected and undervalued, fell a writing and preaching first against indulgences, then against the pope," etc. He that had no other acquaintance with Christian religion but what the Scriptures and ancient fathers will afford him, could not but be amazed at the canting language of this story ; it being impossiljle for him to understand any thing of it aright. He would admire who this " pastor of Christian- ity" should be, what this " plenary indulgence " should mean, what was the "preaching of plenary indulgence by Dominicans," and what all this would avail " against the Turk." I cannot but pity such a jooor man, to think what a loss he would be at, — like one taken from home and carried blindfold into the midst of a wilderness, where, when he opens his eyes, every thing scares him, nothing gives him guidance or direction. Let him turn again to his Bible, and the Fathers of the first four or five hundred years, and I will undertake he shall come off from them as wise as to the true understanding of this story as he went unto them. The scene in religion is plainly changed, and this appearance of a " universal pastor, plenary indulgences, Dominicans, and cruciatas," all marching against the Turk, must needs affright
' The expression in full is "cxpo;r:tio cvuciata" and is now commonly rendered cru- sade.— Ed.
ENTITLED FIAT LUX. 105
a man accustomed only to the Scripture notions of religion, and tliose embraced by the primitive church. And I do know that if such a man could get together two or three of the wisest Romanists in the world, — which were the likeliest way for him to be resolved in the sig- nification of these hard names, — they would never well agree to tell him what this " plenary indulgence" is. But for the present, as to our concernment, let us take these things according to the best un- derstanding which their framers and founders have been pleased to give us of them. The story intended to be told was indeed neither so, nor so. There was no such solicitation of the pope by Christian princes at that time as is pretended; no cruciata'^ against the Turk undertaken; no attempt of that nature ensued; not a penny of indul- gence money laid out to any such purpose. But the short of the matter is, that the church of Mentz, being not able to pay for the archiepiscopal pall of Albertus from Rome, having been much ex- hausted by the purchase of one or two for other bishops that died suddenly before, the pope grants to Albert a number of pardons, of, to say the truth, I know not what, to be sold in Germany, agreeing with him that one-half of the gain he would have in his own right, and the other for the pall. Now, the pope's merchants, that used to sell pardons for him in former days, were the preaching friars, who, upon holidays and festivals, were wont to let out their ware to the people, and, in plain terms, to cheat them of their money; and well had it been if that had been all. What shai'e in the dividend came to the venders, well I know not: probably they had a proportion according to the commodity that they put off; which stirred up their zeal to be earnest and diligent in their work. Among the rest, one friar Tetzel was so warm in his employment, and so intent upon the main end that they had all in their eye, that, preaching in or about Wittenberg, it sufficed him not in general to make an offer of the pardon of all sins that any had committed, but, to take all scruples from their consciences, coming to particular instances, carried them
■ The pretext for wliich a comiuissiou to sell indulgences was given to Tetzel was not a crusade against the Turks, but the completion of the church of St Peter at Home. As for the allegation that Luther took oifence at the commission being given to a mem- ber of the Dominican order, in preference to the Augustinian friars, to vrhom he belonged, it has been proved, that, with a single unimportant exception, no Aiigustinian fiiar was ever employed in the sale of indulgences from 1450 to 1517, when Luther made tlie assault on indulgences, and that they can hardly, therefore, be supposed to have taken umbrage from the motives imputed to them ; that the business of prosecuting the sale had been oflered to the Franciscans, and spurned liy them ; that the bitterest opponents of Luther, — Cajetan, Hochstrat, Emser, and even Tetzel, — never ascribe any such sinister motive to Lutlier; that Eoman Catholic authors, such as De Prierio, Pallavicini, and Graveson, have confuted this charge against him ; and that Ccchlteus, who originally mooted it, never ventured on the fabrication till Luther was in his grave, and has never been esteemed of any authority liy popish wiiters of respectable character. See an able and conclusive note appended to " Villers' Essay on the Spirit and Influence of the Pieformation. " — E]},