sought excuses. Luther was at first unwilling to take as judge any university in the world. The most Christian Duke George of Saxony would not allow any dispute on articles of faith unless it should be referred for judgment to the masters of our faith. Luther was therefore forced and spurred on by his followers, for had he not debated and admitted some judge, they would all have receded from him. When I then offered him his choice of all the universities, he chose Paris and Erfurt
As I know that your university has close relations with Paris, I beg you earnestly, for the sake of Christ's faith, to write to your friends there, or even, if it seem good, to the whole university, that when the excellent Duke George shall write them and send the debate with a request for judgment they may not decline, but should undertake it like champions, as we have both agreed to them as judges, and I think the matter is so plain that it will not need long discussion. . . .
On the day of St. Peter,* in the absence of the duke, Luther delivered at court a sermon full of Hussite errors. Straight- way on the day* of the Visitation of the Virgin and the day after, I preached against his errors to a larger audience than I have ever had, and I stirred up in the people disgust for Lutheran errors, and I will do the same to-morrow when I bid Leipsic good-bye. . . .
i66. LUTHER TO JOHN LANG AT ERFURT. Enders, ii. 97. (Wittenberg), July 26, 1519.
Greeting. Reverend Father, I found the Vicar General" at Grimma, together with Wenzel Link, making a round of visits to the convents under their charge. You did well to abstain from visiting them. For he said it was his business now. I fear that the prior* there will give up his place. We are daily expecting the advent of his reverence" from Dres-
ijnne 39. On this cf. Smith, op. cit., 67.
«Jnly 2.
- Staupitz. Luther met him as he was returning from the Leipsic debate. Luther
ai^pareiitly left Leipsic while Carlstadt was still debating, on July 15 or 16. He was at Wittenberg on July 20. He does not now describe the debate more fully as Lang was present.
^Wolfgang Zeschau, spoken of by Luther, November 5, 15 18. Enders, i. 276. later Master of the Hospice of St. John at Grimma.
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