IV. Conventions, Conferences, and Debates

The more Luther saw, the more he could not be silent. And the more he spoke, debated, and lectured, the more he aroused the Catholic Church and its leaders. Eventually they decided that Luther needed to be quieted; he was speaking too much. He had too much to say, and he was becoming embarrassing.

A. Augustinian Convention

Five attempts were made to silence Luther. One was a convention of the Augustinian Order at Heidelberg in February 1518. Luther was given opportunity to defend what he believed and to explain his position. He spoke on divine grace and the slavery of man to sin. Luther felt that he emerged triumphant over all his opponents at this convention saying that he came by foot and went home by wagon.

B. Summons to Rome

The pope was not happy with the outcome. Luther was still speaking, and his views were becoming too much of an embarrassment to Rome. In another attempt to suppress him, the pope issued a summons for Luther to come to Rome. Elector Frederick of Saxony, however, would not part with Luther, who was his favorite theologian at the university. The pope did not feel that he could press the matter further at that time and dropped the summons.

C. Submission at Augsburg

Another summons was issued in October 1518. Luther was called to a conference at Augsburg with Cardinal Cajetan acting as representative of the pope. Luther told Cajetan that he still felt he was submitting to the Church. He declared his implicit obedience to the Church, but boldly denied that the pope had absolute power. Thus, while declaring his obedience to the Church, Luther used the occasion to tear down what he felt was wrong in the Roman Church.

D. Conference at Altenburg

The pope was still unhappy. In January 1519 a conference was convened at Altenburg. This time the papal representative was Von Miltitz, who said he wanted to restore peaceful relations with Luther. He approached Luther with friendliness and flattery, seeking all the while to silence him. As a result, Luther said he would remain silent as long as his opponents would remain silent. He was even inspired to write a humble letter to the pope (though it was never sent). Furthermore, Luther wrote a treatise to honor the Roman Catholic Church. Within it, though, he denied the effect that indulgences have on purgatory.

E. Debate at Leipsic

One could be saved apart from the Roman Catholic Church.

 

The fifth attempt to silence Luther was the debate at Leipsic. A challenge to debate was made by the papal emissary Eck to Carlstadt, one of Luther’s colleagues. By calling Carlstadt, Eck was in essence calling Luther as well, as the two went together. The debates lasted from June 27 to July 16, 1519.

Luther was happy to join these debates, which included more topics than indulgences. He took this opportunity to express himself clearly on other matters. He denied that the pope had any special divine rights, and stated that both the keys and the power of the keys were given not to the pope but to the Church (Matt. 16:19). The Church has the power to exercise the authority associated with the keys. He still believed in the preeminence of the Roman Catholic Church, but felt that the Church was not necessary for salvation. One could be saved apart from the Roman Catholic Church. He even went on to say that the Greek or Eastern Church was just as valid as the Western or Roman Church.

One who attended these debates made this observation of Martin Luther:

Martin is of middle height with a slender body worn out both by study and care, so that you can almost count his bones. He is in the vigor of manhood; his voice is sharp and clear.… He is vivacious and sure, always with a happy face no matter how hard his enemies press him…. [2]

He also described Luther’s opponent, Eck:

Eck has a tall stature, a solid, square body, a full German voice, strong lungs as of an actor or town-crier, but giving out a rough rather than a clear sound.... His mouth and eyes, or rather his whole face, would make you think him a butcher or a soldier rather than a theologian. [3]

At the debate’s conclusion Luther said:

“… A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a council without it.…

 

“… A simple layman armed with Scripture is to be believed above a pope or a council without it.… [N]either the Church nor the pope can establish articles of faith. These must come from Scripture. For the sake of Scripture we should reject pope and councils.”

“But this,” said Eck, “is the Bohemian virus, [referring to Huss] to attach more weight to one’s own interpretation of Scripture than to that of the popes and councils, the doctors and the universities….” [4]

Luther replied:

I am bound not only to assert, but to defend the truth with my blood and death.

 

I am bound, not only to assert, but to defend the truth with my blood and death. I want to believe freely and be a slave to the authority of no one, whether council, university, or pope. I will confidently confess what appears to me to be true, whether it has been asserted by a Catholic or a heretic, whether it has been approved or reproved by a council. [5]

In departing from Leipsic it was clear that this was a turning point in Luther’s life. He left with these words:

Farewell, unhappy, hopeless, blasphemous Rome! … Let us leave her then that she may become the dwelling-place of dragons, spectres, and witches! [6]

The attack was growing stronger and the heat more intense.


I.

  Early Life and Training

II.

  The Ninety-Five Theses

III.

  Reaction Against the Papacy and Tradition

IV.

  Conventions, Conferences, and Debates

V.

  Spread of Luther’s Views