Page:Thirty-five years of Luther research.djvu/99

Rh to smash the new progressive with the severest Church punishment, and, that through diverse, and sometimes even poltically influential measures, it worked to the end to get him into its power.

The results of these important discoveries are briefly summarized by Kawerau in the third edition of his "Geschichte der Reformation und Gegenreformation" (Moeller, Kirchengeschichte, Vol. III, 1907). Kalkoff himself treats of this minutely and very excellently, besides his special studies in the Zeitschrift fuer Kirchengeschichte (Vol. 32), later published in book form, in his introduction of 186 pages for the second volume of the Muenchen-Edition of Luther, when he presents this entire period under the following headings: 1. The history leading up to the Indulgence Controversy (pp. 9-21), the controversy itself and Rome's first steps against Luther (pp. 22-44), the first Roman suit in the actual process (pp. 45-54), the summary procedure (pp. 55-69), the hearing at Augsburg (pp. 70-84), awaiting the bull carrying the ban (pp. 75-95), election and ecclesiastical armistice (pp. 96-114), the coming reformer (pp. 115-127), the second Roman process against Luther and the Elector (pp. 128-158), the opposition of the Elector and the great reformatory writings of Luther (pp. 159-186).

We shall briefly sketch the course of events. On the same day, when Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg, he also sent a letter to the archbishop of Mainz protesting against the manner in which the indulgence traffic was carried on. The archbishop, however, fearing that Luther's opposition would seriously hinder the sale of indulgence and that thus his revenues would be severely diminished, reported the matter to Rome. His report was a letter of informa-