History of the Great Reformation Part 12

[204] Ich bin 14 Tag magd und Kochin gewesen.--(Fussl. Beytr. v. p.

313.) See her remarkable correspondence with the superintendent Rabus.--(Ibid. p. 191-354.)

[Sidenote: THE REFORMERS AT MARBURG.]

Zwingle, after discussing with the Strasburg magistrates the means of resisting the Romish league, and the organization to be given to the christian confederacy,[205] quitted Strasburg; and he and his friends, conducted along by-roads, through forests, over mountains and valleys, by secret but sure paths, at last arrived at Marburg, escorted by forty Hessian cavaliers.[206]

[205] De jure praesidendi conciliis civitatum christianarum.--(Ibid. v.

p. 364.) See book xvi. of this History.

[206] Per devia et sylvas, montes et valles, tutissimos et occultos.--(Ibid. p. 368.)

Luther, on his side, accompanied by Melancthon, Cruciger, and Jonas, had stopped on the Hessian frontier, declaring that nothing should induce him to cross it until he had a safe-conduct from the Landgrave.

This doc.u.ment being obtained, Luther arrived at Alsfeld, where the scholars, kneeling under the Reformer's windows, chanted their pious hymns. He entered Marburg on the 30th September, a day after the arrival of the Swiss. Both parties went to inns; but they had scarcely alighted, before the Landgrave invited them to come and lodge in the castle, thinking by this means to bring the opposing parties closer together. Philip entertained them in a manner truly royal.[207] "Ah!"

said the pious Jonas, as he wandered through the halls of the palace, "it is not in honour of the Muses, but in honour of G.o.d and of his Christ, that we are so munificently treated in these forests of Hesse!" After dinner, on the first day, colampadius, Hedio, and Bucer, desirous of entering into the prince's views, went and saluted Luther. The latter conversed affectionately with colampadius in the castle-court; but Bucer, with whom he had once been very intimate, and who was now on Zwingle's side, having approached him, Luther said to him, smiling, and making a sign with his hand: "As for you, you are a good-for-nothing fellow and a knave!"[208]

[207] Excepit in arce hospitio et mensa regali.--(Corp. Ref. i. p.

1096.)

[208] Subridens aliquantulum respondit: _tu es nequam et nebulo_.--(Sculteti Annal. ad 1529.)

[Sidenote: PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS.]

The unhappy Carlstadt, who had begun all this dispute, was at that time in Friesland, preaching the spiritual presence of Christ, and living in such dest.i.tution that he had been forced to sell his Hebrew Bible to procure bread. The trial had crushed his pride, and he wrote to the Landgrave: "We are but one body, one house, one people, one sacerdotal race; we live and die by one and the same Saviour.[209] For this reason, I, poor and in exile, humbly pray your highness, by the blood of Jesus Christ, to allow me to be present at this disputation."

[209] State Papers of Ca.s.sel.

But how bring Luther and Carlstadt face to face? and yet how repel the unhappy man? The Landgrave, to extricate himself from this difficulty, referred him to the Saxon Reformer. Carlstadt did not appear.

Philip of Hesse desired that, previously to the public conference, the theologians should have a private interview. It was however considered dangerous, says a contemporary, for Zwingle and Luther, who were both naturally violent, to contend with one another at the very beginning; and as colampadius and Melancthon were the mildest, they were apportioned to the roughest.[210] On Friday the 1st October, after divine service, Luther and colampadius were conducted into one chamber, and Zwingle and Melancthon into another. The combatants were then left to struggle two and two.

[210] Abgetheilt zu den ruhren.--(Bull. ii. p. 225.)

[Sidenote: MELANCTHON AND ZWINGLE.]

The princ.i.p.al contest took place in the room of Zwingle and Melancthon. "It is affirmed," said Melancthon to Zwingle, "that some among you speak of G.o.d after the manner of the Jews, as if Christ was not essentially G.o.d." "I think on the Holy Trinity," replied Zwingle, "with the Council of Nice and the Athanasian creed." "Councils!

creeds! What does that mean?" asked Melancthon. "Have you not continually repeated that you recognise no other authority than that of Scripture?" "We have never rejected the councils," replied the Swiss Reformer, "when they are based on the authority of the Word of G.o.d.[211] The four first councils are truly sacred as regards doctrine, and none of the faithful have ever rejected them." This important declaration, handed down to us by colampadius, characterizes the Reformed theology.[212]

[211] Ubi unquam concilia rejicimus, verbi divini auctoritati suffulta?--(Zw. Opp. iv. p. 191.)

[212] The word _Reformed_ is used to distinguish the doctrine and the church of Zwingle and Calvin from those of Luther.

"But you teach," resumed Melancthon, "like Thomas Munster, that the Holy Ghost acts quite alone, independently of the sacraments and of the Word of G.o.d." "The Holy Ghost," replied Zwingle, "works in us justification by the Word, but by the Word preached and understood, by the soul and the marrow of the Word, by the mind and will of G.o.d clothed in human language."[213]

[213] Mens et medulla verbi, mens et voluntas Dei amicta tamen humanis verbis.--(Zw. Epp. iv. p. 173.)

"At least," continued Melancthon, "you deny original sin, and make sin to consist only in actual and external works, like the Pelagians, the philosophers, and the Papists."

This was the princ.i.p.al difficulty. "Since man naturally loves himself," replied Zwingle, "instead of loving G.o.d; in that there is a crime, a sin that condemns him."[214] He had more than once before expressed the same opinion;[215] and yet Melancthon exulted on hearing him: "Our adversaries," said he afterwards, "have given way on all these points!"

[214] Malum, peccatum.--(Ibid. p. 172.)

[215] De peccato originali ad Urb. Rhegium.--(Ibid. iii. p. 632.)

Luther had pursued the same method with colampadius as Melancthon with Zwingle. The discussion had in particular turned on baptism.

Luther complained that they would not acknowledge that by this simple sign a man became a member of the Church. "It is true," said colampadius, "that we require faith--either an actual or a future faith. Why should we deny it? Who is a Christian, if it be not he who believes in Christ? However, I should be unwilling to deny that the water of baptism is in a certain sense a water of regeneration; for by it he whom the Church knew not becomes its child."[216]

[216] Atque adeo ipse non negarim, aquam baptismi esse aquam regenerantem: fit enim puer ecclesiae, qui dudum ab ecclesia non agnoscebatur.--(Zw. Opp. iv. p. 193.)

These four theologians were in the very heat of their discussions, when domestics came to inform them that the prince's dinner was on the table. They immediately rose, and Zwingle and Melancthon meeting Luther and colampadius, who were also quitting their chamber, the latter approached Zwingle, and whispered mournfully in his ear: "I have fallen a second time into the hands of Dr. Eck."[217] In the language of the Reformers nothing stronger could be said.

[217] Lutherum colampadem ita excepit, ut ad me veniens clam queratur, se denuo in Eccium incidisse.--(Zw. Epp. ii. p. 369.)

It does not appear that the conference between Luther and colampadius was resumed after dinner. Luther's manner held out little hope; but Melancthon and Zwingle returned to the discussion, and the Zurich doctor finding the Wittemberg professor escape him like an eel, as he said, and take "like Proteus a thousand different forms," seized a pen in order to fix his antagonist. Zwingle committed to writing whatever Melancthon dictated, and then wrote his reply, giving it to the other to read.[218] In this manner they spent six hours, three in the morning and three in the afternoon.[219] They prepared for the general conference.

[218] At Melancthon, c.u.m nimis lubricus esset et Protei in morem se in omnia transformaret, me compulit, ut sumpto calamo manu armarem.--(Ibid.)

[219] Istud colloquium s.e.x in horas traximus.--(Ibid. 370.)

Zwingle requested that it should be an open one; Luther opposed this.

It was resolved that the princes, n.o.bles, deputies, and theologians should be admitted; but a great crowd of citizens, and even many scholars and gentlemen, who had come from Frankfort, from the Rhine districts, from Strasburg, from Basle and other Swiss towns, were excluded. Brenz speaks of fifty or sixty hearers; Zwingle of twenty-four only.[220]

[220] Quinquaginta aut s.e.xaginta colloquio praesentes.--(Zw. Opp. iv.

p. 201.) Pauci arbitrii ad summum quatuor et viginti.--(Epp. ii. p.

370.)

[Sidenote: OPENING OF THE CONFERENCE.]

On a gentle elevation, watered by the Lahn, is situated an old castle, overlooking the city of Marburg; in the distance is seen the beautiful valley of the Lahn, and beyond, the mountain-tops rising one above another, until they are lost in the horizon. It was beneath the vaults and Gothic arches of an ancient hall in this castle, called the Knights' Hall, that the conference was to take place.

On Sat.u.r.day morning (2d October) the Landgrave took his seat in the hall, surrounded by his court, but so plainly dressed that no one would have taken him for a prince. He wished to avoid the appearance of playing the part of a Constantine in the affairs of the Church.

Before him was a table which Luther, Zwingle, Melancthon, and colampadius approached. Luther, taking a piece of chalk, bent over the velvet cloth which covered it, and steadily wrote four words in large characters. All eyes followed the movement of his hand, and soon they read HOC EST CORPUS MEUM.[221] Luther wished to have this declaration continually before him, that it might strengthen his faith, and be a sign to his adversaries.

[221] This is my body.--(Zw. Opp. iv. p. 175.)

Behind these four theologians were seated their friends,--Hedio, Sturm, Funck, Frey, Eberard, Than, Jonas, Cruigerc, and others besides. Jonas cast an inquiring glance upon the Swiss: "Zwingle,"

said he, "has a certain rusticity and arrogance;[222] if he is well versed in letters, it is in spite of Minerva and of the Muses. In colampadius there is a natural goodness and admirable meekness. Hedio seems to have as much liberality as kindness; but I find in Bucer the cunning of a fox, that knows how to give himself an air of sense and prudence." Men of moderate sentiments often meet with worse treatment than those of the extreme parties.

[222] In Zwinglio agreste quiddam est et arrogantulum.--(Corp. Ref. i.

p. 1097.)

[Sidenote: ADDRESS OF CORDUE.]

Other sentiments animated those who contemplated this a.s.sembly from a distance. The great men who had led the people in their footsteps on the plains of Saxony, on the banks of the Rhine, and in the lofty valleys of Switzerland, were there met face to face: the Chiefs of Christendom, separated from Rome, were come together to see if they could remain one. Accordingly, from all parts of Germany, prayers and anxious looks were directed towards Marburg. "Ill.u.s.trious princes of the Word,"[223] cried the evangelical Church through the mouth of the poet Cordus, "penetrating Luther, mild colampadius, magnanimous Zwingle, pious Snepf, eloquent Melancthon, courageous Bucer, candid Hedio, excellent Osiander, valiant Brenz, amiable Jonas, fiery Craton, Maenus, whose soul is stronger than his body, great Dionysius, and you Myconius--all you whom Prince Philip, that ill.u.s.trious hero, has summoned, ministers and bishops, whom the christian cities have sent to terminate the schism, and to show us the way of truth; the suppliant Church falls weeping at your feet, and begs you by the bowels of Jesus Christ to bring this matter to a happy issue, so that the world may acknowledge in your resolution the work of the Holy Ghost himself."[224]

[223] Insignes verbi proceres.--(Bull. ii. p. 236.)

[224] Et cupido supplex vobis Ecclesia voto Vestros cadit flens ad pedes.--(Bull. ii p. 236.)

The Landgrave's chancellor, John Feige, having reminded them in the prince's name that the object of this colloquy was the re-establishment of union, "I protest," said Luther, "that I differ from my adversaries with regard to the doctrine of the Lord's Supper, and that I shall always differ from them. Christ has said, _This is my body_. Let them show me that a body is not a body. I reject reason, common sense, carnal arguments, and mathematical proofs. G.o.d is above mathematics.[225] We have the Word of G.o.d; we must adore it and perform it!"