LUTHER. 



AboTC all, the Protertaiits thought it unreafonable that they 

 fliould bind thomfclves to fiibmit to the decrees of a council, 

 before they knew on what principles thofe decrees were 

 founded, by what perfons they were to be pronounced, and 

 what forms of proceeding they would obferve. The pope 

 maintained it would be unneccffary to call a council, unlefs 

 thofe who demanded it previoudy declared their refolution 

 to acquiefce in its decrees. The meeting was accordingly 

 pollponed dining the pontificate of Clement VII. 



In 1^33 Luther wrote a confolatory cpillle to fome per- 

 fons who had fuffered hardfhius for adhering to the Aug- 

 ihurg confcfllon of -faith, in which he fays, " The devil is 

 the hoft, and the world is his inn ; fo that wherever you 

 come, you will be fure to find this ugly hoft." He had 

 alfo, abont this time, a terrible controverfy with George, 

 duke of Saxony, who had Inch an averfion to the dotElrines 

 promulgated by Lutliet, that he obliged his fubjefts to take 

 un oath that they would never embrace them. At Leipfic 

 there were found fixty or fex-enty perfons, who could not be 

 reftrained within the boundaries of the cftablifiied creed, 

 and it was dilcovercd that they liad confulted Luther about 

 it ; upon which the duke complained to the e!e£lor, that 

 Luther had not only abufed his perfon, but had preached 

 up rebellion among his fubjedls. Luther refuted the ac- 

 cufation, by proving that he had been fo far from ftirring 

 up his fubjefts againit him, on the fcore of religion, that he 

 had exhorted them rather to undergo the greateft hardfhips, 

 and even fuffer themfelves to be baniflied. In the following 

 year, the bible, tranfiated by Luther into the German, was 

 firft printed, with the privilege of the ele£lor ; and it was 

 publifhed the year after. He likewife gave to the world a 

 book againit mafies, and the coniecration of priefts, in which 

 he relates a conference which he had with the devil upon 

 thofe points : for it is a circumftance worthy of obfervation, 

 that, in the whole hiftory of this great man, he never had 

 -any conflicts of any kind, but the devil was always his an- 

 tagonift. In 1535 the new pope Paul III. was applied to 

 for a general council ; and in the hope of preventing it, he 

 appointed Mantua as the proper place. To this fome of 

 the Catholic fovereigns, and all the German Proteftants, 

 ftrongly objefted ; being fully perfuaded that, in fuch a 

 council, nothing would be concluded but what would be 

 agreeable to the fentiments and ambition of the pontiff; 

 and they demanded the performance of the emperor's pro- 

 mife, that they fhould have a council in Germany. At the 

 fame time, that they might not be taken by furprife, they 

 defircd Luther to draw up a fummary of their doftrine, in 

 order to prcfent it to the affenibled bifiiops, if it fliould be 

 required of them. This fummary, which was diftinguifhed 

 by the name of " The articles of Smalcalde," from the 

 place at which they were affembled, is generally joined with 

 the creeds and confeffions of the Lutheran church. While 

 •our reformer was bufily engaged in this work, he was feized 

 with a grievous and very painful difcafe, a fit of the ftone 

 and obftruftion of the urine, which continued fo long as to 

 give his friends ferious apprehenfions for his life. In the 

 midll of his agonies, and after eleven days' torture, without 

 the fmalleil relief, he fet out, contrary to the advice of his 

 friends, on his return home. The motion of the carriage, 

 which it was expedled would prove fatal to him, was the 

 caufe of removing the evil under which he was labouring. 

 In the year 1538, as a general aflembly feemed impracti- 

 cable, the pope, that he might not feem to negleft that 

 degree of reformation which was unqueftionably within his 

 power, deputed a certain number of cardinals and bifhops, 

 with full authority, to inquire into the abufes and corruptions 

 of the Roman court, and to propofe the moil effed.ual 



method of removing them. It was intended to do as little 

 as poffible : Hill a multitude of enormities were unveiled, an 

 account of which was foon tranfmitted into Germany, much 

 to the fatisfadlion of the Proteftants there. This inveftiga- 

 tion, partial as it was, proved the neceffity of a reformation 

 in the head as well as the members of the church ; and it 

 even pointed out many of the corruptions, againft which 

 Luther had rcmonftrated with the greateft vehemence. It 

 was, however, intended only as a fiirce, and as fuch Luther 

 treated it ; and to ridicule it more ftrongly, he caufed 3 

 caricature to be drawn, in which was reprefented the pope 

 feated or. a high throne, fome cardinals about him with 

 foxes' tails, with which they were brufhing off the diift on 

 all fides. Luther publiftied, about the fame time, " A Con- 

 futation of the pretended Grant of Conftantine to Sylvefter, 

 bifiiop of Rome ; and alfo fome Letters of John Hufs, 

 written from his Prifon at Conftance, to the Bohemians." 

 On the death of George, duke of Saxony, the fucceffnn 

 devolved on his brother Henry, who was zealoufly attached 

 to the Proteftant religion, and who, notwithftanding a 

 claufe in his brother's will, by which he bequeathed all his 

 territories to the emperor add tl-.e king of the Romans, 

 (hould Henry make any attempt to introduce innovations, 

 immediately invited Luther and fome other Proteftant di- 

 vines to Leipfic. By their aid and advice he quickly over- 

 turned the whole fyflem of Popifli rites and doftrines, and 

 eftablifhed the full exercife of the reformed religion, with 

 the univerfal applaufe of his fubjecls, who had long wiftied 

 for this change. By tliis revolution, the whole of Saxony 

 was brought within the Proteftant pale. 



Luther was inceffantly employed, till his death, in pro- 

 moting the caufc of which he was the great founder. In 

 the year 1546, he, in company with Melanflhon, paid a 

 vifit to his own country, which he had not feen before for 

 many years, and he returned in fafety ; but in a (liort time 

 after, he was called thither by the earls of Mansfeldt, to 

 compofe fome differences which had arifon about their boun- 

 daries. Though he had not been accuftomed to fuch kind 

 of bufinefs, yet he would not refufe the fervice which he 

 might be able to render by his advice and authority. On 

 this occafion he met with a fplendid reception, ufcd his bell 

 endeavours to fettle the matters in difpute, and fometimes 

 officiated in the church ; but the ftate of his health was fo 

 precarious, that it was feared every great effort would prove 

 fatal to him. His laft pubhc fervice was in the church, 

 where he was feized Avith a violent inflammation in the fto- 

 nach. His natural intrepidity did not forfake him ; and his 

 laft converfation with his friends was concerning the hap- 

 pinefs referved for good men in a future life. On the morn- 

 ing of the 1 2th of February IJ46, being awakened from a 

 found fieep by his diforder, and perceiving his end to be 

 approaching, he commended his fpirit into the hands of 

 God, and quietly departed this life at the age of fixty-three. 

 He did not forget his caufe even in his dying moments, but 

 admonifhed thofe about him to pray to God for the propa- 

 gation of the gofptl ; " bccaufe," faid he, " the council of 

 Trent, which has fat once or twice, and the pope, will de- 

 vife ftrange things againft it." Immediately after his de- 

 ceafe, the body was put into a leaden coffin, and carried 

 with funeral pomp to the church at Eifleben, when Dr. 

 Jonas preached a fermon on the occafion. The earls of 

 Mansfeldt requefted that his body might be interred in their 

 territories ; but the elector of Saxony infifted upon his being 

 brought back to Wittemburg, which was accordingly done, 

 and he was buried there with greater pomp than had been 

 known to have ac<;onipanied the funeral of any private man. 

 Princes, earls, nobles, and Undents without numbc-i, at- 

 4 tended 



