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

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<strong>Augsburg</strong>.<br />

All was consternation at <strong>the</strong> court <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

emperor when <strong>the</strong> flight <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> landgrave became<br />

known next morning. The Romanists saw him, in<br />

imagination, returning at <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> an army. They<br />

pictured <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>mselves <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r Protestant princes<br />

making <strong>the</strong>ir escape and sounding <strong>the</strong> <strong>to</strong>csin <strong>of</strong><br />

war. All was alarm, and terror, and rage in <strong>the</strong><br />

Popish camp. The emperor was not yet prepared<br />

for hostilities; he shrunk back from <strong>the</strong> extremity <strong>to</strong><br />

which he had been forcing matters, and from that<br />

day his bearing was less haughty and his language<br />

less threatening <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Protestants.<br />

Lu<strong>the</strong>r, apart in his Castle <strong>of</strong> Coburg, was full<br />

<strong>of</strong> courage and joy. He was kept informed <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

progress <strong>of</strong> affairs at <strong>Augsburg</strong>, and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> alternate<br />

fears and hopes that agitated his friends. Like <strong>the</strong><br />

traveler in <strong>the</strong> Alps, who sees <strong>the</strong> clouds at his feet<br />

and hears <strong>the</strong> thunder rolling far beneath him,<br />

while around him is eternal sunshine, <strong>the</strong><br />

Reformer, his feet planted on <strong>the</strong> mountain <strong>of</strong><br />

God's power, looked down upon <strong>the</strong> clouds that<br />

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