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THE UPANISHADS AND THE BRAHMANS. way, quite recently, and to discuss it in any fulness would be out of place here ; but its results, as far as BY CHARLES JOHNSTON. they touch on the question of the origin of the Upani- "Thinking sacrifices and offerings are shads, can easily be summarised. best, these fools know not the better way." I think I may say that it is conclusively proved —Mundaka Upanishad. that there are at least four clearly distinguished races It has always been accepted as one of the estab- in India, whose character is primarily marked by dif- lished truths of Oriental studies, that the Upanishads ference of color. We are not particularly concerned contain the wisdom of the Brahmans ; the teaching with two of these races, the black race and the yellow of the Upanishads, the system of the Vedanta, and race ; but, as regards the others, it has been quite Brahmanism are constantly regarded as synonymous clearly shown that the pure nucleus of the Brahman terms. This assumption is exactly the contrary of the caste is a white race, while the true Rajputs belong truth, as I hope to show; yet the error which led to it to a red race, quite distinct in every ethnical charac- was a very natural one. ter from the race of the white Brahmans. It has never When the Western world first came into contact been doubted that the Brahmans of to-day, as far as with the spiritual life of India, at the end of last cen.- their pure nucleus is concerned, are identical in race tury, the foreground of the Indian world was held by with the Brahmans of ancient India, who first consol- the Brahman caste ; the sacred books were in the idated into a hereditary caste at the close of the Vedic hands of the Brahmans ; Sanskrit, the key to the sa- age. But it has only quite recently been shown that of to- in color, cred books, could only be learned from the Brahmans ; the Rajputs day are identical race, char- and, finally, the Brahmans themselves confidently as- acter, and even name, with the Rajaputras, Rajanyas, serted that the wisdom of the sacred books was pecu- or Kshattriyas of Ancient India. We must therefore liarly their own, and without doubt were profoundly fix our regard on two races in Ancient India : the red convinced of the truth of their assertion. It was very Rajputs or Rajanyas, and the white Brahmans. What natural, therefore, that everything we received from I hope to demonstrate, with regard to the Upanishads, the Brahmans, amongst other things, the Upanishads, is, that all that is most characteristic in their teaching, should be regarded as having originated among the the heart and soul of Indian philosophy, originated
Brahmans ; and it was not less natural that this opin- with the red Rajputs ; and that this teaching was ion should continue to be held. It is true that, in the adopted by the white Brahmans from the Rajputs,
Upanishads themselves, there is a series of passages the record of this adoption being contained, quite of quite unmistakable import, which point to quite clearly, in the Upanishads themselves. The ancient another origin, to quite another relation between the spiritual dignity of the Rajanyas, or Kshattriyas, has real authors of the teaching of the Upanishads and long been recognised by scholars. I need only men- the Brahman caste; yet these passages have been tion what has been written on the subject by Gold- consistently overlooked, or rather their real bearing stiicker, Muir, Max Muller, and Cowell.^ It is uni- has not been grasped, for the very sufficient reason versally recognised that many of the hymns of the that an insight into this real bearing can only be Rig-Veda were composed by Rajanya seers, and the reached along a line which students of Sanskrit were thrice-holy Gayatri, the most sacred verse in all the very unlikely to follow, and, as a matter of fact, failed Vedas, claims as its author Vishvamitra, prince of to follow. Kanouj, whom the Brahmanas speak of as a Rajaputra,,
This line of study is the examination of the eth- that is, a Rajput. nical character of the Indian races to-day; and, more And the peculiar relation of the Upanishads to the especially, the ethnical character of two races, the 1 Goldsttlcker, Literary Remains, I., p. 311. Muir, Original Sanskrit pure Brahmans and the pure Rajputs. This study Texts, I., p. 266 ff. Max MQller, Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 79 flE. Max MOUer, Chips from a German IVorkskof.U., liift. Cowell, Etphinstone' has only been entered upon, in a strict and scientific History of India, Bk. IV., App. vii. ;
5o8o THE OPEN COURT.
in the fifth chapter of the Rajanyas or Kshattriyas has also been recognised. The parallel passage ' of this higher Chhandogya Upanishad puts the matter even more Thus Cowell writes : ' The great teachers knowledge are not Brahmans but Kshattriyas, and strongly: "Never before thee does this teaching go Brahmans are continually represented as going to the to the Brahmans, but among all peoples it was the "^ alone." Shankaracharya great Kshattriya kings to become their pupils. And doctrine of the Kshattriya Deussen points out that the original possessors of the comments thus: "Before thee, this teaching went initiated wisdom of the Upanishads "were not the priestly not to the Brahmans, nor were the Brahmans in formerly all peoples this was caste devoted to ceremonial, but far rather the caste this wisdom ; among again find in the the teaching at the initiation of pupils of the Kshat- of the Kshattriyas : again and we Upanishads the position that the Brahman begs the triya race. For so long a time this teaching was Kshattriya for teaching."^ All this becomes enor- handed down in succession among the Kshattriyas." mously more important, when we know that we have The word used again implies the analogue of apos- of to deal, not with a difference of caste or social status tolic succession. It is a remarkable confirmation only, but with a difference of race. the truth of this narrative that the teaching of rebirth But we may best illustrate the matter by translat- through conservation of moral energy, and the teach- ing certain passages in the Upanishads themselves. ing of liberation are not, as a matter of fact, found Perhaps the most remarkable is one in the sixth chap- anywhere in the hymns of the Rig-Veda, and it is ter of Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad. The actors in the well known that on the hymns of this Veda, the Yajur drama are King Pravahana, who is expressly called a and the Sama-Veda are based ; so that we can still Rajanya or Rajput, and the two Brahmans Uddalaka verify the fact that Uddalaka, the Brahman, though and his son Shvetaketu. These two Brahmans are learned in all the hymns, was yet ignorant of the learned in the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, and the teaching of rebirth and the teaching of liberation. We Sama-Veda, and fully initiated in the mysteries of the now know that this wisdom really belonged to another are compelled to confess race, the race of the Red Rajputs, who imparted it to Brahmanical caste ; yet they their entire ignorance of the answers of five questions the White Brahmans, after the three Vedas were com- put to them by the Rajput king. It has hardly been plete. sufficiently noted hitherto that these questions imply These passages are enough to prove that what is the whole doctrine of reincarnation or rebirth, and the best in Indian wisdom does not belong to the Brah- continuity of moral energies, or "works": and the mans at all ; but we may point to further passages in complementary doctrine of liberation from rebirth, the Upanishads to show how widely they recognise and finally realised oneness with the eternal ; two doc- this. Thus, in the fourth chapter of Kaushitaki Brah- trines rightly held to be the head and heart of Indian mana Upanishad, the Kshattriya or Rajput king Aja- wisdom. These two doctrines the Brahmans were en- tashatru imparts divine knowledge to the Brahman tirely ignorant of, though learned in the three Vedas, Gargya, son of Balaka; the same story is found in and they are imparted to the Brahman Uddalaka by the fourteenth chapter of the Shatapatha Brahmana, the Rajput king, with the following very remarkable or the second chapter of Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad words: "This wisdom never hitherto dwelt in any and all versions of this narrative incidentally recog-
Brahman, yet I will declare it to thee." The Com- nise the fame of another Rajanya, King Janaka, as a mentary of Shankaracharya explains the sentence thus: teacher of divine things. There are a number of " This teaching asked for by thee, before being given shorter references to the same fact scattered through to thee, never dwelt in any Brahman, and thou also the Upanishads, but it would hardly be in place to
knowest that this teaching was always handed down collect and translate them all here ; what we have in succession among the Kshattriyas," that is, the given is more than enough to prove our position con- Rajputs. The word used is one which specially refers clusively. to the transmission of an esoteric doctrine from teacher The spiritual ascendancy of the Rajanyas, Kshat- to pupil in an uninterrupted line, in the manner of an triyas, or Rajputs does not end with the Upanishads. apostolic succession, and thus shows that Shankara- Rama, the Rajanya of the Solar line, is esteemed a
charya, the greatest of all the Brahmans, believed divine incarnation ; and it is noteworthy that Krishna, that the teaching of rebirth through conservation of another divine incarnation, traces his teaching through moral energy, and the teaching of liberation, were the Rajanya or Rajput Sages, with special reference hereditary with the Kshattriyas, and were imparted to the teaching of rebirth and liberation, as the fourth by them to the Brahmans on a definite historic occa- chapter of the Bhagavad Gita shows. The earlier sion. chapters of this summary of Krishna's teaching repeat and develop the best ideals of the Upanishads, and lOp. cit., p. 382. it is 2 Deussen, Das System des Vedanta, p. 18. in recognising this, important to remember that
i a: —
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Krishna himself and his disciple Arjuna are both ity of their system of selfish superstition, humbly and Kshattriyas, and that Krishna lays special stress on gladly accepted the truer spiritual ideals of the Raj- the futility of the priestly system, that is, the peculiar puts, as the Upanishads show. teaching of the Brahmans. The second epoch shows us the Brahman caste
Once more, long after Krishna's days, — if we are again sunk in ceremonial and ritualism, while the to accept the universal tradition of ancient India, — teacher Krishna, though clearly pointing out the futil- great Rajanya or Rajput sage raised the standard of ity of the priestly system, yet counsels toleration and the same ideals, and preached the doctrine of life as compromise. a manifestation of moral energies, where well-being In the third epoch, the Brahman caste had gone too depends on the inward rightness of the will and heart, far in crystallisation to be able to receive the healing and not on the purchased favor of the gods. This teachings of the Buddha, and consequently we find him teacher was Prince Siddhartha of Kapilavastu, most denounced by the Brahmans, because he "being a universally known as Gautama Buddha, "The Awak- Kshattriya, had assumed the Brahman's privilege of ened," or Shakya Muni, "The Sage of the Shakyas." teaching and receiving gifts ; " and we find his follow- There has been endless dispute as to the real nature ers ultimately driven from India by the consistent hos- of the Buddha's doctrine; but this much, I think, is tility of the Brahman priests. It is noteworthy that universally agreed upon : that the Buddha taught re- the chief missionaries of Buddhism to Tibet were birth, or continuity of life, through the conservation of Rajputs, men of the Buddha's own race, the race to moral energies and liberation through renunciation of whom we owe the wisdom of the Upanishads, as well the selfish personality. I hope to have something to as the teaching of the Bhagavad Gita, the race to say, at a future date, as to the relation of this doctrine whom the three historic divine incarnations in India of the renunciation of personality to the doctrine of belong, finally, the race from whom came even the the Self, in the Upanishads ; but it is more in place holiest parts of the Rig- Veda hymns, the race of the here to point out that we find the Buddha in constant Red Rajputs, the spiritual masters of India. conflict with the peculiar ideals of the Brahmans,
From all this we may draw two deductions : First, more especially their sacrificial system of bartering the propriety, even the necessity, of considering the with the gods. This conflict with the Brahmans and highest outcome of the race-genius of the Rajputs their characteristic ideals comes Out very clearly in the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and Buddhism the Tevijja Sutta, which is of high value as a histori- as a continuous whole ; and secondly, the fact that, cal landmark, showing, as it does, that in the Bud- in describing any part of this continuous teaching as dha's days, two thousand five hundred years ago, the Brahmanism, we shall be losing sight of one of the Brahman caste had reached an advanced stage of ex- most important truths in the spiritual history of India. clusiveness and degeneration, very different from the Strictly speaking, we should mean by Brahmanism time of the Upanishads, when the best Brahmans sat the system of priestcraft and ceremonial bartering as humble pupils at the feet of the Rajput sages, and with the gods, — "milking the gods," to use a chaste ex- considerably more advanced than in the days of pression from the Vedic hymns, —which was denounced Krishna, the Kshattriya teacher, when, as many ref- in the Upanishads, treated as futile by Krishna, erences in the Mahabharata show, the Brahman caste and finally rejected by Buddha, the system of priest- felt its position as yet insecure. craft, with its promises of material success in this But the main fact we have to deal with, is this life, and sensual reward in heaven, which finally tri- three times in the history of ancient India, at three umphed in the expulsion of Buddha's religion, and widely separated epochs, the latest of which was two which is the very antithesis of the spiritual ideal of thousand five hundred years ago, we find teachers of the Rajputs. Or we may mean by Brahmanism the the Red Rajput race asserting the ideal of continuity system of compromise inaugurated in the Bhagavad and rebirth through the conservation of moral ener- Gita, accepted by the Brahma Sutras, and perfected gies, and the ideal of liberation through rightness of by Shankaracharya, in which the true spiritual and heart and will, as against the characteristic teaching esoteric doctrine comes from the Upanishads, that is, of the White Brahmans, with their mercenary huck- from the Rajputs, while the outer and lower teaching, stering with the gods, for the good things of this life the exoteric doctrine, is the undisputed property of and paradise, and their ceremonial system with its the Brahman priests, the thrice-blest "eaters of the exclusiveness, narrowness, and priestly privilege, and leavings of the sacrifice." But in no case can the its sacrificial shedding of blood. name Brahmanism be fitly given to the Upanishads, At the earliest of these three epochs, the Brah- in which all that is most characteristic of the Brah- mans, conscious of their own ignorance and the futil- mans is unsparingly denounced. 5o82 THE OPEN COURT.
MARTIN LUTHER.i Instructions for Penitents, this period brought the first by gustav freytag. part of the Pastils, one of his principal works, he [continued.] worked on his exegesis of the Book of Psalms and on ACCEPTING THE SUMMONS. the fine and soulful book Explanation of Marfs Song In the autumn of 1517 Luther got into a quarrel of Praise. the winter of with a dissolute Dominican friar ; in At last the imperial herald, Caspar Sturm, who 1520 he burned the papal bull. In the spring of 1518 was called "Germania" in the heraldic language of he had prostrated himself at the feet of the Pope, the the Latins, brought the letter of safe-conduct to Wit-
vicegerent of Christ ; in the spring of 1521 he declared tenberg and rode ahead of the waggon of Luther, who at the Diet of Worms, before the Emperor and the started for Worms on April 2 with Amsdorf and two princes and papal legates, that he did not believe other companions. In the cities of Thuringia the either the Pope or the Councils alone, but only the people crowded about the waggon offering their good testimony of the Holy Scriptures and rational thought. wishes. At Erfurt, the Humanists, who were the rul- Luther knew since December, 1520, that his case ing party at that university, met him in a great pro- was to be heard at the Diet, called to meet at Worms, cession on horseback and gave a brilliant feast. and he also knew that the cardinal-delegate Aleander But through all these enthusiastic acclamations was ceaselessly urging the Emperor to be severe with there sounded a shrill note of discord. The Emperor him, that the Emperor himself was not favorably dis- had promised safe-conduct for the journey both ways, posed towards the bold monk whose heretical books and the princes through whose domains he travelled, he had burned in the Netherlands. The Prince-Elector had also sent letters to protect him. Nevertheless, of Saxony reached Worms early in January, and found the Emperor did not want the excommunicated friar the Emperor present. The great men of the empire to reach Worms, and, in order to deter him, he issued gathered slowly and tardily. It was not until the end an order in advance of the hearing and had it pro- of February, 1521, that the Diet could be opened. claimed in the cities that all of Luther's books should The intelligence which came from Worms to Wit- be given up to the authorities. Luther found the pro- tenberg, travelling about as fast as a letter from clamation posted in the cities. His friends at Worms Europe to America does to-day, took on a less favor- were alarmed. Spalatin sent him a warning that the able tone. The Emperor and Luther's enemies fate of Huss was in store for him; even the herald
thought it improper that the excommunicated friar asked if he still insisted on continuing his journey. should be admitted to the Diet at all, and Prince- Luther himself was startled, but could not be turned Elector Frederick and the other princes of the empire aside. He sent answer to Spalatin that Huss was who thought it was wrong, or, at least, imprudent, on burned, but the truth was not burned, and he would account of the popular excitement, to condemn him go to Worms though there were as many devils as without a hearing, were obliged to put forth the great- tiles on the roofs. est efforts to obtain the concession that the heretic Milder means, also, were tried to divert him. The be asked to recant, and also that he be granted safe- Emperor's confessor, Glapio, went to Sickingen at conduct. Ebernburg, apparently of his own free will, and ad- Thus it was not unknown to Luther that imperial vised most urgently that Luther should avoid Worms, outlawry threatened him, and his death was probable. and go to Ebernburg to seek first an understanding Naturally such a prospect should have impaired some- with him. If Luther had accepted this proposition, it what the cheerfulness and literary productiveness of would have been impossible to keep within the time
even the most virile man. But in his case the reverse for which he was protected by the safe - conduct. was true. Scarcely at any other time in his life did Luther replied to the well-meaning bearer of the mes-
he write so much and such a variety of matter as dur- sage that if the Emperor's confessor desired to speak ing those months. He took his old literary opponent, with him he could be found at Worms. Ambrosius Catharinus, by the collar, and, with even When he drove into Worms, on the last day of greater energy, the tedious Emser, of Leipsic, whom the term allowed for the journey, he was escorted by he scored, ridiculed, and cuffed in a series of little a cavalcade of a hundred horsemen, most of them books. The Pope, the legates, and their courtesans Saxon gentlemen, who had come to meet him, while were represented with harsh humor in wood-cuts by the people crowded the streets and watched him with
his friend, Lucas Cranach, contrasting the humility curiosity ; and his quarters, which were assigned him of the suffering Christ with the splendor of the clergy. in the house of the order of St. John, were visited He also labored indefatigably for education and the until late into the night by noble callers who were ministry of souls. Besides some sermons and the full of curiosity and sympathy. The next day he was
1 Translated by H. E. O. Heinemann. cited before the Diet. THE OPEN COURT. 5083
It was a disagreeable surprise to the papist party THE DIET OF WORMS. that Luther had the courage to come. It was incon-
venient to the Emperor also. It was necessary, then, It was on April 17, at four o'clock in the afternoon, to calm the excitement which his presence created that Luther was escorted to the Diet by the imperial among the Germans, by a speedy decision. On the marshal, Ulrich von Pappenheim, and the herald. other hand, his friends and a majority of the princes The people crowded the streets and climbed on the who desired a compromise and a friendly settlement roofs to see Luther, so that he was taken by side of the dangerous dispute, did not want to have the streets to the Episcopal Court, where the Diet was in matter treated hastily. Chief among these was the session. This court, according to popular tradition, Prince-Elector, Frederick the Wise, whose prudent was in ancient times the royal palace of Gunther, manner could not suffer any violent and superficial King of the Burgundians, and it was there that the proceeding, particularly as such a course would put King, with the gloomy Hagen, devised the secret plot
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?<«fr« u«blbiiM.|&m6 abcifii fffl&'a mointionle m^oi»TeIfniRO!ie ffc^aaismmf^ .p FAC-SIMILE OF AN INDULGENCE. From KSslIin. himself in a most unpleasant situation with the empire. against the life of the sunny hero Siegfried. Since He required time to satisfy his conscience and come that time the celebrated building has been destroyed to a decision. His confidential advisers knew that it by the French. The princes and other participants would be simply a question of recantation and that in the Diet sat in the main hall, which opened along there was no possibility of any discussion or debate one side of an ante-room, so that they could be seen before the Diet. Luther, however, had declared pos- from without and probably parts of their speeches itively that he would recant nothing. He was required, could be heard. But the princes themselves were not first of all, to satisfy his sovereign and all who were wont to speak during the sessions. This was done by inclined to mediate by asking for time to reflect upon their councillors, and the princes retired for private so grave and difficult a matter. It was a mere ques- conference when the time came for taking a decision. tion of postponing the final decision, but Luther was Tradition tells us that on the threshold of the obliged, whether he would or not, to conform to this hall George von Frundsberg, the famous general of requirement. the imperial army, laid his hand on Luther's shoulder 5084 THE OPEN COURT. and said kindly: "My dear monk, thou goest to an The Emperor and the princes joined in a short encounter which I and many foremost leaders of bat- consultation. A majority insisted that the delay be tle never have faced. If thou art right and sure of thy granted, and the official announced to Luther that the cause, God speed thee, and be comforted. God will Emperor's mercy would grant him time to reflect un- not forsake thee." til four o'clock the next day. Luther left with the When Luther was led in, Pappenheim cautioned words: "I shall consider the matter." him that he could say nothing before the august as- In this session he spoke low and with humility, sembly except in answer to questions. When he en- and, his enemies said, indistinctly. It may be that tered, he did not kneel down, as was expected of a the first impression of the assembly embarrassed him. monk when appearing before the majesty of the Em- Assuredly it was a greater burden to him that he could peror, but stood bolt upright. In front of him he saw not speak out freely all that he wanted. the pale face and sombre glance of the young Em- The delay was short. The desire of the enemies peror ; he saw the expression of anxiety in the kind to be rid of the disturber was too great. The question face of his sovereign, the Elector, and found himself was what effect a refusal of Luther would produce. in the presence of all those illustrious princes and For he declared again after returning to his lodgings, gentlemen, of whose dispositions and opinions he had that he would not recant a single stroke. heard so much in late years. On April 18 he was again called for at four o'clock The official of the Archbishop of Treves began as and had to wait in the crowd for about two hours. " speaker for the Emperor : His Imperial Majesty has But when he entered the meeting this time, he was sent his mandate and summons to you, Martinus Lu- quite himself again and utterly indifferent to the opin- ther, to appear before the present Diet, that you may ion of men. He greeted the assembly according to first give answer if you confess to the books which the manners of the court, by bending both knees a have appeared everywhere in the Holy Roman Empire trifle. He spoke respectfully but firmly, and his voice, under your title and name, and if you wrote them as which was clear and high, as once upon a time was they here lie before your eyes." He pointed to a pile that of Charlemagne, was heard all over the hall. In of books lying on a bench. Jerome Schurf, who, with a well-considered speech he greeted the Emperor and five other doctors, was Luther's legal adviser, called the assembly, and first begged pardon if in word, out: "Let the titles be read," and Luther repeated gesture, or manner he violated the manners of court- the request. life, since he was not brought up at any princely court, The official read the titles of those books which but in the corners of monasteries. "In simplicity of for years had excited the nation as was never done by mind I have written and taught up to this time, and the publications of any man, either before or since. sought nothing else on earth than the glory of God Then he continued : "Furthermore, if you confess to and the instruction of those who believe in Christ." the books. His Imperial Majesty demands that you Then he continued : "To the two questions which shall recant them here and now, and therefore asks have been put to me I will answer in this wise : I con- whether you will do so or not, since there is mixed in fess, as I did yesterday, that the books enumerated them much evil and erroneous teaching which may were written by me and were issued in my name, un- cause excitement and discontent in the common, less by fraud or the ignorance of others something simple people. Consider and take this to heart." was altered or wrongly extracted in the printing, for Luther's reply was about as follows : "Most illus- I confess only to that which came from myself. Now, trious Emperor : Having appeared here in obedience my books are not of one kind, for in some I treated to your gracious bidding, I will answer, in the first quite simply and according to the Gospels, of faith place, to the matter presented : The books whose and morals. These books must be held useful even titles have just been read, and some others, which by my adversaries and worthy of being read by Chris- were written for the instruction of the people, I con- tians. Even the angry and cruel bull of the Pope fess to, and shall adhere to such confession to the end calls some of my books harmless, although it con- of my days. In the second place, however, since your demns them contrary to reason. If I were to begin to Imperial Majesty requires that I recant their contents, recant these writings, on which both friends and ene- I would answer that this is truly a great matter, for it mies are agreed, I should be in conflict with the gen- concerns everlasting life and relates to One who is eral and harmonious opinion. more than any in this one assembly ; it is His affair "The second series of my books is directed against and action. That I may not, therefore, mislead the popery and the actions of the papists, against those poor Christian people and myself, I beg and ask that who, with evil teachings and example, have destoyed your Imperial Majesty grant me a term for reflexion and corrupted the Christian world, miserably op- and consideration." pressed, burdened, and tortured the consciences of THE OPEN COURT. 5085 the faithful, also devoured the goods and possessions vice. And thus I commend myself to the mercy of of the great German nation by incredible tyranny and the Emperor and beg that your Imperial Majesty may rank injustice. Should I recant these books I should not suffer me to fall into disfavor through the ill opin- do nothing else than to strengthen such tyranny and ion of my enemies." un-Christian practices and throw open to them not the Thus spoke on April 18, 1521, a man from the windows alone, but the doors also, that they could common people before the Emperor and all the continue to rage and work evil, and their most im- princes about the government of the highest spiritual pudent and criminal rancor would be confirmed and lord of the Christian world. The polite modesty of fastened upon the poor miserable people to a degree the opening, the care with which he distinguished his that would be intolerable. This would be particularly books, appeared as good address even to his enemies. the case if it could be said that such increase of mis- But soon after, he stood in the assembly a stranger fortune happened at the order and upon the desire of from another world, like a hero of old swinging his your Imperial Majesty and the entire Roman Empire. iron club among a lot of delicate knights. His com- O my dear Lord, what an infamous cloak of villainy fortable assurance in describing the heads of the clergy and tyranny I should become by such a recantation ! as frivolous villains, and the final warlike assertion : "The third kind of my books are written against " It is most joyful to me to see how rebellion rises," certain individuals who tried to protect Roman tyranny before the august assembly which feared nothing more and to eradicate the form of serving God which I than dissension among the people, was not the lan- taught. I confess that against these adversaries I was guage of a penitent speaking for his neck, but the more violent than was proper, for I do not make my- proud utterance of a ruler chosen for victory or ruin. self out a saint, nor did I fight for myself, but for the It was a weird effect that the daring words and the honor of Christ. These books, likewise, I cannot re- demon-like eyes of the man made upon the official, cant, for my recantation and retreat would strengthen and he attempted to instruct and reprimand him : the tyrannical wrath and mad government of the "In your answer there were thrusts and biting at- enemies. tacks, but no open declaration. What you teach has "My Lord Jesus Christ, when questioned by the been said by Huss and other heretics, and that teach- high priest about his teachings, and, being struck on ing has already been condemned at the Council of ' the cheek by a servant, said : If I have spoken evil, Constance, with sufficient reason, by Pope and Em- bear witness of the evil.' Since the Lord did not re- peror. I demand a simple, plain answer : Will you fuse to listen to an argument against his teachings, recant or not? If you recant, your innocent little even from the lowliest slave, how much more is it be- books will be preserved ; if you do not recant, no re- coming in me, an erring man, to desire and expect gard will be had for what else you may have written that some one may give me witness against my teach- in a Christian sense, and you will give his Imperial ings. Hence, I implore the highest and the lowest, Majesty cause to do with you as was done with Huss by the mercy of God, to prove my error and overcome and others." me with the evangelical and prophetic writings. If I It was then that Luther spoke the familiar words : am instructed in that regard I will be the very first to "Since his Imperial Majesty requires a simple and throw my books into the fire. straight answer, I will give an answer that is neither "Yesterday I was admonished earnestly to reflect offensive nor biting. I do not believe in either the that discord, riot, and rebellion may grow out of Pope or the councils alone, since it is plain that they my teachings in the world. I have considered and have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves. weighed it sufficiently. In truth, it is most joyful to Unless I am overcome with the testimony of the Scrip- me to see that on account of the divine word there ture or with clear and transparent reasons, I will and will be dissension in the world, for that is the conse- shall not recant a single word, for it is wicked and quence and the fate which is prepared bj' the Word of dangerous to act contrary to conscience." ' God. The Lord Himself said : I came not to send The official and Luther spoke Latin first, then re- peace but a sword, for I am come to set a man at va- peated their words in German. After the words of riance against his father.' Let us beware, therefore, Luther there was excitement and murmuring in the lest we condemn the Word of God, under the pretext hall, and the following Latin speeches of the two of adjusting the quarrels of parties, that a flood of in- champions were not heard all through the meeting. sufferable evil may not come over us and lest the no- The angry Emperor again asked, through the official, ble youth. Emperor Charles, have an unhappy begin- if Luther dared assert that the councils had erred. " ning of his reign. I say this not as though my teach- And when Luther answered : Councils can err and ing and warning was needed by such great heads, but have erred, and the one of Constance decided con- because I owe it to my native land to do her this ser- trary to the clear and lucid text of the Scripture, : ; , -^bt^tJ 5086 THE OPEN COURT. which I will demonstrate," the Emperor had heard himself, but free as the beast of the forest, a fugitive enough. Amazed at such audacity, he gave the sig- and at his heels howled a pack of bloodthirsty en- nal to close the proceedings and break up the meet- emies. He had arrived at the climax of his life, and ing. In response to the hostile gesture of the Em- the powers against which he had rebelled, yea, the peror and amid the clamor of his enemies, Luther thoughts which he himself had stirred up in the peo- finally exclaimed in German the words which, accord- ple, thenceforth worked against his life and teachings. ing to the form handed down by his theological friends [to be continued.] in the editions of his works, were: "Here I am. I " cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen ! In real- BOOK REVIEWS. probably uttered in this way : "I cannot ity they were Ruling Idbas of the Present Age. By Washington Gladden. otherwise. to my aid. Amen. Here do May God come Boston and New York ; Houghton, Mifflin, and Company. I am." The Riverside Press, Cambridge. 1895. Pages, 299. Price, *1.25. It was the two days of the 17th and i8th of April, 152 1, that the two men looked in one another's faces Mr. Gladden's little book is the result of the offer by the trus- tees of Dartmouth College, under the terms of the will of the Hon. who have split the life of the Western World in twain, Richard Fletcher, of a prize for the best essay on the question : the great enemies who in the great-grandchildren of " In what ways ought the conception of personal life and duty to their spirit have fought each other down into the pres- be modified ? " The prize was awarded for the present essay, the ent time, the Burgundian Hapsburger and the German author of which answers the question propounded by referring to peasant's son, emperor and professor, the one who the intellectual and ethical movements now going on around us. spoke German only to his horse, the other the trans- These he regards as full of promise, notwithstanding the dangers which beset society arising from the broad distinction made be- lator of the Bible and creator of the new German lan- tween the sacred and the secular, religion and politics, and the the one the predecessor of the patrons of the guage, strong development of the spirit of " pharisaism " in the Church. Jesuits, author of the house-policj' of the Hapsburgs, As evidence of real progress, Mr. Gladden refers to the in-coming the other the precursor of Lessing, the great poets, of the higher form of charity, based on the existence of a spiritual historians, and philosophers. It was an hour big relationship between giver and receiver. He insists on the "rights of property," but he points out that its possessors have correlative with fate for the history of the world when the young duties, one of the most important of which consists "in the fur- Emperor, lord of half the world, spoke the contemp- nishing of honest and healthful work, and in the manifestation, tuous words : "That fellow shall not make a heretic through the friendships which association in work makes possible, of me." For it was at that time that there began the of the true spirit of brotherly love." Among the chief ruling ideas struggle of his house with the spirit of the people, a of the present day, according to Mr. Gladden, are the immanence in nature and society of "the Christ," and the organic character struggle of over three centuries, victories and defeats of the social body. The latter forms the keynote of Mr. Glad- on both sides. As far as human judgment may read den's work. c. s. w. the workings of Providence in the fate of nations, we of to-day have at last seen the final outcome. It was the first and only time, too, in German his- THE OPEN COURT tory, that a man from the people so firmly defended, THE MONON," 3S4 DEARBORN STREET. in peril of death, the demands of his conscience be- fore the Emperor and the Diet. The effect of his GHICAQO, ILLINOIS, Post Office Drawer F. steadfastness upon the princes was great, immeasur- ably great upon the people. When Frederick the B. C. HBGBLBR, PuBLISHKR. DR. PAUL CARUS, Editor. Wise came to his chamber from the assembly, he said to his intimates, full both of admiration and of care Terms: Throughout the Postal Union, $1.50 per year, cents for six "Doctor Martinus spoke well, in Latin and in Ger- 75 months; in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Si, 00 per year, 50 cents man. He is much too courageous for me." Even for six months. among those princes who looked upon his teachings N. B. Binding Cases for single yearly volumes of The Open Court will with indifference or dislike, respect and awe of the be supplied on order. Price, 75 cents each. Temporary Binders, so cents. brave man increased. Luther, upon returning from the grand assemblage CONTENTS OF NO. 476. to his lodgings, raised his hands to Heaven and joy- Charles fully exclaimed: "I am through, I am through!" He THE UPANISHADS AND THE BRAHMANS. had escaped out into the from open the hedge of Johnston 5079 thorns with which it was sought to surround him. MARTIN LUTHER. (Continued.) Accepting the Sum- At last Luther was free. But what a freedom it mons. The Diet of Worms. Gustav Freytag 5082 was ! He was banned by the Pope and outlawed by — the Emperor. Nevertheless, he was free—free within BOOK NOTICES 5086