Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/118

 8a STAUPITZ TO LUTHER, Enders, L 234. Salzburg, September 14, 1518.

Possess your soul in patience for salvation. I have enough to write to fill a book, but will express myself briefly. It seems to me that the world is exasperated against truth ; with so great hatred was Christ once crucified, and to-day I see nothing waiting for you but the cross. Unless I mistake, the opinion prevails that no one should examine the Scripture without leave of the Pope in order to find for himself, which Christ certainly commands us to do. You have few defenders, and would that they were not hiding for fear of enemies. I should like you to leave Wittenberg and come to me, that we may live and die together. This would also please the arch- bishop.* Here I finish. It is expedient thus to be, that abandoned we may follow abandoned Christ. Farewell, and a good journey to you. Your brother,

John Staupitz.

81. LUTHER TO JOHN LANG AT ERFURT. [ders, L 23 6. (Wittenberg), September 16, 1518.

. . . The most learned and perfect Grecian Philip Melanch- thon* is teaching Greek here. He is a mere boy in years, but one of us in various knowledge, including that of almost all books. He is not only master of Greek and Latin, but of all the learning to which they are the keys, and he also knows some Hebrew.

The most illustrious elector has written me that he has brought it about that the Legate Cajetan has written to Rome to ask that my case be referred to a German tribunal* and that I may expect that it will be. So I hope that I will not be censured. But I displease many, most, almost all. . ..

^Matthew Lang (1468*1540), of Augsburg, who had become a trusted councillor of Maximilian, became Biahop of Gurk 1505, Cardinal 151 1, Coadjutor of Salzburg 1 5 14 and Archbishop of that sec 1519, Bishop of Albano 1535. He was a warm friend of Staupitz. To his judgment it was at one time proposed to refer the Lutheran affair. Smith, op. cit., pp. 55, 107. He was, howerer. always a bitter opponent of the Reformation, persecuting its adherents, including Erasmus, and distinguishing himself by hb cruelty in suppressing the Peasants' Revolt of 1525. Belford Bax: Peasant^ War, p. iS/ff. In general RealencyclopSdic.

sOn him see letter no. 82.

SC/. supra, no. 76, and infra, no. 83.

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