ning down hill and acting slothfuUy so that those who are placed as their guardians may act vigilantly. If, therefore, you are not able to accomplish anything by peace and good- ness, I do not advise you to fight obstinately with all your might against the majority of your monks. Give place to wrath and let the tares come up with the wheat; it is better to save the moderate in peace than to disturb all on account of many. It is better to tolerate many on account of a few than to ruin a few on account of many.
Brother Martin Luther,
27. CHRISTOPHER SCHEURL TO LUTHER.
Enders, i. 79. Nuremberg^ January 2, 151 7.
Scheurl (1481-1542), of Nuremberg, visited Italy 1500; LL. D., 1504; lectured on jurisprudence at Wittenberg 1507-11. Then he re- turned to Nuremberg and filled various high offices, e, g,, being sent to represent the cities before the Emperor in Spain, 1523. He was a warm friend both of the Reformers and some of their opponents, especially John Eck, until about 1523, when he returned to the Catholic Church. In 1533 he passed through Wittenbero" without see- ing Luther. Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie,
Honored Sir,^ and reverend Father, the Augustinian pro- fession, your splendid virtue and great fame have so made me your subject that I greatly desire to be your friend, and to be inscribed in the catalogue of your intimates. With our common parent and vicar I conversed as much as the busi- ness of each of us permitted, and during several days and a part of the night the subject of our talk was frequently your excellence, goodness and learning. Besides Martin, we especially desired Otto Beckmann* and Amsdorf.* [The rest of the ktter is chiefly concerned with Staupitz's sermon* on predestination.]
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��'Otweqaia pantta.'
'Of Warburg, near Paderborn, studied at Deyenter, matriculated at Leipsic 1506; B. A, 150a; entered Wittenberg 1507; M. A. 1508. He received a canonry and taught here until 15171 when he spent some weeks at Erfurt, matriculating free of cost. In 1524, having remained Catholic, he became priest at Warburg, and in 15^ was made provost of St. Giles (Aegidius) at Munster, from which city he was sent in 1530 as delegate to the Diet of Augsburg. He died in 1556. He was the author of several books. Archiv fur Reformationsgeschickte, vii. igsff.
- Nic]iolaa Ton Amsdorf (December 3, 1483-May 14, 1565), Luther's most devoted
follower, born at Torgau, matriculated at Leipsic 1500 and at Wittenberg x5oa.
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