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

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week through. All <strong>the</strong> institutions and ordinances<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Church <strong>of</strong> Rome, <strong>the</strong> preacher passed in<br />

review, and applied <strong>the</strong> same principle <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>m all.<br />

After <strong>the</strong> consideration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> question <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mass,<br />

he went on <strong>to</strong> discuss <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> images, <strong>of</strong><br />

monasticism, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> confessional, <strong>of</strong> forbidden<br />

meats, showing that <strong>the</strong>se things were already<br />

abrogated in principle, and all that was needed <strong>to</strong><br />

abolish <strong>the</strong>m in practice, without tumult, and<br />

without <strong>of</strong>fense <strong>to</strong> any one, was just <strong>the</strong> diffusion<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> doctrine which he preached. Every day <strong>the</strong><br />

great church was crowded, and many flocked from<br />

<strong>the</strong> surrounding <strong>to</strong>wns and villages <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />

discourses.<br />

The triumph <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Reformer was complete. He<br />

had routed <strong>the</strong> Zwickau fanatics without even<br />

naming <strong>the</strong>m. His wisdom, his moderation, his<br />

tenderness <strong>of</strong> heart, and superiority <strong>of</strong> intellect<br />

carried <strong>the</strong> day, and <strong>the</strong> new prophets appeared in<br />

comparison small indeed. Their "revelations" were<br />

exploded, and <strong>the</strong> Word <strong>of</strong> God was res<strong>to</strong>red <strong>to</strong> its<br />

supremacy. It was a great battle–greater in some<br />

respects than that which Lu<strong>the</strong>r had fought at<br />

42

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