Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/686

 584 Outlines of European History Luther's idea of salvation Collection for rebuild- ing St. Peter's Indulgences that Aristotle was after all only an ancient heathen who knew nothing about Christianity and that the students had no business to study his works. He urged them to rely instead upon the Bible, especially the letters of St. Paul, and upon the writings of St. Augustine, who closely followed Paul in many respects. Luther's main point was that man, through Adam's sin, had become so corrupt that he could, of himself, do nothing pleas- ing to God. He could only hope to be saved through faith in God's promise to save those who should repent. Consequently " good works," such as attending church, going on pilgrimages, repeating prayers, and visiting relics of the saints, could do nothing for a sinner if he was not already " justified by faith," that is, made acceptable to God by his faith in God's promises. If he was "justified," then he might properly go about his daily duties, for they would be pleasing to God without what the Church was accustomed to regard as "good works." Luther's teachings did not attract much attention until the year 15 17, when he was thirty-four years old. Then something occurred to give him considerable prominence. The fact has already been mentioned that the popes had undertaken the rebuilding of St. Peter's, the great central church of Christendom (see above, p. 525). The cost of the enterprise was very great, and in order to collect contributions for the purpose, Pope Leo X arranged for an extensive distribution of indiilgetues in Germany. In order to understand the nature of indulgences and Luther's opposition to them, we must consider the teaching of the Catholic Church in regard to the forgiveness of sin. The Church taught that if one died after committing a serious (" mortal ") sin of which he had not repented and confessed, his soul would cer- tainly be lost. If he sincerely repented and confessed his sin to a priest, God would forgive him and his soul would be saved, but he would not thereby escape punishment. This punishment might consist in fasting, saying certain prayers, going on a pil- grimage, or doing some other " good work," It was assumed,