816 THE GERMAN REFORMATION. A.D. 1517 To 15380.
by the test of Gamaliel, “If this work be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, ye will not be able to overthrow it” (Acts 5: 88, 39).
He asked the Archbishop, on April 25, to obtain for him the Emperor’s permission to go home. In returning to his lodgings, he made a pastoral visit to a German knight, and told him in leaving: ‘To-morrow I go away.”
Three hours after the last conference, the Emperor sent him a safe-conduct for twenty-one days, but prohibited him from writing or preaching on the way. Luther returned thanks, and declared that his only aim was to bring about a reformation of the Church through the Scriptures, and that he was ready to suffer all for the Emperor and the empire, provided only he was permitted to confess and teach the word of God. This was his last word to the imperial commissioners. With a shake of hands they took leave of each other, never to meet again in this world.
It is to the credit of Charles, that in spite of contrary counsel, even that of his former teacher and confessor, Cardinal Hadrian, who wished him to deliver Luther to the Pope for just punishment, he respected the eternal principle of truth and honor more than the infamous maxim that no faith should be kept with heretics. He refused to follow the example of his predecessor, Sigismund, who violated the promise of safe-conduct given. to Hus, and ordered his execution at the stake after his condemnation by the Council of Con-
1 See the reports on these useless conferences, in Walch, XV. 2237-2347, 2292-2319; Cochleus, Com. de Actis Lutheri, and his Colloquium cum Luthero Wormatice habitum ; the report of Hieronymus Vehus, published by Seidemann, in the ‘‘ Zeitschrift fiir histor. Theol.,’’ 1851, p. 80 sqq.; and the report of Aleander in Brieger, I. 157-166. Ranke says (1. 332), one might almost be tempted to wish that: Luther had withdrawn his opposition to the councils, and contented himself for the present with the attack upon the abuses of the papacy, in which he had the nation with him; but he significantly adds, that the power of his spirit would have been broken if it had bound itself to any but purely religious considerations. ‘‘ Der ewig freie Geist bewegt sich in seinen eigenen Bahnen.”’
ὃ 57. PRIVATE CONFERENCES WITH LUTHER. 317
stance! The protection of Luther is the only service which Charles rendered to the Reformation, and the best thing, in a moral point of view, he ever did.? Unfortunately, he diminished his merit by his subsequent regret at Yuste.? He had no other chance to crush the heretic. When he came to Wittenberg in 1547, Luther was in his grave, and the Reformation too deeply rooted to be overthrown by a short-lived victory over a few Protestant princes.
It is interesting to learn Aleander’s speculations about Luther’s intentions immediately after his departure. He. reported to Rome, April 29, 1521, that the heretic would seek refuge with the Hussites in Bohemia, and do four “ beastly things” (cose bestiali): 1, write lying Acta Wormaciensia, to incite the people to insurrection; 2, abolish the confessional ; 5, deny the real presence in the sacrament; 4, deny the divinity of Christ.*
1 It is asserted by Gieseler and Ranke (I. 341) that the Council gave official sanction to this maxim by declaring with regard to Hus: ‘‘ Nec aliqua sibi [ei] fides aut promissio de jure naturali, divino vel humano fuerit in prejudicium catholice fidei observanda.’’ Von der Hardt, Conc. Const. IV. 521; Mansi, Concil, XXVII. 791. Hefele (Conciliengeschichte, VII. 227 sq.) charges Gieseler with sinning against the Council and against truth itself, and maintains that this decree, which is only found in the Codex Dorrianus at Vienna, was merely proposed by a member, and not passed by the Council. But the undoubted decree of the 19th Sess., Sept. 23, 1415, declares that a safe-conduct, though it should be observed by him who gave it as far as he was able, affords no protection against the punishment of a heretic if he refuses to recant; and the fact remains that Hus was not permitted to return, and was burned in consequence of his condemnation by the Council and during its session, July 6, 1415. Aeneas Sylvius (afterwards Pope Pius II.) bears to him and Jerome of Prague the testimony: ** Nemo philosophorum tam forti animo mortem. pertulisse traditur quam isti incendium.” The traditional prophecy of Hus: ‘‘ Now ye burn a goose (anser ; Hus in Bohemian means goose); but out of my ashes shall rise a swan (cygnus, Luther), which you shall not be able to burn,”’ is not authentic, and originated in Luther’s time as a vaticinium post eventum.
2 Ranke says (vol. V. 308): ‘‘ Es ist die universalhistorisch grosste Handlung Karls V., dass er damals das gegebene Wort hoher stellte als die kirchliche Satzung.’’ 8 See above, p. 283.
* Brieger, I. 169 sqq. Aleander says in support of the fourth item, that the Lutheran ‘‘ wretch,’? Martin Butzer (he calls him Putzer), had already fallen into the diabolical Arian heresy, as he had been told by the Emperor’s confessor, Glapio, who had a conference with Butzer and Sickingen.