It is not known to what extent Catharine took part in the education of her children; but a woman of her mild and amiable temper and strong decision of character must have contributed much to the proper training of her offspring. These prominent traits exercised a subduing influence even on her husband; and Erasmus, who was at this time bitterly opposed to him, says, “Since Luther’s marriage, he begins to be more mild, and does not rave so fearfully with his pen as formerly.” Presuming this to be true, it speaks well for the character of Catharine as a woman and a wife.
Luther not only employed special teachers for his children, but also instructed them himself, notwithstanding his numerous other engagements. He says, “Though I am a Doctor of Divinity, still I have not yet come out of the school for children, and do not yet rightly understand the ten commandments, the creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, but study them daily, and recite the catechism with my little Hans and Magdalena.” For years he superintended their instruction, diligently watching their progress, and often giving them tasks to perform. But, above all, he was solicitous about their religious and moral training, agreeably to his own sound principle. The father must speak out of the children. The proper instruction of children is their most direct way to heaven, and hell is not more easily earned than by neglecting them! They were taught to pray and to read the Scriptures and other devotional books in the presence of the family. Particularly during their meals did he address them in impressive, paternal admonitions. Morning and evening he assembled his numerous family, house-teachers, guests, and domestics, to worship. When it is elsewhere said that Luther “daily spent three hours in private devotion,” it must be restricted to the period of the Diet of Augsburg, when he was concealed at Coburg.
Luther, during all his life, was a man of prayer. Although he was opposed to mechanical formality in regard to special times and seasons, as he had been taught in the church of Rome, yet he maintained a certain order and regularity in the performance of this Christian duty. Matthesius, one of his biographers, and a cotemporary, says, “Every morning and evening, and often during meals, he engaged in prayer. Besides this, he repeated the smaller catechism and read the Psalter. * * * In all important undertakings, prayer was the beginning, middle, and end.”
“I hold,” says Luther, “my prayer to be stronger than Satan himself, and if that were not the case it would long since have been quite different with Luther. If I remit prayer a single day, I lose a large portion of the fire of faith.” His writings contain many sparkling gems on the subject of prayer.
Fondly as he was attached to his children, yet he never showed a culpable indifference to their errors, and, least of all, when they were unruly or displayed anything like ingratitude or deception. On one occasion when John, at twelve years of age, was guilty of a gross impropriety, he would not allow him to come into his presence for three days, and paid no regard to the intercessions of the tender mother and of his intimate friends, Jonas and Cruciger, but forgave him only after he had repented of his fault and humbly begged for pardon. He said, “I would rather have a dead son than a rude and naughty living one. Paul has not in vain said, ‘A bishop must be one who ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection, so that other people may be edified, witnessing a good example, and not be offended.’ We ministers are elevated to such a high position in order to set a good example to others. But our uncivil children give offence to other people. Our boys wish to take advantage of our position and privileges, and sin openly. People do not inform me of the faults of mine, but conceal it from me. The common saying is fulfilled, ‘We do not know the mischief done in our own families; we only discover it when it has become the town-talk.’ Hence we must chastise them, and not connive at their follies.” Once, when he saw a youth of fine personal appearance and uncommon abilities, but of corrupt morals, he exclaimed, “Ah! how much evil an over indulgence occasions! Children are spoiled by allowing them too much liberty; hence I shall not overlook the faults of my son John, nor shall I be as familiar with him hereafter as with his little sister.” But Luther, though he received from his father a severe training, and was roughly treated at school, was too well acquainted with human nature not to know that undue severity in all things created a cowardly, slavish fear in the minds of some children, and obstinacy and dissimulation in others. Hence he pursued the golden medium, and tried to accomplish his purpose by kind and yet earnest admonitions. “I will not chastise Hans too severely, or he will become shy of me and hate me,” said he. “We must take care to teach the young, to find pleasure in that which is good; for that which is forced out of them by stripes will not be profitable, and, if this is carried to excess, they will only continue good as long as they feel the lash. But by admonition and judicious chastisement, they learn to fear God more than the rod. We must often stammer with children, and in all good things come down to a level with them, that is, we must be tender, affectionate, and condescending, and, if that is of no avail, then we may employ severity.”
When he saw his wife or children suffering, his sympathizing heart often found relief in tears. “I love my Catharine,” he would say, “I love her more than I do myself. I would rather die myself than she and the children should die.” It was only when the cause of religion was concerned that the dearest object on earth was not too dear; for the honor of religion and truth, he would have sacrificed wife and children. Deeply penetrated with this sentiment, the magnanimous Reformer, when he had already become the father of two children, could most cordially say, in the spirit of Christ’s words, “Let them take my life, property, reputation, children, and wife—let them all go—the kingdom of God is still ours.” His heroic hymn, “Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott,”[19] sufficiently shows his feelings on this subject.
CHAPTER VIII.
Character of Catharine.
It must be acknowledged that there is nothing remarkably striking in the history of Catharine de Bora, considered apart from her relation to her illustrious husband. She was distinguished by no extraordinary talents or surprising act of heroism after her marriage; she has left no literary monument to perpetuate her memory, nor any public institution founded by her munificence. She was nothing more than the “virtuous” woman so eloquently described by King Solomon in the last chapter of the Book of Proverbs, but she was that in an eminent degree. A noble dignity and a temperate self-reliance were the fundamental traits of her character. Hence, though dependent on others for support, she possessed sufficient independence of mind to reject several brilliant offers of marriage, and showed herself worthy of Luther. Her resolution to exchange the noiseless cloister for a life of honorable and useful activity in the disturbed world without, displayed not only a noble courage in the certain anticipation of poverty and persecution, but also a strong confidence in God. It is more than probable that she read many of Luther’s writings as soon as they appeared, not actuated by a blind curiosity, but with a sincere desire to ascertain the truth, and to derive from them instruction for heart and head. Afterwards, during her married life, she took every opportunity of correcting and enlarging her religious views. Although, as the result of the spirit of that age and of her previous monastic training, she was not profoundly educated, yet Luther esteemed her as a woman possessing a noble, dignified, independent spirit, in whose feelings and opinions he found an echo of his own. Pious, in the proper sense of the word, she found her highest enjoyment in solitary communion with God, and those hours which she devoted to the attentive reading of the Scriptures were always the most happy. To this profitable exercise she was often exhorted by her husband, and she followed his advice. Said she, “I hear a great deal of the Scriptures, and read them diligently every day.” In writing to Jonas on one occasion, Luther says, “She is a diligent reader of the Bible; she shows deep earnestness in this duty.” She faithfully attended the public means of grace also, and with her Christian brothers and sisters worshipped God in the sanctuary. She was devotedly attached to the doctrines of the Reformation, and one of her dying prayers was for their preservation in purity to the end of time. She never neglected her domestic duties. To her husband, in all the relations of his active life, she was the most affectionate companion; in his sickness, the most faithful nurse; in his troubles, the most tender comforter: to her children, she was a most gentle mother; in her household affairs she was a model to all in regard to cleanliness, order, and neatness; to her domestics and dependants, a condescending and indulgent mistress. She was liberal without extravagance, economical without meanness, hospitable without ostentation. Her questions and opinions, still preserved in Luther’s writings, show a strong desire for mental improvement, an enlightened understanding, a clear and dispassionate penetration. This elevated, intellectual character of Catharine, connected with her lofty independence and self-confidence, created a distaste for the company of other less cultivated and less dignified ladies, for the glory of her husband also encircled her head, and the house of Luther was the central point of union of the distinguished men of that day. Hence we need not wonder that, by the envious, she was accused of pride. It is true, that now, after the lapse of three hundred years, there may be many more refined and accomplished women than Catharine was, for she was not distinguished for learning or science; but none exceed her in that pious, Christian disposition which was so forcibly expressed in her words and actions. Her lively temperament and affectionate heart admirably qualified her to feel the warmest sympathy in the diversified events of her husband’s life, and most kindly to participate with him in his joys and sorrows. But above all, it was not less her pious disposition than her persevering faith which identified her so completely with himself! Whenever the opposition of the enemy disturbed the quiet of the husband, Catharine never faltered for a moment, and proceeded to administer consolation to his dejected heart. During the prevalence of a contagious disease, in 1527, her confidence in God was not unshaken, so that Luther could in truth write, “Catharine is yet strong in the faith.” Also, as a widow, when she was subject to attacks of sickness and adverse circumstances, her equanimity never entirely failed. She was especially solicitous about her children, and devoted all the energies of body and mind to their welfare. It cannot be denied that Catharine partook of the common lot of mortals; she had her faults and infirmities; but they are all overshadowed by those numerous exalted virtues which are not always found united in one person of her sex. She was a pattern of every domestic and Christian virtue; of righteousness and good works to her generation, and may the daughters and wives of the present day imitate her example, and profit by the practical lessons which her life has taught!
If she could make no pretensions to personal beauty, still she possessed not a little that was attractive. She was of medium size, had an oval face, a bright, sparkling eye, an expansive, serene forehead, a nose rather small, lips a little protruding, and cheek-bones somewhat prominent. Erasmus speaks of her as a woman of magnificent form and extraordinary beauty; but Seckendorf says this is an extravagant picture of her. The later opponents of Luther agree with Erasmus in representing her as very beautiful, and falsely charge the Reformer as being attracted only by her personal charms. Maimbourg says, “Among the nuns, there was one named Catharine von Bora, whom Luther found to be very beautiful, and whom, on that account, he loved.” Varillas and Bossuet report, “That he married a nun of high rank and uncommon beauty.” Chardon de la Rochette relates the following fact: “I have found the likeness of Luther and his wife in a lumber-room in Orleans, where they are in great danger of going to ruin. I will bet that there is no man who would not wish to have so beautiful a wife as Catharine von Bora. It is the first time that I have seen her picture, and it justifies the opinion which Bossuet has expressed of her appearance. She has a noble, expressive, and animated face.” But Luther himself says of her, “A wife is sufficiently adorned and beautiful when she pleases her husband, whom she ought to please.”