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Frederick resolved to stand as his protector. In reply to the legate’s
demand he wrote: “Since Doctor Martin has appeared before you at
Augsburg, you should be satisfied. We did not expect that you would
endeavor to make him retract without having convinced him of his
errors. None of the learned men in our principality have informed us
that Martin’s doctrine is impious, antichristian, or heretical. We must
refuse, therefore, either to send Luther to Rome or to expel him from
our States.”
The elector saw that there was a general breaking down of the
moral restraints of society. A great work of reform was needed. The
complicated and expensive arrangements to restrain and punish crime
would be unnecessary if men but acknowledged and obeyed the re-
quirements of God and the dictates of an enlightened conscience. He
saw that Luther was laboring to secure this object, and he secretly
rejoiced that a better influence was making itself felt in the church.
He saw also that as a professor in the university Luther was emi-
nently successful. Only a year had passed since the reformer posted
his theses on the castle church, yet there was already a great falling off
in the number of pilgrims that visited the church at the festival of All-
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Saints. Rome had been deprived of worshipers and offerings, but their
place was filled by another class, who now came to Wittenberg,—not
pilgrims to adore her relics, but students to fill her halls of learning.
The writings of Luther had kindled everywhere a new interest in the
Holy Scriptures, and not only from all parts of Germany, but from
other lands, students flocked to the university. Young men, coming
in sight of Wittenberg for the first time, would “raise their hands to
heaven, and bless God for having caused the light of truth to shine
forth from Wittenberg, as in former ages from Mount Zion, that it
might penetrate to the most distant lands.”
Luther was as yet but partially converted from the errors of Ro-
manism. But as he compared the Holy Oracles with the papal decrees
and constitutions, he was filled with wonder. “I am reading,” he wrote,
“the decretals of the popes, and .... I know not whether the pope is
antichrist himself, or whether he is his apostle; so misrepresented and
even crucified does Christ appear in them.” Yet at this time Luther
was still a supporter of the Roman Church, and had no thought that he
would ever separate from her communion.