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In Germany to the Leipsic Disputation - James Aitken Wylie

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Scriptures. He looked upon himself henceforward<br />

as <strong>the</strong> sworn knight of <strong>the</strong> reformed faith. Taking<br />

farewell of philosophy, from which in truth he was<br />

glad <strong>to</strong> escape, he turned <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bible as his lifework.<br />

A more assiduous student of it than ever, his<br />

acquaintance with it daily grew, his insight in<strong>to</strong> its<br />

meaning continually deepened, and thus a<br />

beginning was made in Wittemberg and <strong>the</strong><br />

neighboring parts of <strong>Germany</strong>, by <strong>the</strong> evangelical<br />

light which he diffused in his sermons, of that great<br />

work for which God had destined him. He had as<br />

yet no thought of separating himself from <strong>the</strong><br />

Roman Church, in which, as he believed, <strong>the</strong>re<br />

resided some sort of infallibility. These were <strong>the</strong><br />

last links of his bondage, and Rome herself was at<br />

that moment unwittingly concocting measures <strong>to</strong><br />

break <strong>the</strong>m, and set free <strong>the</strong> arm that was <strong>to</strong> deal<br />

<strong>the</strong> blow from which she should never wholly rise.<br />

We must again turn our eyes upon Rome. The<br />

warlike Julius II., who held <strong>the</strong> tiara at <strong>the</strong> time of<br />

Lu<strong>the</strong>r's visit, was now dead, and Leo X. occupied<br />

<strong>the</strong> Vatican. Leo was of <strong>the</strong> family of <strong>the</strong> Medici,<br />

and he brought <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Papal chair all <strong>the</strong> tastes and<br />

94

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