New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-30
THE MAN.

n, course the names Of Wiclf and Huss and
Iuther and a host Of other Reformers come TO
mind as soon as the theme IS mentioned which
gave them vantage ground for their attacks on
the Papacy But after all, these men saw only
one side of the vast problem with which they
had TO deal They saw only the question OF right
and wrong, the alternative between fact ana nc
ton. II this had been all there was to CONSIDER
the subject Of indulgences would never nave
risen to such importance as to give cause lor
the Reformation. The name of Leo is also IN
tmately associated with the topic If ne had
been more Of a theologian and less the man OF
pleasure If he had encouraged with FEWER Ia
vors the men Of the New Learning. ana WIN
larger ones those expert in the history OF the
church and the teaching OF the fathers, if he
had been less addicted to poetry and more dill
gent in the irksome prose which most OF his
predecessors approved, he would, as Noel Alex
andre saws have acted more cautiously in the
ais,ribut;on Of indulgences Thus he might
have postponed to another age the Protestant
secession But this only one OF the incl
dents Of his career as Pope
Tetzel's case was different. His whole lie
IS wrapped up in the story or irduigences'
Without IN IN he might have passed from inc
cradle TO the grave in comparative opscuil'!'
With them he has gained imperishable reno"h'
The renown is of questionable sort. AMONG
protostants of every sect he has had almost a
diabolical reputa. while Catholics were slao 10
have in him a scapegoat for accusations that
were difficult to answer. In the mast OF 'hdl
sea Of abuse and vilifcaton. the literature vi
the sixteenth century. he STANDS s0iitary liz
,,re baaten bv the waves from every side. Not
even Dr. Eek is to be named in the same Drea'n'
for Dr Eek. like another Don QuiXote. deliber-
in of the WlnOrnllIS
that demolished him. Tetzel, on the other hand
was merely pursuing his ordinary avocatloh
&c q Ouaesitor Fidei to use the title given MN
hv Noel Alexandra, when the tempest proke
over his devoted head. He was not DONG any
thing novel or uneXampled. Men Without huiii-
her had been engaged before his time IN 'he
business Of selling indulgences. AT the very
worst and that within recent memory such men
had incurred only satire. But now the peht-
ND wrath. the hatred that men cherisheu
agains, Rome, broke forth, and Tetzel was IN
a sense important TO himself. at least the oo-
ject Of it all
1t is easy TO think Of him as vulgar chaiac-
Tor worthy Of the abuse he received. He was
really a man Of talent and education, quite as
honest as most Of his contemporaries. and gifted
with eloouence OF a very persuasive sort In
any other age he would have been deemed an
ornament TO the order Of Preachers to when
no belonged With the rank of an inquisltor
when that name had no such meaning as II
gained afterward. and with power as an orator
that drew the people after him in crowds ne
was a credit Il the Domncans. and TO Ger
many. where his reputation was such as any
modern preacher might envy. When he visited
Dresden on one occasion. the largest churches
were found too small. and Duke George or
Saxony allowed him TO preach from window
in the castle walls TO the innumerable multi
tude eagerly pressing to listen TO his udings OF
salvation" Once at G0rlitz he interrupted his
task of selling ndulgences to raise the money
for putting new copper roof on the ahurch
and in three weeks he collected 4',ooo norihs
1t only shows the fckleness OF the populace 10
observe that the man SO much soush' al'ei
should become in few years one OF the pest
hated men in Europe.