On  the  contrary,  he  contents  himself  with  a  rebuke,  directly  of
Tetzel's  subordinates,  indirectly  of  Tetzel  himself,  and  proposes
to  extend  the  trade  ruto  Prussia  and  the  Mark.  Still  this
lofty  indifference  to  Luther's  remonstrance  is  only  half  real ;
his  reference  of  it  to  the  Pope  shows  at  once  that  it  has
touched  him  to  the  quick,  and  that,  great  prelate  as  he  is,  he
is  anxious  to  transfer  the  responsibility  of  dealing  with  it  to
stronger  hands  than  his  own.^

The  Ninety-five  Theses  are  so  important  a  document  in  the|
history  of  the  Eeformation  as  to  tempt  the  critic  to  see  in  them
a  larger  and  more  definite  element  of  ecclesiastical  and  theologi-
cal revolt  than  they  really  contain.  The  seed  of  rebellion  is
indeed  there  ;  but  there  is  no  prevision  in  Luther's  mind  of
what  it  may  grow  to.  As  we  have  already  seen,  the  result  of
his  long  and  bitter  struggle  in  the  cell  at  Erfurt  had  been  a
thoroughly  spiritual  conception  of  salvation,  which,  if  as  yet
theologically  indefinite,  commanded  his  entire  mental  adhesion,
and  had  gained  complete  possession  of  his  soul.  His  years  of
quiet  teaching  at  "Wittenberg  had  only  confirmed  this  conviction,
negatively,  his  revolt  against  Aristotle  and  the  Schoolmen,  posi-
tively. The  influence  of  the  Theologia  Germanica  had  worked  in
the  same  direction.  But  although  this  belief  was  vital  to  him,
and,  as  the  event  proved,  too  strong  for  his  allegiance  to  the

1  Kbmer,  Tetzel,  p.  148.
2i8  LUTHER'S  NINETY-FIVE  THESES  chap.
