In  1520  Luther  for  the  first  time  drew  up  a  scheme  of
practical  Church  reform.  It  occupies  the  latter  and  the  larger
half  of  his  "  Address  to  the  Christian  nobility  of  the  German
nation  on  the  amendment  of  the  Christian  estate ''  —  the
nobility  including  the  newly-elected  Emperor  as  their  natural
head.  To  them  he  turned  in  despair  of  the  clergy :  "  if  God  be
willing  by  means  of  the  laity  to  help  His  Church,  since  the
clerical  order,  to  whom  the  business  more  properly  belongs,  is
become  quite  indifferent."  ^  It  is  a  very  precise  document,
showing  that  its  author  had  fully  apprehended  the  facts  of  the
ease,  and  deeply  sympathised  with  the  feelings  of  annoyance
and  indignation  against  the  Church  which  moved  so  many  of
his  countrymen.  After  a  brief  introduction,  in  which  he
describes  and  undermines  the  three  walls  of  defence  which  the
Papacy  had  set  up  (the  principles,  first,  that  the  spiritual  power
is  above  the  temporal;  secondly,  that  no  one  but  the  Pope  can
interpret  Scripture ;  thirdly,  that  no  one  can  call  a  council  but
the  Pope),  he  marshals  under  twenty-eight  heads  the  articles
of  reform  on  which  a  General  Council  might  with  advantage
deliberate.  These  are  not  set  out  in  logical  sequence,  or  dis-
criminated from  each  other  with  anxious  care.  The  Address
was  written  in  fiery  haste,  and  was  intended  much  more  to
move  men's  indignation  and  enthusiasm  than  to  furnish
"  agenda  "  for  any  deliberative  meeting.  Had  there  been  any
prospect  of  such  a  synod  being  called  together,  Luther  would
no  doubt  have  been  prepared  with  a  more  exact  statement  of
grievance.  In  his  own  eager  way,  however,  he  now  goes  over
the  whole  ground.  He  demands  that  the  splendour  and
luxury  of  the  Papal  court  should  be  replaced  by  a  simpler
^  Eri.  D.  S.  vol.  xxi.  p.  277  ;  Weimar,  vol.  vi.  p.  404  et  seq.
