At this time arrived at Wittemberg a man who, like Melancthon, was destined to be Luther's friend through life, and to console him at the moment of his departure.[454] It was a priest of thirty-six years of age, named Bugenhagen, who had fled from the severities with which the Bishop of Camin, and Prince Bogislas of Pomerania, persecuted the friends of the gospel of all classes--clergy, citizens, and literati.[455] Of a senatorial family at Wollin in Pomerania, from which he is commonly called 'Pomeranus', Bugenhagen, at twenty years of age, began to teach at Treptow. Youth flocked to hear him, while nobles and learned men vied with each other for his society. He was a diligent student of the Holy Scriptures, and prayed to God to instruct him.[456] One day towards the end of December, 1520, when he was supping with several friends, Luther's treatise on the _Captivity of Babylon_ was put into his hands. After turning it over, he exclaimed, "Many heretics have infested the Church since our Saviour died, but never was there one more pestilential than the author of this work." Having taken the book home with him, and read it over and over, his views entirely changed; new truths presented themselves to his mind, and returning some days afterwards to his companions, he said to them, "The whole world is fallen into Cimmerian darkness. This man and none but he sees the truth."[457] Some priests, a deacon, even the abbot himself, received the pure doctrine of salvation, and preaching it with power, "soon," (says a historian,) "turned away their hearers from human superstitions to the sole efficacious merit of Jesus Christ."[458] Then persecution burst forth. Several were already immured in dungeons, when Bugenhagen escaped from his enemies, and arrived at Wittemberg. "He suffers for the love of the gospel," immediately wrote Melancthon to the Elector's chaplain, "where could he fly if not to our ασυλον, (asylum,) to the protection of our prince?"[459] [454] Venit Vittembergam paullo ante iter Lutheri ad comitia Wormatiæ indicta. (Melch. Adam. Vita Bugenhagii, p. 314.) [455] Sacerdotes cives et scholasticos in vincula conjecit. (Ibid., p. 313.) [456] Precesque adjunxit, quibus divinitus se regi ac doceri petivit. (Ibid., p. 312.) [457] ... In Cimmeriis tenebris versatur; hic vir unus et solus verum videt. (Ibid., p. 313.) [458] A superstitionibus ad unicum Christi meritum traducere. (Ibid.) [459] Corp. Refor., i, p. 361. [Sidenote: MELANCTHON. AMSDORFF. SCHURFF. SUAVEN.]