Schaff - History of the Christian Church Vol. 8 - Media Sabda Org

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capacity of a commissioner both of Strassburg and the dukes of Lüneburg.
He went reluctantly, being just then in ill health and feeling unequal to the
task. But he gathered strength on the spot, and braced up the courage of
Melanchthon who, as the spokesman of the Lutheran theologians, showed
less disposition to yield than on former occasions. He took a prominent
part in the discussion. He defeated Dean Robert Mosham of Passau in a
second disputation, and earned on that occasion from Melanchthon, and
the Lutheran theologians who were present, the distinctive title “the
Theologian” by eminence. f531
He also wrote at Worms, for his private solace, not for publication, an epic
poem in sixty-one distichs (one hundred and twenty-two lines), which
celebrates the triumph of Christ and the defeat of his enemies (Eck,
Cochlaeus, Nausea, Pelargus) after their apparent and temporary
victory. f532 He was not a poetic genius, but by study he made up the
defects of nature. f533
The Colloquy of Worms, after having hardly begun, was broken off in
January, 1541, to be resumed at the approaching Diet of Regensburg
(Ratisbon) in presence of the emperor on his return.
The Diet at Regensburg was opened April 5, 1541. Calvin appeared again
as a delegate of Strassburg and at the special request of Melanchthon, but
reluctantly and with little hope of success. He felt that he was ill suited for
such work, and would only waste time. f534 After long and vexatious delays
in the arrival of the deputies, the theological Colloquy was opened and
conducted on the Roman Catholic side by Dr. John Eck, professor at
Ingolstadt (who had disputed with Luther at Leipzig and promulgated the
papal bull of excommunication), Julius Pflug, canon of Mainz (afterwards
bishop of Naumburg), and John Gropper, canon and professor of canon
law at Cologne; on the Protestant side by Melanchthon of Wittenberg,
Bucer of Strassburg, and Pistorius of Nidda in Hesse. Granvella presided in
the name of the emperor; Cardinal Contarini, an enlightened and welldisposed
prelate, who was inclined to evangelical views and favored a
moderate reformation, acted as legate of Pope Paul III., who sent,
however, at the same time the intolerant Bishop Morone as a special
nuncio. Calvin could see no difference between the two legates, except that
Morone would like to subdue the Protestants with bloodshed, Contarini
without bloodshed. He was urged to seek an interview with Contarini, but
refused. He speaks favorably of Pflug and Gropper, but contemptuously of