Introduction

In 1517, a certain Johann Tetzel incited the wrath of a priest in Wittenberg by the name of Martin Luther through his sale of indulgences. While Luther insisted that sinners recognize their sins and experience due contrition for them, Tetzel, according to both popular legend and Luther's accusations, claimed that those who bought his indulgences needed neither to show remorse nor to do penance for their sins. Professing a greater power than Saint Peter in the rescuing of souls, Tetzel allegedly declared that as soon as payment was made, souls would be freed from Purgatory; indeed, his indulgences would guarantee the remission not only of sins not yet committed, but even for such an act as violation of the Virgin Mary. The controversy unleashed by Luther's response in the form of the publication of his Ninety-Five Theses led inexorably to the creation of a rift between Luther and Rome which culminated in July 1520 in the issuing of the bull Exsurge Domine, which threatened excommunication if Luther failed to burn the works containing his errors of faith. Unsurprisingly, given his previous attacks on the abuse of excommunication and his questioning of the extent of its power, Luther responded by burning the bull in Wittenberg, to an accompaniment of parodic liturgical chants and ribald drinking songs provided by the assembled students. ¹