In Germany to the Leipsic Disputation - James Aitken Wylie

system and theirs. It substituted a Divine for a
human agency, the operation of the Holy Spirit for
the opus operatum. On such a point there could be
no reconcilement on the basis of mutual
concession, and this led them to insist on absolute
and unconditional retractation. Luther used to say
that he "did not learn all his divinity at once, but
was constrained to sink deeper and deeper. The
Pope said, 'Although Christ be the Head of the
Church, yet notwithstanding there must be a visible
and corporeal head of the Church on earth.' With
this I could have been well content, in case he had
but taught the Gospel purely and clearly, and had
not brought forward human inventions and lies
instead thereof."
So ended the first conflict between the old and
the new powers. The victory remained with the
latter. This was no small gain. Besides, the two
men had been able to take each the measure of the
other.
Luther had looked through and through
Cajetan. He was astonished to find how weak a
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