1. of the abominable wickedness and the regiment at Rome.
2. from D. Luther's journey and train to Rome.
3. the Spaniards and Italians wickedness.
I. Of the atrocious wickedness and the regiment at Rome.
Since Licentiate Liborius of Magdeburg and M. G. Spalatinus, former princely Saxon court preacher, were present and with M. Luther, he said: "Because our Lord God has brought me into the ugly trade and game, I would not take a hundred thousand florins for not also having seen Rome: otherwise I would always have to worry that I was doing violence and injustice to the pope; but what we see, that we speak.
Bembus, an exceedingly learned man, having seen Rome well and having been in awe of it, is said to have said: Rome would be a stinking cesspool, full of the most wicked boys in the whole world. And one of them wrote:
Vivere qui sancte vultis, discedite Roma, Omnia hic ecce licent, non licet esse probum. Who wants to live Christian and pure,
He moves out of Rome and stays at home.
Here you can do whatever you want, but being pious doesn't count for much here.
At this time of the Gospel, there were some in Rome who punished their evil and wickedness, such as Ludovicus, a barefoot monk, and Egidius, an Augustinian, as well as other two preacher-monks who punished and rebuked the error of the papacy. But soon the next morning they were found dead, and their tongues were cut out and stuck in butts. 1) They were given a chorus of straps 2) that were found in the alley at the
I) Cf. cap. 27, § 140.
2) This is the name of a truly inhuman torture, which consists of bouncing the punished person by twisting his arms out of his armpits, so that he often cannot use them again in his entire life. (Förstemann-Bindseil, Vol. I V, 685.)
The pope will not be caught in the night, or otherwise punished in life, if anyone speaks a word against him, for his name is: Noli me tangere: do not attack me.
Rome was conquered and destroyed three times by the Germans: first by the Longobards, the Goths and the Wends. So also now the pope is challenged.
Rome, as I have seen it, said D. M. Luther, is large, encompassed in the area a good mile away, as far as from Wittenberg to the Poltersberg. From this, everyone can assume what a large place it must have been in the round. He also read from the chronicles the number of the citizens of Rome, who would have been there a hundred years before the birth of Christ in forty-one times a hundred thousand; but not long after, they would have numbered ninety times a hundred thousand. That should be a people, since it is otherwise true.
Then the Magdeburg licentiate said that she could still manage five hundred thousand men: Venice three times a hundred thousand Schorrstätte, or Camine; Erfurt eighteen thousand Feuermauern. Nuremberg is barely half Erfurt.
In Rome there are two families, which are always against each other and enemies, Columneser and Ursiner. The one is the smallest, the other imperial and the most powerful. Pope Paul was an Ursian.
One can hardly recognize the old Rome's footsteps, since it has stood. One sees the Theatrum and the Thermas Diocletianas, the warm bath of Diocletiani, which is conducted five and twenty German miles from Neapolis in a beautifully built house. Ah, there were treasures and riches of the world, therefore they also took and did what they desired.
An old priest ate on the evening with
D. Luther said a lot about Rome, because he had served there for two years and had been there four times; and when he was asked why he had been there so often, he said, "First, I was looking for a joker there. Second, I found him. The third time, I brought it. The fourth time, I carried him back inside and put him behind the altar of St. Peter.
The building and church, St. Peter's Minster, has lasted over thirteen hundred years. A large sum of money has been spent on it. For the pope commanded the angels that they should carry the souls of those who died on the way to Rome to heaven from that time on. Therefore John Huss wrote against the pope, because he had no power over the angels to command them. The tyranny of the Roman popes was so rampant.
The Roman impenitence has deserved much great misfortune and punishment. I would not take a hundred thousand guilders for not having seen Rome, although I do not yet know the great shameful abominations. When I saw it, I fell to the ground, lifted up my hands, and said, "Greetings, holy Rome. Yes, truly holy, from the holy martyrs and their blood that is shed: but it is now torn, and the devil has shat the pope, his filth, upon it.
Then the licentiate of Magdeburg said: This prophecy would have been in Rome for a long time, namely: it must break. Item, the dream of the barefoot monk, 1) which Doctor Staupitz heard in Rome in 1511, namely, that a hermit would stand out under Pope Leone the Tenth and attack the papacy 2c. We have not been able to recognize this in Rome. We looked the pope in the face, now we see him in Ars, except for the majesty. And I D. M. Luther did not think then that I should be the same hermit; for Augustinian monks are also called hermits.
Rome is now only a dead carrion and house rubble. Anno 1527 it is conquered and taken with storm by the duke of Bourbon with a small bunch of war people at the very firmest place, because the Romans and the pope
1) Cf. the dissenting account Cap. 27, § 135.
themselves were safe in, the church. The pope barely escaped and fled to Castel Sant'Angelo. There was such a great thick fog that the enemies climbed the walls before one was aware of it and realized it. They plundered the cardinals; they captured the pope, who ransomed himself with three hundred thousand ducats, which he gave to the warriors, then they released him and let him go. The best books were torn up in the libraries and perished. The copistery was turned into a stable. Many Romans perished miserably, except those who were imperial and the Columnesians. It was a special punishment from God on the city.
In Rome there is an excellent hard regiment. For Parasel, 2) the captain and judge, rides around the city every night with three hundred servants, keeping the guard strong. Whom he catches in the alley, he has to serve: if he has a weapon with him, he is either hanged, or drowned and thrown into the Tiber, or given a penalty. There is still desolate life and murder there. But where the word of God is taught pure and clear, there is also unity without law and order.
(This paragraph in Lauterbach, Jan. 13, 1538, p. 9.)
He said various things about Rome and its splendor, how this city is now completely the corpse of the former buildings, that the present houses stand where the roofs stood before, so deep lies the rubble, as one easily recognizes, towards the Tiber and the bridge, since it has two lansquenet spikes height 3) before vain rubble. But it has retained something of its splendor, as when the pope, as very beautifully decorated horses precede, holds a magnificent procession [triumphet] and the sacrament around on a decorated horse. He praised nothing but the Consistory and the Court of Justice [curiam Rotae], where the judicial matters were very well handled.
(This paragraph in Lauterbach, 21 Feb. 1538, p. 35 f.)
He said many things about the greatest empires, cities and the glorious Roman Empire, which-
2) Italian barMlIo.
3) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIII, 1611, Z14: Rom liegt jetzt zwo Stuben tief in der Erden.
The power that began to grow in a godless people after the civil war. I often wonder how such a great power could grow and exist without knowledge of God. It truly grew great, especially in the Punic war with Carthage. There the oxen stopped at the mountain. For Carthage was a very populous city and a naval power, surpassing Rome and Venice, under whose rule were all the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Corsica, Sardinia and all Spain, and very famous for victories. That is why it is called in Punic and Chaldean language Carthage, i.e. the House of God. If Hannibal had completely defeated the Romans, only the Chaldean and Punic languages would be with us, like the Latin. But when the Carthaginians were defeated, the Roman Empire began to grow infinitely, so that Virgil wrote: I have given an empire without end (Aen. 1, 279). Julius Caesar never thought that Rome would become such a corpse. But Scipio foresaw it very well, since he is said to have wept at the fall of Carthage [and said]: This is what will happen to Rome. It has indeed happened. It is often destroyed, most of all by the Goths. I hope it will also happen to the Turk, who is in no way equal to the Romans, since he has only the eastern part of the Roman Empire. He does not yet have Illyria and Hungary, although they lie to the east. Let us ask God to protect us from war, even though war is a lawful thing and an act of the authorities, not only a defense and defense, but also a revenge.
No one believes what evil and abominable sin and shame go to Rome: no one can be persuaded that such great wickedness is there, if he sees, hears, and experiences it. Therefore they say: If there is any hell, Rome must be built on it: 1) for there all sins go in pregnancy: not beggarly avarice, but blind avarice, namely contempt of God, abominable idolatry, sodomitical sin 2c. Tiberius, the pagan emperor, even if he was an unflatterer, as Suetonius writes, is still an angel compared to the present emperor.
1) Cf. cap 43, § 183.
The Roman court had twelve naked maidens standing before the table for supper.
2. D. M. Luther's train and journey to Rome.
Doctor M. Luther said: He did not want to take a hundred thousand florins for not having seen Rome and obviously having experienced himself how the popes and bishops had deluded the world. For Judas' rope would also have been for the sanctuary of Rome. This should not be forgotten, so that one may consider in what darknesses our ancestors have walked. Our nobles are now sitting in the rose garden, but they will also have to deal with the thistles.
Rome used to be the holiest city, but now it is the most wicked and shameful. We are like the prophets, who also complain about Jerusalem and say: "The noble, faithful city has become a whore. For out of the best always comes the worst, as the examples testify at all times. The world always remains as it is, that is, unfaithful, perjured, ungodly, the devil's kingdom and bride, and Christ's enemy.
3. the Spaniards and Italians wickedness.
(Lauterbach, Jan. 21, 1538, p. 13.)
On January 21, Heinrich Schneidewein was there as a guest of the doctor, and they discussed much about the wickedness of the Italians and Spaniards; both were deceitful, but the Spaniards surpassed them in cruelty; they were a very fierce people, they were the right frogs over the whales. Many wise people argue whether it is easier to suffer the Turk than the savagery of the Spaniards. For the Turk takes money and is a protector. But the Spaniards do not do this. That is why the bloodthirsty pope calls these cruel people against us, namely the emperor and the French. The priests want everything to fall to pieces, only so that they themselves can rule. For the pope's bulls are nothing but water bubbles. Where the emperor does not add to this with his sword, then it's over with the pope. Schneidewein testified to this with the clearest experience.