an irregular or extraordinary bishop and pope in partibus Protestantium, being consulted by princes,
magistrates, theologians, and people of all sorts.
He set the first example of a Presbyterian ordination by laying hands on his amanuensis,
Georg Rörer (Rorarius), and making him deacon at Wittenberg, May 14, 1525. Rörer is favorably
known by his assistance in the Bible Version and the first edition of Luther’s works. He died as
librarian of the University of Jena, 1557. Melanchthon justified the act on the ground that the
bishops neglected their duty.^709
But Luther ventured even to consecrate a bishop, or a superintendent; as John Wesley did
two hundred and fifty years afterwards in the interest of his followers in the United States. When
the bishopric of Naumburg became vacant, the chapter, backed by the Roman-Catholic minority
of the nobility and people, regularly elected Julius von Pflug, one of the ablest, purest, and mildest
opponents of the Reformation. This choice displeased the Protestants. The Elector John Frederick,
by an illegal use of power, confiscated the property of the diocese, and appointed a counter-bishop
in the person of Nicolaus von Amsdorf, Luther’s most devoted friend, who was unmarried and a
nobleman, and at that time superintendent at Magdeburg. The consecration took place on June 20,
1542, in the dome of Naumburg, in the presence of the Elector, the Protestant clergy, and a
congregation of about five thousand people. Luther preached the sermon, and performed the
consecration with the assistance of three superintendents (Medler, Spalatin, and Stein) and an abbot,
by the laying-on of hands, and prayer.^710 This bold and defiant act created great sensation and
indignation, and required a public defense, which he prepared at the request of the Elector.^711 He
used the strongest language against popery and episcopacy to overawe the opposition, and to make
it contemptible. He even boasts of having made a bishop without chrism, butter, and incense. "I
cannot repent," he says, "of such a great and horrible sin, nor expect absolution for it." He assigns,
among the reasons for setting aside the election of a Catholic bishop, that God had in the first three
commandments, as by a thunder-stroke of judgment, forever condemned to hell the chapter of
Naumburg, together with the pope, cardinals, and all their régime, for breaking those commandments
by their idolatry and false worship. Christians are forbidden, on pain of eternal damnation, to hear
and tolerate them. They must flee a false prophet, preacher, or bishop, and regard a popish bishop
as no bishop at all, but as a wolf, yea, as a devil.^712 "And what does the most hellish father in his
hellish Church? Does he not depose all bishops, abbots, priests, whom he finds heretics or apostates
from his idolatry? ... Yea, he interferes even with secular and domestic government, deposes
emperors, kings, princes, separates man and wife, dissolves marriage, abolishes obedience, duty,
and oath, simply for disobedience to his audacious devilish decretals and accursed bulls." But, as
the holy Virgin sings in her Magnificat, "the Lord hath scattered the proud in the imagination of
(^709) Corp. Ref., I. 765. Comp. Seckendorf, Hist. Lutheranismi, vol. II. 29.
(^710) See an account of the consecration in Seckendorf, III. 391 sqq.; Köstlin, II. 561 sqq.; Janssen, III. 483-492. Janssen describes the
sickening details of the violence, intrigues, and robberies connected with the Protestantizing and secularizing of the three Saxon bishoprics.
(^711) Exempel, einen rechten christlichen Bischof zu weihen, 1542. Erl. ed., XXVI. 77-108; Walch, XVII. 122. He begins with the
characteristic sentence: "Wir armen Ketzer haben abermal eine grosse Sünde begangen wider die höllische unchristliche Kirche des
allerhöllischten Vaters, des Papstes, dass wir einen Bischof im Stift Naumburg ordinirt und eingeweihet haben, ohne allen Chresem
[Chrisma, Salböl],auch ohne Butter, Schmalz, Speck, Teer, Schmeer, Weihrauch, Kohlen und was derselben grossen Heiligkeit mehr ist:
dazu wider ihren Willen; doch nicht ohne ihr Wissen." Comp. also his letter to Jacob Probst, March 26, 1546 (De Wette, V. 451), where
he calls this consecration "audax facinus et plenissimum odio, invidia at indignatione."
(^712) " ... gezwungen durch Gottes Gebot, sich von ihm zu sondern, und ihn für keinen Bischof, sondern für einen Wolf, ja für einen Teufel
zu halten." Erl. ed., p. 80.