§ 68. Luther restores Order in Wittenberg.—The End of Carlstadt.
I. Eight Sermons of Luther preached from Sunday, March 7 (Invocavit) to the next Sunday
(Reminiscere), after his return to Wittenberg. The oldest editions, slightly varying in length,
appeared 1523. Altenb. ed., II. 99 sqq.; Walch, XV. 2423 sqq.: XX. 1–101; Erl. ed., XXVIII.
202–285 (both recensions). Luther’s Letters to Spalatin, the Elector, and others from March,
1522, in De Wette, II. 144 sqq.
II. Of modern historians, Marheineke, Merle D’Aubigné, Ranke, Hagenbach, and Köstlin (I.
537–549) may be compared.
On the Sunday after his arrival, Luther ascended his old pulpit, and re-appeared before his
congregation of citizens and students. Wittenberg was a small place; but what he said and did there,
and what Calvin did afterwards in Geneva, had the significance of a world-historical fact, more
influential at that time than an encyclical from Rome.
Protestantism had reached a very critical juncture. Luther or Carlstadt, reformation or
revolution, the written Word or illusive inspirations, order or confusion: that was the question.
Luther was in the highest and best mood, full of faith in his cause, and also full of charity for his
opponents, strong in matter, sweet in manner, and completely successful. He never showed such
moderation and forbearance before or after.
He preached eight sermons for eight days in succession, and carried the audience with him.
They are models of effective popular eloquence, and among the best he ever preached. He handled
the subject from the stand-point of a pastor, with fine tact and practical wisdom. He kept aloof from
coarse personalities which disfigure so many of his polemical writings. Not one unkind word, not
one unpleasant allusion, escaped his lips. In plain, clear, strong, scriptural language, he refuted the
errors without naming the errorists. The positive statement of the truth in love is the best refutation
of error.^486
The ruling ideas of these eight discourses are: Christian freedom and Christian charity;
freedom from the tyranny of radicalism which would force the conscience against forms, as the
tyranny of popery forces the conscience in the opposite direction; charity towards the weak, who
must be trained like children, and tenderly dealt with, lest they stumble and fall. Faith is worthless
without charity. No man has a right to compel his brother in matters that are left free; and among
these are marriage, living in convents, private confession, fasting and eating, images in churches.
Abuses which contradict the word of God, as private masses, should be abolished, but in an orderly
manner and by proper authority. The Word of God and moral suasion must be allowed to do the
work. Paul preached against the idols in Athens, without touching one of them; and yet they fell
in consequence of his preaching.
"Summa summarum," said Luther, "I will preach, speak, write, but I will force no one; for
faith must be voluntary. Take me as an example. I stood up against the Pope, indulgences, and all
papists, but without violence or uproar. I only urged, preached, and declared God’s Word, nothing
else. And yet while I was asleep, or drinking Wittenberg beer with my Philip Melanchthon and
Amsdorf, the Word inflicted greater injury on popery than prince or emperor ever did. I did nothing,
the Word did every thing. Had I appealed to force, all Germany might have been deluged with
blood; yea, I might have kindled a conflict at Worms, so that the Emperor would not have been
(^486) The ἀληθεύειν ἐν ἀγάπῃ, Eph. 4:15.