able, dear Sir and Friend: I have received and carefully read your letter and question. Now I know that I am bound to serve your Honor, as I found you so true to me at Augs- burg, and, therefore I should like to answer this letter clearly and rightly. But the gospel prevents me, for in all sud matters Christ gives a short judgment, saying: And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.^ Therefore, it becomes me as a theologian and is on my conscience not to give other advice herein. No party among you will satisfy the gospel unless it lets the other do what it will. The bishop should let the council do what it wishes, and contrariwise. The bishop is not helped by his spiritual right, nor the council by its use and custom, for the gospel supersedes everything. It is, in- deed, true that the Pope has decreed that the third part of such an offering should go to the bishop,^ but I leave it to him to answer for his power to make such a law. It makes no difference to selfishness. For we are obliged to suffer violence and even wrong. Wherefore it would be my advice and prayer, that the bishop and council agree in friendly wise without insistence on their rights ; perhaps the bishop may be prevailed upon to give in. But if not, they have no right to reserve the case for the judgment of Rome. Take this opinion kindly and in friendship from me as from a theologian, whom it does not become to advise strife and lawsuits, but peace and patience. I am always ready to serve your Honor. Brother Martin Luther, Augustinian at Wittenberg.
209. DUKE GEORGE OF SAXONY TO THE ELECTOR
FREDERIC OF SAXONY.
Gess, i. no. Dresden, December 27, 1519.
Highborn Prince, dear Cousin. On Christmas eve I re- ceived a book containing a sermon* published by Dr. Luther on the body of our Lord. When I had looked through it I found that it was very Bohemian and had much heresy and scandal in it, especially as it is in German, and seems
^Matthew, v. 40.
In the Canon Law, Decret. P. ix, catia. 10, qtu i, c. 7. <Weimar, ii. 738. On this complaint and Luther's answer, which was more radical than the original sermon, cf. Smith, op. cit., 78.
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