334 A BRIEF SURVEY OF HUMAN HISTORY

purgatory for money, why not for charity's sake?" and
" Since the Pope is rich as Croesus, why does he not build
St. Peter's with his own money, instead of taking that of
the poor man?"

In 1506 Pope Julius II had commenced the reconstruction
of the magnificent church of St. Peter, in Rome, at enor-
mous expenditure. The work had been entrusted to the most
famous of contemporary artists and architects--Michael
Angelo, Raphael, and Bramante. Hence, the collection of
necessary funds, principally through the sale of Indulgences,
was vigorously pushed forward. Luther openly protested
against this campaign and published his objections
in the form of ninety-five theses nailed to the door
of the church at Wittenberg (1517). When the ex-
cited people of Germany supported this " protestant" monk,
the Pope excommunicated Luther (1520) and the Emperor
Charles V banned him (1521). These orders were publicly
burned by Duther and his exasperated followers. Thus was
Protestantism born in Germany out of the embers of the
widespread discontent in Western Europe. When Luther
consigned the Papal Bull to the fire he cried out: " Because
thou dost trouble the Holy One of the Lord, may eternal fire
consume thee!" This incantation was soon to set Europe
ablaze with the fires of religious conflict.

Luther was summoned for trial before the imperial Diet
(Council) at Worms, but he would not repent or retract:
" Unless I am convinced of error by the testimony of Scrip-
ture or by manifest evidence," he firmly declared, " I can-
not and will not retract." The Emperor Charles V, who
presided, then pronounced his verdict :

" What my1 forefathers established at the Council of Constance
and at other councils it is my privilege to uphold. A single
monk, led astray by private judgment, has set himself against the