work; disr^ard the advice of those who are tinjustly hostile to the clergy, and with your well-known ability and wisdom see to it that Martin Luther and his followers, especially those in your own dominions (who are not sheep of the Lord's flock but evil beasts) are either brought back to their former state of good order (which we should prefer), or else are punished as obstinate rebels by the power that is given you, and thus use every means to come at last to the aid of Chris- tian peace. Everyone knows that you can aid the cause of the Church, not only in your own dominions but in other parts of Germany, where you possess the greatest influence, if you will put an end to the rumors which say that Luther's raging is with your consent, and will consult the coirunon good of the Christian state and preserve your reputation for excellence in virtue and nobility both with God and man. We hope that you will do this, and we not only ask you and beseech you to do it, but we demand it in the name of God and because of the holy obedience you owe.
S6a LUTHER TO SPALATIN. Enders, iv, 36. (WrrrENBERC, December 12 (?), 1522.)*
Grace and peace. John Serranus ' seems to be a good man, but there is no need for my advice. Perhaps he does not know the peculiarities of the Elector, and so it seems to me that he ought to be left at Eisenach, or wherever else he can go, to teach whomever he can get to listen to him. There is no more reason why he should be granted so-called "public security" than L Let the Lord defend him as He defends me ; only let him not be driven away.
^ Tkis letter was written at almost the same time with a letter to the Count of Schwartsburg, dated December 12 (Enders, no. 594; DeWette, ii, 257).
'Francia I^ambert of Avignon ( 1486- is 30), entered the Franciscan Order 1501, and achtered great success a& a mission-preacher (ef. infra no. 570)* left the order in IS22 to cast his lot with the reformers, taking the name of John Serranus. After spending some months in Switzerland (at C^eneTa and Ziirich), he went to Eiacnack and finally to Wittenberg, where he remained till February, xsa4, lectur- ing in the u n ivers i ty and translating Lutheran writings into French and Italian, fiving meanwlule mostly at Luther's expense. From 1524 to, 1526 he lived in Straisbnrg, but in the latter year he was taken under the patronage of Philip of Hcasc and became a member of the first faculty of the University of Marburg. In bis later years he broke with the Wittenberg reformers on the doctrine of the Lord's Sapper. Biographies by Baum (Strassburg, 1840), Hassenkamp (Klber- feld, i860) and Rti£Fet'( Paris, 1873). Rtalgncyk., ADB.
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