δ88 THE GERMAN REFORMATION. A.D. 1517 τὸ 1530.
the ground of congregational independency in his writings to the Bohemian Brethren (1528), and advocated the right of a Christian congregation to call, to elect, and to depose its own minister. He meant, of course, a congregation of true believers, not a mixed multitude of nominal professors. In cases of necessity, which knows no law, he would allow any one who has the gift, to pray and sing, to teach and preach; and refers to the congregation of Corinth, and to Stephen, Philip, and Apollos, who preached without a commission from the apostles. In a conflagration everybody runs to lend a helping hand, to save the town. But, in ordinary cases, no one should be a teacher unless called and elected by the congregation. Even Paul did not elect elders without the concurrence of the people. The bishops of our days are no bishops, but idols. They neglect preaching, their chief duty, leaving it to chaplains and monks: they confirm and consecrate bells, altars, and churches, which is a self-invented business, neither Christian nor episcopal. They are baby-bishops.?
But congregations of pure Christians, capable of selfgovernment, could not be found in Germany at that time, and are impossible in state churches where churchmanship and citizenship coincide. Luther abandoned this democratic idea after the Peasants’ War, and called on the arm of the government for protection against the excesses of the popular will.
In the first years of the Reformation the congregations were supplied by Romish ex-priests and monks. But who was to ordain the new preachers educated at Wittenberg? The bishops of Saxony (Naumburg-Zeiz, Meissen, and Merseburg) remained loyal to their master in Rome; and there
1 In the address De instituendis ministris, to the magistrate and people of Prag, and in his tract ‘‘ Dass eine christliche Versammlung oder Gemeinde Recht und Macht habe, alle Lehrer zu urtheilen und Lehrer zu berufen, einund abzusetzen.’’? (Erl. ed., XXII. 140 sqq.; and Walch, X. 1795 sqq.)
2 “ Hs sind verkehrte, verblendete Larven, und rechte Kinderbischofe.”’ The last word of his German tract to the Bohemians. ἘΠ]. ed., XXII. 151.
§ 86. CHANGES IN THE VIEWS ON THE MINISTRY. 539
was no other ordaining power according to law. Luther might have derived the succession from two bishops of Prussia, — Georg von Polenz, bishop of Samland, and Erhard von Queis, bishop of Pomesania, — who accepted the Reformation, and afterwards surrendered their episcopal rights to Duke Albrecht as the summus episcopus (1525).1_ But he did not wish to go outside of Saxony, and hated the whole hierarchy of pope and bishop as a human invention and Spiritual tyranny. He congratulated the bishop of Samland that he, as by a miracle of grace, had been delivered from the mouth of Satan; while all other bishops raged like madmen against the reviving gospel, although he hoped that there were some timid Nicodemuses among them.?
With these views, and the conviction of his own divine authority to reform the church, he felt no reluctance to take the episcopal prerogative into his hands. He acted to the end of his life as an irregular or extraordinary bishop and pope in partibus Protestantium, being consulted by princes, magistrates, theologians, and people of all sorts.
He set the first example of a presbyterian ordination by laying hands on his amanuensis, Georg Rorer (Rorarius), and making him deacon at Wittenberg, May 14, 1525. Rorer is favorably known by his assistance in the Bible Version and the first edition of Luther’s works. He died as librarian of the University of Jena, 1557. Melanchthon
1 The conversion and attempted reformation of Archbishop Herrmann of Cologne occurred much later, in 1548.
2 In the preface to his commentary on Deuteronomy, which he dedicated to the bishop of Samland, 1525 (Erl. ed. of Opera Latina, XIII. 6): ‘* Non enim te laudamus, sed insigne illud miraculum gratie Dei extollimus, quam in te valere, regnare et triumphare videmus et audimus cum gaudio ut... te unicum et solum inter omnes episcopos orbis elegerit Dominus et liberaverit ex ore Satane quod dilatavit sicut infernum et devorat omnes. Nihil enim videmus in ceteris episcopis (quanquam esse inter eos sperem aliquot Nicodemos) nisi quod subversis cesare et regibus ac principibus fremunt et insaniunt contra resurgens vel potius oriens evangelion, ut denuo impleant illud Psalmi secundi,” etc. Comp. his letter to Spalatin, Feb. 1, 1524, and to Briesmann, July 4, 1524, in De Wette, II. 474 and 525 sqq.