ON THE REVIVAL OP LITERATURE. 



357 



cence of this genuine descendant of the Medici was annually plunging 

 him. His taste for luxury was unbounded ; his foreign diplomacy was 

 conducted upon a scale of still greater splendour than his domestic court, 

 or his literary estabhshments ; while he was at the same time in the regu- 

 lar disbursement of almost incalculable sums for embelhdhing the Vatican, 

 and augmenting its hbrary with manuscripts collected from every quarter 

 of the globe, and in completmg the immense fabric of St. Peter's 

 church, commenced by his predecessor Julius II. The vast revenues of 

 the apostohc see, both temporal and spiritual, were incompetent, by 

 their ordinary channels, to these wide and multifarious demands : he had 

 exhausted the pontifical treasury ; and, following an example which had 

 too often been furnished by his predecessors, he fell into the absurdity of 

 granting a sale of indulgences for its repletion. 



Indulgences were a ticklish subject in the worst of times ;* and in the 

 times before us the more conscientious and enlightened churchmen were 

 as little disposed to endure thera as the laity. In this respect, the feelings 

 of Erasmus, Melancthon, Bucer, and Luther, coincided; but the three 

 former, being of mild, conciliatory tempers, remained quiet ; while the 

 natural hardihood and high spirits of the last incited him to open resistance. 

 Our time will not allow us to enter into the dispute : the high-pontiff, 

 whose natural disposition, it must be admitted, was also conciliatory, stood 

 aloof from it as long as it was possible ; but his delegates were, for the 

 most part, incautious, violent, and overbearing ; and Luther, in almost 

 every instance, had the advantage of them, as much in dexterity of ma- 

 nagement as in soundness of cause. The controversy grew wider and 

 warmer ; one step led on to another ; and the inflexible champion, who 

 at first only intended to controvert the infallibility of the Pope, at length 

 found himself compelled to controvert that of the Church ; and finally, to 

 regard the high-pontiff as Anti-christ. The contention had now reached 

 its extreme point, and the only alternative which remained to the intrepid 

 monk of St. Augustine was retraction or excommunication. He halted 

 not between two opinions, but boldly braved the latter ; and addressing 

 himself to the Emperor Charles V., who presided at the august and 

 crowded diet before which he was summoned ; "As your Majesty," said 

 he, " and the sovereigns now present, require a simple answer, I reply 

 thus, without vehemence or evasion : Unless 1 be convinced, by the tes- 

 timony of Scripture, or of plain reason, (for on the authorities of the 

 Pope and Councils alone, I cannot rely, since it appears they have 

 frequently erred and contradicted each other,) and unless my conscience 

 be subdued by the word of God, I neither can nor will retract any thing ; 

 seeing that to act against my own conscience is neither safe nor honest." 

 After which he added, in his native German, the preceding having been 

 spoken in Latin, Here 1 take my stand. 1 cannot act otherwise. God 

 be my help. Amen." 



Utr utefte tcfi- Kch fean nicfit antrtris. €rDtt i\tW min. Amen. 



With this noble protest was laid the key-stone of the Reformation : 

 the pontifical hierarchy shook to its centre ; and the great cause of truth 

 and regenerate rehgion, which had already made its appearance in Swit- 

 zerland, under the honest-hearted and undaunted Ulric Zwingie, spread 

 with electric speed over a considerable portion of Germany ; and, within 



* Yet the council of Trent has long since established their use as a part of wholesome 

 cUscipline, by formally decreeing that " the power to grant indnlgenees by Jesas Christ, ami 

 th« u^e of thsfm, is beseficia! to sialvatioo." ' , 



