thank Almighty God who has deigned to enlighten your heart and to vouchsafe that Christians who rely on your authority and learning may not be led into grave and pernicious errors in those things which concern the salvation of their souls. Wherefore we, who are the vicegerent on earth of him who desireth not the death of a sinner, but that he shall turn from his wickedness and live,[1] with paternal love accept your excuses, and because of the benevolence with which we regard all learned men, especially those learned in divinity, desire to hear and see you personally, so that you may be able safely and freely to make before us, the vicar of Christ, that recantation which you feared to make before our legate. Wherefore on receipt of this letter prepare for a journey and come straight to us. We hope, moreover, that you will lay aside hatred and reconcile your mind to us, that you will be filled with no passion, but with the Holy Spirit alone, and armed with charity, so that you will care for those things which make for the glory of Almighty God, that we may thus rejoice in you as an obedient child and that you may be happy to find in us a kind and merciful father.
Given under the fisherman's ring, in the seventh year of our pontificate. J. Sadoleto.
138. MELANCHTHON TO STUDENTS OF THEOLOGY.
Preface to Luther's Operationes in Psalmos,[2] Corpus Reformatorum, i 70. Wittenberg, March, 1519.
[He congratulates them on the brilliant scholarship of the day, adorned by the names of Erasmus, Reuchlin, Capito, Oeccolampadius and Carlstadt.] … Martin Luther has illustrated the sacred songs with a commentary, which we desire especially to commend to the student, because, while many things have been written on David, few have grasped his real character. But how much this commentary excels may be proved by anyone who will diligently compare it with the very best of the old ones. Meanwhile, readers, it is your part to make the most of Luther's faithful labor and to strive to bring pure minds to the study of it, having laid aside all
