The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-14
THE LUTHER EXHIBITION.
Exhibition of Luther Antiquities in tn
British Museum

connection with the festivities in honor of
the Reformer. Many of the relics to be seen
are absolutely priceless, and attract very
/ general interest. Among them are auto
graph letters by Luther, Melanchthon and
| Erasmus, of original copies of the Papal
bulls against the Reformer, of an indulgence
sold by Tetzel of the printed broadsheet
! containing the ninetyfve theses which Lu
| ther affixed 10 the door of the church at
| Wittenburg on All Saints eve, 1917, and of
the edict issued by Charles after the Diet
at Worms placing Luther under the ban of
1 the empire
| The whole history of the Reformation is
| elucidated by this exhibition. In the litera-
/ ture of the time it is peculiarly rich. The
| indulgence sold by Tetzel and Samson to one
Philip Keschel or Kessel, presbyter on the
10Th of April, 1917, the name and the date
being filled in the manuscript, is a striking
relic of the beginnings of the controversy
| upon absoiution which led to the secession
of Martin Luther from the Roman Catholic
communion and to the Professionalism Of
| Germany. The document, which is printed
| in grabbed Latin, purports to remit the sins
of its pious purchaser during life, and the
! pains Of purgatory $50 far as the keys of
| Holy Mother Church extend" The only
| crimes for which it does not provide a locus
| penit entie are conspiracy against the per
son of the pontiff, murder of bishops or other
superior prelates, laying violent hands on
! them or other prelates, forgery of apostolic
! letters, export of arms and other forbidden
| goods to heather parts, and above all, the
| importation OF alum from heather countries,
An otfense which owed its gravity to its effect
upon the Papal exchequer-the sale of alum
| of apostolic Tolfa, near Civitia Vecchia, be-
| ing no small source of revenue to the Pope.
The first edition of Luther's pamphlet
against the sale of indulgences is embellished
| with a rude wood-cut of Luther on it's title
page, which probably dates from 1517, in
which case it is the earliest known. But
nearly all Luther's works, both doctrinal
and controversial, are represented here and
it IS interesting to note the gradual growth
of his convictions in these volumes which
| poured from the press at Leipsc and Wit
| tenberg. Luther himself tells us that he
received only copy OF most of his works
| in return for writing them, but it must be
| remembered that had not the typographers,
who were among his strongest partisans,
| printed them, often at their own expense,
they could never have been published in
such lavish profusion. A crowd of ex-monks
earned livelihood by vending these works
| throughout the country.
Luther's controversy with Henry VIII is
| too familiar to need explanation. A more
than curious interest, however, attaches to
| the first edition of the "Assertio Septem
Sacramentorum," which was drawn up by
| Edward Lee, chaplain to Henry VIII and
was published in London in 1921 1t was in
return for this that Pope Leo X conferred
upon Henry VIII the title OF defender of
the Faith" and that Luther wrote his noto-
rious letter of Sept. /, 1926 which contains,
perhaps, the most abusive language ever adj
dressed to king. Both the London edition
OF 1926 and the Dresden edition of 1927 are
here represented. Among the earliest En-
glish literature relating to the already famous
| RefoFmer is q translation from the German
| on his sermon 'uppon the twentieth chapter
Of Johan, OF absolution and the true use of
the Keyes," which is dated Ippeswicb 154S,"
| and is a significant relic of the Protestant
proclivities of Cardinal Wolsey's fayorite
! foundation. In the same year, too, 1.-The
pryncypall Articles of the Christian faythe'
was published in London, while "a famous
| and godly history" containing "the lyves
and actes" of NJ. Luther, ]. Eeoampadius
and H. Zwinglius, dated London, 1861, is
probably the first English biography of the
Reformers.
But of all these volumes, perhaps the first
edition of Luther's 'Tischreden," or liable
Talk" which was published in 1866, is the
rarest. With such good will did the ennis
saries of Pope Gregory XIII carry out their
orders to destroy this edition, that but few
copies are still extant. 1t is however, not q
little curious that the first English transla-
ton, which was printed in 1862, should not
| be represented. The omission is the more
noticeable since a curious interest attaches
| to this production AS the story runs while
an old Saxon house was being restored about
1925, copy of the first edition was found
concealed among the foundations, Fearing
to keep it, its finder sent it to England, to a
Captain Henry Bell with injnnctions to
translate and publish it, Captain Bell, how
| ever, forgot all about it, but was recalled to
a sense of his duty by the appearance of an
angry phantom which threatened him with
heavy penalties Tor bis neglect, to such good
purpose that he was sent TO prison Here he
| remained ten years, employing his time in
translating the book. Archbishop Laud.
hearing of his occupa tion, procured his re-
| lease, and in 1916 the House of Commons
ordered Captain Bells translation of Lu-
theirs "Dlyine Discourses' to be printed.
Considerable interest, too, attaches to the
pictorial part OF the collection. 1t is very
rich in contemporary portraits, The en-
cravings of Frederick III, elector of Saxony,
and of Philip Melancthon by Albrecbt Du-
rer, and the wood-eut portrait of Erasmus,
by Hans Holben, are fine examples of these
masters. Among others is very curious
wood-eut of Henry VIII, which has not
hitherto been noticed, and which probably
dates from very early period of his reign.
He is represented on horseback, riding to
I the left, wearing hat with feather and a
! short furred gown. Heinrich Aldegrevers
portrait of John of Leyden, King of Nun,
| ster, and leader of the Anabaptists, VINO was
execured in 1886, records tire features of one
+ or LQthers Interest enemies, while the por-
I trait OF Johann Cochleus has historic in
| terest in connection with the Diet at Worms,
when Gochl@us offered to dispute with Luz
| ther fhe would renonnce his safe conduct,
in which case he would certainly have for
feited his life, Again, the wood-cut repre-
senting the famous dream of Frederick III
the night before Luther affixed his theses to
the door of the church of Wittenberg is
very quaint.
| Coal Shipments.