he hands of God and of my friends."
The Elector himself, anxious also in this respect, arranged early in
December a confidential interview between Luther and Spalatin at the
castle of Lichtenberg. He also, as Luther reported to Staupitz, wished
that Luther had some other place to be in, but he advised him against
going away so hastily to France. His own wish and counsel, however, he
refrained as yet from making known. Luther declared that at all events,
if a ban of excommunication were to come from Rome, he would not remain
longer at Wittenberg. On this point also the Prince kept secret his
resolve.

At Rome the bull of excommunication was published as early as June 16th.
It had been considered very carefully in the papal consistory. The
jurists there were of opinion that Luther should be cited once more, but
their views did not prevail. The bull begins with the words, "Arise, O
Lord, and avenge thy cause." It proceeds to invoke St. Peter, St. Paul,
the whole body of the saints, and the Church. A wild boar had broken
into the vineyard of the Lord, a wild beast was there seeking to devour,
etc. Of the heresy against which it was directed, the Pope, as he
states, had additional reason to complain, since the Germans, among whom
it had broken out, had always been regarded by him with such tender
affection: he gives them to understand that they owed the empire to the
Roman Church. Forty-one propositions from Luther's writings are then
rejected and condemned as heretical, or at least scandalous and
corrupting, and his works collectively are sentenced to be burned. As to
Luther himself, the Pope calls God to witness that he has neglected no
means of fatherly love to bring him into the right way. Even now he is
ready to follow toward him the example of divine mercy which wills not
the death of a sinner, but that he should be converted and live; and so
once more he calls upon him to repent, in which case he will receive him
graciously like the prodigal son. Sixty days are given him to recant.
But if he and his adherents will not repent, they are to be regarded as
obstinate heretics and withered branches of the vine of Christ, and must
be punished according to law. No doubt the punishment of burning was
meant; the bull in fact expressly condemns the proposition of Luther
which denounces the burning of heretics. All this was called then at
Rome, and has been called even latterly by the papal party, "the tone
rather of fatherly sor