While the Saxon reformer was daily making inroads on the authority of the Roman See, first by an opposition to the promulgation of indulgences, and from that, by a fearless exposure of the errors and doctrines of the Catholic Church it self, the Pope and Cardinals at Rome were asleep in the arms of luxury, and insensible of their danger amidst the en joyments of polite literature, the mysti cisms of Plato, the glare of outward gran deur, and the stupefactions of sensuality. It is true, the supineness of Leo was often reproved by those who bad the interests of the Church at heart ; but the natural benevolence of that pontiff's disposition, and his utter aversion to business, or so licitude, rendered it difficult to convince him that the disputes in Saxony were any thing. besides the squabbles restless and ignorant monks, unworthy his re gard, and beneath his interference. And when at length he was reminded by the Emperor Maximilian, that his forbear ance or negligence began to be dan gerous, the matter had gone too far to be easily arrested.
Emboldened by success, encouraged by the increasing number of his adhe rents, and above all, protected by the se cular power, Luther had already pro ceeded much farther in the work of reformation, than it is probable he him self at first intended ; when, therefore, he was summoned by the Pope to appear before him at Rome, by the interference of Frederick the Wise, he procured the liberty of being heard in a conference to be held in Germany. This indulgence might possibly have somewhat abated the zeal and opposition of Luther, bad pro per persons been chosen to give him a hearing. But, instead of this, the persons appointed to this service were his avowed enemies, the Bishop of Ascula, and Syl vester° Prierio. Poor and bare-footed, Luther, having commended himself and his cause to God, boldly repaired to Augs burg, after having written to his friend and fellow reformer, Philip Melancthon, to the following effect : " I know nothing new or extraordinary here, except that I am become the subject of conversation throughout the whole city, and that every one .wishes to see the man who is to be the victim of such a conflagration. You will act your part properly, as you have always done ; and teach the youth in trusted to your care. I go, for you, and for them, to be sacrificed, if it should so please God. I rather choose to perish, and what is more afflicting, to be for ever deprived even of your society, than to retract what I have already asserted, or to be the means of affording the stupid adversaries of all liberal studies an op portunity of accomplishing their pur pose." With such sentiments and resolutions, this fearless reformer proceeded to de fend himself and his doctrines against the sense and authority of the Pope's legate, and any whom that Cardinal might be pleased to appoint for the purpose of opposing the reformation.
At this memorable conference, every thing that remonstrance, persuasion, and. condescension, on the part of the Cardi nal of Gaeta, could effect, were used, to bring back this unruly reformer to an im plicit obedience to the authority and practices of the holy see ; but all in vain. Luther gained additional strength and boldness by every encounter ; and the conference closed with an appeal to Leo the Tenth, in which, after recapitulating the proceedings which had already taken place, Luther declares that lie is not con scious of having any thing against the holy scriptures, the ecclesias tical fathers, the decrees of the popes, or right reason ; but that all which he has said is catholic, proper, and true. Being,
however, a man, and therefore liable to error, he submits himself t6 the church, and offers himself personally, either there or elsewhere, to adduce the reasons of his belief; and reply to all objections that may be made, against it. This protest not satisfying the mind of the Cardinal, through the interference of some of Lu ther's friends, he procured from the re former a conciliatory letter, in which he acknowledges that he has been indiscreet in speaking in disrespectful terms of the supreme pontiffs ; and promises even to be silent in future respecting indul gences, provided, his adversaries were also compelled to he silent, or were re strained in their abuse of him. With these concessions, and an appeal from Leo the Tenth, prejudiced and misled, to Leo the Tenth, better informed on the subject, Luther abruptly quitted the city of Augsburg. Notwithstanding this dis respectful conduct, the Cardinal did not avail himself of the powers with which he had been entrusted, to excommunicate Luther and his adherents ; but appealed to the Elector of Saxony, and requested, that if Luther still persisted in his oppo sition to the church, he might be either sent to Rome, or, at least, banished from his dominions. The Elector refused to comply with either of these requests ; and the work of reformation was suffered to go on.
As it was impossible that the vicar of Christ should enter into a formal dispute with the monk of Wittemberg, nothing now remained, but either to adopt the decisive measure of excommunicating the unbending reformer, or to pat his professions of obedience to the test, by a fornial decree against his doctrines, and by a papal bull, expressly declaring, that as the Pope is the successor of St. Peter, and vicar of Christ upon earth, he hath an undoubted power of granting indul gences, which avail as well the living as the dead in purgatory ; and that this doc trine is essential to the salvation of every true and obedient son of the church. Ac cordingly, a bull, to this purport, was signed on the 7th day of November, 1518, and published throughout the christian world. This put the sincerity and bold ness of Luther to the test, who soon de cided concerning the measures he should adopt, either of instant and unqualified submission, or open contumacy. Luther determined upon the latter, and com menced hostilities against the infallibility of the Pope, by an appeal from the au thority of the supreme head to a general council. Here then commenced that schism which caused even the vicar of Christ to tremble, and which laid a train under the foundations of spiritual domi nation and superstition, that must one day not only agitate and deform the su perstructure, as it already has done, but finally destroy the whole fabric, and leave not one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.