Medieval and modern times; an introduction to the history of western Europe form the dissolution of the Roman empire to the present time . ber, 1517, Tetzel, a Dominican monk, began granting Luthersindulgences in the neighborhood of Wittenberg, and making indulgenceclaims for them which appeared to Luther wholly irreconcilablewith the deepest truths of Christianity as he understood andtaught them. He therefore, in accordance with the custom ofthe time, wrote out a series of ninety-five statements in regardto indulgences. These theses, as they were called, he posted onthe church door and invite
Medieval and modern times; an introduction to the history of western Europe form the dissolution of the Roman empire to the present time . ber, 1517, Tetzel, a Dominican monk, began granting Luthersindulgences in the neighborhood of Wittenberg, and making indulgenceclaims for them which appeared to Luther wholly irreconcilablewith the deepest truths of Christianity as he understood andtaught them. He therefore, in accordance with the custom ofthe time, wrote out a series of ninety-five statements in regardto indulgences. These theses, as they were called, he posted onthe church door and invited any one interested in the matter toenter into a discussion with him on the subject, which he believedwas very ill understood. 1 It is a common mistake of Protestants to suppose that the indulgence wasforgiveness granted beforehand for sins to be committed in the future. There isabsolutely no foundation for this idea. A person proposing to sin could not pos-sibly be contrite in the eyes of the Church, and even if he secured an indulgence,it would, according to the theologians, have been quite worthless. 292 Medieval and Modem Times. Fig. 80. Portrait of Frederick the Wise, byAlbrecht Durer Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, was very proud of the univer-sity that he founded at Wittenberg, and, while he was a devout Catholicand seems hardly to have understood what Luther stood for, he pro-tected his professor and did not propose to have him tried for heresyby the Church. The portrait is a fine example of the work of the artistwho distinguished himself as both a painter and an engraver In posting these theses, Luther did riot intend to attack theChurch, and had no expectation of creating a sensation. Thetheses were in Latin and addressed, therefore, only to learnedmen. It turned out, however, that every one, high and low, learnedand unlearned, was ready to discuss the perplexing theme of the TJie Revolt of Germany against the Papacy 293 nature of indulgences. The theses were
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