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land； he took a few weeks off and wrote a funny little book；
called the ‘‘Praise of Folly；'' in which he attacked the monks
and their credulous followers with that most dangerous of all
weapons； humor。 The booklet was the best seller of the sixteenth
century。 It was translated into almost every language
and it made people pay attention to those other books of
Erasmus in which he advocated reform of the many abuses of
the church and appealed to his fellow humanists to help him
in his task of bringing about a great rebirth of the Christian
faith。
But nothing came of these excellent plans。 Erasmus was
too reasonable and too tolerant to please most of the enemies
of the church。 They were waiting for a leader of a more
robust nature。
He came； and his name was Martin Luther。
Luther was a North…German peasant with a first…class
brain and possessed of great personal courage。 He was a
university man； a master of arts of the University of Erfurt；
afterwards he joined a Dominican monastery。 Then he became
a college professor at the theological school of Wittenberg
and began to explain the scriptures to the indifferent ploughboys
of his Saxon home。 He had a lot of spare time and this he used
to study the original texts of the Old and New Testaments。
Soon he began to see the great difference which existed between
the words of Christ and those that were preached by the Popes and the Bishops。
In the year 1511； he visited Rome on official business。
Alexander VI； of the family of Borgia； who had enriched himself
for the benefit of his son and daughter； was dead。 But his
successor； Julius II； a man of irreproachable personal character；
was spending most of his time fighting and building and
did not impress this serious minded German theologian with
his piety。 Luther returned to Wittenberg a much disappointed
man。 But worse was to follow。
The gigantic church of St。 Peter which Pope Julius had
wished upon his innocent successors； although only half begun；
was already in need of repair。 Alexander VI had spent every
penny of the Papal treasury。 Leo X； who succeeded Julius
in the year 1513； was on the verge of bankruptcy。 He reverted
to an old method of raising ready cash。 He began to sell
‘‘indulgences。'' An indulgence was a piece of parchment which
in return for a certain sum of money； promised a sinner a decrease
of the time which he would have to spend in purgatory。
It was a perfectly correct thing according to the creed of the
late Middle Ages。 Since the church had the power to forgive
the sins of those who truly repented before they died； the
church also had the right to shorten； through its intercession
with the Saints； the time during which the soul must be punfied
in the shadowy realms of Purgatory。
It was unfortunate that these Indulgences must be sold for
money。 But they offered an easy form of revenue and besides；
those who were too poor to pay； received theirs for nothing。
Now it happened in the year 1517 that the exclusive territory
for the sale of indulgences in Saxony was given to a
Dominican monk by the name of Johan Tetzel。 Brother
Johan was a hustling salesman。 To tell the truth he was a
little too eager。 His business methods outraged the pious
people of the little duchy。 And Luther； who was an honest
fellow； got so angry that he did a rash thing。 On the 31st of
October of the year 1517； he went to the court church and upon
the doors thereof he posted a sheet of paper with ninety…five
statements （or theses）； attacking the sale of indulgences。
These statements had been written in Latin。 Luther had no
intention of starting a riot。 He was not a revolutionist。 He
objected to the institution of the Indulgences and he wanted his
fellow professors to know what he thought about them。 But
this was still a private affair of the clerical and professorial
world and there was no appeal to the prejudices of the community
of laymen。
Unfortunately； at that moment when the whole world had
begun to take an interest in the religious affairs of the day
it was utterly impossible to discuss anything； without at once
creating a serious mental disturbance。 In less than two
months； all Europe was discussing the ninety…five theses of
the Saxon monk。 Every one must take sides。 Every obscure
little theologian must print his own opinion。 The papal
authorities began to be alarmed。 They ordered the Wittenberg
professor to proceed to Rome and give an account of his action。
Luther wisely remembered what had happened to Huss。 He
stayed in Germany and he was punished with excommunication。
Luther burned the papal bull in the presence of an
admiring multitude and from that moment； peace between himself
and the Pope was no longer possible。
Without any desire on his part； Luther had become the
leader of a vast army of discontented Christians。 German
patriots like Ulrich von Hutten； rushed to his defence。 The
students of Wittenberg and Erfurt and Leipzig offered to
defend him should the authorities try to imprison him。 The
Elector of Saxony reassured the eager young men。 No harm
would befall Luther as long as he stayed on Saxon ground。
All this happened in the year 1520。 Charles V was twenty
years old and as the ruler of half the world； was forced to
remain on pleasant terms with the Pope。 He sent out calls
for a Diet or general assembly in the good city of Worms on
the Rhine and commanded Luther to be present and give an
account of his extraordinary behaviour。 Luther； who now
was the national hero of the Germans； went。 He refused to
take back a single word of what he had ever written or said。
His conscience was controlled only by the word of God。 He
would live and die for his conscience
The Diet of Worms； after due deliberation； declared
Luther an outlaw before God and man； and forbade all Germans
to give him shelter or food or drink； or to read a single
word of the books which the dastardly heretic had written。
But the great reformer was in no danger。 By the majority
of the Germans of the north the edict was denounced as a most
unjust and outrageous document。 For greater safety； Luther
was hidden in the Wartburg； a castle belonging to the Elector
of Saxony； and there he defied all papal authority by translating
the entire Bible into the German language； that all the
people might read and know the word of God for themselves。
By this time； the Reformation was no longer a spiritual
and religious affair。 Those who hated the beauty of the modern
church building used this period of unrest to attack and
destroy what they did not like because they did not understand
it。 Impoverished knights tried to make up for past losses by
grabbing the territory which belonged to the monasteries。
Discontented princes made use of the absence of the Emperor
to increase their own power。 The starving peasants； following
the leadership of half…crazy agitators； made the best of
the opportunity and attack