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Repentance meant penance。 In Saint Paul's Epistles Luther
discovers the true ground of justification；not works； but faith；
for Paul had passed through similar experiences。 Works are good；
but faith is the gift of God。 Works are imperfect with the best of
men； even the highest form of works； to a Mediaeval eye；self…
expiation and penance； but faith is infinite； radiating from divine
love； faith is a boundless joy；salvation by the grace of God； his
everlasting and precious boon to people who cannot climb to heaven
on their hands and knees； the highest gift which God ever bestowed
on men；eternal life。
Luther is thus emancipated from the ideas of the Middle Ages and of
the old Syriac monks and of the Jewish Pharisees。 In his
deliverance he has new hopes and aspirations； he becomes cheerful；
and devotes himself to his studies。 Nothing can make a man more
cheerful and joyful than the cordial reception of a gift which is
infinite； a blessing which is too priceless to be bought。 The
pharisee； the monk； the ritualist； is gloomy； ascetic； severe；
intolerant； for he is not quite sure of his salvation。 A man who
accepts heaven as a gift is full of divine enthusiasm； like Saint
Augustine。 Luther now comprehends Augustine； the great doctor of
the Church； embraces his philosophy and sees how much it has been
misunderstood。 The rare attainments and interesting character of
Luther are at last recognized； he is made a professor of divinity
in the new university； which the Elector of Saxony has endowed； at
Wittenberg。 He becomes a favorite with the students； he enters
into the life of the people。 He preaches with wonderful power； for
he is popular； earnest； original； fresh； electrical。 He is a monk
still； but the monk is merged in the learned doctor and eloquent
preacher。 He does not yet even dream of attacking monastic
institutions； or the Pope； he is a good Catholic in his obedience
to authorities； but he hates the Middle Ages； and all their
ghostly； funereal； burdensome； and technical religious customs。 He
is human； almost convivial；fond of music； of poetry； of society；
of friends； and of the good cheer of the social circle。 The people
love Luther； for he has a broad humanity。 They never did love
monks； only feared their maledictions。
About this time the Pope was in great need of money： this was Leo
X。 He not only squandered his vast revenues in pleasures and
pomps； like any secular monarch； he not only collected pictures and
statues； but he wanted to complete St。 Peter's Church。 It was
the crowning glory of papal magnificence。 Where was he to get
money except from the contributions of Christendom？ But kings and
princes and bishops and abbots were getting tired of this
everlasting drain of money to Rome； in the shape of annats and
taxes； so Leo revived an old custom of the Dark Ages；he would
sell 〃plenary indulgences〃； and he sent his agents to market them
in every country。
The agent in Saxony was a very popular preacher； a shrewd Dominican
prior by the name of Tetzel。 Luther abhorred him； not so much
because he was vulgar and noisy； but because his infamous business
derogated from the majesty of God and religion。 In wrathful
indignation he preached against Tetzel and his practices；the
abominable traffic of indulgences。 Only God can forgive sins。 It
seemed to him to be an insult to the human understanding that any
man； even a pope； should grant an absolution for crime。 These
indulgences also provided the release of deceased friends from
purgatory。 And it was useless to preach against them so long as
the principles on which they were based were not assailed。
Everybody believed in penance； everybody believed that this； in
some form； would insure salvation。 It consisted in a temporal
penalty or punishment inflicted on the sinner after confession to
the priest； as a condition of his receiving absolution or an
authoritative pardon of his sin by the Church as God's
representative。 And the indulgence was originally an official
remission of this penalty； to be gained by offerings of money to
the Church for its sacred uses。 However ingenious this theory； the
practice inevitably ran into corruption。 The people who bought；
the agents who sold； the popes who dispensed； these indulgences
wrested them from their original intention。
Fortunately； in those times in Germany everybody felt he had a soul
to save。 Neither the popes nor the Church ever lost that idea。
The clergy ruled by its force；by stimulating fears of divine
wrath； whereby the wretched sinner would be physically tormented
forever； unless he escaped by a propitiation of the Deity；the
common form of which was penance； deeds of supererogation；
donations to the Church； self…expiation； works of fear and
penitence； which commended themselves to the piety of the age； and
this piety Luther now believed to be unenlightened； not the kind
enjoined by Christ or Paul。
So； to instruct his students and the people as to the true ground
of justification； which he had worked out from the study of the
Bible and Saint Augustine amid the agonies of a tormented
conscience； Luther prepared his theses；those celebrated ninety…
five propositions； which he affixed to the gates of the church of
Wittenberg； and which excited a great sensation throughout Northern
Germany； reaching even the eyes of the Pope himself； who did not
comprehend their tendency； but was struck with their power。 〃This
Doctor Luther；〃 said he； 〃is a man of fine genius。〃 The students
of the university； and the people generally； were kindled as if by
Pentecostal fires。 The new invention of printing scattered those
theses everywhere； far and near； they reached the humble hamlet as
well as the palaces of bishops and princes。 They excited immediate
and immense enthusiasm： there was freshness in them； originality；
and great ideas。 We cannot wonder at the enthusiasm which those
religious ideas excited nearly four hundred years ago when we
reflect that they were not cant words then； not worn…out
platitudes； not dead dogmas； but full of life and exciting
interest；even as were the watchwords of Rousseau〃Liberty；
Fraternity； Equality〃to Frenchmen； on the outbreak of their
political revolution。 And as those watchwordsabstractly true
roused the dormant energies of the French to a terrible conflict
against feudalism and royalty； so those theses of Luther kindled
Germany into a living flame。 And why？ Because they presented more
cheerful and comforting grounds of justification than had been
preached for one thousand years；faith rather than penance； for
works hinged on penance。 The underlying principle of those
propositions was GRACE；divine grace to save the world；the
principle of Paul and Saint Augustine； therefore not new； but
forgotten； a mighty comfort to miserable people； mocked and cheated
and robbed by a venal and a gluttonous clergy。 Even Taine admits
that this doctrine of grace is the foundation stone of
Protestantism as it spread over Europe in the sixteenth century。
In those places where Protestantism is dead；where rationalism or
Pelagian speculations have taken its place；this fact may be
denied； but the history of Northern Europe blazes with it；a fact
which no historian of any honesty can deny。
Very likely those who are not in sympathy with this great idea of
Luther； Augustine； and Paul may ignore the fact；even as Caleb
Cushing once declared to me； that the Reformation sprang from the
desire of Luther to marry Catherine Bora； and that learned and
ingenious sophist overwhelmed me with his citations from infidel
and ribald Catholic writers like Audin。 Greater men than he deny
that grace underlies the whole original movement of the reformers；
and they talk of the Reformation as a mere revolt from Rome； as a
war against papal corruption； as a protest against monkery and the
dark ages； brought about by the spirit of a new age； the onward
march of humanity； the necessary progress of society。 I admit the
secondary causes of the Reformation； which are very important；the
awakened spirit of inquiry in the sixteenth century； the revival of
poetry and literature and art； the breaking up of feudalism；
fortunate discoveries； the introduction of Greek literature； the
Renaissance； the disgusts of Christendom； the voice of martyrs
calling aloud from their funeral pyres； yea； the friendly hand of
princes and scholars deploring the evils of a corrupted Church。
But how much had Savonarola； or Erasmus； or John Huss； or the
Lollards aroused the enthusiasm of Europe； great and noble as were
their angry and indignant protests？ The genius of the Reformation
in its early stages was a RELIGIOUS movement； not a political or a
moral one； although it became both political and moral。 Its
strength and fervor were in the new ideas of salvation；the same
that； gave power to the early preachers of Christianity；not
denu