lacking to them, I will supply it with my own pen. If Wolf- gang Wilder, who is to carry these letters to you, were not in such a hurry that he cannot conveniently wait three days, your Reverence should have a copy of them; however, you will shortly see copies of them everywhere. Finally, please take my service for the best, and hereafter number this Dutch- man, hitherto unknown to you even by name, among your strongest supporters. Farewell, reverend Father in Christ, and continue strongly to assert our faith. I pray that the Holy Spirit may be your continual comforter and true para- clete.^ Hail and farewell a thousand times. . . .
237. GABRIEL DELLA VOLTA TO JOHN VON STAUPITZ. Zeilschrift fur Kirchengeschichte, ii. 478. March 15, 152a
We were very anxious to see and speak to you at the gen- eral chapter celebrated last year* at Venice. For we had need of speaking with you about many things concerning the honor of the Congregation, and particularly concerning Mar- tin Luther's affair, for at that time the volume* which he himself published on the virtue of indulgences began to ap- pear, the doctrines of which, though they were a scandal to small and great, would have been susceptible of easy treat- ment, had we all agreed on one course. He himself con- fesses in his writings that his respect* for you and his love for the monastic profession is so great, that we doubt not that every old disagreement would have been settled and under God's leadership have been extinguished and prevented from growing worse. But as we were deprived of the ad- vantage of seeing you for reasons which, as we believe, were honorable, we thought it necessary to write you this letter, to inform you what enormous evils threaten your Congrega- tion and our whole Order unless Martin ceases from speaking and writing about those matters which are either disagreeable to the Holy Roman Church, or scandalous to her. As to the
'Greek.
>In June, 1519.
'The Resoluiiones dispMtationutn, which first appeared in September, 1518, are aeant.
«In the letter to Staupitz of May 30, 1518, printed as a preface to the work mentioned. Supra, no. 65.
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