Identifier: martinluthermanh00mcgi (find matches)
Title: Martin Luther, the man and his work
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: McGiffert, Arthur Cushman, 1861-1933
Subjects: Luther, Martin, 1483-1546
Publisher: New York, The Century Co.
Contributing Library: Princeton Theological Seminary Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
bout the matter. God will make itall right. To Him we commend the whole cause. The unfortunate experience did not lead Luther toabandon the principles which had governed his treat-ment of the landgraves case, nor did he ever admit hehad done wrong in advising Philip as he had. At thesame time, in replying to a book in defense of polyg-amy, published in 1541 by a subservient Hessianclergyman who wrote under the pseudonym of Neobu-lus, he used language which showed he was sensitiveupon the subject and felt special need of reiterating hisbelief in the illegality of polygamy. Whoever, heexclaimed, following this scoundrel and his book,takes more than one wife, and wishes to give it thesanction of law, may the devil bless him with a bath inthe abyss of hell! Amen. This, God be praised, Iknow well how to maintain even if it were to snownothing but Neobuli and devils a whole year long. Noone shall make me a law out of it. That I will notpermit. Regarded from any point of view, the landgraves
Text Appearing After Image:
l;rom a photograph by the Berlin Photographic Co. oi the painting by Lucas CranachMARTIN LUTHER IN I 533 LANDGRAVE PHILIPS BIGAMY 367 bigamy was a disgraceful affair, and Luthers consentthe gravest blunder of his career. He acted conscien-tiously, but with a lamentable want of moral discern-ment and a singular lack of penetration and foresight.To approve a relationship so derogatory to the womeninvolved, and so subversive of the most sacred safe-guards of society, showed too little fineness of moralfeeling and sureness of moral conviction; while to beso easily duped by the dissolute prince was no morecreditable to his perspicacity than thinking such anaffair could be kept secret to his sagacity. It was a case where personal liking and undue re-gard for the success of the cause warped his judgmentand blinded his usually keen sight. Though he dis-approved many of Philips acts, the brilliant andaggressive personality of the prince always attractedhim, and made him more compliant than it

Note About Images