As usual with him, he was made the
more determined by the opposition he met. When, in 1524, he published
the story of the sufferings of a novice, Florentina of Oberweimar, he
repeated on the title page what he had already so often preached: "God
often gives testimony in the Scriptures that He will have no
compulsory service, and no one shall become His except with pleasure
and love. God help us! Is there no reasoning with us? Have we no sense
and no hearing? I say it again, God will have no compulsory service. I
say it a third time, I say it a hundred thousand times, God will have
no compulsory service."
So Luther entered upon the last period of his life. His disappearance
in the Thuringian forest had caused an enormous stir. His adversaries
trembled before the anger which arose in town and country against
those who were called murderers. But the interruption of his public
activity became fateful for him. So long as in Wittenberg he was the
central point of the struggle, his word, his pen, had held sovereign
control over the great intellectual movement in north and south; now
it worked without method in different directions, in many minds. One
of the oldest of Luther's allies began the confusion. Wittenberg
itself became the scene of a strange commotion. Then Luther could
endure the Wartburg no longer. Once before he had been secretly in
Wittenberg; now, against the Elector's will, he returned there
publicly. And there began a heroic struggle against old friends, and
against the conclusions drawn from his own doctrine.
Pages:
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177