The Holy Scripture - english version B.indd - Sabbat

222Dr. Martin Luther and the Reformersdawned. In the homes of the people, and in the cell of many a monk even, there wasjoy. „While those,“ says Mathesius, „who had entered the convents to seek a goodtable, a lazy life, or consideration and honour, heaped Luther’s name with revilings,those monks who lived in prayer, fasting, and mortification, gave thanks to God assoon as they heard the cry of that eagle which John Huss had foretold a centurybefore.“ The appearance of Luther gladdened the evening of the aged Reuchlin. Hehad had his own battles with the monks, and he was overjoyed when he saw an ablerchampion enter the lists to maintain the truth.The verdict of Erasmus on the affair is very characteristik. The Elector of Saxonyhaving asked him what he thought of it, the great scholar replied with his usualshrewdness, „Luther has committed two unpardonable crimes – he has attacked thePope’s tiara, and the bellies of she monks.“There were others whose fears predominated over their hopes, probably frompermitting their eyes to rest almost exclusively upon the difficulties. The historianKranz, of Hamburg, was on his death-bed when Luther’s „Theses“ were brought tohim. „Thou art (You are) right, brother Martin,“ exclaimed he on reading them, „butthou wilt (you will) not succeed. Poor monk, hie thee to thy (your) cell, and cry, ‘OGod, have pity on me.’“ An old priest of Hexter, in Westpfahlia, shook his head andexclaimed, „Dear brother Martin, if thou (you) succeed in overthrowing this purgatory,and all these paper-dealers, truly thou art (you are) a very great gentleman.“ Butothers, lifting their eyes higher, saw the hand of God in the affair. „At last,“ saidDr. Fleck, prior of the monastery of Steinlausitz, who had for some time ceased tocelebrate mass, „At last we have found the man we have waited for so long;“ and,playing on the meaning of the word Wittemberg, he added, „All the world will go andseek wisdom on that mountain, and will find it.“The dream of the Elector Frederick of SaxonyWe step a moment out of the domain of history, to narrate a dream which the ElectorFrederick of Saxony had on the night preceding the memorable day on which Lutheraffixed his „Theses“ to the door of the castle-church. The elector told it the nextmorning to his brother, Duke John, who was then residing with him at his palaceof Schweinitz, six leagues from Wittemberg. The dream is recorded by all thechroniclers of the time. Of its truth there is no doubt, however we may interpret it. Wecite it here as a compendious and dramatic epitome of the affair of the „Theses,“ andthe movement which grew out of them.On the morning of the 31st October, 1517, the elector said to Duke John, „Brother,I must tell you a dream which I had last night, and the meaning of which I shouldlike much to know. It is so deeply impressed on my mind, that I will never forget it,were I to live a thousend years, For I dreamed it thrice, and each time with newcircumstances.“Duke John: „Is it a good or a bad dream?“The Elector: „I know not; God knows.“Duke John: „Don’t be uneasy at it; but be so good as tell it to me.“The Elector: „Having gone to bed last night, fatigued and out of spirits, I fell asleepshortly after my prayer, and slept calmly for about two hours and a half; I then awoke,and continued awake to midnight, all sorts of thoughts passing through my mind.Among other things, I thought how I was to observe the Feast of All Saints. I prayed