sins. Rejoice, brother, rejoice, and be not terrified by these whirling leaves, nor stop teaching as you have begun, but rather be like the palm tree which grows better when weights are hung on it.
The more they rage, the more cause I give them. I leave the doctrine they barked at yesterday for one they will bark at more fiercely to-morrow. ... I wrote to Dr. Dungersheim of Ochsenfurt that your assertions did not seem to me errors, but truths, and that his propositions appeared to me for the most part erroneous, and I dared say with confidence that you would defend both your "errors" and mine. But if he offered argu- ments from the schoolmen, I said that he knew he would only waste his words.
I vow there is hardly any theologian or scholastic, especially at Leipsic, who understands one chapter of the Bible, or even one chapter of Aristotle's philosophy, which I hope to prove triumphantly if they give me a chance. Conning over the words of the Gospel is not understanding it. Wherefore flee not before the face of ignorance, and forget this clamor of doctors, universities and professors, for they are specters, not men, but apparitions, which you would not fear if you could see them clearly. The Lord teach and comfort you. Farewell in him.
Martin Luther, Augusfinian.
53. LUTHER TO SPALATIN.
Enders, i. 179. (Wittenberg, c. March 25, 1518.)
This letter is placed by Enders "shortly before Easter, April 4, 1518." The more exact date given by Kalkoff, in Zeitschrift fiir Kirchengenschichte, xxxii. 411.
Greeting. Briefly, I will do all you write. For the reverend lord bishop* has answered and freed me from my promise. Only I do not know whether I can preach on these three following days, but I will see ; if not, my colleague Amsdorf will supply my place.
Brother Martin Eleutherius.
- /. e., of Brandenburg. This refers to his prohibition to Luther to print his
Resolutions, on which cf. supra, no. 50. Luther apparently sent them to the press at once; ef, O. Clemen, in his edition of Luthers Werkt, i. 15.
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