Johann Heinrich of Schwarzburg at once seized upon the property and
rights which his father had made over by charter to the Catholic
Church. The monks were ousted, the livings seized, the new teaching
was introduced and the Count became the founder of Lutheranism in
Schwarzburg.
In Eilenburg Luther proceeded through the agency at once of his
sovereign and the town-councillors, who were no less zealous than the
Prince himself in their efforts to extend their sphere of influence.
Luther himself had already worked there in person for his cause. On
the occasion of his second stay at Eilenburg he found the councillors
somewhat lacking in zeal. Those who favoured the innovations were,
however, of opinion that if the Elector were to invite them to apply
for a preacher, they would do so. There is no doubt that the Catholic
consciences of the councillors were still troubled with scruples, and
that the demand of a number of the new believers among the people had
as yet failed to move them.
Luther accordingly wrote from Eilenburg to the Court Chaplain,
Spalatin, asking him to employ his influence with the Elector in the
usual way. He was to obtain from the latter a letter addressed to
the town-councillors begging them to “yield to the poor people in
this so essential and sacred a matter,” and to summon one of the two
preachers whom he at once proposed. The reason he gives in these words:
“It is the duty of the sovereign, as ruler and brother Christian, to
drive away the wolves and to be solicitous for the welfare of his
people.”[942] The change of religion was thereupon actually carried
out, under the Elector’s pressure, in true bureaucratic fashion as
a matter appertaining to the magistracy. One of the two preachers
proposed, Andreas Kauxdorf of Torgau, arrived shortly after, having
been dutifully accepted by the councillors. He was permitted to
Lutheranise the people, however reluctant and faithful to the Church
they might be. He remained there from 1522 to 1543, in which year he
died.
_General Phenomena accompanying the Religions Change_
It not infrequently happened that the people were deceived by faithless
and apostate clerics who became preachers of the new religion, and
were drawn away from the olden faith without being clearly aware of
the fact. After having become gradually and most insensibly accustomed
to the new faith and worship, not even the bravest had, as a rule,
the strength to draw back. The want of religious instruction among
the people was here greatly to blame, likewise the lack of organised
ecclesiastical resistance to the error, and also, the indolence of the
episcopate.
Mass still continued to be said in many places where Lutheranism had
taken root, though in an altered form, a fact which contributed to the
deception. One of the chief of Luther’s aims was to combat the Mass as
a sacrifice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account