Now I begin to wish and to ask that our answer to the elector be sent to Eck.^ He has written to the Pope, glorify- ing himself, and telling how he left us two conquered and prostrate at Leipsic. The man is boasting, boastful, boastified and boastiferous. He even dared to ask the Pope to reim- burse him for his expense in this matter. The above men- tioned provost told us this. Farewell, in great haste.
Brother Martin Luther.
183. LUTHER TO MARTIN SELIGMANN AT
THALMANSFELD.
Seligmann born at Heilbronn, sympathized with the Reformation, and for a while was a follower of Miinzer. He died in 1548. He was in 15 19 in a little village near Mans f eld, and wrote to ask Luther if it were permissible to flee from a plague-stricken town.
Greeting. I have received your letter with the questions, excellent Sir, and I greatly approve what you say about fraternal charity and bearing the scourge of God strongly. Would that all Christians were such as those you here describe. But what shall we do if they are not all equal to all things?* Ought we not to bear with and support the weak, as Romans XV. teaches? What you say about the duty of bearing one another's burdens* seems to me rather to pertain to those against whom you quoted it. For those who flee death are weak, rather than those who await it. Moreover, famine and war are doubtless plagues sent by God as much as is pestilence, as is said frequently by the Prophets. . . .
Wherefore, in my opinion, all men should be exhorted to bear the hand of the Lord, with fortitude, but they should not be forced to do so, or called sinners if they do not, or, if they are called sinners, yet they ought to be borne as weaker brethren. Did not Christ bear with the apostles when, fear- ing death, they woke him up,' and did he not bear with the infirmity of Peter,* although he reproached him for fearing
^Supra, no. 172. It had already been sent to Eck on October la. Enders ii. 191.
^Adapted from Virgil's "non omnia posaumus omnes."
- R4>mans, xr. x and xiv. x.
^Galatiana, tL i.
^Matthew, riii. 25!.
•liatthew, 3dT. ax.
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