on Vows/ on the Mass,* and against the tyrant of Mayence,* and hoped that they had all been given to the proper parties. Now I find that that is not the case, and am forced to think all sorts of things- I fear that they have been intercepted on the way, or that the messenger has somehow lost them. There is nothing that would disturb me more than to know that you had received them and were holding them back, for their con- tents are such as to require haste above all things.
If you have them, therefore, please curb the moderation and prudence of which I suspect you. You are accomplishing nothing by it, and are only rowing against the stream. What I have written I desire to be published, if not at Wittenberg, then elsewhere. But if the copy has been lost, or you have kept it, I shall be so exasperated that I will write more vigor- ously than ever against these things. It is one thing to sup- prjcss written pages and another to quench the spirit.
I came to Wittenberg, and amid all the delight of being with my friends again, I fotmd this drop of bitterness, that none of them had ever seen or heard of my books and letters. You may judge for yourself whether my disappointment was not justified. Everything that I see and hear pleases me very much. The Lord strengthen the spirits of those who wish to do right! To be sure, I was worried on the way by various rumors about the violent conduct of some of our fol- lowers, and have determined to issue a public exhortation on that subject as soon as I get back to my wilderness.* More another time.
Commend me to the Elector. I did not wish him to know of my coming to Wittenberg or my return, for reasons that you will appreciate. Farewell. Martin Luther.
Philip will send you a Latin Bible to be forwarded to me ; I hope you will accept it and look after the matter with your usual trustworthiness.
- Weimar, viH, 577ff. C/. fupra, no. 513.
•C/. supra, no. 512, p. 65, n. 1.
»C/. tupra, no. 515.
« leather Ihred up to this determination. t*he Bamgtt ExhoriaHon to AU Christians Wanting Tk^m Against Insurrection and Rebellion (Weimar. Tiii, 676ff.; trans. Phila., iii, ao6flF.), was forwarded with Luther's next letter to Spalatin (Endera. lil, J55).
�� �
