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Progress in Germany
109
some really honest persons were misled by the pretensions of the
new “prophets.”
The leaders of the movement urged their claims upon
Melanchthon: “We are sent by God to instruct the people. We
have held familiar conversations with the Lord; we know what will
happen; in a word, we are apostles and prophets, and appeal to Dr.
Luther.”
The Reformers were perplexed. Said Melanchthon: “There are
indeed extraordinary spirits in these men; but what spirits? ... On
the one hand, let us beware of quenching the Spirit of God, and on
the other, of being led astray by the spirit of Satan.
The Fruit of the New Teaching Apparent
The people were led to neglect the Bible or to cast it wholly
aside. Students, spurning all restraint, abandoned their studies and
withdrew from the university. The men who thought themselves
competent to revive and control the work of the Reformation suc-
ceeded only in bringing it to the verge of ruin. The Romanists
now regained their confidence and exclaimed exultingly: “One last
struggle, and all will be ours.”
Luther at the Wartburg, hearing of what had occurred, said
with deep concern: “I always expected that Satan would send us
this plague.
He perceived the true character of those pretended
“prophets.” The opposition of pope and emperor had not caused so
great perplexity and distress as now. From the professed “friends”
of the Reformation had risen its worst enemies to stir up strife and
create confusion.
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Luther had been urged forward by the Spirit of God and had been
carried beyond himself. Yet he often trembled for the result of his
work: “If I knew that my doctrine injured one man, one single man,
however lowly and obscure—which it cannot, for it is the gospel
itself—I would rather die ten times than not retract it.
Wittenberg itself was falling under the power of fanaticism and
lawlessness. Throughout Germany Luther’s enemies were charging
2
Ibid., bk. 9, ch. 7.
3
Idem.
4
Idem.