I STAND ! 
 
 NARRATIVES AND SKETCHES FROM REFORMATION DAYS 
 my TH. GRAEBNER. 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN by JOHN GRAEBNER.
 
 "HERE I STAND !" 
 
 NARRATIVES and SKETCHES 
 FROM REFORMATION DAYS 
 
 By 
 TH. GRAEBNER 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN 
 
 by 
 
 JOHN GRAEBNER. 
 
 Profusely illustrated. 
 
 *sKP* 
 
 -0Hi-r 
 
 ERNST KAUFMANN 
 
 NEW YORK, N. Y., 2224 N. William St.
 
 og/ ywoi/O 
 
 1. 'The First Lutheran." 
 
 (Hartmut von Kronberg) 
 
 E was", says Ranke, "in a certain sense, the first 
 pious, fully convinced Lutheran". A man whom such 
 a great historian called "the first Lutheran" is surely 
 worthy to be kept in honored memory and to be 
 spoken of especially at this time, the four hundredth 
 anniversary of the Reformation being close at hand. 
 His entire life, from the time when he became associated with 
 Luther, can be summed up in the words of the great Reformer, 
 entitling this little book, "Here I Standi" With self-sacrificing 
 courage he boldly devoted his life to the Gospel's cause. He was 
 one of the pioneers of the Reformation. Though he did not suffer 
 a martyr's death, his life was that of a martyr to the Lutheran faith. 
 Hartmut von Kronberg was born in 1488. The Kron- 
 bergers were quite well to do and played an important part among 
 the German knighthood. Hartmut had early taken his stand with 
 Luther. He actively participated in the Diet at Worms, and after 
 he had unsuccessfully spoken to the Emperor in Luther's behalf, he 
 undertook to wield the pen in place of the accustomed sword, and 
 published a number of writings in which he very openly endorsed 
 Luther's doctrine. These treatises were written in a sharp tone. It 
 was especially by the bold language which Hartmut used, that he 
 incurred the enmity of Luther's opponents. 
 
 Hartmut was an associate of Franz von Sickingen, whom, to- 
 gether with another fearless knight, Ulrich von Hutten, he had won 
 for Luther's side. But when the feud between Sickingen and the 
 Archbishop of Treves had ended unfavorably for the promoters of 
 the Reformation, Hartmut, like his friends, retreated to a place 
 of safety. The Archbishop of Treves, the Landgrave of Hesse, and 
 the Elector of the Palatinate, made a united effort to inflict swift 
 punishment and bring destruction upon all the adherents of Sik- 
 kingen, and the first to fall a victim to this unholy alliance was 
 Hartmut von Kronberg. Hartmut was not prepared for any de- 
 fense, and after he had very bravely held the fortress for several 
 days, he was finally compelled to withdraw; through a secret tunnel 
 he escaped. He had saved his life, but that was all. The city and 
 the fortress fell into the hands of the enemy, and the entire Kron- 
 berg estate was assigned to Landgrave Philip as spoil of war. 
 
 Hartmut, now an exile from home, did not despair in his sad 
 condition. He trusted in God, and having a firm faith, which he 
 expressed in a large number of writings that issued from his pen 
 (hiring his exile, he took comfort and good courage from thai Hook,
 
 — 4 — 
 
 which was the sole foundation of his faith and life, the Holy Bible. 
 The divine word of Scripture was so unmistakably clear and so 
 convincingly sure to him, that it supplied him with all the instruc- 
 tion and the courage that he needed for the defense of the truth 
 and the fight against error, as we see chiefly from his writings of 
 the year 1521 and 1522. These writings exerted a mighty influence 
 chiefly upon the city of Strasburg. Next to Luther's books, those 
 of the knight of Kronberg were then most widely read at Strasburg 
 and elsewhere in Germany; they were hungrily devoured by the 
 people throughout the land. These writings were a message of 
 
 Fran/, von Sickingren. 
 
 light and deliverance, and what appealed in particular to the com- 
 mon people in Hartmut's writings was the simplicity and even crude- 
 ness of his language. Himself not a scholar, he wrote in the 
 language of the untutored masses, and his words touched their 
 hearts. 
 
 We find throughout the writings of the noble knight of Kron- 
 berg expressions of faith in God and of firm trust in His goodness 
 and mercy. The vanity of all earthly goods compared with the 
 heavenly treasures, which are much more precious, and never fade 
 away, and which all who believe in God, trusting in His mercy in 
 Christ, hold as a sure possession, even though they daily sin much 
 — the substance of Luther's preaching, that is what Hartmut again
 
 — 5 — 
 
 and again repeats. Whatever is against Luther, says Hartmut, is 
 of the devil, but we must deal mercifully and not revengefully 
 with the enemy in his stubborn blindness. From faith alone can 
 flow love toward our neighbor. That is why Luther's doctrine 
 of faith is the only means whereby the church can be reformed 
 and all the ills of this world healed. That was in short the creed 
 of Hartmut von Kronberg. 
 
 In one of his writings he says, Luther's doctrine is truly the 
 doctrine of Christ. "He that follows this doctrine, follows not 
 Luther, but Christ. We do not believe Doctor Luther any further 
 
 I'liicli von Mutton. 
 
 than we find him founded in the holy Gospel." Luther endorses 
 this statement of Hartrnut in an open letter which he wrote as a 
 word of commendation to go with Hartmut's book. The letter 
 begins with the great Reformer's opinion of Hartmut. "I thank 
 my Cod." writes Luther, "for the grace and favor which you pos- 
 sess in the knowledge of the Christian truth, and in your willingness 
 to suffer for the same. Your words evidently come from the bottom 
 of your heart, and they show that the Word of Cod is not only 
 in your mouth and ears, but in your heart, making you bold to 
 preach and confess it, not. only in words but also in deed, before 
 and against all the world." Truly, an opinion of which Hartmut 
 had reason to feel proud.
 
 — 6 — 
 
 Luther wrote the letter for Hartmut's book in March, 1522. 
 On April 14th, Hartmut, in a modest and humble manner, replied. 
 
 He states in his answer that he is still "far from being perfect 
 
 Consequently," he says, "I desire of you, my brother, whom I con- 
 sider a special servant of God, absolution from all the sins I com- 
 mitted, for over my sins I am heartily grieved." He also writes 
 in this letter that Luther's intention of translating the Bible gives 
 him great joy. 
 
 One would naturally suppose that this poor exiled knight com- 
 plained at times in his writings about the injustice done to him. 
 
 Landgrave Philip of Hesse. 
 
 But not a word of complaint or expression of bitter feeling against 
 his enemies do we find in all that he wrote. His principle was 
 that the magistrates should be obeyed, even if they are unjust in 
 their mandates and punishments, except in matters of faith. An 
 acquaintance of his, a resident of Basel, wrote of him in the year 
 1522, "Here is also that thoroughly noble and truly Christian man 
 of Kronberg; I have never seen any man who suffered miserable 
 wretchedness with greater calmness. Though the Count Palatine 
 robbed him of all his possessions and banished him — an innocent 
 man, as every one knows — yet he does not in the least lament his 
 loss, and he comforts them who ought to comfort him."
 
 In the begining of 1523 Hartmut came to Wittenberg and was 
 most cordially received by Luther. In a letter to Spalatin Luther 
 wrote, "Hartmut von Kronberg is here; that man, after all that 
 he suffered, still stands remarkably firm in his faith." 
 
 During the years of his exile, Hartmut wandered about in many 
 countries seeking assistance in his endeavors to regain possession 
 of his lost estate. For a while he stayed in Bohemia, after that 
 in Switzerland, from there he returned to Germany, then returned 
 again to Switzerland, choosing the city of Basel for his home. In- 
 fluential friends spoke for him at the royal courts, but in vain. 
 Philip of Hesse did not let go of what he had taken. Hartmut 
 appealed directly to the emperor, but even the imperial verdicts 
 rendered in his favor were in vain. Not until Hartmut communi- 
 cated with the landgrave personally did he see any prospects of 
 success, but even then he had to wait a number of years longer 
 before an agreement was reached. The intervention of influential 
 friends finally succeeded in inducing the landgrave to yield to their 
 entreaties in Hartmut's behalf and to restore to him his property. 
 This was in 1541, nineteen years after the taking of Kronberg. 
 Hartmut was never reimbursed for the loss he sustained during 
 the long period of privation and exile, and his permanent loss, in 
 money alone, amounted to 30,000 golden florins. 
 
 The last years of Hartmut's life were comparatively quiet 
 and peaceful. He entered into his rest on August 7th, 1549, and 
 was buried in the Castle Church at Kronberg. 
 
 "The most innocent and pious of knights" is what Hutten calls 
 him in a letter written in his defense, and it was not saying too 
 much. Even among the large number of zealous and fearless wit- 
 nesses who rose up boldly to testify their faith, Hartmut, for his 
 piety and honesty and the cleanness of his morals, occupies a place 
 of honor. His tombstone shows a crucifix and the kneeling form 
 of the knight and his wife, who was buried at his side. Over Hart- 
 mut's head, on a square plate, the following inscription could for- 
 merly be read: 
 
 Thou Lamb of God, that took'st away 
 The world's sin, on the cross, 
 Through Thy death all believers may 
 Have life, regain their loss. 
 Prom this source all my hope did flow, 
 While yet I sojourned here below. 
 
 W
 
 2. Albrecht Duerer, Artist and Reformer. 
 
 In 1471 a son was born to Albrecht Duerer, a goldsmith of 
 Nuremberg. The name given to the child at his baptism was 
 Albrecht, the name of his father. Little Albrecht was destined 
 not only to give undying fame to his native city, but also to adorn 
 the German name the world over, with his magnificent works of 
 art. The reason, however, why we are here mentioning the cele- 
 brated painter Albrecht Duerer is not simply that he was a 
 contemporary and a friend of Luther, but because this greatest 
 of German artists has in his matchless paintings and also in writ- 
 ings shown himself a brave confessor of the evangelical truth and 
 a faithful adherent to the Lutheran doctrine. He is one of those 
 of whom Isaiah, the prophet, speaks, when he says of the Messiah 
 that God will "divide him a portion with the great." One of the 
 great men that bowed their knee at the name of Jesus was Albrecht 
 Duerer, one of the greatest in the realm of art. In humble faith 
 he laid hold on the sufferings and death of the Savior and also 
 bore witness of his faith by his imperishable pictures, and otherwise. 
 
 Let us first draw a brief sketch of the life of this remarkable 
 man. He received his first instruction in the art of painting from 
 his father, later he was tutored in the workshop of the busy- master 
 Michel Wolgemut. After he had become an artisan in painting 
 and very proficient in engraving and woodcutting as well, he set 
 out, in 1490, to travel about the country, as young artisans were 
 wont to do in those days. He visited the Netherlands, Alsace, and 
 Switzerland. After his return to Nuremberg he was united in 
 marriage with Miss Agnes Frey. Later on, he sojourned in Italy, 
 where he found new inspiration and suggestion for his art in the 
 masterpieces of the great Italian painters. He received orders for 
 pictures from Frederick the Wise, and he also furnished paintings 
 for the church and the castle at Wittenberg. Again he spent sev- 
 eral years in travel, and then he was appointed painter to the 
 German Emperor at the imperial court, where he was on a yearly 
 salary. In 1521 we find him again at Nuremberg. 
 
 As early as 1518 we see him in friendly intercourse with 
 Luther, whom he also sent a present, very likely some engravings 
 or woodcuts, for which Luther in a letter to the learned Christoph 
 Scheurl expressed his thanks with the following words, "I received 
 at the same time the gift of that excellent man Albrecht Duerer. 
 I would request you to remember me to the good man and to tell 
 him how gratefully I think of him." . 
 
 At that time Luther's writings were read at Nuremberg with 
 feverish excitement; in fact, tnis city was one of the first in which
 
 — 9 — 
 
 the doctrine of the Wittenberg Reformer found a home. Duerer, 
 among others, as we see from a letter written by Luther's friend 
 Scheurl, was one of the most zealous and eager adherents of Luther. 
 Scheurl wrote, "Above all my Albrecht Duerer requests that Luther's 
 sermon on repentance be translated for him." With keen interest 
 the artist followed up the course of events after Luther had broken 
 away from the Roman church. Elector Frederick the Wise, Luther's 
 noble friend, sent him the Reformer's writings. Duerer wrote in a 
 letter to Spalatin, "I beg that my humble thanks be transmitted to 
 the elector, and that he be requested to let that worthy Martinus 
 
 Albrecht Duerer. 
 
 Painted by his own hand 1J0O. 
 
 Luther be commended to him on account of the Christian truth, 
 which is of greater consequence to us than all the riches and power 
 of this world, for that perishes in time, but the truth abides for- 
 ever. And if with God's help I shall come to Doctor Martinus 
 Luther, I will carefully make a portrait of him and engrave it 
 for a perpetual remembrance of that great Christian man. who 
 helped me out of great distresses. And I beg your honor, if Doctor 
 Martinus makes something new that is German, that you will kindly 
 send it to me for my money." 
 
 In Antwerp, on the 17th of .May. l.'iL'l, Duerer received the 
 shocking news from Worms that Luther had been seized near Eise-
 
 — 10 — 
 
 nach on his way home from the Diet, and that no trace had been 
 found of him since. Neither Duerer nor the rest of the German 
 people had any idea that Luther was safe at the Wartburg. Duerer 
 wrote the following remarkable words into his diary, "On Friday 
 before Pentecost the news reached Antwerp that Martin Luther 
 had been treacherously captured. At a deserted place near Eise- 
 nach ten horsemen traitorously took him away, the betrayed and 
 pious man, enlightened with the Holy Gost. And is he still alive, 
 or did they murder him? I do not know. In either case he suffered 
 for the Christian truth, because he upbraided the unchristian papacy. 
 My greatest fear is that God might let us remain still longer under 
 
 View of Nuremberg' in the Age of the Reformation. 
 
 Copper Engraving l>y Albrecht Duerer, 
 
 their false, blind doctrine, which was invented and set up by men 
 whom they call fathers, and through which the precious Word of 
 God is falsely interpreted in many places, or not preached at all. 
 
 "O God in heaven, have mercy on us. O Lord Jesus Christ, 
 pray for Thy people, deliver us in due time, preserve unto us the 
 true, right, Christian faith. Gather Thy scattered sheep with Thy 
 voice, Thy divine Word in Scripture. Help us to know Thy voice 
 and keep us from following human error, so that we, Lord Jesus 
 Christ, may never depart from Thee. Call together the sheep of 
 Thy pasture, some of whom are still in the Roman church. O God. 
 deliver Thy poor people, who by a heavy ban are being oppressed. 
 O Thou most high Heavenly Father, through Thy Son Jesus Christ,
 
 — 11 — 
 
 pour into our hearts such light, as will enable us to see which 
 messenger we should hold to, so that we may serve Thee, eternal 
 Heavenly Father, with cheerful hearts. 
 
 "And if so be that we lost this man (Luther), we pray Thee, 
 O Heavenly Father, that Thou wouldest again give Thy Holy Spirit 
 to one who will gather again Thy holy Christian Church every- 
 where, and through whose work all unbelievers will adopt the 
 Christian faith .... 
 
 "O God, if Luther is dead, who will henceforth teach us the 
 holy Gospel so clearly? Alas, O God, what might he yet have 
 written for us in ten, twenty years. 
 
 St. Jerome in His Study. 
 
 Copper Engraving by Duerer, 1514. 
 
 The Suffering Redeemer 
 
 Engraving liy Ducrer. 
 
 "O ye good Christian people, one and all, weep with me for 
 this inspired man of God, and pray with me that God would send 
 us another enlightened man. O ye Christian people, ask God to 
 help, for His judgement is drawing near, and His righteousness 
 will be revealed." 
 
 What ardent love for the great Reformer these words express! 
 What a clear understanding of the vital importance of Luther's 
 work they reveal! Imagine the exultant joy that filled Duerer's 
 heart when he heard that his excellent friend, whom he had 
 mourned for dead, was again at work in Wittenberg! 
 
 How bravely Germany's greatest painter bore witness of his 
 faith in later years is seen from a letter which he wrote in 1524
 
 — 12 — 
 
 to a friend at Antwerp, in which he says: "On account of the Chris- 
 tian faith we must bear shame and danger; we are called heretics. 
 God grant us grace and strengthen us in His Word, for we must 
 obey God rather than men. It. were better for us to lose our life 
 and property, than to be cast of God, body and soul, into hell-fire. 
 May God enlighten our adversaries, the poor, miserable, blind 
 
 people, that they may not perish in their error They have 
 
 planned many wicked devices, but God's will alone will be done." 
 The man who wrote these lines evidently knew from experience 
 what it was to suffer persecution. 
 
 To say much about Albrecht Duerer's wonderful art would 
 require considerably more space than we can here occupy. He 
 painted an enormous number of pictures, representing a great va- 
 riety of subjects, and expressing a wide diversity of ideas. His 
 paintings are to be seen in the great art galleries throughout Europe. 
 As Luther wrote and sang, Duerer drew and painted. His pictures 
 show us emperors and beggars, civilians and soldiers, cities and 
 villages, taverns, castles, etc. We are particularly interested in 
 his religious paintings. When he was only twenty-seven years old, 
 he painted scenes from the Revelation of St. John, in which he 
 delivered a powerful sermon of Christ, the true Head of the Church, 
 and His victory over Antichrist. That was in the year 1498, when 
 Luther still sang at people's doors in Eisenach. The pictures passed 
 from one to another and served as silent forerunners of the Re- 
 formation. 
 
 None but a true Christian could paint as Albrecht Duerer did. 
 His grandest masterpieces are fruits of the Lutheran Reformation. 
 He made many pictures of the Virgin Mary, but he did not portray 
 her as "the most blessed Queen of heaven" but as the humble 
 handmaid of whom Luther says, "She seeks no glory and honor, 
 does not vaunt herself for having become the mother of God, but 
 remained a poor citizen among the common people." All pictures 
 of the saints show them in their true character, not as transfigured 
 heavenly forms, such as Roman superstition adores, but as plain 
 friends and associates of all believers; the Apostles, as a rule, are 
 shown with the tokens of their humble birth. Some of his pictures 
 of the Apostles express truths taught by Luther in those days of 
 the Reformation. One of these is his great masterpiece, "Kirchen- 
 stiitzen" (Church-Supports), now to be seen in the art gallery of 
 Munich. It consists of two double pictures, the one showing John 
 and Peter, the other Paul and Mark, in life-size. It is significant 
 that John and Paul stand in the foreground, and Peter and Mark 
 in the background. Peter appears as a learner, of less significance 
 than John, and showing his keys only from a distance. But John, 
 with sublime devotion in his features, is reading in the Scriptures, 
 as if he lay on the Savior's breast and drank in the words which 
 the Savior spoke, and which Peter barely understood. The other 
 picture shows Paul, a valiant warrior, with the sword of martyr- 
 dom, a knight defying death and the devil, not looking into the
 
 — 13 — 
 
 world, like Mark, but of pensive mind, filled with determination, 
 the teacher of the Gentiles, every inch a man. The painting is a 
 noble Protestant confession, and it was made shortly before the 
 
 Sts. John and Peter. 
 
 >ls. Mark and Paul. 
 
 good Confession at Augsburg, which still resounds through the 
 world to-day, was voiced forth. Words of admonishment to stick 
 to Clod's Word, and of warning against falling away and hearkening 
 to false prophets were formerly written under these paintings, but
 
 — 14 — 
 
 have been abolished. These men speak without words. But through 
 them and in them speaks Albrecht Duerer to the evangelical Chris- 
 tian people until this day. The Scripture passages affixed to these 
 pictures by Duerer himself (2 Pet. 2, 1-3. 1 John 4, 1-3. 2 Tim. 3, 
 1-7. Mark 12, 38-40) were directed against the Roman Church. 
 
 The loftiest height of Duerer's art and the sublimest expression 
 of his faith is seen in his pictures of the suffering of Christ. Duerer 
 is, above all, a painter of Passion pictures. When he was still a 
 goldsmith's apprentice in his father's workshops, he made a beauti- 
 ful picture in gold representing seven phases of the sufferings of 
 
 The Holy Family. 
 
 Christ. And ever after, he dedicates his art to the glory of his 
 Savior. The suffering of Christ was the beginning and the ending 
 of all his work. Not in heavenly beauty and repose, but as the 
 Man of Sorrows, the Savior is depicted to us in most of the pictures 
 of Christ painted by Duerer. It has been well said that the picture 
 of Christ, which Luther bore in his heart, was the suffering Christ 
 of Duerer. 
 
 Duerer was recognized and honored as a great painter during 
 his lifetime and through the centuries since. Venetian merchants 
 ordered a painting from him for their church. When Emperor 
 Rudolph II heard of the purchase, he bought the picture from the
 
 — 15 — 
 
 church and had it carried by four strong men over the Alps to 
 Germany. Raphael sent him a portrait of himself and a book of 
 beautiful drawings. "This German," said Raphael, "would have 
 surpassed us all, if the models of antiquity had been before his 
 eyes," that is, if he had studied in Italy. His travels in Germany 
 were a triumphal procession from city to city. Banquets were 
 everywhere given in his honor, and his fame was sung in poems. 
 But Duerer, a truly great man, remained a humble Christian in 
 spite of the glistening honors of the world. Neither the flattery 
 of the great nor the shining coin of the rich could estrange his 
 heart from the Christian faith. Shortly before his death, in the 
 year 1528, he wrote the following prayer, "God grant me a blessed 
 end, and may God come at my end and give me eternal life." 
 
 Among those who spoke words of eulogy after Duerer's death 
 were the two great friends at Wittenberg. Melanchthon, who for 
 a while refused to believe the report of his death, wrote, "It grieves 
 me to see Germany deprived of such an artist, of such a man." And 
 Luther expressed his feelings in a letter as follows: "As regards 
 Duerer, it behooves the pious to mourn that good man. But you 
 may call him blessed, since Christ has so enlightened him and 
 with a blessed end has taken him out of these turbulent times, 
 which will probably become yet more turbulent, so that he, who 
 was worthy of seeing only the best, will not be compelled to see 
 the very worst. May he rest in peace with his fathers. Amen." 

 
 3. Leonard Kaiser, A Bavarian Martyr of 
 the Lutheran Faith. 
 
 Leonard Kaiser was born in Bavaria about the year 14 80, 
 near the time of Luther's birth. He studied at the University of 
 Leipzig, and at the age of forty he was viear for the priest in 
 Weitzenkirchen, upper Austria. 
 
 This particular part of Austria had been mightily affected by 
 the "new doctrine." Not only the peasant folk, but also people of 
 the large cities had flocked to the Gospel, and among them many 
 of the nobility. Lutheran preachers were appointed throughout 
 that part of the country in castles and in residences of the aristo- 
 cracy. Leonard Kaiser soon became known as a representative of 
 the "new doctrine." His preaching was made all the more im- 
 pressive by the blameless life he led. 
 
 But also in this remote corner of Europe enmity of the pope's 
 men against the adherents of Luther arose. The measures em- 
 ployed by the bishop against the spreading "Lutheranism" became 
 more severe from year to year, and soon his wrath was directed 
 against Kaiser as the chief rock of offense. Kaiser was publicly 
 charged with being a Lutheran and called upon to give account 
 of himself before a consistory at Passau. At this time Kaiser was 
 not yet firmly grounded in the truth of Scripture and was induced 
 to promise that he would renounce Luther's doctrine, books, and 
 associates. He was then released from prison and returned to 
 his post. 
 
 Kaiser's conscience was not at rest. Whenever he read mass, 
 administered the Roman sacraments, heard confession, etc., a voice 
 within him told him all too plainly that he was doing wrong; he 
 had too clearly recognized the superstition connected with those 
 ceremonies and the idolatry of the worship of the Virgin. He be- 
 came more and more convinced that in his heart he was already 
 estranged from popery. At last he left his parents and friends and 
 went to Wittenberg to see and hear that monk Luther, whom so 
 many praised and many others hated. He went there in order to 
 get enlightenment and, if possible, find rest unto his conscience. 
 
 On June 7th, 1525, a few days before Luther's marriage, Kaiser 
 was matriculated in the University of Wittenberg. He remained 
 there for a year and a half, and became well acquainted with Luther. 
 The two men loved and honored each other, and they were sorry 
 to part when Kaiser was called to the bedside of his dying father. 
 
 Kaiser was well aware of the danger connected with his return 
 home. He had not kept his promise to renounce Lutheranism; on
 
 — 17 — 
 
 the contrary, he had become more closely attached to Luther and 
 had studied the forbidden books very thoroughly. It was com- 
 forting, however, for him to know that no one had ever lost his 
 life in Bavaria on account of the Lutheran faith. Besides, he felt 
 that duty called him, and so he left Wittenberg, and arrived home 
 a few hours before his father died. 
 
 During the time of Kaiser's sojourn in Wittenberg, sentiment 
 in Bavaria had turned somewhat against the Reformation. After 
 the Diet at Worms it was evident that Luther did not strive to 
 bring about only an outward betterment of the Christian people, 
 but that his work meant the destruction of popery. It was feared 
 that a split in the church and in the nation would result from the 
 
 Luther ['reaching In the City Church at Wittenberg. 
 
 Altar Painting by the elder Cranach. (Luther's wife and child in foreground, i 
 
 spread of Luther*s teachings, and even those whose sentiments 
 were with Luther in his fight against the abomination of the papal 
 court and the immorality of the clergy, no longer supported the 
 movement when they saw that it would lead to serious and possib 
 dangerous dissension among the people. The pope and the emperor 
 had condemned Luther's doctrine, and it was deemed advisable to 
 adopt severe measures against the adherents of those teachings. No 
 blood was shed yet for a while. Those suspected of heresy were 
 compelled to leave the country and were not permitted to take any 
 of their belongings with them ; these were confiscated by the duke. 
 A great number of poor people left their homes and went, some 
 here, and some there, to Augsburg, Austria, Switzerland, Saxony. 
 Many of the exiled preachers went to Wittenberg to attend the 
 university and become more familiar with the Evangelical doctrine, 
 which they intended to preach in other parts of Germany. Such
 
 — 18 — 
 
 was the state of affairs, when Leonard Kaiser returned to his home 
 in Bavaria. 
 
 The strenuous journey and the excitement at the death of his 
 father had so affected him that he lay at home sick abed for five 
 weeks. When he had recovered, he did not take a stand publicly 
 against popery, but he corresponded with his friends at Wittenberg 
 and had the writings of Luther and other men sent to him. This 
 could not remain a secret. He was reported as a heretic, and on 
 the 10th of March, 1527, he was arrested and delivered to the 
 authorities. On the following day he was committed to severe im- 
 prisonment at Passau, in the castle of Oberhaus, on a high cliff over- 
 looking the Danube. 
 
 Kaiser was not despondent over his painful experience ; on the 
 contrary, he rejoiced to know that he was suffering for his faith. 
 As a prisoner of the Lord he immediately wrote to a friend: "Rejoice 
 with me, for the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort has 
 counted me, his unworthy servant and great sinner, worthy of the 
 happy privilege to confess His holy, sweet, and blessed name before 
 the wicked world. Praise be unto Him forever. Amen." 
 
 About the middle of May he was summoned for a hearing. 
 Before the clergy of the Passau cathedral he was asked what he 
 thought of the pope's authority, of the mass, the marriage of priests, 
 purgatory, saint-worship, and above all, whether he taught that a 
 sinner is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law. His ans- 
 wers were met with harsh replies by his tormentors. They gave 
 him no chance to make a full statement of his case, and finally 
 condemned him as "a man astray and erring widely from salvation 
 and divine truth." His statements, of course, agreed in every point 
 with Luther's doctrine. Finally he replied to a question with these 
 bold words, "I do not believe that Germany ever had the Gospel, 
 nor heard it right." Then they led him back to his wretched dun- 
 geon, which was very filthy and overrun with mice and other vermin. 
 
 About this time Luther was informed of the perilous plight of 
 his friend and scholar. He at once, on the 20th of May, 1527, sent 
 Kaiser a very consoling letter, which read as follows: 
 
 "To my worthy and dear brother in Christ, the faithful and 
 well beloved servant and prisoner of Christ, Leonard Kaiser. 
 
 "Grace, strength, and peace in Christ. That your old man, dear 
 Mr. Leonard, is in captivity is the will and calling of Christ, your 
 Savior, who gave Himself also for you and your sin into the hands 
 of the ungodly, to redeem you with His blood and to make you 
 His brother and an heir of eternal life. 
 
 "We feel sorry for you and diligently pray that you may be 
 released, not only for your sake, but that you might be of service 
 to many, unto the glory of God, if it be His will. But if it be 
 God's will that you should not be released, you are nevertheless 
 free and secure in spirit. Only see that you are strong and that 
 you steadfastly overcome the weakness of the flesh, or bear it pa-
 
 — 19 — 
 
 tiently through the power of Christ, who is with you in the dungeon 
 and will be with you in every trouble, as He has very kindly and 
 faithfully promised in the 91st Psalm, 'I will be with him in trouble.' 
 Therefore you must cry unto Him in prayer with full confidence 
 and refresh and support yourself with comforting psalms in this 
 furious wrath of Satan, that you may be strengthened in the Lord 
 and not speak too leniently and softly against the teeth of behemoth 
 as if you were overcome and feared his haughtiness. Call diligently 
 upon Christ, who is everywhere present and mighty, and defy Satan 
 and mock at his fury and arrogance. For you are sure that he 
 can not harm you; the more he rages, the less he can hurt you. 
 St. Paul says Rom. 8, 'If God be for us, who can be against us,' 
 
 Luther's Living Room. 
 
 From a Photograph. 
 
 and Ps. 8, 'Thou hast put all things under his feet.' He can and 
 will help all who are tempted, for He was in all points tempted 
 like as we are. 
 
 "So then, my dearly beloved brother, be strong in the Lord, 
 and be of good comfort in His mighty power, that you may know, 
 bear, love, and praise with a willing heart the fatherly will of God, 
 whether your life be spared or not. May the Father of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ grant you to do all this with a willing heart to the 
 glory of His holy Gospel, according to the riches of His glorious 
 grace, who is a Father of mercy and a God of all comfort. Amen. 
 In Him may it be well with you, and pray also for us." 
 
 "Wittenberg, on Monday after Cantate, 1527. 
 
 "MARTIN LUTHER."
 
 — 20 — 
 
 There were also other friends who comforted Kaiser in prison. 
 It was a special treat for him when he had an opportunity to con- 
 verse at night through the window with this or that friend, and 
 thus to receive comfort, instruction, greetings, and encouragement 
 from without. Luther had appealed to Elector John of Saxony in 
 behalf of the Bavarian confessor. The elector conferred with the 
 bishop of Passau in a warm petition, and many others appealed for 
 the prisoner, but all with no avail. Perhaps the petitions of these 
 "heretics" moved the bishop to even greater severity. At any rate, 
 one hearing followed another, back to prison and out again for 
 yet another trial, so it went on until he was almost out of his head. 
 But he remained firm and would permit neither good nor evil to 
 cause him to depart from Scripture or to deny the truth. 
 
 At last the day for the trial was set. On July 18th he was 
 to receive sentence. The day before, the much dreaded Dr. Eck 
 came personally to him as the bishop's messenger and made a last 
 effort to induce him to recant his doctrine. The interview led to 
 a dispute, which, of course, led to no agreement, since Kaiser based 
 himself solely upon Holy Scripture, while the Roman theologian 
 argued on the basis of the popish claims. After another night in 
 the stuffy dungeon, Kaiser was shackled to another prisoner, one 
 of the clergy, who had committed theft and murder, and so he was 
 led away. 
 
 On the way to the place of the final trial, Kaiser's fellow- 
 prisoner cursed the bishop horribly and called him a tyrant and 
 a bloodhound. "I am not worthy of walking with you," he said to 
 Kaiser, "for you are an innocent man; but I am guilty of death 
 and shall get what I deserve." Kaiser only cautioned him to be 
 calm. When the procession passed the house of his aunt, she came 
 out and embraced him weeping, and when he was led across the 
 marketplace, his many friends approached him and comforted him. 
 Yet not one of them desired that he should depart from the truth. 
 
 At last the prisoner entered the "Pfaffenhof" (preachers' court) 
 in front of the house of the cathedral clergy. In the open air, as 
 was customary in those days, the bar of justice was erected. A great 
 number of armed bishops and townsmen whom the bishop had sum- 
 moned surrounded the inclosure. The bishop himself presided as 
 judge. Fifteen clergymen of Passau and vicinity, all of them strong 
 papists, constituted the court. The entire court, the judge at the 
 head, were not only prejudiced against Kaiser, but it was a fore- 
 gone conclusion with them that he was guilty. Before he had 
 been given a chance to say one word, he was looked upon as a 
 criminal worthy of death. The proceedings commenced. An officer 
 announced that a captured Lutheran priest had been brought for 
 trial, and in reply to the officer's question whether the man should 
 now be presented at the prisoners' bar, the bishop gave order that 
 he be brought in. When Kaiser stood in the presence of the court, 
 his shackles were removed, and the announcement was made that
 
 — 21 — 
 
 the bishop was compelled to summon Kaiser before his tribunal, 
 because he had given the pope his oath that he would extirpate 
 the "heretical sect." The prisoner was now informed that if he 
 would recant his doctrine, the bishop would show mercy and give 
 him a last chance to save his life. But Kaiser remained firm to 
 the last. He insisted that he could not recant what is taught in 
 Holy Scripture. In this hearing he is said to have shown so much 
 understanding and such a familiarity with Holy Scripture that his 
 listeners were amazed, and a stir was caused among them by his 
 frank and bold confession of the truth before God and man. But 
 
 Vera Imago 
 
 TltLOLOOlM. 
 
 Iohanni5 Ecxu 
 
 ATAT15-* 
 XLIU . 
 
 .John Eck 
 
 what good did it do him? At the close of the discussion the bishop 
 read the verdict that Kaiser was to be degraded and delivered to 
 the worldly judge. 
 
 The verdict was promptly carried out. First the "degradation" 
 was enacted. The. official garb worn by the priest at mass was put 
 on Kaiser and then taken off from him piece by piece amid the 
 curses of his accusers. Now he was made to wear an old coat, 
 and a slashed black cap, the "heretics* cap," was put on him. In 
 such array he was turned over to the civil authorities, and with 
 hini the malefactor and murderer, who had also received his sen- 
 tence. Does not this remind us how our Favior was numbered
 
 — 22 — 
 
 among the transgressors when he hung on the cross between two 
 criminals? "The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have 
 persecuted me, they will also persecute you." '"Whosoever killeth 
 you will think that he doeth God service." 
 
 So Kaiser was transferred to the "wordly arm," through which 
 the Roman church was wont to execute judgement. It was Duke 
 William of Bavaria by whom Kaiser's case was finally disposed of, 
 since he had been born and taken captive in that ruler's realm. 
 Executions of heretics had become so numerous in Bavaria, that to 
 sign death warrants was almost a part of the daily routine work 
 of the duke. Without trying Kaiser's case at all, the duke con- 
 demned him as one who had shown an unusual degree of hardness, 
 and sentenced him to be burned at the stake. The bishop had 
 declared him to be a heretic, and that settled the matter for the 
 duke. 
 
 On August 11th the prisoner was taken from Oberhaus to 
 Schaerding. His hands were bound, and he was set on a horse, 
 to which he was fastened with chains. So the procession went 
 through the city of Passau. "He was calm and unafraid," says an 
 eyewitness, "and he greeted all the people. At the city's gate his 
 friends took leave from him and begged him publicly not to depart 
 from the truth in life or death." On the way to Schaerding he 
 repeatedly removed the black hat with his loosely fettered hand, 
 greeting acquaintances who rushed into the street, or followed him 
 with sympathetic looks from the windows. 
 
 Shortly after Kaiser's arrival at Schaerding his friends came 
 to his room to prepare him for the end. "Mr. Leonard, you must 
 burn," they said. They informed him that the executioner of Burg- 
 hausen had already been called. "A different bit of news had been 
 better," was his reply, "but," said he, "God's will be done." Soon 
 after the arrival of the executioner the justice of the town appeared 
 in his cell and apprised him of the way he was soon to go. Kaiser 
 then made a testament in which he admonished his relatives to be 
 of one mind, to love each other, and to be charitable to the poor. 
 He advised his relatives, that in case the raging against the Lutheran 
 people would continue, they should rather emigrate and settle 
 where "the Word of God is preached in purity." He was far from 
 wishing that anything should be done to avenge him. He expressly 
 admonished his relatives to obey the magistrates. Every single point 
 in this testament is a splendid testimony of Kaiser*s noble and 
 truly Christian spirit. 
 
 It was on Friday, the 16th of August, the day after the brilliant 
 celebration of Ascension day. The officers rode up to the court- 
 house and the two executioners and their servants entered the 
 building. The executioners asked "What is your name?" Answer, 
 "My name is Leonard." The executioner said, "I can not tell you 
 much and teach you, you know how to conduct yourself; I must 
 carry out the command of my sovereign." Leonard 'replied, "Dear
 
 — 23 — 
 
 friend, I do not need your instruction, do what you are commanded 
 to do," and saying these words he stretched forth his hands, which 
 they bound securely, and so they led him away. "But what shall 
 I write," says an eyewitness, "I have never seen such earnestness 
 and fervency in any man. He lifted his face high, raised his breast, 
 and his mouth spoke psalms in Latin so rapidly that the words 
 almost touched each others' heels. 
 
 When he saw the multitude encircling the place of execution 
 he exclaimed, "There is the harvest, and the harvesters are needed. 
 Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers 
 into His harvest." He pitied the people who in their spiritual dark- 
 ness had come to see an accursed heretic die. Standing very erect 
 he looked round about him, and his last words before he approached 
 the pyre were words of forgiveness. First of all he forgave those 
 who had brought him here, and prayed that God would likewise 
 forgive him. Then he besought the people to help him pray for 
 his enemies. He asked to be forgiven if by his talk and example 
 (when formerly he did not preach right, sitting in the darkness of 
 popery) he had offended anybody. Finally he exhorted those present 
 to pray for him that he might die in a firm Christian faith, and 
 he prayed for those "who were not yet enlightened." 
 
 The judge did not allow him to say any more but called to 
 the executioner, "Put an end to it, you know what you are com : 
 manded to do." Kaiser rapidly took off his upper garment, ascended 
 the pyre, and lay down in a hollow. While he was being tied to the 
 stake he requested the people to sing, "Come, Holy Spirit," at the 
 lighting of the fire. And so it was done; when the flames shot up, 
 the multitude standing about, shocked by the heartrending sight, 
 began to sing. Out of the flame the burning man, his voice half 
 smothered with smoke, was heard, saying, "Jesus, I am Thine, 
 save me." 
 
 So Kaiser died; one of the noblest martyrs of the Reformation. 
 His ashes was partly taken by friends for remembrance, partly 
 thrown into the River Inn, partly scattered by the wind. The fame 
 of his glorious death spread far and wide into the remotest corners 
 of Germany, and still spreads to-day. 
 
 Through a friend of Kaiser's Michael Stifel, Luther was notified 
 of the circumstances that attended the last hours and the death 
 of the blessed martyr, and on the 8th of October, 1527, Luther wrote 
 to Stifel as follows: 
 
 "Grace and peace in Christ. I have received the record of the 
 sainted man, Mr. Leonard Kaiser, written by you. O wretched man 
 that I am, altogether unlike Mr. Leonard. I do no more than teach 
 and preach the Word and speak and write of it with many words; 
 but he has proven himself a true and mighty doer of that Word. 
 O that God could count me worthy that not a double but only a 
 half portion of Leonard's spirit be upon me, that I might overcome 
 Satan, I would then willingly yield up this life. Praise be to God
 
 — 24 — 
 
 who has granted us unworthy ones to see amidst monsters such 
 glorious sight and splendor of his grace in this blessed man. so 
 that we might know that He has by no means forsaken us. Christ, 
 our dear Lord, grant that we may become followers of this blessed 
 Leonard. He is entitled to be called 'Kaiser' and bear such name 
 with honor, for he has overcome him whose power is so great, 
 that no power on earth can be compared with his. Besides, he is 
 not only a priest but a real bishop, for he gave his own body as 
 a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God. He also deserves 
 the name "Leonhardt"*, which is Lionheart, for he has shown him- 
 self as a strong and fearless lion. Both his names were foreordained 
 of God, and he is the first who has fulfilled and confirmed the name 
 of his family.'' 
 
 T8T 
 
 *) The German spelling of the name Leonard.
 
 4. Argula of Grumbach, "The German Deborah 
 of the Reformation." 
 
 Leonard Kaiser was not the only victim of the persecution 
 which Duke William brought upon Bavaria. Many were compelled, 
 even after they had recanted, to leave their homes and roam as 
 exiles in a strange land, and whoever would not recant, was deliv- 
 ered to the executioner. In Munich alone twenty-nine were exe- 
 cuted at one time, and sixteen at Landsberg, because they had 
 spread Luther's doctrine. At this time there lived a woman whose 
 faithful testimony we shall now tell of. 
 
 Argula von Grumbach, whose maiden name was Von 
 Stauffen, was born about 1492. Her father, Baron von Stauffen, 
 was the son of a very distinguished Bavarian nobleman, and one 
 of the most chivalrous men of his time. He excelled in many a 
 knightly contest, and his prowess and skill have frequently won 
 for him the prize of victory. When Argula was just ten years 
 of age, her father made her a present of one of those translations 
 of the Bible which had been written before Luther's time, and 
 earnestly commanded her to read it diligently. But several monks 
 urged her not to follow her father's counsel, because the reading 
 of Scripture, they said, was a dangerous thing, and might seduce 
 her. But the Lord trained her early in the school of adversity to 
 give heed unto. His Word. Before she was quite grown up, she 
 lost both her parents within five days. She and the six other 
 children would have been left all alone and forsaken if Duke 
 William had not taken them to his court and provided for them. 
 So she was brought up by the duchess and learned "good behavior 
 and the fear of God." Whenever she thought of those days, she 
 said with heartfelt gratitude, "May God be her reward here in 
 time and hereafter in eternity." 
 
 At the duke's court she met a Franconian nobleman, Frederick 
 von Grumbach. Attracted by her beauty and intelligence, he wooed 
 and won her. Two sons and two daughters issued from this mar- 
 riage. 
 
 While Argula was busy in her new home as an active Martha, 
 she also, like Mary, engaged in heavenly things and diligently 
 sought the one thing needful. Luther's mighty voice had reached 
 her ear. She again took up her Bible, compared its contents with 
 Luther's writings, and was soon firmly convinced that the monk at 
 Wittenberg taught the truth of the Word of (lod. She was so 
 sure of the correctness of his doctrine, that she once spoke these 
 bold words: "And even if it would come to this, that Luther would
 
 — 26 — 
 
 recant his doctrine, yet would I not be moved. I build not on his 
 intellect, nor on mine or any man's, but on the true rock, which 
 is Christ." 
 
 Her conscience now constrained her to tell others of what 
 was filling her heart and mind, and soon a thing came to pass, 
 which caused her joyful faith to shine not only in her family circle, 
 but far beyond. On the 7th of September, 1523, a young man by 
 the name of Arsatius Seehofer, a native of Munich, was charged 
 with Lutheranism and arraigned before the inquisition at the Uni- 
 versity of Ingolstadt. Seehofer had heard Luther and Melanchthon 
 at Wittenberg, and had endeavored to spread the pure Word of 
 God. He had been promptly arrested and put in prison. He was 
 released only at the Duke's special command. Seehofer was a young 
 man, and weak in faith. He allowed himself to be intimidated by 
 the inquisitors, who threatened to burn him at the stake, and he 
 obeyed when commanded to declare that all he had said and 
 written was " a real arch-heresy and roguery." After this denial 
 tears rushed from his eyes, so that one of the judges remarked 
 that he was apparently still a heretic. 
 
 When Argula was informed of this occurrence by a traveler 
 from Munich, she was filled with holy indignation at the manner 
 in which they had treated "a mere child of eighteen." She hoped 
 that good and learned men, whose wrath, like hers, was kindled 
 against "those hardened and darkened minds," would take the im- 
 prisoned youth's part by writing in his defense. She waited one 
 week, downhearted and despondent. But when even now she saw 
 no man "who would or dared speak," she gathered courage and 
 wrote her famous letter of rebuke to the school at Ingolstadt. 
 
 She was fully convinced that she was not only justified in 
 taking this step, but that it was her duty according to Scripture, 
 which says to all, regardless of sex, that they should confess Christ 
 before the world. Her faith beams bright and strong in the letter 
 she sent to the university. She wrote in part as follows: "How 
 will you prosper with your great university, since you act so fool- 
 ishly and violently against the Word of God and employ force 
 to stop the holy Gospel, and also deny it, as you did by making 
 Arsatius Seehofer swear such an oath and forced him by imprison- 
 ment and by threatening with fire to deny Christ and his Word? 
 Indeed, when I think of it, my heart and all my members tremble. 
 What do Luther and Melanchton teach you but the Word of God? 
 You condemn them without having convicted them ; did Christ or his 
 Apostles teach you that? Show me where it is written. You great 
 scholars, I find nowhere in the Bible that Christ or His Apostles 
 murdered, burned, imprisoned. You cannot thrust God and His 
 Prophets and Apostles out of heaven, nor can you drive them out 
 of the world; it will not come to pass. You hypocrites, you have 
 brought to nought the commandments of God by your ordinances, 
 but teaching for doctrines the commandments of men is worship-
 
 — 27 — 
 
 ping in vain." In conclusion she challenges the university to state 
 to her in writing which of Luther's articles were considered heretical, 
 but at the same time she offers to give account, preferably in the 
 presence of the princes and the whole community, of her faith, 
 being not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and not afraid of the 
 great scholars. "I don't know Latin," she wrote, "but you know 
 German, having been born and reared in that tongue." One of 
 the last sentences in the remarkable letter is, "Return, return unto 
 the Lord, for He is kind and merciful." 
 
 The contents of that message soon became known. To guard 
 against misstatements and misinterpretations she sent a copy of 
 the letter to the authorities of the city of Ingolstadt. With the 
 copy she sent a note stating that as a Christian, who in baptism 
 renounced the devil, she had done only her duty in writing the 
 letter, and that she was not afraid of her enemies, and would, if 
 it should come to that, suffer death for Christ's sake. 
 
 Neither the town council nor the university sent Argula a 
 reply. And what became of the young man for whom she had 
 intervened? Seehofer suffered pangs of conscience for having re- 
 canted. After having made his escape from prison he at once 
 hastened to Wittenberg, and with tears he told Luther of his weak- 
 ness and downfall. Luther was convinced of the broken-hearted 
 sinner's sincerity and sent him to the grand-master of Prussia, 
 where he preached the Gospel for a year and a half. Later he 
 was the town-preacher at Winnenden, Wuerttemberg, where after 
 six months of faithful service he died peacefully in the Lord. He 
 was a son of rich parents, who cast him out and disinherited him 
 on account of his Lutheran faith. He suffered this patiently and 
 mentioned his parents only with kind consideration, saying that 
 they cast him off for fear of their sovereign. 
 
 Argula begged Duke William soon after her first confession 
 to let the Gospel have free course in his land. But she was soon 
 in a dangerous position. The mighty chancellor von Eck advised 
 the duke that the laws against the Lutheran heresy must be applied 
 to Argula even though she be a woman. Her husband was no 
 support to her. Though he did not immure her, as Roman friends 
 advised him to do, he let her feel what shame she brought upon 
 him and his family by adhering to the Lutheran faith. Argula 
 was aware that perhaps she would have to seal her faith with a 
 martyr's death. She wrote to a cousin, "Even if it came to this 
 that I would perish on account of it, yet would I have grace; as 
 
 a precious jewel would my s-oul be to God, the Lord My little 
 
 ones will be in the Lord's care, He will feed and clothe them: He 
 has promised. He cannot lie." 
 
 She exchanged letters with the Wittenbergers. In the year 
 1 H 2 4 she began to correspond with the groat Reformer himself. 
 Luther wrote of her in a letter to Spalatin, "From the accom- 
 panying letter of our Argula you will see what the godly woman 
 has to bear and suffer." She said of Luther, "He has begotten
 
 — 28 — 
 
 me again through the Word of God," and she also stated that 
 she wished Luther the reward of God in time and eternity for his 
 translation of the Bible and everything that God had done through 
 him. Toward the end of the year 1524 she advised the Doctor 
 to enter into the holy state of matrimony for a testimony against 
 the "devil's doctrine" (1 Tim. 4, If) forbidding the priests to marry. 
 She became more closely acquainted with him when during the 
 Diet at Augsburg she visited him several times at Coburg and was 
 richly comforted by him. She also spoke words of encouragement 
 to those who at that memorable Diet presented their confession. 
 At that time she wrote to Spalatin, "Pear not, it is God's matter; 
 He that has begun it in us without our aid will know how to 
 protect us; He that keeps Israel will not sleep; the matter is His; 
 He will still the strife and bring it to an expected end." 
 
 Because she could not be induced by warnings and threats 
 to desist from confessing and spreading Luther's doctrine, she was 
 banished from the country, and her son, Hans Georg, was dis- 
 charged from the duke's service. She had long anticipated these 
 consequences and had said years before, "We must leave father, 
 mother, brother, sister, children, goods, and our very life." Nothing 
 is known of her later trials. She went to Franconia, where, on 
 evangelical soil, her weary pilgrimage came to a close. She died 
 in 1554 at Zeilitzheim, near Schweinfurt, and was buried there. 
 Even after her death, a Jesuit by the name of Getzen called her 
 "a Lutheran fury." We honor her memory as that of a great 
 woman and a good soldier of Jesus Christ. She has been held in 
 esteemed remembrance from the early times of the Lutheran church. 
 Ludwig Rabus mentions her in his "Book of Martyrs," of 155 6, 
 "because she openly confessed her faith in the face of danger." 
 By a later historian she has been called "the German Deborah of 
 the Reformation." 
 
 W
 
 5. How France Drowned the Reformation in Blood. 
 
 Luther's doctrine very soon spread from Germany over to 
 France and as early as 1521 there was a small Lutheran congre- 
 gation at Meaux, which soon exerted a wholesome influence upo.n 
 the surrounding country and became the mother congregation of 
 the Lutheran church in France, which still exists to-day. So the 
 light of the Gospel had been lighted through Luther in far away 
 France and shone bright far and wide. The sprouting seed of the 
 Reformation grew from day to day, and those that rallied so 
 enthusiastically to the banner of Christ were mostly people of 
 rank and distinction. The very noblest of the nation turned to 
 the new doctrine and showed their willingness to suffer and to 
 die for the same. 
 
 It seemed at first as if the Gospel could spread in France 
 without much opposition. It was even hoped that by and by all 
 of France would turn to the light. Yet it pleased God in His 
 providence to lead the French protestant through centuries of ter- 
 rible oppression and persecutions. 
 
 Duprat, the king's minister, a monster in human form, and 
 Louise of Savoy, the kings immoral mother-in-law, had resolved 
 to entirely exterminate the adherents of Luther. King Francis I 
 joined the wicked alliance, and the fourth scoundrel in the con- 
 federacy was Noel Beda, a professor at the University of Paris. The 
 last named was the most rabid of them all in the movement 
 against the Lutherans, and the very thought of burning them at 
 the stake filled his heart with murderous joy. He started with 
 Luther's writings, which were solemnly condemned by the uni- 
 versity, and burned them on the charge that they were full of 
 errors and a public menace. The persecution was then carried 
 farther. It was now directed against the poorer class of the people, 
 commonly known as the working class, who had longed for a doc- 
 trine that could satisfy their soul, and had joyfully accepted the 
 pure Gospel as preached by Luther. But in France also there were 
 men of prominence among those that gladly turned to the truth, 
 and the man of whom we desire to make special mention here is 
 Lefevre, or F a b e r, Doctor of Divinity at Paris. Against him 
 the enemies of the evangelical faith directed their fiercest attacks. 
 
 Lefevre was born in north-eastern France, in 1455. Though 
 small of stature and of no imposing appearance, he captivated his 
 hearers by his powerful oratory. He was a confirmed papist and 
 in spite of his learning believed all the Roman doctrines and the 
 silliest stories about the saints. He had read the Bible only super- 
 ficially. One day, however, he chanced to read the letters of St.
 
 — 30 — 
 
 Paul, and suddenly his eyes were opened, and he saw the truth. 
 He had now found the very center of the Gospel. "The just shall 
 live by his faith" was henceforth the doctrine that filled and 
 moved his heart, and he at once communicated to his students 
 the blessed truth he had found. Many of them were converted 
 and firmly believed the word that sinners are justified freely by 
 God's grace, through faith in Christ. Brissonnet, the bishop of 
 Meaux, also turned to the Gospel and permitted it to be preached 
 in his territory. The new doctrine reached even the royal court. 
 In spite of Duprat, Beda, and Louise of Savoy, these furious ene- 
 mies of the truth, the noblest of the kingdom gathered under the 
 cross of Christ. One of this circle of believing souls was Mar- 
 garet, queen of Navarre, sister of Francis I, who had read Luther's 
 writings and had thereby become convinced of the truth. 
 
 When Duprat and Louise of Savoy began to persecute the 
 French "heretics," Lefevre had to flee from Paris. He found a 
 place of refuge at Meaux, and it was due to his burning zeal that 
 flourishing congregations sprang up about Metz and Meaux. In 
 1522 he translated the New Testament into French, and soon after 
 that the Psalms. The pure Gospel was soon read with great joy 
 by all classes of the people. The report of this movement reached 
 Rome and filled the pope with wrath and terror. He was horri- 
 fied at the thought that all France would become faithless to him 
 and hurriedly called upon Francis I to destroy the heretics with 
 fire and sword. The king did not hesitate to comply with the 
 pope's order, and the persecutions now became very intense and 
 bitter ; the seed of the divine Word was sown amid blood and tears. 
 
 Severe measures were resorted to at Meaux as early as 1522. 
 Lefevre and his assistant preachers were forced to flee, and the 
 weak bishop Brissonnet was compelled by cruel threats to cease 
 from preaching the Gospel. After the faithful preachers had thus 
 been removed, the mendicant monks again took charge of the 
 preaching and did all they could to extinguish the bright light 
 of salvation which had just begun to shine in the hearts of the 
 Christians. All their efforts, however, could not succeed in ex- 
 tirpating the good seed of the truth which' had been happily sown 
 and was already sprouting. When these Lutherans saw that the 
 public preaching of the truth was no longer permitted, they met 
 for worship secretly, as the first Christians did, when they were per- 
 secuted. These French Christians held their services in private 
 houses, in caves, now and then in a vineyard or in the woods, which- 
 ever seemed safest under the circumstances. Whoever was best 
 versed in Scripture acted as preacher and comforted, instructed, 
 and admonished the others with the Word of God. So they waited 
 and hoped for a long time that the storm should blow over and 
 all France accept the Gospel. But when the church showed no 
 inclination to discard the popish heresy, some of them resolved to 
 establish the Christian ministry in their midst. They chose a wool 
 worker by the name of Pierre le Clerc, a man well read in Scripture,
 
 — 31 — 
 
 to be their pastor. He faithfully performed the duties of the min- 
 istry which was committed unto him. Every Sunday and on festival 
 days the congregation met at the home of a very old Christian 
 man named Etienne Mangin. First Le Clerc expounded the Scrip- 
 tures according to the measure of grace which had been given 
 him, then the assembly united in prayer and sang the psalms and 
 other spiritual songs. After having joined in confessing that they 
 would completely break away from the error of the popish church, 
 they all partook of the Lord's Supper according to our Master's 
 institution. 
 
 JACOBUS FABER, JhyMifoists. 
 
 Le Fevre. 
 
 The little congregation soon grew so large that there were 
 frequently more than three hundred men, women, and children 
 in attendance. They came not only from the city of Meaux, but 
 also from surrounding villages, some of them many miles distant. 
 
 Chiefly through the efforts of Christian laymen, as for in- 
 stance Pierre le Clerc, a blessed springtime of Christian life blos- 
 somed in France. The Gospel as preached by Luther was spread 
 in the land, though mostly in secret, and everywhere hearts were 
 turned to the only Savior Jesus Christ and found peace in him. 
 
 Of course, the larger the number of believers grew, the more 
 they became known. The first one to suffer death for bearing wit-
 
 — 32 — 
 
 ness to the Lutheran doctrine was a brother of Pierre le Clerc; 
 his name was Jean. He was one of the most zealous members of 
 the congregation at Meaux and although, like his brother, he was 
 only a wool worker, he went from house to house and encouraged 
 the believers to remain faithful. He even wrote a declaration 
 against the Antichrist at Rome and nailed it to the door of the 
 cathedral. This attracted the attention of the monks, and he was 
 arrested. He was not given much time for his defense, but judg- 
 ment was quickly pronounced that he should be whipped through 
 the streets of the town for three days, and then branded on the 
 forehead. This did not frighten Le Clerc in the least. Calmly he 
 gave his back to the scourgers. Blood literally flowed in streams 
 from the abused body and .marked the streets through which the 
 martyr was led. , When on the fourth day a red hot iron was 
 pressed on his brow, a scream was heard in the multitude. It was 
 the sufferer's mother, who in this way gave vent to her grief. She 
 soon recovered herself and said with trembling voice, "May Christ 
 live, and His sign.'' 
 
 The branded hero now went to Metz, where he worked at his 
 trade and besides strove to win souls for the Gospel. One day 
 the young man was misled by his impetuous zeal to destroy the 
 pictures consecrated to Mary during the festival celebrated in the 
 Virgin's honor. Who will describe the fury of the people! The 
 perpetrator was soon detected and punishment by fire meted out. 
 He was not simply burned to death, but to amuse the spectators 
 his tormentors pinched off his members one after the other with 
 iron tongs. Throughout these dreadful tortures Le Clerc remained 
 calm and cheerful and prayed aloud the 115th Psalm. When he 
 spoke the 9th verse, "O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their 
 help and their shield," his voice failed. Slowly roasted by fire, 
 the first martyr of France entered into the joy of his Lord. He 
 died on the 22d of July, 1524. 
 
 In the meantime William Parel, a scholar of Lefevre, was 
 spreading the Reformation in southern Prance with burning zeal. 
 He soon won Anemond de Coct, of whom Luther wrote later, "This 
 Prench knight is an excellent, learned, and pious man, and won- 
 derfully zealous for the Gospel." Untiringly the two friends worked 
 for the pure doctrine, and it seemed as if the city of Lyons had 
 been destined to become the evangelical camp. But this was not 
 to be. Again the heroic confessors had to flee. Farel went to Basel, 
 Anemond de Coct to Wittenberg to become acquainted with Luther. 
 The great Reformer was delighted with the winning ways of the 
 Frenchman, who was also well satisfied with his visit at Witten- 
 berg. 
 
 De Coct now translated the best reformatory writings into 
 French and saw that they were printed. With these books and 
 Lefevre's translation of the Xew Testament agents went from house 
 to house in France and so scattered the seed of the divine Word. 
 De Coct's death occurred in 1525, and after his death a violent per-
 
 — 33 — 
 
 secution took place. The first victims of the new slaughter were 
 Wolfgang Schuch, Dyonisius of Rieux, Ludwig Berquin, and a her- 
 mit of Ivoy. When the pyre of the latter was burning, there was 
 among the multitude of the spectators a young man who with a 
 piercing gaze was looking intently at the cheerful face of the mar- 
 tyr. The youth was John Calvin, who at that time was still in 
 the snares of popery and yet was deeply shocked when the doomed 
 man bowed his head in death, saying, "I die believing in my Lord 
 Jesus Christ." 
 
 A Lutheran Martyr's Death, 
 
 One of the first martyrs of the French Reformation was Wolf- 
 gang Schuch, whose name we have mentioned, a native of Germany, 
 who had published the pure doctrine in a city of Lorraine. When 
 the Parisian clergy had heard of this, they demanded of the Lor- 
 raine authorities that they deliver the heretic. When the refusal 
 to give up Schuch was met with threats to destroy the city, Schuch 
 gave himself up to his persecutors, who at once sentenced him to 
 death. Calmly and cheerfully, as if he had received a pleasant 
 invitation, the martyr replied to the announcement of the verdict 
 by saying: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into 
 the house of the Lord," (Ps. 122.) On the 9th of August, 1525, 
 he was burned to death at Xancy. When the names covered him
 
 — 34 — 
 
 he prayed with a loud voice, "Have mercy upon me, O God, accord- 
 ing to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy 
 tender mercies blot out my transgressions." With this prayer he 
 entered into the joy of his Lord. 
 
 About the same time another heroic witness, Louis de Berquin, 
 remained faithful to a martyr's death. He was born about 1.490, 
 and was reared in catholic piety. When he grew up and took 
 notice of the evils of his time, his honest heart rebelled against 
 the hypocrisy and the bad life of many of the priests. Still he 
 was far from severing his connection with the French church. 
 When the news of Martin Luther's activity reached France, he did 
 not feel inclined to support the cause of the bold monk at Witten- 
 berg. He still believed the church could be reformed by improv- 
 ing the morals of the priests ; he still adhered to the catholic doc- 
 trine. But he changed his mind when he started to read the Bible. 
 Later on he procured Luther's writings, which in spite of man- 
 dates forbidding their importation were brought in large shipments 
 into France. He found what he had long sought: enlightenment 
 on doubtful points and rest for his conscience. The work of Luther, 
 which at first he condemned, he resolved ardently to further. What 
 caused this change was chiefly the doctrine of a sinner's justifi- 
 cation alone by faith, so powerfully taught by Luther, and now 
 so clearly seen in Scripture by Berquin himself. 
 
 Berquin was desirous of giving others the knowledge of sal- 
 vation which he had received. He. therefore translated a few of 
 Luther's writings into French. Even though these translations 
 were not printed, but distributed only in manuscript copies, some 
 of them came into the hands of enemies. The doctors at the uni- 
 versity denounced Berquin as a heretic. When Noel Beda, that 
 bitter enemy of the truth, had a search made of all the homes of 
 people suspected of being Lutherans, Berquin's house was also 
 entered and his books and manuscripts confiscated. The perse- 
 cutors were very wroth when they found that Berquin not only 
 had some of Luther's works in his possession, but had written 
 notes in the margins of these books, indicating that he had studied 
 them and accepted their teachings. At one place he had written, 
 "Faith justifies, that is, faith is a cause of our justification. Not 
 the holy Virgin is our hope and our life, but Christ only." In the 
 opinion of the Roman church every one who believed that doctrine 
 was a firebrand of hell. This Berquin must be a horrible heretic, 
 they thought. On June 2 6th, 1523,the doctors of the university 
 brought in the verdict that those sentences must be condemned, 
 all of Luther's books found in France must be burned, and Berquin 
 must recant, refrain from further writing, and remain in his station 
 as a layman and not meddle with theological questions. Those 
 men would not tolerate that anybody sought the salvation of his 
 soul and peace of conscience anywhere but in their miserable wis- 
 dom. Berquin refused to recant. Long discussions followed. Once 
 he was imprisoned, and again was given his liberty. Soon after,
 
 — 35 — 
 
 the chancellor Duprat, that hitter enemy of the evangelical faith, 
 called a great synodical meeting for the purpose of passing judg- 
 ment on Luther's heresies. The synod solemnly condemned Luther's 
 teachings, prohibited the sale and use of his translation of the 
 Bible, and ordered the authorities to punish all heretics. Berquin 
 was again accused. On account of his prominence, twelve council- 
 lors instead of four were appointed to investigate the case. They 
 passed the dreadful sentence that Berquin should witness the burn- 
 ing of his writings, and then his tongue should be pierced with 
 an iron instrument; after that, if he survived the torture, he should 
 be imprisoned for the rest of his life. He appealed to the king, 
 
 Burning the Writings of Luther and the Bible. 
 
 but to no purpose. Far from commuting the sentence of the coun- 
 cillors to one less severe, the judges rather made it more cruel 
 still by sentencing him to be burned at the stake. 
 
 Berquin had many friends among the Parisian scholars, who, 
 though they did not agree with him in doctrine, esteemed him 
 highly for his wonderful intellect. They came to him in prison 
 after the sentence of death had been published and begged him to 
 recant this time, as his death could benefit nobody, and he ought 
 to spare himself for better days. So the devil tempted him through 
 his friends to deny the truth. But Berquin remained firm, lie still 
 appealed to the king. The king was completely influenced by the 
 clergy, and so no help was to be expected from him. Berquin was
 
 — sa — 
 
 hopelessly doomed. On the 22d of April,1529, a pyre was built 
 on the Grave-Place. Six hundred soldiers were ordered to prevent 
 the prisoner's escape. The condemned man was conveyed to the 
 place of execution in a cart. His features betrayed no fear; he 
 seemed to be engaged in quiet meditation, "as if he were sitting 
 in his study with his books," as an eye-witness says. Quietly he 
 stepped from the cart. He addressed the people, but the shouting 
 of the soldiers and the monks drowned his voice. He was strangled 
 to death, and his body was burned. 
 
 Both the faithfulness of this French nobleman and the atrocity 
 of his tormentors made a deep impression upon the minds of the 
 people. Among the large number of glorious confessors in France 
 none shines brighter than Louis de Berquin. 
 
 T2T
 
 6. How the Gospel Light Came to 
 the Town of Verden. 
 
 On a sunny December day in the year 1525 the bells of the 
 old cathedral at Verden, Hannover, were ringing in a festival. It 
 was the festival of the immaculate conception of Mary. The peas- 
 ants from the villages were going to church. They were met by 
 a stranger who enquired where they were going. "To Verden," 
 they replied, "it is the festival of Mary." With a smile the stranger 
 answered, "The festival of Mary? She is a woman like other 
 women." The farmers did not understand him, and passed on. The 
 stranger was quite a young man, but his life had been one of varied 
 experience. John Bornemacher was his name. He had been 
 a monk in the convent of Walkenried, in the Harz Mountains, 
 where he had sought peace for his soul. He heard of Luther, the 
 herald of liberty, escaped from the cloister walls, and went to 
 Bremen. There he was joyfully received and was made the pastor 
 of a small church just outside the city. Being anxious to hear 
 Luther personally, he went to Wittenberg, where he found thousands 
 of people, who, like himself, were endued with the spirit of the 
 Reformation, all of them roused to holy enthusiasm by the burning 
 zeal of the great Reformer. Before his departure he had purchased 
 a great many of Luther's tracts to distribute among the people. He 
 had now reached Verden. 
 
 He entered the cathedral with the rest of the people. High 
 mass was over, and the bishop had left the church. The congre- 
 gation was still assembled, listening to a sermon. Mary was being 
 extolled as the mother of God (which she was) and as the holy, 
 sinless virgin (which she was not). Suddenly Bornemacher steps 
 to the front and contradicts the preacher. The people were amazed 
 and stepped back. Bornemacher, frightened at his own reckless- 
 ness in defending the truth, left the church and ran through the 
 city. Ashamed of his flight he soon returned and was about to 
 reenter the church, when he was captured, brought before the bish- 
 op and put on trial. He refused to give any account of himself. 
 To make him give the desired information the bishop called his 
 executioner and ordered him to torture the captive by pinching 
 him with hot irons. The man confessed; he admitted that he had 
 been at Wittenberg; that he had heard Luther, that he had read 
 and spread Luther's writings. That was enough; he was con- 
 demned as a heretic worthy of death. 
 
 To maintain a show of right, the court Luegenstein was as- 
 sembled to try the case. The preacher was taken from the prison
 
 — 38 — 
 
 and brought before the judges. Cheerfully he confessed his faith 
 in the saving power of the Gospel, and he received his sentence: 
 death by fire. 
 
 In a solemn procession the poor man was led to the place 
 of execution, which was outside the city, near the old castle by 
 the city's gate. The pyre was soon in readiness, and the condemned 
 man was tied to a ladder. The wood was set on fire and the heretic 
 cast into the fire. The crackling flames and the thick smoke 
 smothered his last prayer. A folk song of that time describes the 
 entire bloody and murderous procedure and closes with the follow- 
 ing words: 
 
 "If Christ were not already killed 
 He ought to come to Verden," 
 
 that is, the people of Verden would soon crucify the Savior him- 
 self, if they could lay hands on Him. 
 
 The bishop who instigated the killing of Bornemacher was 
 Duke Christopher of Brunswick, who as a mere boy was conse- 
 crated bishop of Verden. At the time of which we tell at the 
 beginning of this narrative he was a handsome, tall man, but with- 
 out faith and godliness, like so many prominent preachers in those 
 days. He was a man of ungovernable passion and pleasure-seeking 
 in the extreme. This young bishop of Verden was aware that the 
 church needed a reformation, but the reformation he had in mind 
 was nothing more than a reestablishment of old formalities, and 
 by insisting upon strict order in the church he endeavored to stay 
 the impending ruin. He demanded that the clergy officiating in 
 his cathedral lay aside their secular dress, and above all he ob- 
 jected to their wearing a beard. One of the reverend gentlemen 
 was threatened with being deprived of his income because he would 
 not dispense with his beard. The bishop further troubled the 
 priests with constant processions and vigils, and that without any 
 consideration for old age and physical infirmity. Whoever was 
 tardy was compelled to say five Paternosters and five Ave Marias 
 at the altar. In this way bishop Christopher tried to reform his 
 bishopric. He was willing also to set a good example in that sort 
 of reformation. When he stood before the altar in his priestly 
 garb, which his mother had made out of her bridal dress, his head 
 covered with a mitre, which she had adorned with her costliest 
 pearls and other gems, singing the mass with sonorous voice, he 
 considered himself in no wise lacking anything that enters into 
 the makeup of a model bishop. 
 
 The bishop was himself unconverted, and, of course converted 
 nobody by such means. The only thing that could do any good 
 was the pure, unadulterated, genuine Gospel, but he set himself 
 against that with all the energy of his will and put forth every 
 effort to keep it out of his bishopric. When Lutheranism had never- 
 theless found its way into many hearts even far beyond the limits 
 of his territory, he entered into an agreement with his clergy to 
 help each other and with united strength to stop the spreading
 
 — 39 — 
 
 of the Lutheran heresy. Poor Bornemacher had been the first 
 victim of this compact. In the years following his death the people 
 of Verden supported the emperor in his fight against the church 
 of the Reformation. — 
 
 Decades have passed since the first witness of the truth in the 
 bishopric of Verden was murdered. It is now the Christmas-tide 
 of the year 1557. There is a great commotion in the bishop's resi- 
 dence at Verden. Servants are running to and fro, boxes are being 
 hurriedly packed and placed on a wagon, over sixty horses are 
 ready saddled or hitched to conveyances — what does it all mean? 
 The bishop is preparing for a journey. Whereto? To Berlin. What, 
 an old man of sixty undertaking a journey from Verden to Berlin 
 in winter? It must be a matter of extraordinary importance to 
 induce a man of that age to undertake such a far trip at such 
 an unfavorable time of the year. What was the trouble? The 
 bishop was financially embarrassed. He had been short of money 
 all his life, and by this time he was head over heels in debt. His 
 desire to make show, his gorgeous apparel, his luxurious meals, 
 his expensive journeys, his lawsuits, his expeditions of war, all 
 this had cost an enormous amount of money. He had tried in 
 every possible way, by hook and crook, to secure the means where- 
 with to meet his obligations. He had mortgaged castles and estates, 
 made himself guilty of graft and embezzlement on a large scale, 
 and even plundered the common treasury and the private residences 
 of his priests. After the Diet at Augsburg he pawned his diamond- 
 covered headgear and his precious staff in order to get money for 
 his homeward journey. But now there was no possible way of 
 getting any more money; his credit was gone. So he resolved to 
 go to Berlin, where he hoped to be able to enter into an agree- 
 ment which would secure rest and comfort for his last days and 
 protection against the demands of his creditors. But he did not 
 get as far as Berlin. He took sick on the way, had to come down 
 from his horse and continue his journey in a wagon, and then had 
 to be taken out of the wagon and put to bed. An attack of suffo- 
 cation ended his life a few hours later. He was buried in his ca- 
 thedral. 
 
 Duke George of Brunswick was chosen as his successor. He 
 was a brother of the deceased, but the very opposite in character. 
 While Christopher had lived only for himself, George was self- 
 sacrificing, denied himself the comforts and some of the necessaries 
 of life, carefully supervised the management of his bishopric in all 
 its branches, and thus endeavored to restore to his land what an- 
 other had robbed. 
 
 From the beginning, when he first began to reign, George prom- 
 ised to tolerate the Lutheran religion in his land. He was personally 
 not far from accepting the truth and eventually did embrace the 
 Lutheran faith. This was brought about in the following manner. 
 
 One day in the year 15G3 there was a banquet at the bishop's 
 residence. The bishop delighted in having his learned friends at
 
 — 40 — 
 
 his table and engaging with them in serious conversation. The 
 Augsburg Confession was also talked about. A goodly number of 
 his intimate friends were already on the side of the Augsburg Con- 
 fession. Suddenly one of the guests began boldly to praise the 
 Lutheran Confession and said it was a book in full harmony with 
 the Word of God and finally asked the bishop to examine the Con- 
 fession carefully and in the fear of God. And what was the re- 
 sult? The bishop read the Confession after the meal, he read it 
 again and for the third time, and became convinced that the popish 
 doctrine is flatly against Scripture and the Lutheran in perfect 
 harmony with it. He announced his changed position to the as- 
 sembled clergy, who were already so far advanced in the knowledge 
 of the truth that they gave a willing ear to the bishop's plea to 
 join hands with the workers for the cause of true Christianity. So 
 the bishop officially gave permission to introduce the article of 
 justification by faith, and to give the cup to the laity, and that the 
 clergy may marry. 
 
 The churches retained their old ornaments, the pictures of 
 saints and the various altars, and priests continued to wear their 
 garb, but the Holy Scriptures had taken the place of ordinances of 
 men as the only guide in all matters of doctrine and life, and con- 
 sequently the mass, pilgrimages, fastings, and similar practices 
 were soon things of the past. 
 
 When Bishop George felt his end approaching he requested 
 the Sacrament and partook of it in accordance with Christ's in- 
 stitution. He made the confession that he looked alone to Christ's 
 merits for a blessed end. He fell asleep on the 4th of December, 
 1566, and was deeply mourned by his subjects, who under his 
 rulership had enjoyed his protection and a peaceable life. He was 
 laid to rest in the cathedral beside his brother Christopher. The 
 two bodies are enclosed by a monument of sandstone, on the sur- 
 face of which their pictures are chiselled. 
 
 After the death of George there were efficient preachers at 
 Verden. Most of the priests who still adhered to the pope had 
 died. The mass was abolished, and the Latin chants of the priests 
 were supplanted by Luther's German hymns. The preaching of 
 the pure Word of God was made the main part of the service. The 
 Lutheran liturgy was introduced on October ]0th, 15 68. A few 
 years later the Formula of Concord was adopted and signed by all 
 the preachers of the bishopric. The truth had won the victory at 
 Verden. 
 
 ^ST
 
 7. Patrick Hamilton, A Martyr of Royal Line. 
 
 A Scotchman of royal blood, who opened a path for the Gos- 
 pel in his home country and sealed his allegiance to Luther's doc- 
 trine with his blood is surely worthy of the monument that we 
 shall endeavor, by this brief biography, to erect in his honor. His 
 name was Patrick Hamilton. He was born near Glasgow, 
 about 1504. His father was Sir Patrick Hamilton, son of Lord of 
 Hamilton and Princess Mary, daughter of King James II of Scotland. 
 Sir Patrick was the first of Scottish knights when Scottish chivalry 
 was in the height of its glory. 
 
 Brought up among relatives of rank and refinement, Patrick 
 became distinguished for high breeding and courtesy and for an 
 intense love for all humanistic and liberal studies. By the grace 
 of God he not only became the first reformer of Scotland, but also 
 a martyr to the true doctrine. 
 
 When Hamilton was only fourteen years old, the influence of 
 his powerful family made him Abbot of Ferae, and the revenues 
 gave him means to study abroad. He entered the college of Mon- 
 taigu in Paris, and in 1520 he became a Master of Arts. During 
 Hamilton's residence in Paris, Luther was much talked of in that 
 city. "An impulse was propagated in the University . . . the strong 
 hand of Luther knocked violently at its gates, and the sound went 
 through all its studious halls and cloisters," says Lorimer. It was 
 chiefly the Disputation between Luther and Eck that caused such 
 a stir in Paris. The question in the controversy had been, whether 
 the pope had any preeminence over other bishops — which the Roman 
 church taught, and Luther denied. A great many copies of this 
 Disputation were brought to Paris, and the university was called 
 upon to examine the book and to render an opinion thereon. All 
 Europe waited anxiously for the decision, for the learned doctors 
 of the university were widely known among men of learning. The 
 university solemnly decreed, on the 15th of April, 1521, in the 
 presence of students from every country in Christendom, that 
 Luther was a heretic, and that his works should be publicly thrown 
 into the flames. This was done. 
 
 From Paris Hamilton went to the University of Louvain. He 
 returned to Scotland and became a member of the University of 
 St. Andrews, where he was later admitted in the Faculty of Arts. 
 St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical and literary capital of the king- 
 dom, the Vatican of Scotland. 
 
 At the end of 1524, books of Luther were brought into Scotland 
 and created a sensation, as they did everywhere. Gavin Dunbar, 
 the old bishop of Aberdeen, was the first to find it out. discovering
 
 — 42 — 
 
 one day a volume of Luther in his own town. As like discoveries 
 were made in St. Andrews, Linlithgow, and other places, the affair 
 was brought before Parliament. 
 
 On July 17th, 1525, the clergy procured the passing of the 
 following act, "Forasmuch as the damnable opinions and heresy 
 are spread in divers countries by the heretic Luther and his dis- 
 ciples, .... therefore, that no manner of person, stranger, that hap- 
 pens to arrive with the ships within any part of this realm, bring 
 with him any books or works of said Luther, his disciples or ser- 
 vants, dispute or rehearse his heresies or opinions, unless it be to 
 the confusion thereof, under pain of escheating of their ships and 
 goods, and putting of their persons in prison." In spite of these 
 and even more severe measures, the Lutheran doctrine spread very 
 rapidly throughout the land. Luther's tracts were distributed in 
 large numbers and many copies of Tyndale's translation of the 
 Bible found their way into Scottish homes and won Scottish hearts 
 for the Gospel. Only one thing was still wanting — the voice of 
 the living preacher. The first that God prepared and produced was 
 Patrick Hamilton. 
 
 In 1526 Hamilton began to declare openly his new convictions, 
 in the cathedral and elsewhere, and soon the report of his heresy 
 was carried to the ears of the archbishop. In 1527 Beaton made 
 an investigation and found that Hamilton was "inflamed with her- 
 esy, disputing, holding, and maintaining divers heresies of Martin 
 Luther and his followers, repugnant to the faith;" whereupon he 
 proceeded to have him formally summoned and accused. 
 
 Hamilton was not ready just yet for the crown of martyrdom, 
 and so he went to Germany and spent some time at Wittenberg, 
 where "he became familiar," says Knox, "with those lights and 
 notable servants of Jesus Christ at that time, Martin Luther, Philip 
 Melanchthon, and Francis Lambert." At Wittenberg the young 
 Scotch abbot found the monasteries deserted, and Luther, once a 
 monk, living happily in a few rooms of the empty Augustinian 
 cloister, with his new-married wife, a converted and fugitive nun, 
 Catharina von Bora. He saw the churches of the city purged of 
 the old superstitions. He heard the gospel-hymns of Luther sung 
 in loud and fervent chorus by crowded congregations. He saw the 
 excellent pastor, John Bugenhagen, standing in the pulpit of the 
 ancient parish church, preaching the Word of life. He listened 
 with admiration to the eloquence of Luther poured forth upon select 
 congregations of courtiers and academics from the pulpit of the 
 Castle Church. In both churches he saw the sacrament of the 
 Lord's body and blood administered to the communicants in both 
 kinds. Luther's New Testament was read everywhere. The little 
 city was crowded to inconvenience with the multitude of students 
 who flocked from all parts of Europe to sit at the feet of Luther 
 and Melanchthon. 
 
 When the pestilence broke out in Wittenberg, the Scots went 
 to Marburg for the opening of the new university, where they were
 
 — 43 — 
 
 enrolled as numbers 37, 38, and 39. Here Hamilton grew firmer 
 and firmer in the conviction that through the German reformers 
 the old truth of the Word of God was proclaimed anew. Lambert 
 said of Hamilton, "I can truly say that I have seldom met with 
 anyone who conversed on the Word of God with greater spirituality 
 and earnestness of feeling." 
 
 For a time Hamilton was a co-worker of the Englishman Tyn- 
 dale, who translated the Bible into English and was burned for 
 the Lutheran faith. In Marburg, where Tyndale had found refuge 
 
 Catherine von Bora. 
 
 From the Painting liy [,ucas Cran 
 
 when pursued by his enemies, he and Hamilton lived and labored 
 together. Hamilton at this time put forth a series of theses to be 
 publicly defended. From them it is clear that Hamilton was a close 
 student of Luther, especially of his "Freedom of a Christian Man". 
 Having read Luther, Hamilton became a Lutheran in doctrine; hav- 
 ing seen and talked with Luther, and lived for time in the element 
 which the great Reformer spread around him, Hamilton became a 
 Lutheran in spirit as well as in doctrine. The sight of Luther's firm 
 courage and constancy gave new strength to the young Scot, and he 
 could not long admire such a shining example of heroism of faith 
 without himself being converted into an evangelical hero. After six
 
 — 44 — 
 
 months in Lutheran Germany, Hamilton returned to Scotland, ready 
 to die for the Gospel. 
 
 He preached at Kincavel, and also in all the country round. In 
 consequence of his preaching the monks of Kelso complained of 
 "these evil times, in the increase of Lutheranism", and the canons of 
 Holyrood bewailed "these wretched Lutheran times". Soon after his 
 return to Scotland, Hamilton married a young lady of noble rank. 
 He wished to show, by deed as well as word, how entirely he had 
 cast off the usurped and oppressive tyranny of Rome. 
 
 A Lutheran missionary, with royal blood in his veins, was a 
 most dangerous heretic in Scotland. There was no time to be lost. 
 Archbishop Beaton took the first step by inviting Hamilton for a 
 conference with him at St. Andrews. Before he went, Hamilton told 
 his relatives that he had not long to live. But as Luther went to 
 Worms in spite of the dangers, to confess his faith, so Hamilton 
 went to St. Andrews in spite of dangers, to confess his faith. He 
 arrived about the middle of January, 1528, and had several private 
 conferences with the archbishop and his councillors. Alexander 
 Alane especially, a learned man and filled with burning zeal for 
 popery, made every effort to win back the apostate priest to the doc- 
 trines of Rome. But the young Lutheran divine proved more than a 
 match for the catholic scholar and sent him away to his study 
 shaken in his old faith. He became Hamilton's fervent admirer and 
 the first historian of his teaching, trial, and martyrdom. 
 
 Alexander Campbell, prior to the Dominicans, also often talked 
 with Hamilton and acknowledged the truth of his words. "Yes, the 
 church is in need of reformation in many ways", the prior said. But 
 later he betrayed and accused Hamilton. 
 
 When Beaton and his advisors thought they had gathered 
 enough material for Hamilton's conviction, they issued a summons 
 requiring him to appear before an assembly of clergymen on a cer- 
 tain day, to answer to the charge of holding and te'aching divers 
 heresies. Hamilton's friends begged him to flee. But, he said, he 
 had come thither to confirm the minds of the godly by his death as 
 a martyr to the truth, and to turn his back now would be to lay a 
 stumbling block in their path, and to cause some of them to fall. 
 An unsuccessful attempt was made to rescue him by force. An ap- 
 peal was made to the king, but the advice was coldly given "that the 
 reformer make his peace with the church". 
 
 Hamilton's thirteen articles of faith were submitted to a council 
 of theologians. Seven of these articles treat of the Lutheran doc- 
 trine of justification by faith, the other six treat of purgatory, auri- 
 cular confession, etc.; one declares the pope to be the Antichrist. 
 In a few days the council judged all the articles to be heretical. 
 This judgment was to be presented at a solemn meeting of the high- 
 est dignitaries of the church on the last day of February, 1528. 
 
 The captain of the castle with an armed band arrested Hamil- 
 ton. Everything was now ready for the last act of the tragedy. On
 
 — 45 — 
 
 the appointed day the people crowded to the cathedral at an early 
 hour, and the archbishop passed from the castle with a long train of 
 bishops, abbots, priors, and doctors, and took his seat on the chief 
 bench of the tribunal of heresy. Friar Campbell read the articles 
 with a loud voice and charged them one by one upon the prisoner 
 and argued that the articles were heretical; but Hamilton gently and 
 ably defended himself. 
 
 "Heretic"! Campbell exclaimed, "Thou saidst it was lawful for 
 all men to read the Word of God, and especially the New Testament". 
 
 The City Church. Wittenberi 
 
 Hamilton calmly answered, "I wot not if I said so; but I say 
 now it IS reason and lawful to all men that have souls to read the 
 Word of God, and that they are able to understand the same, and in 
 particular the latter will and testament of Jesus Christ, whereby 
 they may acknowledge their sins and repent of the same, and amend 
 their lives by faith and repentance, and come to the mercy of God 
 by Christ Jesus". 
 
 "Now, farther, thou sayest it is not lawful to worship imagery'*. 
 
 "I say no more than what God spake in the Second Command- 
 ment, 'Thou shalt not make any graven image; thou shalt not bow 
 down to them to worship them'."
 
 — 46 — 
 
 "Heretic! Thou sayest it is but lost labor to pray to or call 
 upon saints, and in particular on the blessed Virgin Mary, or John, 
 James, Peter, or Paul, as mediators to God for us". 
 
 "I say with Paul, 'There is no mediator betwixt God and man, 
 but Christ Jesus, His Son' ; and whatsoever they be who call or pray 
 to any saint departed, they spoil Christ Jesus of His office". 
 
 So the hearing went on, until finally the Dominican Campbell 
 turned to the judges, saying, "You hear he denies the institutions 
 of holy Kirk, and the authority of our holy father, the pope. I need 
 not to accuse him any more". 
 
 Such was Patrick Hamilton's noble confession in the face of 
 that hostile tribunal and large assembly. He spoke of the truth of 
 God and disguised nothing, though well aware what his plain speech 
 would cost him. 
 
 With unanimous consent of the judges, among whom, by the 
 way, were some grossly immoral men, and one boy of thirteen years, 
 the archbishop solemnly pronounced sentence, ". . . We have found 
 the same Magister Patrick many ways infamed with heresy, We 
 have found also that he hath affirmed, published, and taught divers 
 opinions of Luther and wicked heresies after that he was summoned 
 to appear before us and our council. . . . and therefore do we judge 
 and pronounce him to be delivered over to the secular power to be 
 punished, and his goods to be confiscated". The tribunal instantly 
 rose, and Hamilton was led back to prison under a guard several 
 thousand strong. The executioners at once prepared the stake at 
 which he was to be burned. 
 
 Followed by his servant and a few intimate friends, Hamilton 
 accompanied the captain with a quick step to the place of burning, 
 carrying in his right hand a copy of the four Gospels. He uncovered 
 his head, and, lifting up his eyes to heaven, addressed himself in 
 silent prayer to Him who alone could give him a martyr's strength 
 and victory. The book he gave to one of his friends; taking off his 
 cap and gown and other upper garments, he gave them to his ser- 
 vant, with the words: "This will not profit in the fire; they will 
 profit thee. After this, of me thou canst receive no commodity, 
 except the example of my death, which I pray thee bear in mind. 
 For albeit it be bitter to the flesh, and fearful before man, yet it 
 is the entrance to eternal life, which none shall possess that denies 
 Christ Jesus before this wicked generation." 
 
 The officials of the archbishop offered him his life if he would 
 recant his confession. "As to my confession, I will not deny it for 
 awe of your fire, for my confession and belief is in Christ Jesus. 
 Therefore I will not deny it; and I will rather be content that my 
 body burn in this fire for confession of my faith in Christ, than 
 my soul should burn in the fire of hell for denying the same. But 
 as to the sentence pronounced against me this day by the bishops 
 and doctors, I here, in the presence of you all, appeal contrary 
 the said sentence and judgment given against me, and take me to 
 the mercy of God."
 
 — 47 — 
 
 One writer says: "The servant of God entered in contemplation 
 and prayer to Almighty God to be merciful to the people who per- 
 secuted him, for there were many of them blinded in ignorance, 
 that they knew not what they did. He also besought Christ Jesus 
 to be Mediator for him to the Father, and that He would strenghten 
 him with His Holy Spirit, that he might steadfastly abide the cruel 
 pains and flames of fire prepared for him." 
 
 . ':' •" ' 
 
 III 
 
 I'liiversity of Wittenlierj 
 
 Will. Century engraving. 
 
 The martyr was bound to the stake with an iron chain. Fire 
 was now laid to the pile of wood and coals, and it exploded some 
 powder placed among thn fagots. The martyr's left hand and left 
 cheek were scorched by the explosion. Though thrice kindled, the 
 flames took no steady hold of the pile. It took some time to fetch 
 more wood and powder, and the martyr suffered terribly. Never- 
 theless he spoke words of comfort to the bystanders and addressed
 
 — 48 — 
 
 himself calmly to more than one of the friars, who molested him 
 with their cries, bidding him pray to the Virgin Mary. To one 
 he said with a smile, "You are late with your advice. If I had 
 chosen to recant, I need not have been here." Friar Campbell, his 
 betrayer and accuser, was foremost among his tormentors. To him 
 Hamilton at last said, "Wicked man! Thou knowest it is the truth 
 of God for which I now suffer. So much thou didst confess to 
 me in private, and thereupon I appeal thee to answer before the 
 judgment-seat of Christ." 
 
 Surrounded and devoured by fierce flames he still remembered 
 his widowed mother and commended her to the care of his friends, 
 as Christ on the cross commended his mother to John. When he 
 was nearly burned through the middle by the fiery chain, some 
 one wished a last sign if he had faith in the doctrine for which he 
 was dying. He raised three fingers of his half-consumed hand, 
 and held them up steadily till he died. His last words were, "How 
 long, Lord, shall darkness overwhelm this kingdom? How long 
 wilt Thou suffer this tyranny of men? Lord Jesus, receive my 
 spirit." 
 
 Hamilton was only twenty-four years old when he suffered 
 death for his Lutheran faith. The doctors of Louvain with cruel 
 joy thanked Beaton for his "services to faith" and congratulated 
 the University of St. Andrews upon the honors it had earned by 
 such an "edifying" display of Catholic zeal. At Marburg the grief 
 of the Reformers was equalled only by their admiration. 
 
 Hamilton's youth, his noble blood, his recent marriage, and 
 his unflinching courage moved the hearts of the spectators: "the 
 smoke of Patrick Hamilton infected all it blew on." "The faith 
 for which Hamilton died shall be our faith," the people said. And 
 so it was. Hamilton's doctrine lived after him and wrought with 
 a heavenlike virtue in the nation's heart, till it leavened the 
 whole lump. 
 
 The skippers of Leith were diligent importers of Lutheran 
 books and English New Testaments, and it was by the frequent 
 reading and hearing of these writings that the people, often coming 
 together under cover of night, were able to increase their knowl- 
 edge of divine truth, and to cherish and confirm their new and 
 better faith. To the north of St. Andrews, especially, many people 
 turned to Lutheranism. There still exists in that district a village 
 named Luthermoor. and Luther's Bridge, and Luther's Mill, and 
 Luther's Torrent, which falls into the North Esk. There Henry 
 Forrest, Scotland's second martyr, was bui-ned for his Lutheran 
 faith. The same judgement fell upon other confessors during the 
 following years, others saved their life by flight, losing all they 
 had. One of these was John MeAlpine, Prior to the monastery of 
 Perth, who fled to Wittenberg in 15 40 and became a friend of 
 Luther and Melanchthon. Upon their recommendation he was 
 made a professor of theology in the University of Copenhagen in 
 Denmark, and was one of the translators of the Bible into Danish.
 
 — 49 — 
 
 Thus streams of blessings flowed from Hamilton's noble confession 
 over Scotland and other countries. 
 
 Remarkable incidents occurred in the life of Alexander Alane, 
 whom we already know as one of Hamilton's opponents, who, 
 however, could not withstand the power of Hamilton's spirit and 
 eloquence. He spoke his mind regarding the cruelty displayed in 
 Hamilton's death. Archbishop Beaton laid a trap for him by ap- 
 pointing him preacher before a provincial synod of clergy in St. 
 Andrews. He preached on the duty of the clergy to feed the flock 
 and to set a good example. His words gave mortal offense to the 
 hearers, who in no wise were such pastors as they should have 
 been. Alane was put into a filthy dungeon, kicked on the head, 
 and almost killed. Friends helped him to escape on a ship ready 
 to sail for Germany. . He reached Wittenberg in 1533, where Me- 
 lanchthon changed his name to Alesius, that is, the Wanderer, and 
 from that time he was known as Alexander Alesius. At Witten- 
 berg he printed two eloquent epistles pleading with the king of 
 Scots to permit the reading of the Bible in the mother tongue. In 
 1535 he went to England. The king made him a teacher of theology 
 at Cambridge. In 1540 Elector Joachim II of Brandenburg made 
 him professor of theology at Frankfort, and later he accepted a 
 position as professor at the University of Leipzig. For several terms 
 he was even Rector of the University. Full of honors, he died 
 .March 17, 1565. 
 
 Patrick Hamilton's sister, Catherine, was arraigned before the 
 tribunal in the church of Holyrood, and pleaded her own cause 
 with great spirit and courage. She answered the priests very clever- 
 ly. Being questioned on the point of justification by works, she ans- 
 wered simply that she believed no person could be saved by his 
 works. The lawyer held a long discourse with her, telling her 
 that there were divers sorts of works, works of congruity and works 
 of condignity, in the application whereof he consumed much time. 
 The young woman growing thereupon into a chafe, cried out, "Work 
 here, work there, what kind of working is all this? I know per- 
 fectly that no works can save me but the works of Christ, my 
 Savior." The king was sitting on the bench and laughed heartily 
 at her answer; yet taking the gentlewoman aside, he moved her 
 to recant her opinions. She granted to his princely entreaties 
 what she had stoutly refused to the lawyer's arguments and sophis- 
 tical distinctions, and professing her submission to the authority 
 of the church, she was allowed to escape. But she again became 
 a Lutheran, for in 1539 we find her in England, an exile for her 
 faith. She was not the only fugitive from Scotland for her religion; 
 many others, some of the nobility, fled out of Scotland for reading 
 the Scripture; in English, saying that if they were taken they should 
 he put to execution. 
 
 But the progress of the Reformation could only be temporarily 
 halted. The most, striking and impressive proof of the gains made
 
 — 50 — 
 
 by the Lutheran movement in Scotland at the close of the Hamilton 
 period was shown in the passing of the Act of Parliament, March 
 15, 1543, which ordained "that it should be lawful to every man 
 to use the benefit of the translation which then they had of the 
 Bible and New Testament, together with the benefit of other treat- 
 ises containing wholesome doctrine." 
 
 Though later on fresh persecutions broke out for a time, this 
 law was never repealed. 
 
 T8T
 
 8. Antonius Corvinus, A Faithful Confessor of Christ. 
 
 The great blessings which we are enjoying in having the pure 
 Gospel is not due to the fighting of protestant armies with weapons 
 of steel, neither is it due to the shrewdness of wise statesmen, but 
 it is due, under God, to the men that were willing to sacrifice 
 liberty and life for the Gospel. Through much labor, through 
 great self-denial and personal sacrifice, the treasure of the Gospel 
 that we are enjoying in peace and quiet to-day, has become ours. 
 One of those noble men who labored and suffered for the cause 
 of the truth was Antonius Corvinus, of Calenberg-Goet- 
 tingen, Hannover. 
 
 For five years the excellent Duchess Elisabeth had acted as 
 guardian of her son Eric and during this time had succeeded in 
 establishing Lutheranism in Hannover. Her right hand man in 
 that work was Superintendent Corvinus, who labored untiringly 
 in Calenberg-Goettingen to bring about the desired reformation. 
 About 15 44 he wrote, "False worship is done away, the true is 
 introduced. The convents have the Word of God and are reformed. 
 The pulpits are being supplied, as much as possible, with pious 
 and proficient men. There is a willingness among the people to 
 reopen hospitals and to improve the sadly neglected schools, in 
 short, to do everything that might tend to the furthering of God's 
 Word and the upbuilding of his dear church." Corvin made every 
 possible effort, by calling synodical meetings, by visiting congre- 
 gations, by publishing an excellent book of sermons and other 
 writings, to furnish the people with an able ministry. The question 
 now was, how will young Prince Eric take to the change that the 
 churches of his realm had undergone? 
 
 This was soon to be seen. In the year 15 4 3 Elisabeth gave 
 the government into the hands of Eric, who had then reached his 
 majority. She dismissed him from her guardianship with loving, 
 motherly admonition. In a little book written for him with her 
 own hand she gave him most excellent advice. Above all, she 
 earnestly commended to his care the Word of God, and entreated 
 him to remain faithful to God. 
 
 Soon after he had taken charge of the government, Eric, con- 
 trary to the advice of his mother and his councillors, resolved to 
 attend the diet which Emperor Charles V had called to Regensburg. 
 This diet was called for the express purpose of devising ways and 
 means to remedy the split in the church. The protestants could 
 not help seeing that action was to be taken against them. The 
 object of the diet was to devise a way of totally extirpating the 
 Lutheran "heresy." With a heavy heart Elisabeth saw her son go.
 
 Before his departure for Regensburg, Eric was earnestly ad- 
 monished by the court-chaplain to stand up for the Gospel and to 
 remain firm ; he also partook of the Lord's Supper. The pastor 
 told him to sacrifice everything, even his life, rather than to depart 
 from the religion in which he had been brought up. It is remark- 
 able that Luther had a clearer insight into the young prince's 
 character than those who were much more closely associated with 
 him. After he had seen Eric, who with his mother had visited 
 Wittenberg, he wrote to Corvin: "The devil is crafty and very quick, 
 therefore cease not to pray and to admonish. It is to be feared 
 
 Knigrhts in Deadly Conflict. 
 
 Marble-relief on Tomb of Maximilian I. at Innsbruck. 
 
 that the young prince, if he will associate a great deal with our 
 adversaries, will by their great prominence be easily made to fall 
 away. Let me frankly tell you this." It happened just as Luther 
 had anticipated. 
 
 At Regensburg Eric went over to the side of Emperor Charles 
 V and the other enemies of the Reformation, though nominally 
 he was still a protestant prince. Soon after, he was appointed 
 commander of 2500 horsemen and some infantry. He did not then 
 return to the catholic church, but by accompanying the emperor 
 to mass he showed how little he cared for his Lutheran confession. 
 He believed that by taking the emperor's part he could gain polit- 
 ical advantages and. perhaps, achieve great honor.
 
 — 53 — 
 
 In the religious war that followed, Eric was ordered to be- 
 siege Bremen with the troops under his command. The city, how- 
 ever, offered brave resistance and asked the help of other cities 
 that were friendly to the Gospel. Hamburg, Lueneburg, Bruns- 
 wick, and Goettingen promptly came to the help of their sister-city. 
 When their army approached, Eric lifted the siege of Bremen and 
 went to meet the coming army. He met them at Drakenburg. 
 When the Lutheran soldiers saw the enemy, they fell on their knees 
 and sang, "In peace and joy I now depart." Their commander 
 told them to trust in God, and to give up, if necessary, property 
 and life for the pure doctrine. Then they rushed against the 
 enemy. It was the first time in this unhappy war that the prot- 
 estants realized that they were fighting for their faith, and they 
 gained the victory. Eric's army was routed; they left their weapons 
 behind, and Eric himself barely escaped alive. 
 
 German Soldiery. 1540. 
 
 Innraving by Hans Seliald Bcliam. 
 
 Still, there were dark days coming for the Gospel's cause. On 
 the 15th of May Charles V issued the so-called Interim. "Interim" 
 means "meanwhile." This Interim was a law governing in the 
 meantime all matters of religion, until a council of churches could 
 be called. This Interim was simply a suppression of the Word of 
 God. It prescribed the catholic doctrine in all the main points. 
 and so established the catholic religion in Germany. And Duke 
 Eric was one of the first of the protestant princes who accepted 
 the Interim and promised to subdue the protestant doctrine. He 
 went a step farther and himself turned back to the catholic faith. 
 He also tried to induce his wife Sidonia to depart from the Gospel 
 truth, but he did not succeed. She declared that she was deter- 
 mined to abide to the end of her days by the faith and doctrine
 
 — 54 — 
 
 which she was now confessing and that she would allow neither 
 pain nor pleasure, neither good nor ill fortune, to separate her 
 from the truth, but that she was willing to leave her home and 
 her people and all things on earth for conscience' sake. 
 
 Eric returned home with a feeling of estrangement from his 
 own people and their faith, embittered especially against his 
 mother and his wife. Mistrusting the Germans, he had surrounded 
 himself with Spaniards. Spaniards were his body-guard, Spaniards 
 were his councilors. 
 
 Spanish Soldiers in Germany. 
 
 A Contemporary Engraving. 
 
 His mother Elisabeth, with the faithful assistance of Corvinus, 
 led the opposition against the Interim in Eric's domain. In the 
 year 1549 she called the clergy of the land together for a synod 
 at Muenden. More than a hundred and forty were in attendance. 
 Elisabeth herself was present. Corvinus had brought with him 
 a declaration against the Interim, which was unanimously accepted 
 and signed by all. All solemnly promised to adhere to the Lutheran 
 doctrine. 
 
 Corvin made every effort to strengthen his brethren in their 
 confession. Preachers who had been driven away on account of 
 the Interim found counsel and help with Corvinus and Elisabeth, 
 among them Justus Jonas and Aquilla. A reward of one thousand 
 florins was offered for the latter's head. But soon Corvinus' own 
 faith was put to a severe test. 
 
 -—
 
 — 55 — 
 
 On November 2, 1549, Eric sent Spanish soldiers to seize Cor- 
 vinus in his home and to take him, together with Walter Hocker, 
 pastor at Pattenson, to Calenberg. The soldiers destroyed Cor- 
 vinus' valuable library, and led him away a prisoner. It seems 
 that the emperor himself had instigated the arrest, for Eric later 
 referred to "the command of imperial majesty," when speaking 
 of the outrage. 
 
 The prince believed it would be easy now to enforce the In- 
 terim, that is, to suppress the Lutheran doctrine. Ruthlessly he 
 went to work. Churches and convents were ordered to put the 
 discarded decorations back where they had been, to return to the 
 former clerical garb, and a visitation was instituted for the purpose 
 of introducing again the catholic usages in all the churches. Some 
 of the clergy submitted to this, others remained steadfast, and 
 were deposed. Spanish soldiers, like a hostile army, raged through- 
 out the land; all the German Bibles, catechisms, prayer-books, and 
 postils they could find were confiscated, torn to pieces, and burned. 
 
 We can imagine how all this made Elisabeth's heart bleed. 
 She had brought up Eric with great care, hoping he would protect 
 the Gospel and continue her life-work, the reformation of the 
 principality. And now her son had become an enemy of the Gospel 
 and did all he could to destroy the work of her hands. After 
 Corvinus' arrest she wrote to her son: "O God, comfort me, a poor, 
 miserable, sorrowful mother! What have I born into this world 
 and reared! To deny the known truth is a sin which is forgiven 
 neither in this world nor in the world to come. Surely, to insult 
 the poor servants of the Word, to drag them back and forth and 
 to treat them with utter contempt is to insult, capture, and afflict 
 Christ Jesus, our Mediator and Intercessor, who bore our sins. 
 For He says, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto them, ye have done 
 it to me.' "Oh," she emplored her son, "how can you cause me 
 this sorrow? Has every bit of faithfulness and faith left you? 
 If that is the kind of obedience you learned in Spain, then may 
 God have mercy on the honest Germans, who have been thus for- 
 saken by one of their native countrymen. I cannot write all that 
 ought to be written. Let me ask yet one thing of you, desist from 
 your wicked purpose, and send me a favorable answer. Give Cor- 
 vinus and Walter their liberty, and give them in my care . ... If 
 you do not want them here, and if you are determined to cast 
 Christ out of your land, do it not with such tyranny, but let 
 them depart with honor and grace." 
 
 At the same time Elisabeth wrote to Eric's councillors. She 
 sent them a copy of the letter to her son, and admonished them 
 to do all they could to the end that the captives be released. "If 
 there is a single drop of blood in you that loves Jesus Christ, 
 the crucified and only Savior of the world, we hereby beseech you 
 as Christians, be not so dumb, think of eternity, let this terrible 
 raging and mad endeavor touch your hearts, and help with the
 
 — 56 — 
 
 other cities and councillors to take the part of the innocent prison- 
 ers, and ask our son to release them." 
 
 The same day she sent the following letter of comfort to the 
 prisoners: "Be of good comfort, patient, steadfast, in your suffer- 
 ing, after the example of the crucified Savior, let nothing terrify 
 nor mislead you, but remain the called and chosen of Christ, and 
 thank the Lord Christ that you are not suffering as thieves, mur- 
 derers, evildoers, but that you are counted worthy to suffer such 
 persecution for the glory of Christ, for you will receive the glori- 
 ous, imperishable crown of eternal salvation. Oh, that this should 
 come upon you from him who is our own flesh and blood, and has 
 forgotten his honor and good name! But may you not waver; be 
 strong, and fight the good fight of confessing the pure faith and 
 the name of our only Savior Jesus Christ. Pray diligently and 
 commit the matter to the Almighty, He will help you wonderfully, 
 as he helped Peter." 
 
 The letter was never delivered to Corvinus. Eric ordered it 
 to be taken from the messenger. He did not even consider it 
 worthy of a word of reply to his mother. He demanded of Cor- 
 vinus to surrender the paper he had written against the Interim, 
 which had been submitted to a synod and was signed by over one 
 hundred and forty clergymen, as we have heard. Corvinus reported 
 Eric's demand to the duchess, but she refused to give up the paper, 
 and in her reply added a few words of comfort. She also wrote 
 the following words on a separate slip: "Dear Corvinus, I sym- 
 pathize with you. I should like to have written this entire letter 
 with my own hand, but I could not, being bed-ridden and ill, yet 
 I have dictated it to the writer, and in so doing have shed bitter 
 tears, which, no doubt, go through the clouds and to your God 
 and mine, who is our strength and power at the right hand of God." 
 
 The petitions in Corvinus' behalf, which arrived in large num- 
 bers from many cities, were gruffly rejected by Eric. He strictly 
 forbade his councillors to interfere in any way. Elisabeth became 
 seriously ill from grief. "Our son," she wrote to a friend,, "rages 
 worse than any papist ever did against the holy church of Christ, 
 he deposes preachers and reestablishes the old idolatry." 
 
 However, Eric's endeavors did not have the desired effect. In 
 the larger cities of his realm the Interim was simply ignored. To 
 get the necessary funds, he had to allow Goettingen and Hannover 
 free exercise of religion. In the convents the mass had again be- 
 come quite general, but there were not enough priests to take 
 the place of the Lutheran preachers who had been driven away, 
 and the consequence was that many congregations, especially in 
 the country, could get no priests and did not turn again to Catholi- 
 cism. In the year 1557 Eric went to Spain and discontinued every 
 communication with his mother and with his wife, Sidonia. 
 
 Corvinus was left behind, a prisoner. The captives at first were 
 roughly handled. Their dungeon was so damp that their clothes
 
 — 0/ — 
 
 rotted on their bodies. They were not permitted to communicate 
 in any way with the outside world. Later, it seems, they were 
 treated less severely. But the captivity, which had now lasted 
 several years, had undermined Corvinus' health. The physicians 
 declared he would soon die if he were not set free. Induced by 
 the urgent plea of the duchess, the councillors took courage and 
 approached the duke, telling him of Corvinus' illness and entreat- 
 ing him to give the prisoner his liberty, lest to Eric's shame he 
 die in the dungeon. The representatives of the nobility, at a 
 meeting in 1551. had also expressed the desire that Corvinus and 
 Walter Hocker be released from the long incarceration. Many 
 of the nobility offered to give bond for Corvinus. But all was 
 in vain. All Eric promised was to speak to the emperor for him. 
 
 At last, late in the fall of 1552, after three years of imprison- 
 ment, the hour of deliverance had come. Unexpectedly Eric re- 
 turned into his own country from Spain. He came to Calenberg, 
 and after a conversation with the prisoners promised them to give 
 them their liberty if they would solemnly promise to appear before 
 him in case he should call for them. A number of prominent and 
 rich men were required as guarantors that Corvinus and Walter 
 would do nothing to take revenge for the injustice they had suf- 
 fered, and so they were set at liberty. Corvinus at once notified 
 Elisabeth, and to the glad news he added the request: "We beg 
 most humbly that your royal grace would meet the duke motherly 
 and Christian-like and treat with leniency anything that might 
 tend to arouse bitterness, in order that the young heart may through 
 our moderation be more and more restored.*' Surely there was not 
 the least grudge in the heart of that great man. 
 
 Eric remained a stranger to Protestantism to the end of his 
 life, but his fight against the Gospel was lost. He declared before 
 a convention of the nobility at Hannover that he had ordered the 
 persecution of Lutheranism to the imperial command, but that 
 henceforth there should be no interference with the preaching of 
 the Lutheran confession in his principality. Soon after that, a 
 decree went out from him forbidding to oppress or even annoy 
 in any manner the adherents of the Lutheran faith. The deposed 
 preachers returned, Lutheran songs were again heard everywhere. 
 and the Lutheran order of service was reinstated. Eric gave the 
 direction of these church matters in charge of his mother, with 
 whom he was now fully reconciled. The Cospel had won the 
 victory. 
 
 Corvinus did not live to see the day. When the meeting at 
 Hannover marked the reconciliation, he had been two weeks in 
 his grave. The long captivity had totally undermined his health. 
 He had conn 1 to Hannover a sick man. He devoted his last feeble 
 strength to the writing of a prayer-book. On Wednesday after 
 Easter, the 5th of April, lie hade this world farewell.
 
 — 58 — 
 
 When the bells tolled at his funeral, Eric asked one of his 
 servants what all that tolling meant. The answer was, "They 
 are burying Corvinus." "Then," an old record says, "his Princely 
 Grace began to weep, and retired to his room, where he remained 
 over an hour." We can well imagine that bitter remorse filled 
 his heart. During the following years he wandered restlessly about, 
 until, in 158 4, he died in Pavia, unwept, a stranger in a strange 
 land. 
 
 TST
 
 9. Giovanni Mollio, An Italian Hero of 
 the Reformation. 
 
 In the beautiful Toscana region, near Siena, Italy, Giovanni 
 Mollio was born, towards the end of the last century before the 
 Reformation. His parents were poor, but he was endowed with 
 great intellectual gifts, and very early showed a thirst after knowl- 
 edge. The Franciscan Order at that time was reputed to give 
 a thorough scientific training, and so Giovanni joined this order. 
 He was prompted to take this step also by the care for his soul, 
 thinking he could find peace for his troubled conscience in the 
 solitude of cloister walls. 
 
 About this time the sweet notes of the new-awakened Gospel- 
 song were wafted from Germany over into sunny Italy and thrilled 
 many a heart with joy. Mollio was one of those who were mightily 
 stirred by the new tidings they heard. He, like many others, had 
 experienced that neither the rough monkish garb nor the strict 
 observance of the monastic rule could give rest to the soul. Neither 
 did he find peace in his scientific studies. At Milan he joined 
 the circles that sought edification in God's Word and were ministered 
 unto by evangelical preachers. Here his faith was mightily in- 
 creased and he gained those convictions for which he stood to the 
 end of his days. 
 
 Near the close of the year 1532, Giovanni was transferred to 
 Bologna, where Cardinal Campeggio resided, who had . advised 
 Charles V to "exterminate the poisonous weed of the evangelical 
 church with fire and sword." But even in this stronghold of popish 
 darkness there were in these days of the Reformation zealous and 
 brave friends of the truth, even among the professors of the in- 
 stitution at which Giovanni was teaching. Giovanni associated 
 .with those men and was so led deeper into the truth of the Gospel. 
 They realized the danger in which they were, as we see from a 
 circular letter that was written at Bologna and sent to the friends 
 of the Reformation in Italy, and which contains the sentence: "We 
 also know that, far from feeling bitter against the hateful charges 
 of heresy, you would rather consider yourselves fortunate and would 
 rejoice, if you were the first to suffer censure, shame, imprison- 
 ment, fire, sword, for Christ's name." 
 
 In Bologna Mollio lectured to appreciative audiences on the 
 Epistles of St. Paul. Since, however, the doctrine of justification 
 taught by St. Paul is at variance with the catholic doctrine of 
 meritorious works, indulgences, purgatory, etc., there was soon 
 strong opposition against Giovanni's lectures, and a quarrel arose
 
 — 60 — 
 
 between the factions. Cornelio, professor of mathematics, under- 
 took to engage in a public dispute with Mollio on the doctrine of 
 justification, but was soon put to confusion. He then accused 
 Mollio to the popish court of promulgating heresy. It is very re- 
 markable that even among the cardinals at the pope's court the 
 Lutheran doctrine had gained some recognition. Among those high 
 dignitaries Giovanni found some supporters and protectors, the 
 cardinals Contarini, Sadolet, Pole, and Fregoso. Mollio, who had 
 personally appeared at Rome and frankly stated his position, was 
 permitted to return to Bologna after the Roman tribunal had rend- 
 ered the opinion that his doctrine was Scriptural, but that, since 
 it could not be proclaimed without injury to the pope, he should 
 desist from lecturing on the Epistles of St. Paul, and should dis- 
 course on the philosophy of Aristotle instead. Mollio, however, 
 continued to teach the doctrine of a sinner's justification by faith. 
 Consequently Campeggio transferred him to the convent of San 
 Lorenzo at Naples, in the ye*ar 1538. 
 
 In Naples our faithful confessor found a circle of highly edu- 
 cated and refined men and women who discussed the doctrines of 
 Scripture among themselves and soon became enthusiastic adher- 
 ents to the truth. Their leader was the Spaniard Juan Valdez. 
 who now introduced Mollio into their society. In Naples Mollio 
 again lectured on the Epistles of St. Paul, and was gladly heard 
 by large assemblies. The people panted after the truth of the 
 Word of God, the water of life. When his friend and co-worker 
 Bernardino Ochino would preach in the cathedral, the large church 
 could not hold the throng that came to hear. An eye-witness of 
 this movement exclaimed, "Merciful God, what a rich outpouring 
 of God's Spirit!" 
 
 But, alas, these springtime blossoms of the Reformation in 
 Italy were withered by a burning blast that followed, — the 
 Inquisition. Indignation waxed stronger and stronger at the 
 continued reports that the heretical doctrine was publicly preached 
 in Naples. The discussions led by Valdez, the sermons of Ochino, 
 and Mollio's lectures, were listened to by spies, and every deviation 
 from the Roman doctrine was carefully noted and reported to Rome. 
 The condition of the Lutherans in Italy grew more hopeless from 
 day to day. Valdez died, Ochino left Naples with a few friends 
 and went to Switzerland, only Giovanni Mollio stayed at Naples 
 to strengthen the little congregation which had been flourishing so 
 happily. Now the enemies of the Reformation succeeded in con- 
 vincing the pope that the spreading of the Lutheran heresy could 
 be curbed only by the severest measures. The pope resolved to 
 introduce the Inquisition (1542), a special court for the sup- 
 pression of the evangelical doctrine. 
 
 Mollio was compelled to leave Naples. For ten years he was 
 watched, persecuted, imprisoned, by the Inquisition and its chief 
 supporters, the Jesuits. In 1553 he was captured and taken to
 
 — 61 — 
 
 Rome. On September 5th of the same year he was placed solemnly 
 on trial. With a burning torch in his hand he appeared before 
 the Inquisitors and confirmed with unshaken courage the doctrine 
 of justification alone by faith in Christ, the Mediator. He then 
 scored with flaming words the ungodliness and hypocrisy of his 
 judges. "The pope," he said, "is in no wise the successor of Christ 
 or Peter, nor is he the head of the church, but he is the true Anti- 
 christ, who with impudence assumed tyrannical power over the 
 church. Your church is not God's, but the real Babel. You des- 
 pise and reject with atrocious wickedness the Lord Christ and 
 
 ! l;\,\Vi',.\ »i; Imrtl.K *\ !'H ET f \ ViiA'l VX If T h >:\ 
 
 fgnace de Loyola. Founder of Hie Jesuit Order. 
 
 His Word. You do not really believe that there is a God in heaven. 
 You persecute and kill God's faithful servants. You deprive the 
 poor consciences of their freedom, and oppress them. I therefore 
 appeal my case from this miserable court to the judgment throne 
 of Christ at the last day. There you will be made to give strict 
 account of all your deeds and neglects, and unless you repent 
 you will have to burn forever in the fire of hell. As a token 
 of this warning take back the burning torch which you put in my 
 hand." 
 
 With these words he cast the burning torch before their feet. 
 Th;- cardinals and bishops gnashed their teeth with fury and com-
 
 — 62 — 
 
 manded that the man be removed from their sight. Then sen- 
 tence was passed upon Mollio and his fellow-sufferer, Tisserano, 
 that they should be hanged and their bodies burned. When Mollio 
 heard the sentence, he looked toward heaven and said, "O Jesus 
 Christ, my Savior, my highest Lord and my shepherd, there is 
 nothing on earth that could please me more than to shed my blood 
 for Thy name's sake!" 
 
 At the place of execution Mollio once more thanked his Re- 
 deemer that in unspeakable grace He had granted him the light 
 of His Word and had chosen him for a witness of the Gospel. Both 
 faithful witnesses were then hanged, and their bodies were burned 
 to ashes.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 1. "The First Lutheran." 3 
 
 2. Albrecht Duerer, Artist and Reformer S 
 
 3. Leonard Kaiser, a Bavarian Martyr of the Lutheran 
 
 Faith 16 
 
 4. Argula of Grumbach, "the German Deborah of the 
 
 Reformation 25 
 
 5. How France Drowned the Reformation in Blood 29 
 
 6. How the Gospel Light Came to the Town of Verden 37 
 
 7. Patrick Hamilton, a Martyr of Royal Line 41 
 
 S. Antonius Corvinus, a Faithful Confessor of Christ 51 
 
 9. Giovanni Mollio, an Italian Hero of the Reformation.. 5 9
 
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