TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

—Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected.

—The transcriber of this project created the book cover image using the title page of the original book. The image is placed in the public domain.

LUTHER

Imprimatur

Edm. Can. Surmont,

Vic. Gen.

Westmonasterii, die 12 Martii, 1917.

LUTHER

BY
HARTMANN GRISAR, S.J.
PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF INNSBRUCK

AUTHORISED TRANSLATION FROM THE GERMAN BY
E. M. LAMOND

EDITED BY
LUIGI CAPPADELTA

Volume VI

LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., Ltd.
BROADWAY HOUSE 68-74 CARTER LANE, E.C.
1917

A FEW PRESS OPINIONS OF VOLUMES I-V.

“His most elaborate and systematic biography … is not merely a book to be reckoned with; it is one with which we cannot dispense, if only for its minute examination of Luther’s theological writings.”—The Athenæum (Vol. I).

“The second volume of Dr. Grisar’s ‘Life of Luther’ is fully as interesting as the first. There is the same minuteness of criticism and the same width of survey.”—The Athenæum (Vol. II).

“Its interest increases. As we see the great Reformer in the thick of his work, and the heyday of his life, the absorbing attraction of his personality takes hold of us more and more strongly. His stupendous force, his amazing vitality, his superhuman interest in life, impress themselves upon us with redoubled effect. We find him the most multiform, the most paradoxical of men.… The present volume, which is admirably translated, deals rather with the moral, social, and personal side of Luther’s career than with his theology.”—The Athenæum (Vol. III).

“Father Grisar has gained a high reputation in this country through the translation of his monumental work on the History of Rome and the Popes in the Middle Ages, and this first instalment of his ‘Life of Luther’ bears fresh witness to his unwearied industry, wide learning, and scrupulous anxiety to be impartial in his judgments as well as absolutely accurate in matters of fact.”—Glasgow Herald.

“This ‘Life of Luther’ is bound to become standard … a model of every literary, critical, and scholarly virtue.”—The Month.

“Like its two predecessors, Volume III excels in the minute analysis not merely of Luther’s actions, but also of his writings; indeed, this feature is the outstanding merit of the author’s patient labours.”—The Irish Times.

“This third volume of Father Grisar’s monumental ‘Life’ is full of interest for the theologian. And not less for the psychologist; for here more than ever the author allows himself to probe into the mind and motives and understanding of Luther, so as to get at the significance of his development.”—The Tablet (Vol. III).

“Historical research owes a debt of gratitude to Father Grisar for the calm unbiased manner in which he marshals the facts and opinions on Luther which his deep erudition has gathered.”—The Tablet (Vol. IV).

“We have nothing but commendation for the translation.”—The Tablet (Vol. V).

“Another volume of Father Grisar’s ‘Life of Martin Luther’ … confirms the belief that it will remain the standard ‘Life,’ and rank amongst the most valuable contributions to the history of the Reformation.”—Yorkshire Post.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER XXXV. LUTHER’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOCIETY AND EDUCATION (continued from Vol. V.)pages [3-98]
3. Elementary Schools and Higher Education.
Luther’s appeals on behalf of the schools; polemical trend of his appeals; his ideal of elementary education; study of the Bible and the classics. The decline in matters educational after the introduction of the innovations; higher education before Luther’s day; results achieved by Lutherpages [3-41]
4. Benevolence and Relief of the Poor.
Organised charity in late mediæval times. Luther’s attempts to arrange for the relief of the poor; the “Poor-boxes”; Bugenhagen’s work; the sad effects of the confiscation of Church-property; and of the doctrine that good works are valuelesspages [42-65]
5. Luther’s Attitude towards Worldly Callings.
Whether Luther’s claim can stand that he was the first to preach the dignity of worldly callings? His depreciation of the several classes of the nation due to his estrangement from them. Attitude towards the merchant-class. His Old-Testament ideas react on his theories about usury and interest; his views on the lawfulness of permanent investments, etc.pages [65-98]
CHAPTER XXXVI. THE DARKER SIDE OF LUTHER’S INNER LIFE. HIS AILMENTSpages [99-186]
1. Early Sufferings, Bodily and Mental.
Fits of fear, palpitations, swoons, nervousness; his temptations no mere morbid phenomenapages [99-112]
2. Psychic Problems of Luther’s Religious Development.
Temptations to despair. The shadow of pseudo-mysticism. Temptations of the fleshpages [112-122]
3. Ghosts, Delusions, Apparitions of the Devil.
The statements regarding Luther’s intercourse with the beyond and his visions of the devil. The misunderstood reference to his disputation with the devil on the Mass. His belief in possession and exorcismpages [122-140]
4. Revelation and Illusion. Morbid Trains of Thought.
His conviction that he was the recipient of a special revelation; his apparent withdrawals of this claim. His so-called “temptations” viewed by him as confirming his mission; his persuasion that the Pope is Antichrist, that his opponents are all egged on by the devil and that no man on earth can compare with him. His tendency to self-contradiction; his changeableness, his feverish polemicspages [141-171]
5. Luther’s Psychology according to Physicians and Historians.
Whether Luther’s mind was abnormal, or whether all his symptoms are to be explained by uric acid, or by degeneracypages [172-186]
CHAPTER XXXVII. LUTHER’S LATER EMBELLISHMENT OF HIS EARLY LIFEpages [187-236]
1. Luther’s later Picture of his Convent-Life and Apostasy.
The legend about his first appearance on the field of history. His supposed excessive holiness-by-works during his monastic dayspages [187-205]
2. The Reality. Luther’s Falsification of History.
Inward peace and happiness in his monastic days; his vows and their breach; some peculiarities of his humility; his feverish addiction to his work; the facts around which his later legend grewpages [205-229]
3. The Legend receives its last touch; how it was used.
Forged in the solitude of the Coburg. His characteristic passage from the “I” to the “we.” His monkish “experience” useful to himpages [229-236]
CHAPTER XXXVIII. END OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. THE CHURCH-UNSEEN AND THE VISIBLE CHURCH-BY-LAWpages [237-340]
1. From Religious Licence to Religious Constraint.
Freedom as Luther’s early watchword. Intolerance towards Catholics, in theory, and in practice. Sanguinary threats against all papists; the death-penalty pronounced against “sectarians” at home; his justification: blasphemy must be put down. The people driven to the new preaching; no freedom of conscience allowed: Luther’s intolerance imitated by his friendspages [237-279]
2. Luther as Judge.
The pigheadedness and arrogance of all the “sectarians.” None of them are sure of their cause; none of them can work miraclespages [279-289]
3. The Church-Unseen, its Origin and Early History.
Luther’s invisible Church; her marks; only the predestined are members; his shifting theorypages [290-308]
4. The Church becomes visible. Its organisation.
The Church materialises in Articles and a Ministry set up by Wittenberg with the sovereign as “emergency-bishop.” The results of State-interferencepages [309-325]
5. Luther’s Tactics in Questions concerning the Church.
The Erfurt preachers at variance with the Town-Council. Luther shifts his ground in his controversies with the Catholics. How the Church, in spite of Christ’s promises, contrived to remain plunged in error for over a thousand years. Luther’s interpretation of Christ’s words “On this rock”pages [325-340]
CHAPTER XXXIX. END OF LUTHER’S LIFEpages [341-386]
1. The Flight from Wittenberg.
His depression gets the better of him and he leaves the town “for ever.” Change of air sweetens his temper and he returns and resumes his work with new ardourpages [341-351]
2. Last Troubles and Cares.
Quarrels with the Swiss and with New Believers nearer home; with the lawyers regarding clandestine marriages; the State proves a cause of vexation on account of its interference in matters which concern the preachers. Luther’s fears for the future; encroachments of human reason; the coming collapse of moralspages [351-369]
3. Luther’s Death at Eisleben (1546).
Thoughts of death. His last visit to Mansfeld, to act as arbitrator between the Counts. The versions of his last momentspages [370-381]
4. In the World of Legend.
The tale of Luther’s suicide, of the disappearance of his body, etc. Who was responsible for the habit of concocting such storiespages [381-386]
CHAPTER XL. AT THE GRAVEpages [387-462]
1. Luther’s Fame among the Friends he left behind.
Extracts from the panegyrics and early biographies; medals struck in his honour; his epitaphspages [387-394]
2. Luther’s Memory among the Catholics. The Question of His Greatness.
Luther’s defiance of the whole world, whilst evoking their wonder, failed to secure the admiration of Catholics. Whether Luther’s undoubted strength of will makes of him a “great man.” The part played by other factors in the movement he inauguratedpages [394-407]
3. Luther’s Fate in the First Struggles for his Spiritual Heritage.
Defeat of the Schmalkalden Leaguers. Osiandric, Majorite, Adiaphoristic, Synergistic and Cryptocalvinist controversiespages [407-423]
4. Mutual Influence of the Two Camps. Growing Strength of the Catholic Church.
The Lutherans are induced to adopt the Formula of Concord as a counterblast against the Council of Trent. Catholic theology benefits by the new controversies; the Church’s religious life is deepened; progress in catechetical instruction, in matters educational, Bible-study and Church-historypages [423-439]
5. Luther as described by the Olden “Orthodox” Lutherans.
Their “mediæval” attitude. Luther the “Prophet of the Germans,” a New Elias and John the Baptistpages [440-444]
6. Luther as seen by the Pietists and Rationalists.
Each in their own way make of Luther their forerunner and breathe into him their own idealspages [444-448]
7. The Modern Picture of Luther.
The Romanticists; liberal theologians; independent historians; the Janus-Luther, with one face looking back on the Middle Ages and the other turned to the coming world. Ritschl, E. M. Arndt. Luther the hero of Kultur? Houston S. Chamberlain’s picture of the “Political Luther.” Conclusionpages [449-462]
XLI. APPENDIX I. LUTHER’S WRITINGS AND THE EVENTS OF THE DAY, ARRANGED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERpages [465-495]
XLII. APPENDIX II. ADDITIONS AND EMENDATIONSpages [496-516]
1-2. Luther’s Visit to Rome.
The Scala Santa; the General Confession; Oldecop’s account of Luther’s petition to be secularised; the outcome for the Order of Luther’s visit to Romepages [496-497]
3. Luther’s conception of “Observance” and his conflict with his brother friarspages [497-501]
4. Attack upon the “Self-righteous”pages [501-503]
5. The collapse of the Augustinian Congregationpages [503-504]
6. The Tower Incidentpages [504-510]
7. The Indulgence-Thesespage [510]
8. The Temptations at the Wartburgpage [511]
9. Prayer at the Wartburgpages [511-512]
10. Luther’s state during his stay at the Coburgpage [512]
11. Luther’s moral characterpages [512-513]
12. Luther’s views on liespages [513-515]
13. Luther’s lack of the missionary spiritpages [515-516]
14. Notes: Pope Alexander VI “the Maraña”; from Bishop Maltitz’s letters to Bishop Fabripage [516]
General Index to the six volumespages [517-551]

VOL. VI

SURVEY OF LUTHER’S WORK. HIS AILMENTS. HIS DEATH