At first, indeed, and before the full enormities of the
system became manifest, he seems to have taken it some-
what quietly. " He began," he himself says, " to preach
with great moderation, that they might do something better
and more certain than buying pardons." But when he
saw the practical influence of the traffic on the members t
of his own flock, and heard of Tetzel's blasphemies, his
whole soul was roused, and he exclaimed, " God willing, I
will beat a hole in his drum." He felt the necessity of
taking some decided step, as no one else seemed disposed
to interfere. Pie took counsel with God and his own heart,
with none besides ; and on the eve of All Saints, when
the relics, collected with great pains by Frederick for his
favorite church, were exposed to view, and multitudes
thronged to gaze on them, Luther appeared among the
crowd, and nailed on the gate of the church his ninety-five
theses on the doctrine of indulgences, which he offered to
maintain in the university, against all opponents, by word
of mouth or in writing. These famous propositions gen-
erally asserted the necessity of spiritual repentance, and
limited the dispensing power of the Pope to those penal-
ties imposed by himself. They did not absolutely deny
the doctrine of the treasure of the church, but only the.
sole authority of the Pope over this treasure, and altogether
denied that this treasure had any power to absolve the-



LUTHER. 27

sinner, without contrition and amendment on his part.
