264 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let ^
men, and he often laments that the name of religion has been made a pretext for private ambitions, even by the men who / wish it to appear that they are waging war against the Phari- (^^saical kingdom of the Pope. Though he is greatly moved by these evils, nevertheless he says that he ought not to draw back or desert the public cause, since he judges these scandals the work of the devil for the purpose of oppressing the Gos- pel in every way.
You seem, however, to have taken such offence at the faults of certain bad men that you are angry with the cause and the doctrine. Perhaps you think this reasonable, but I fear that by this way of reasoning the Gospel may be im- periled. . . . Therefore I adc, my dear Erasmus, first, that you do not believe that Luther is acting with those men whose manners you rightly reprehend; and, second, that you be not unjust to doctrine because of anyone's foolishness or rash- ness. It is impossible to guess at Luther's opinion about any- thing, for, to say nothing of the matter of the Pope, he now stoutly declares how much he abhors cruelty and flattery, and, at great risk of life and reputation, he is opposing a cer- tain faction of sanguinary teachers.^
... I cannot condemn Luther's teachings with a clear con- science, though I shall do it boldly if the Holy Scriptures compel me. That other people interpret this as superstition or folly, gives me no concern. Certainly I shall not suffer myself to be recalled from this way of thinking either by human authority or by any offence it gives. r So far as the Diatribe on the Freedom of the Will is con- ! cemed, it has been received here very calmly. It would be . tyranny to forbid anyone in the Church to speak his mind
- about religion. Everyone ought to have the right to do that
- so long as private motives do not enter in. Your moderation
f has given great pleasure, though here and there you do sprin- kle in some pepper, but Luther is not so irritable that he can swallow nothing. Moreover he promises that in his answer he will use equal moderation. Perhaps it will be to the ad- vantage of many people to have the topic of the freedom of the will threshed out, and if it helps their consciences, what
> I.e., Munter and the *1ie«venly prophets."
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