Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/262

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Whoso is not with me is against me, and who gathereth not vrith me scattereth.* . . .

203. LUTHER TO SPALATIN, Endcrs, ii 271, (Wittenberg), December 7, 1519.

Greeting. I see, Spalatin, that the plan which we heard from rumor and hoped was true, namely, that the whole court was coming here, has been changed. But I see that princes must first make and then see their works, for they also are gods.* For what is said and expected before it happens usually fails. I had much to talk of [with you and the elector], especially about our curriculum. For I hear that the course on Aristotle is not as successful as we hoped.

Dr. John Hess has brought from Italy a mystic Aristotelian theology,* recently, as they write, found in Syria, that is, as I suppose, concocted by some rascal in order to dress up against Christ more speciously this enemy of Christ. Hess also brought letters of learned men.*

I know not yet whether to publish my Tesseradecas, es- pecially in Latin, as that sort of work, which savors of Christ, is very hateful to the sophists. . . .

Brother Martin Luther.

204. PETER MOSELLANUS TO JULIUS PFLUG.

•*- Jortin: Life of Erasmus, ii. (1760), 353ff.

Meissen, December 7, 15 19.

Jnltus von Pflug ( 1499- September 3, 1564), pupil of Mosellanus at '^ipsic, a moderate Catholic who took a prominent part in the {religious controversies of the day. In 1541 he was elected Bishop of w^ Hamburg, but was prevented from taking possession of the see by . ^^Iin Frederic, who installed Amsdorf. After the Schmalkaldic war, "^* 1547, Amsdorf was removed and Pflug given the position.

I see that you are desirous of learning the history of the •iisc of Martin the theologian, which has been brought to ^^ point at which it now is by the emulation of the sophists.

_^^«ttliew, xH. 30; Luke, xi. 23.

^salm IxxxU. 6, "I said. Ye are gods . . . nevertheless ye shall die like men,

faU like one of the princes." Luther always applied this verse to princes,

terrestrial deities. On "first making, and then seeing their works," cf,

i. 31.

Sapieniissimi Pkilosoffhi Aristotetis Staqiritae Tkcolo^jia. Rome, 15 19, June x.

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��^ras, of coarse, as Luther judged, apocrypha!. ^7. #., of Crotus Rubcanus, su**ra, no. 186, iqo.

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