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58 brought to the discussion in Theses 56-66 on the thesaurus. The criticism in 56-59 and the positive declaration concerning the Gospel, and the merit of Christ as the real claves and thesaurus ecclesiæ (60-62) are taken together in ringing anti-theses (63-66). In conclusion the authorities of the Church are reminded of their duty in further pairs of anti-theses (67-80). The Ninety-five Theses are concluded in twofold manner: in 81-91 Luther gathers all the old protests from the laity against the hawking of indulgences and in 91-95 in ringing words about the evil motive for purchasing indulgences escaping from the salubrious suffering in repentance — he leads back to Theses 1-4.

9. Rome's Procedure Against Luther, 1517-1520

The action of the Roman Church against Luther that followed and that ended with his excommunication, has taken an entirely new aspect as a result of the newer investigations. That Luther's opponents, like Tetzel, Wimpina, Eck et al, already from the very beginning entered the lists against Luther without reserve, and were prepared, because of his doubts about the popularly accepted indulgence doctrine, to call him an heretic, to cause him to be excommunicated and to send him to the stake, all of this was known. But the opinion seemed to hold sway that Rome itself, as the highest ecclesiastic authority, had for years indulgently or indifferently withheld its judgment in the face of all these charges. Karl Mueller, Alois Schulte, and, above all others, P. Kalkoff,52 place us in a position now to know that the Papal See, on the contrary, forthwith and in suspicious haste did everything in order, after the first refusal to retract,