unacquaintance with the Scriptures and exaggerating men's natural
powers to the undervaluing or partial exclusion of Grace, exercised a
baneful influence on a man of Luther's tastes and temperaments.
Accepted by Luther as characteristic of Scholastic Theology, such
writings prejudiced him against the entire system. Acting on the
advice of the provincial, Staupitz, he gave himself up with great zeal
to the study of the Bible, and later on he turned his attention to the
works of St. Augustine, particularly the works written in defence of
the Catholic doctrine on Grace against the Pelagians. In 1508 he went
to the university of Wittenberg, founded recently by Frederick of
Saxony, to lecture on Logic and Ethics, and to continue his
theological studies; but for some reason, as yet unexplained, he was
recalled suddenly to his monastery at Erfurt, where he acquired fame
rapidly as a lecturer and preacher.

Thirty foundations of the Augustinians in Saxony had accepted the
reform begun by Andrew Proles in the fifteenth century, and had
separated themselves definitely from the unreformed houses of the
order in Germany. They were subject immediately to the general of the
order, whose vicar at this time in Saxony was the well-known Humanist,
Staupitz.[5] The latter was anxious to bring about a reunion between
the two parties and to have himself appointed as superior; but the
party who stood for the strict observance were opposed bitterly to
such a step, and determined to send a representative to Rome to plead
their cause. The fact that they selected so young a man as Luther to
champion their interests is a sufficient proof of the position which
he had won for himself amongst his religious brethren. He was looked
up to already as an ornament of the order, and his selection for this
highly important mission served to increase the over-weening pride and
self-confidence that had manifested themselves already as weak spots