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

many of the youth of the University forsook their
studies, deeming them useless in presence of an
internal illumination which promised to teach them
all they needed to know without the toil of
learning. The Elector was dismayed at this new
outbreak: Melanchthon was staggered, and felt
himself powerless to stem the torrent. The enemies
of the Reformation were exultant, believing that
they were about to witness its speedy
disorganization and ruin. Tidings reached the
Wartburg of what was going on at Wittenberg.
Dismay and grief seized Luther to see his work on
the point of being wrecked. He was distracted
between his wish to finish his translation of the
New Testament, and his desire to return to
Wittenberg, and combat on the spot the newsprung
fanaticism.
All felt that he alone was equal to the crisis,
and many voices were raised for his return. Every
line he translated was an additional ray of light, to
fall in due time upon the darkness of his
countrymen. How could he tear hinmelf from such
a task? And yet every hour that elapsed, and found
35