(His timely interference.)
We cannot sufficiently admire that a simple monk should be able to give Popery so rude a shock. How many states and nations did he induce, in a little
time, to separate from the Romish communion? This was represented very happily, though in somewhat a burlesque manner on a piece of tapestry. Read this passage, taken from a letter of Costar. “The last time the king was at Chalons, a very rich piece of tapestry was hung in his chamber, which came from the late queen of Navarre; in which were represented Luther and Calvin, who gave the Pope a clyster, which put the good man into such commotion, that he was seen in another place evacuating abundance of kingdoms and sovereignties, Denmark, Sweden, the duchy of Saxony, &c.” Wickliff, John Huss, and several others had attempted the same thing, but did not succeed. This was, you will say, because they were not favoured with a concurrence of circumstances: they had no less merit nor abilities than Luther; but they undertook the cure of the disease before the crisis; and, as we may say, in the increase of the moon. Luther on the contrary, attacked it at a critical time, when it was arrived to the highest pitch; when it was impossible it should grow worse; and therefore, according to the course of nature, must either cease or diminish; for when things are arrived to the highest point of their ascension, they commonly begin to decline. He sowed in the full moon when the wane was just drawing on; he had the same good fortune as those remedies have which are employed last, and which carry away the glory of the cure, because applied when the distemper has discharged its malignity. You may if you please, add, that the concurrence of Francis I and Charles V was fatal in this affair. I answer, that notwithstanding all this, there must have been eminent gifts in Luther to produce such a revolution as he has done. Here is an excellent thought of father Paul:72 “If there were any thing in the setting up of this novelty that gave scandal as I shall relate it, yet it is well known that Leo’s predecessors made many like concessions, and from less honest motives, and had carried their avarice and extortions farther; but frequently good opportunities of doing great things are lost for want of knowing them, or knowing how to make use of them. Besides that, we must wait the time that God has appointed to punish the faults and corruptions of men; and all this concurred under Leo’s pontificate, of whom we speak at present.” It must be acknowledged that several circumstances concurred to favour Luther; learning flourished among the laity, whilst churchmen would not renounce their barbarism, and persecuted the learned and scandalized all the world by an unbridled lust. It was said with reason, that Erasmus by his railleries prepared the way for Luther; he was his St John Baptist, his forerunner. Simon Fontaine complains, that occasionally Erasmus did more mischief than Luther, because Luther did only open the door wider, after Erasmus had picked the lock, and half opened it.