The  Bishops  of  Merseburg  and  Meissen  claimed  the  right  of
instituting  a  visitation  as  exclusively  belonging  to  the  Epis-
copal office ;  but  Luther's  influence  prevailed.  In  July  and
August  a  visitation  was  made  through  the  Duke's  dominions
in  Misnia  and  Thuringia;  the  Augsburg  Confession  and
Apology  were  made  the  standards  of  doctrine,  and  the  evan-
gelical Church  system  was  everywhere  established.  The  po-
pulace were  found  to  be  favourable  to  the  Gospel,  but  many
of  the  nobles  opposed  it,  and  after  all  the  efforts  of  Luther,
"five  hundred  poisonous  Papists,"  as  he  complained,  were
left  in  their  parsonages.  His  time  and  attention  were  en-
grossed in  finding  fit  persons  for  the  vacant  cures,  and  he


THE    LIFE    OF    MARTIN    LUTHER.  319

pressed  for  a  second  visitation  to  provide  more  effectually  for  1539.
the  pure  preaching  of  the  Word  of  God.
