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 PROTESTANT THEORY OF PERSECUTION 163

unregenerate men, in whom there was neither moral virtue nor civil rights, and from whom no good could come until they were converted. He therefore required that all crimes should be most cruelly punished and that the secular arm should be employed to convert where it did not destroy. The idea of mercy tempering justice he denounced as a Popish superstition. 1 The chief object of the severity thus recommended was, of course, efficaciously to promote the end for which Government itself was held to be instituted. The clergy had authority over the conscience, but it was thought necessary that they should be supported by the State \vith the absolute penalties of outlawry, in order that error might be exterminated, although it was impossible to banish sin. 2 No Government, it was maintained, could tolerate heresy without being responsible for the souls that were seduced by it ; S and as Ezechiel destroyed the brazen serpent to prevent idolatry, the mass must be sup- pressed, for the mass was the worst kind of idolatry.4 In 1530, when it was proposed to leave the matters in dispute to the decision of the future Council, Luther declared that the mass and monastic life could not be tolerated in the meantime, because it was unla\vful to connive at error. 5 " It will lie heavy on your conscience," he writes to the Duke of Saxony, "if you tolerate the Catholic worship; for no secular prince can permit his 1 " Of old, under the Papacy, princes and lords, and all judges, were very timid in shedding blood, and punishing robbers, murderers, thieves, and all manner of evil-doers; for they knew not how to distinguish a private individual who is not in office from one in office, charged with the duty of punishing,. . . The executioner had always to do penance, and to apologise beforehand to the convicted criminal for what he was going to do to him, just as if it was sinful and wrong, " II Thus they were persuaded by monks to be gracious, indulgent, and peaceable, But authorities, princes and lords ought not to be merciful" (Table- Talk, iv. 159, 160), 2 II Den weltlichen Bann son ten Könige und Kaiser wieder aufrichten, denn wir können ihn jetzt nicht anrichten. . . . Aber so wir nicht können die Sünde des Lebens bannen und strafen, so bannen wir doch die Sünde der Lehre" (Bruns, Luther.s Pred'igten, 63)' 3 I. WO sie soIche Rottengeister würden zulassen und lei den, so sie es doch wehren und vorkommen können, würden sie ihre Gewissen gräulich beschweren, und vielleicht nimmermehr widder stillen können, nicht allein der Seelen halben, die dadurch verführt und verdammt ,\erden . . . sondern auch der ganzen heiligen Kirchen halben" (De Wette, iv, 355)' 4 or Nu ist aIle Abgötterey gegen die Messe ein geringes" (De \Vette, v. 19 1 ; sec. iv, 307) IS Bucholtz, iii. 57 0.