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

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This magnanimous avowal was not without its<br />

effect. It had evidently <strong>to</strong>uched <strong>the</strong> hearts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

opposing rank <strong>of</strong> doc<strong>to</strong>rs. Lu<strong>the</strong>r's prejudice and<br />

obduracy were, it appeared, on <strong>the</strong> point <strong>of</strong> being<br />

vanquished, and his coldness melted. Zwingli's<br />

keen eye discovered this: he burst in<strong>to</strong> tears– tears<br />

<strong>of</strong> joy–seeing himself, as he believed, on <strong>the</strong> eve <strong>of</strong><br />

an event that would gladden <strong>the</strong> hearts <strong>of</strong><br />

thousands in all <strong>the</strong> countries <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Reformation,<br />

and would strike Rome with terror. He approached:<br />

he held out his hand <strong>to</strong> Lu<strong>the</strong>r: he begged him only<br />

<strong>to</strong> pronounce <strong>the</strong> word "bro<strong>the</strong>r." Alas! what a<br />

cruel disappointment awaited him. Lu<strong>the</strong>r coldly<br />

and cuttingly replied, "Your spirit is different from<br />

ours." It was indeed different: Zwingli's was<br />

catholic, Lu<strong>the</strong>r's sectarian.<br />

The Wittenberg <strong>the</strong>ologians consulted <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

They all concurred in Lu<strong>the</strong>r's resolution. "We,"<br />

said <strong>the</strong>y <strong>to</strong> Zwingli and his friends, "hold <strong>the</strong><br />

belief <strong>of</strong> Christ's bodily presence in <strong>the</strong> Lord's<br />

Supper <strong>to</strong> be essential <strong>to</strong> salvation, and we cannot<br />

in conscience regard you as in <strong>the</strong> communion <strong>of</strong><br />

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