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From the Diet of Worms to the Augsburg Confession - James Aitken Wylie

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<strong>the</strong>ir pretensions in his presence; <strong>the</strong> men <strong>of</strong> war<br />

whom <strong>the</strong> Papacy had sent forth from <strong>the</strong> Vatican<br />

<strong>to</strong> do battle with him, had returned discomfited. He<br />

could not brook <strong>the</strong> thought <strong>of</strong> lowering his sword<br />

before <strong>the</strong> pas<strong>to</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Zurich. Must he, <strong>the</strong> doc<strong>to</strong>r <strong>of</strong><br />

Christendom, sit at <strong>the</strong> feet <strong>of</strong> Zwingli?<br />

A little more humility, a little less dogmatism, a<br />

stronger desire for truth than for vic<strong>to</strong>ry, would<br />

have saved Lu<strong>the</strong>r from <strong>the</strong>se explosions, which<br />

but tended <strong>to</strong> widen a breach already <strong>to</strong>o great, and<br />

provoke a controversy which planted many a thorn<br />

in <strong>the</strong> future path <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Reformation.<br />

The Landgrave <strong>of</strong> Hesse under<strong>to</strong>ok with<br />

characteristic ardor <strong>the</strong> reconcilement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

German and Swiss Protestants, who now began <strong>to</strong><br />

be called respectively <strong>the</strong> Lu<strong>the</strong>ran and <strong>the</strong><br />

Reformed. Soon after his return from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Diet</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

Spires, he sent invitations <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> heads <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two<br />

parties <strong>to</strong> repair <strong>to</strong> his Castle <strong>of</strong> Marburg, and<br />

discuss <strong>the</strong>ir differences in his presence. Zwingli's<br />

heart leaped for joy when he received <strong>the</strong><br />

invitation. To end <strong>the</strong> feud, close <strong>the</strong> gulf, and rally<br />

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