their intolerable impudence. For what else can be the motive of one who desires neither advancement nor money? I do not now discuss the articles with which they have charged Luther, I only speak of the cause of bis action. Luther dared f to doubt indulgences, but others had too impudently asserted 1 their power. He dared to speak imprudently of the power \ of the Pope, but others before him had written too immodcr-
- ately about it on the other side, especially these three Domin-
\ icans, Alvarus,^ Prierias and Cardinal Cajetan. Luther dared to despise the laws of Aquinas, but the Dominicans almost preferred them to the gospel. He dared to raise some scruples about confession, but the monks had long abused it to snare j the consciences of men. He dared partly to neglect the scho- ^lastic canons, but they had honored them too much, and, moreover, differed about them among themselves, and these j canons moreover, they were continually changing, repealing old _laws and passing new ones. It tortured pious minds to hear in the universities not a word of the gospel, and to learn that the ancient and approved Fathers of the Church were con- sidered superseded, and that even in divine service not a word of Christ was spoken, but a great deal of the power of the Pope and of the opinions of modern doctors. Their whole speech was nothing but open avarice, ambition, flattery and guile. I think it is their fault if Luther has written too intemperately.
Whoever loves the gospel loves the Pope, who is the first preacher of the gospel, just as the other bishops are. All bishops are vicegerents of Christ, but he the chief. We should believe that he cares for nothing more than the glory of Christ, whose minister he is. Those who in adulation attribute more to him than he himself recognizes or than is expedient for the Christian flock, deserve ill of him. And yet some of the authors of these tragedies are not zealous for the power of the Pope, but use it only for their own gain and arbitrary
'John Alvarez (1488-1557), a Dominican, taught at Salamanca. Nominated bishop by Charles V., but declined. Forced by Adrian VI. to take the See of Cordova. Created Cardinal 1 538. Zealous against heresy. Disinario di ErudtMwne, cd. G. Moroni, Venice, i84ofF. What he wrote against Luther I cainnot find. He it mentioned as a despicable theologian by Crotus Rubeanua in a letter to Hatten, Rome, July i, 15 19. HutUni opera, i. 277.
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