of the Church, and exercised also the right of reforming the Church (jus reformationis) in their
dominions, whereby they established a particular confession as the state religion, and excluded
others, or reduced them to the condition of mere toleration. This right they claimed by virtue of a
resolution of the Diet of Speier, in 1526, which was confirmed by the Peace of Augsburg, 1555,
and ultimately by the Peace of Westphalia, 1648. The Reformers regarded this secular
summepiscopate as a temporary arrangement which was forced upon them by the hostility of the
bishops who adhered to the Pope. They justified it by the example of Josiah and other pious kings
of Israel, who destroyed idolatry and restored the pure worship of Jehovah. They accepted the
protection and support of the princes at the sacrifice of the freedom and independence of the church,
which became an humble servant of the state. Melanchthon regretted this condition; and in view
of the rapacity of the princes, and the confusion of things, he wished the old bishops back again,
and was willing even to submit to the authority of a pope if the pope would allow the freedom of
the gospel. In Scandinavia and England the episcopal hierarchy was retained, or a new one substituted
for the old, and gave the church more power and influence in the government.
§ 77. Luther’s Marriage. 1525.
I. Luther’s Letters of May and June, 1525, touching on his marriage, in De Wette’s collection, at
the end of second and beginning of third vols. His views on matrimonial duties, in several
sermons, e.g., Predigt vom Ehestand, 1525 (Erl. ed., xvi. 165 sqq.), and in his Com. on 1 Cor.
vii., publ. Wittenberg, 1523, and in Latin, 1525 (Erl. ed., xix. l-69). He wished to prevent this
chapter from being used as a Schanddeckel der falsch-berümten Keuschheit. His views about
Katie, in Walch, XXIV. 150. His table-talk about marriage and woman, in Bindseil’s Colloquia,
II. 332–336. A letter of Justus Jonas to Spalatin (June 14, 1525), and one of Melanchthon to
Camerarius (June 16).
II. The biographies of Katharina von Bora by Walch (1752), Beste (1843), Hofmann(1845),
Meurer(1854). Uhlhorn: K. v. B., in Herzog2, vol. II. 564–567. Köstlin: Leben Luthers, I.
766–772; II. 488 sqq., 605 sqq.; his small biography, Am. ed. (Scribner’s), pp. 325–335, and
535 sqq. Beyschlag: Luther’s Hausstand in seiner reform. Bedeutung. Barmen, 1888.
III. Burk: Spiegel edler Pfarrfrauen. Stuttgart, 3d ed. 1885. W. Baur (Gen. Superintendent of the
Prussian Rhine Province): Das deutsche evangelische Pfarrhaus, seine Gründung, seine
Entfaltung und sein Bestand. Bremen, 1877, 3d ed. 1884.
Amidst the disturbances and terrors of the Peasants’ War, in full view of his personal danger,
and in expectation of the approaching end of the world, Luther surprised his friends and encouraged
his foes by his sudden marriage with a poor fugitive nun. He wrote to his friend Link: "Suddenly,
and while I was occupied with far other thoughts, the Lord has, plunged me into marriage."
The manner was highly characteristic, neither saint-like nor sinner-like, but eminently
Luther-like. By taking to himself a wife, he wished to please his father, to tease the Pope, and to
vex the Devil. Beneath was a deeper and nobler motive, to rescue the oldest ordinance of God on
earth from the tyranny of Rome, and to vindicate by his own example the right of ministers to the
benefit of this ordinance. Under this view, his marriage is a public event of far-reaching consequence.
It created the home life of the evangelical clergy.