3. LUTHER IN ROME. By the study of the Bible and diligent preparation for his sermons Luther steadily grew in the knowledge of divine truth, and yet he was firmly held in the bondage of popery. He still considered the Pope the viceregent of Christ upon earth. When he was therefore directed to visit Rome in the interest of his order it filled his heart with greatest joy. For he hoped by this visit to the holy (?) city to find rest and comfort for his conscience. He had to make the journey on foot, and he took the pilgrim staff in hand, and together with a companion started out for Rome. They had no need of money, for shelter and lodging they found in the cloisters by the way. But Luther did not enjoy the journey, for the words kept ringing in his ears: "The just shall live by his faith." After a long journey through beautiful landscapes the way finally wound about a hillock, and before the eyes of the German monks lay the Roman plain where, on the banks of the Tiber, appeared the resplendent houses, churches, and fortresses of the city of Rome. How his heart must have leaped when, in the radiant glow of the evening sun, the city lay before him! He prostrated himself upon the ground, lifted his hands, and exclaimed, "Hail, holy Rome! Thrice holy because of the martyrs' blood that was shed in thee!"--In Rome Luther devoutly sought to satisfy the cravings of his heart. With what sincerity he went about this we see from his own words: "In Rome I was also such a crazy saint. I ran through all churches and caverns, and believed every stinking lie that had been fabricated there. I even regretted at the time that my father and mother were still living, for I would have been so glad to have redeemed them from purgatory with my masses and other precious works and prayers." How revolting it must have been for him to see the priests read mass with such levity and get through hurry-skurry (_rips-raps_), as if they were giving a puppet show! Luther relates: "Before I reached the Gospel the priest beside me had finished his mass and called to me, 'Hurry up! Come away! Give the child back to its mother!'" So it happened that his faith in Rome began to waver more and more, and God again and again led him there where true comfort can be found. The following is an example. On the Place of St. John's there was a flight of stairs, called Pilate's Staircase, which was said to be the same on which our Savior went up and down before the palace of Pontius Pilate at Jerusalem. Now, while Luther was crawling up these steps, hoping in this way to reconcile God and atone for his sins, it seemed to him as if a voice of thunder was crying in his ears, "The just shall live by his faith!" Thus this passage more and more became the light which revealed to him the true way to heaven. This was his opinion of the so-called Holy City: "No one believes what villainy and outrageous sins and vices are practiced at Rome. You can convince no one