Life of Luther

Life of Luther

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Title: Life of Luther
Author: Julius Koestlin
Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7970] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on June 8, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-Latin-1
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[Illustration: LUTHER. (From a Portrait by Cranach in the Town Church at Weimar.)]

LIFE OF LUTHER
BY
JULIUS KOSTLIN
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS from AUTHENTIC SOURCES
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN

_AUTHOR'S DEDICATION_
TO
MY DEAR WIFE PAULINE
WITH THE WORDS OF LUTHER
'God's highest gift on earth is to have a pious, cheerful, God-fearing, home-keeping wife.'

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
No German has ever influenced so powerfully as Luther the religious life, and, through it, the whole history, of his people; none has ever reflected so faithfully, in his whole personal character and conduct, the peculiar features of that life and history, and been enabled by that very means to render us a service so effectual and so popular. If we recall to fresh life and remembrance the great men of past ages, we Germans shall always put Luther in the van: for us Protestants, the object of our love and veneration, who will not prevent, however, or prejudice the most candid historical inquiry; for others, a rock of offence, whom even slander and falsehood will never overcome.
I have already in my larger work, 'Martin Luther: his Life and Writings,' 2 vols., 1875, put together all the materials available for that subject, together with the necessary references, historical and critical, and have endeavoured to explain and illustrate at length the subject matter of his various writings. I now offer this sketch of his life to the wide circle of what are called educated German readers. For further explanations and proofs of statements herein contained I would refer them to my larger work. Further investigation has prompted me to make some alterations, but only a few, in matters of detail.
For the illustrations and illustrative documents I beg to express my warm thanks, and those of the publisher, to the friends who have kindly assisted us in the work.
J. KOSTLIN, Professor at the University of Halle-Wittenberg.
Oct. 31, 1881, the anniversary of Luther's 95 Theses.

CONTENTS.


PART I.
_LUTHER'S CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH, UP TO HIS ENTERING THE CONVENT.--1483-1505._
I. Birth and Parentage
II. Childhood and School-days
III. Student-days at Erfurt and Entry into the Convent.--1501-1505


PART II.
_LUTHER AS MONK AND PROFESSOR, UNTIL HIS ENTRY ON THE WAR OF REFORMATION.--1505-1517._
I. At the Convent at Erfurt, till 1508
II. Call to Wittenberg. Journey to Rome
III. Luther as Theological Teacher, to 1517


PART III.
_THE BREACH WITH ROME, UP TO THE DIET OF WORMS.--1517-1521._
I. The Ninety-five Theses
II. The Controversy concerning Indulgences
III. Luther at Angsburg before Caietan. Appeal to a Council
IV. Miltitz and the Disputation at Leipzig, with its Results
V. Luther's further Work, Writings, and Inward Progress until 1520
VI. Alliance with the Humanists and Nobility
VII. Crisis of Secession: Luther's Works--to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, and on the Babylonian Captivity.
VIII. The Bull of Excommunication, and Luther's Reply
IX. The Diet of Worms


PART IV.
_FROM THE DIET OF WORMS TO THE PEASANTS' WAR AND LUTHER'S MARRIAGE._
I. Luther at the Wartburg, to his Visit to Wittenberg in 1521.
II. Luther's further Sojourn at the Wartburg, and his Return to Wittenberg, 1522
III. Luther's Reappearance and fresh Labours at Wittenberg, 1522
IV. Luther and his anti-Catholic work of Reformation, up to 1525
V. The Reformer against the Fanatics and Peasants, up to 1525
VI. Luther's Marriage


PART V.
_LUTHER AND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH, TO THE FIRST RELIGIOUS PEACE.--1525-1532._
I. Survey
II. Continued Labours and Personal Life
III. Erasmus and Henry VIII. Controversy with Zwingli and his Followers, up to 1528
IV. Church Divisions in Germany. War with the Turks. The Conference at Marburg, 1529
V. The Diet of Augsburg, and Luther at Coburg, 1530
VI. From the Diet of Augsburg to the Religious Peace of N��remberg, 1632. Death of the Elector John


PART VI.
_FROM THE RELIGIOUS PEACE OF N��REMBERG TO THE DEATH OF LUTHER._
I. Luther under John Frederick
II. Negotiations