Category: Biographies
“His most elaborate and systematic biography ... is not merely a book to be reckoned with; it is one with which we cannot dispense, if only for its minute examination of Luther’s theological writings.”—_The Athenæum_ (Vol. I).
“His most elaborate and systematic biography ... is not merely a book to be reckoned with; it is one with which we cannot dispense, if only for its minute examination of Luther’...
2. CHAPTER XXIX. ETHICAL RESULTS OF THE NEW TEACHING _pages_ 3-164Connection between Agricola’s doctrine and Luther’s. Luther’s first step against Agricola; the Disputations; the tract “Against the Antinomians”; action of the Court; end of Agr...
3. CHAPTER XXX. LUTHER AT THE ZENITH OF HIS LIFE ANDA Protestant Council suggested by Bucer and Melanchthon. Luther’s attitude towards the Consistories. He seeks to reintroduce the Lesser Excommunication. The want of a Hierarchy...
4. CHAPTER XXXI. LUTHER IN HIS DISMAL MOODS, HISLuther’s devil-lore. On all the evil the devil works in the world. On the devil’s dwelling-place, his shapes and kinds. Witchcraft. Connection of Luther’s devil-mania with his c...
5. CHAPTER XXXII. A LIFE FULL OF STRUGGLES OF CONSCIENCE _pages_ 319-375“Supposing you had to answer for all the souls that perish!” “If you do not penance shall you not likewise perish?” “See how much evil arises from your doctrine!” _pages_ 321-326
6. CHAPTER XXXIII. THE COUNCIL OF TRENT IS CONVOKED, 1542.Luther is urged by highly placed friends to thwart the plans of Pope Paul III. The fury of his new book. How to deal with Pope and Cardinals. The “Wittenberg Reformation” drawn...
7. CHAPTER XXXIV. END OF LUTHER’S LITERARY LABOURS. THEHarnack, etc., on Luther’s abandonment of individual points of Christian doctrine and destruction of the older idea of faith: The Canon and true interpretation of Scripture; spe...
8. CHAPTER XXXV. LUTHER’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS SOCIETY ANDLuther’s “signal services” as they appear to certain modern Protestants. The fell results of his twin principle: 1º, that the Church is alien to the world, and 2º, has no power...
9. CHAPTER XXIXLUTHER’S system of ethics mirrors his own character. If Luther’s personality, in all its psychological individuality, shows itself in his dogmatic theology (see vol. iv., p. 387...
10. CHAPTER XXXTHE opening of the Diet of Ratisbon in 1541[595] coincided with the advance of Protestantism in one of the strongholds of the power and influence of Albert of Mayence. The usual...
11. CHAPTER XXXIAMONG the various causes of the profound ill-humour and despondency, which more and more overshadowed Luther’s soul during the last ten years of his life, the principal without...
12. x. 38); secondly, experience, which proves that the devil causesdeafness, dumbness, lameness and fever; thirdly, the fact that he can even “fill men’s minds with thoughts of adultery, murder, robbery and all other evil lusts”; all the more e...
13. CHAPTER XXXII“He spoke of his spiritual sickness (‘_morbus spiritualis_’). For a fortnight he had tasted neither food nor drink and had had no sleep. ‘During this time,’ so he said, ‘I wrest...
14. CHAPTER XXXIIIAT the meeting held in 1537 by the protesting Princes and Estates at Schmalkalden the General Council, which had been suggested as a means of bringing about a settlement and of...
15. CHAPTER XXXIVWith the concluding years of Luther’s life we reach a point whence may be undertaken with advantage a survey of the character of his theological and literary labours from severa...
16. CHAPTER XXXVIT would be beyond our present scope to examine in detail all the views advanced concerning Luther’s social and economic attitude. Recent research in social economics has alread...