Page:Thirty-five years of Luther research.djvu/145

Rh thirties. It was Ebstei77 who, in 1908, published an investigation into the different ailments of Luther and their subsequent influence on his physical and mental condition. He asserts that Luther suffered from calculi, constipation, piles, catarrh of the middle ear — almost deafness —, periostitis, stomach-affections, weakness of the heart, dysentery, cataract on one eye, and rheumatism! Ebstein finds that it was a particularly virulent kind of rheumatism which was in the main cause for his many pains, and acknowledges that "das ganze Ach und Weh" was the consequence of this sickness, even his corpulency. His mental work, however, was not influenced for the worse through this sickness, even though nervous affliction, fits of mental depression, etc., did temporarily hinder it. He was not an epileptic, or, as some have even said, a maniac. Through the strength of his will and his unflagging energy he invariably rose above his sickness, and until his death he remained the victor in a fight, whose successful termination demanded the greatest possible mental resistance. Thus does the greatness of his genius only show itself all the more resplendent when we think of his numerous illnesses.

The more independent and organized evangelical churches appear, especially since 1530, the more does Luther disappear from the foreground. Our review for that same reason can from now on be also much briefer and of a more elective character.

In 1531 the evangelical princes and cities organized the Alliance of Schmalkalden. Now it was up to Luther to take anew a stand to the question whether the sword