present；　it　was　still　as　one　light…point　in　an　element　all　of　darkness。　　He　says　he　was　a　pious　monk；　_ich　bin　ein　frommer　Monch　gewesen_；　faithfully；　painfully　struggling　to　work　out　the　truth　of　this　high　act　of　his；　but　it　was　to　little　purpose。　　His　misery　had　not　lessened；　had　rather；　as　it　were；　increased　into　infinitude。　　The　drudgeries　he　had　to　do；　as　novice　in　his　Convent；　all　sorts　of　slave…work；　were　not　his　grievance：　　the　deep　earnest　soul　of　the　man　had　fallen　into　all　manner　of　black　scruples；　dubitations；　he　believed　himself　likely　to　die　soon；　and　far　worse　than　die。　　One　hears　with　a　new　interest　for　poor　Luther　that；　at　this　time；　he　lived　in　terror　of　the　unspeakable　misery；　fancied　that　he　was　doomed　to　eternal　reprobation。　　Was　it　not　the　humble　sincere　nature　of　the　man？　　What　was　he；　that　he　should　be　raised　to　Heaven！　　He　that　had　known　only　misery；　and　mean　slavery：　　the　news　was　too　blessed　to　be　credible。　　It　could　not　become　clear　to　him　how；　by　fasts；　vigils；　formalities　and　mass…work；　a　man's　soul　could　be　saved。　　He　fell　into　the　blackest　wretchedness；　had　to　wander　staggering　as　on　the　verge　of　bottomless　Despair。
  It　must　have　been　a　most　blessed　discovery；　that　of　an　old　Latin　Bible　which　he　found　in　the　Erfurt　Library　about　this　time。　　He　had　never　seen　the　Book　before。　　It　taught　him　another　lesson　than　that　of　fasts　and　vigils。　　A　brother　monk　too；　of　pious　experience；　was　helpful。　　Luther　learned　now　that　a　man　was　saved　not　by　singing　masses；　but　by　the　infinite　grace　of　God：　　a　more　credible　hypothesis。　　He　gradually　got　himself　founded；　as　on　the　rock。　　No　wonder　he　should　venerate　the　Bible；　which　had　brought　this　blessed　help　to　him。　　He　prized　it　as　the　Word　of　the　Highest　must　be　prized　by　such　a　man。　　He　determined　to　hold　by　that；　as　through　life　and　to　death　he　firmly　did。
  This；　then；　is　his　deliverance　from　darkness；　his　final　triumph　over　darkness；　what　we　call　his　conversion；　for　himself　the　most　important　of　all　epochs。　　That　he　should　now　grow　daily　in　peace　and　clearness；　that；　unfolding　now　the　great　talents　and　virtues　implanted　in　him；　he　should　rise　to　importance　in　his　Convent；　in　his　country；　and　be　found　more　and　more　useful　in　all　honest　business　of　life；　is　a　natural　result。　　He　was　sent　on　missions　by　his　Augustine　Order；　as　a　man　of　talent　and　fidelity　fit　to　do　their　business　well：　　the　Elector　of　Saxony；　Friedrich；　named　the　Wise；　a　truly　wise　and　just　prince；　had　cast　his　eye　on　him　as　a　valuable　person；　made　him　Professor　in　his　new　University　of　Wittenberg；　Preacher　too　at　Wittenberg；　in　both　which　capacities；　as　in　all　duties　he　did；　this　Luther；　in　the　peaceable　sphere　of　common　life；　was　gaining　more　and　more　esteem　with　all　good　men。
  It　was　in　his　twenty…seventh　year　that　he　first　saw　Rome；　being　sent　thither；　as　I　said；　on　mission　from　his　Convent。　　Pope　Julius　the　Second；　and　what　was　going　on　at　Rome；　must　have　filled　the　mind　of　Luther　with　amazement。　　He　had　come　as　to　the　Sacred　City；　throne　of　God's　High…priest　on　Earth；　and　he　found　itwhat　we　know！　　Many　thoughts　it　must　have　given　the　man；　many　which　we　have　no　record　of；　which　perhaps　he　did　not　himself　know　how　to　utter。　　This　Rome；　this　scene　of　false　priests；　clothed　not　in　the　beauty　of　holiness；　but　in　far　other　vesture；　is　_false_：　　but　what　is　it　to　Luther？　　A　mean　man　he；　how　shall　he　reform　a　world？　　That　was　far　from　his　thoughts。　　A　humble；　solitary　man；　why　should　he　at　all　meddle　with　the　world？　　It　was　the　task　of　quite　higher　men　than　he。　　His　business　was　to　guide　his　own　footsteps　wisely　through　the　world。　　Let　him　do　his　own　obscure　duty　in　it　well；　the　rest；　horrible　and　dismal　as　it　looks；　is　in　God's　hand；　not　in　his。
  It　is　curious　to　reflect　what　might　have　been　the　issue；　had　Roman　Popery　happened　to　pass　this　Luther　by；　to　go　on　in　its　great　wasteful　orbit；　and　not　come　athwart　his　little　path；　and　force　him　to　assault　it！　　Conceivable　enough　that；　in　this　case；　he　might　have　held　his　peace　about　the　abuses　of　Rome；　left　Providence；　and　God　on　high；　to　deal　with　them！　　A　modest　quiet　man；　not　prompt　he　to　attack　irreverently　persons　in　authority。　　His　clear　task；　as　I　say；　was　to　do　his　own　duty；　to　walk　wisely　in　this　world　of　confused　wickedness；　and　save　his　own　soul　alive。　　But　the　Roman　High…priesthood　did　come　athwart　him：　　afar　off　at　Wittenberg　he；　Luther；　could　not　get　lived　in　honesty　for　it；　he　remonstrated；　resisted；　came　to　extremity；　was　struck　at；　struck　again；　and　so　it　came　to　wager　of　battle　between　them！　　This　is　worth　attending　to　in　Luther's　history。　　Perhaps　no　man　of　so　humble；　peaceable　a　disposition　ever　filled　the　world　with　contention。　　We　cannot　but　see　that　he　would　have　loved　privacy；　quiet　diligence　in　the　shade；　that　it　was　against　his　will　he　ever　became　a　notoriety。　　Notoriety：　　what　would　that　do　for　him？　　The　goal　of　his　march　through　this　world　was　the　Infinite　Heaven；　an　indubitable　goal　for　him：　in　a　few　years；　he　should　either　have　attained　that；　or　lost　it　forever！　We　will　say　nothing　at　all；　I　think；　of　that　sorrowfulest　of　theories；　of　its　being　some　mean　shopkeeper　grudge；　of　the　Augustine　Monk　against　the　Dominican；　that　first　kindled　the　wrath　of　Luther；　and　produced　the　Protestant　Reformation。　　We　will　say　to　the　people　who　maintain　it；　if　indeed　any　such　exist　now：　　Get　first　into　the　sphere　of　thought　by　which　it　is　so　much　as　possible　to　judge　of　Luther；　or　of　any　man　like　Luther；　otherwise　than　distractedly；　we　may　then　begin　arguing　with　you。
  The　Monk　Tetzel；　sent　out　carelessly　in　the　way　of　trade；　by　Leo　Tenth；who　merely　wanted　to　raise　a　little　money；　and　for　the　rest　seems　to　have　been　a　Pagan　rather　than　a　Christian；　so　far　as　he　was　anything；arrived　at　Wittenberg；　and　drove　his　scandalous　trade　there。　Luther's　flock　bought　Indulgences；　in　the　confessional　of　his　Church；　people　pleaded　to　him　that　they　had　already　got　their　sins　pardoned。　Luther；　if　he　would　not　be　found　wanting　at　his　own　post；　a　false　sluggard　and　coward　at　the　very　centre　of　the　little　space　of　ground　that　was　his　own　and　no　other　man's；　had　to　step　forth　against　Indulgences；　and　declare　aloud　that　_they_　were　a　futility　and　sorrowful　mockery；　that　no　man's　sins　could　be　pardoned　by　_them_。　　It　was　the　beginning　of　the　whole　Reformation。　　We　know　how　it　went；　forward　from　this　first　public　challenge　of　Tetzel；　on　the　last　day　of　October；　1517；　through　remonstrance　and　argument；spreading　ever　wider；　rising　ever　higher；　till　it　became　unquenchable；　and　enveloped　all　the　world。　　Luther's　heart's　desire　was　to　have　this　grief　and　other　griefs　amended；　his　thought　was　still　far　other　than　that　of　introducing　separation　in　the　Church；　or　revolting　against　the　Pope；　Father　of　Christendom。The　elegant　Pagan　Pope　cared　little　about　this　Monk　and　his　doctrines；　wished；　however；　to　have　done　with　the　noise　of　him：　　in　a　space　of　some　three　years；　having　tried　various　softer　methods；　he　thought　good　to　end　it　by　_fire_。　　He　dooms　the　Monk's　writings　to　be　burnt　by　the　hangman；　and　his　body　to　be　sent　bound　to　Rome；probably　for　a　similar　purpose。　　It　was　the　way　they　had　ended　with　Huss；　with　Jerome；　the　century　before。　　A　short　argument；　fire。　　Poor　Huss：　he　came　to　that　Constance　Council；　with　all　imaginable　promises　and　safe…conducts；　an　earnest；　not　rebellious　kind　of　man：　　they　laid　him　instantly　in　a　stone　dungeon　〃three　feet　wide；　six　feet　high；　seven　feet　long；〃　_burnt_　the　true　voice　of　him　out　of　this　world；　choked　it　in　smoke　and　fire。　　That　was　_not_　well　done！
  I；　for　one；　pardon　Luther　for　now　altogether　revolting　against　the　Pope。　The　elegant　Pagan；　by　this　fire…decree　of　his；　had　kindled　into　noble　just　wrath　the　bravest　heart　then　living　in　this　world。　　The　bravest；　if　also　one　of　the　humblest；　peaceablest；　it　was　now　kindled。　　These　words　of　mine；　words　of　truth　and　soberness；　aiming　faithfully；　as　human　inability　would　allow；　to　promote　God's　truth　on　Earth；　and　save　men's　souls；　you；　God's　vicegerent　on　earth；　answer　them　by　the　hangman　and　fire？　　You　will　burn　me　and　them；　for　answer　to　the　God's…message　they　strove　to　bring　you？　　You　are　not　God's　vicegerent；　you　are　another's　than　his；　I　think！　　I　take　your　Bull；　as　an　emparchmented　Lie；　and　burn　_it_。　　_You_　will　do　what　you　see　good　next：　　this　is　what　I　do。It　was　on　the　10th　of　December；　1520；　three　years　after　the　beginning　of　the　business；　that　Luther；　〃with　a　great　concourse　of　people；〃　took　this　indignant　step　of　burning　the　Pope's　fire…decree　〃at　the　Elster…Gate　of　Wittenberg。〃　　Wittenberg　looked　on　〃with　shoutings；〃　the　whole　world　was　looking　on。　　The　Pope　should　not　have　provoked　that　〃shout〃！　　It　was　the　shout　of　the　awakening　of　nations。　　The　quiet　German　heart；　modest；　patient　of　much；　had　at　length　got　more　than　it　could　bear。　　Formulism；　Pagan　Popeism；　and　other　Falsehood　and　corrupt　Semblance　had　ruled　long　enough：　　and　here　once　more　was　a　man　found　who　durst　tell　all　men　that　God's…world　stood　not　on　semblances　but　on　realities；　that　Life　was　a　truth；　and　not　a　lie！
  At　bottom；　as　was　said　above；　we　are　to　consider　Luther　as　a　Prophet　Idol…breaker；　a　bringer…back　of　men　to　reality。　　It　is　the　function　of　great　men　and　teachers。　　Mahomet　said；　These　idols　of　y