Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/134

 journey. It is incredible that such a monster should come from a pope, especially from Leo X. Therefore, whoever the rascal was who, under the name of Leo X., proposed to terrify me with this decretal, shall know that I also recognize folly when I see it. But if it did come from the curia I will teach them their impudent rashness and wicked ignorance.

Personally, the cardinal greatly pleased me. I suspect the Romans begin to be afraid and to distrust their own strength, and thus cunningly seek a way out. I will tell you more another time, I hope, face to face. Commend me to the elec- tor and give him my thanks. ...

��94. WOLFGANG CAPITO TO CANDID THEOLOGIANS.

Herminjard : Correspondance des Reformateurs des pays de la langue franqaisi, (i866ff), i. 6i. (Basle, October, 1518).

This is the Preface to the first edition of Luther's Works, printed at Basle, October, 1518, by Froben. The anonymous preface was written by Capito. See Baum: Capita und Butser, p. 32. It is reprinted by Herminjard from the subsequent edition, sine loco, 1520, and conjectu- rally dated by him "Wittenberg?, March, 1520."

Here you have the theological works of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, whom many consider a Daniel sent at length in mercy by Christ to correct abuses and restore the evangelic and Pauline divinity to theologians who have forgotten the ancient commentaries and occupy themselves with the merest logical and verbal trifles. And would that he might arouse all theologians from their lethargy, and get them to leave their somnolent summaries^ of divinity and choose the gospel rather than Aristotle, Paul rather than Scotus, or even Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, Cyprian, Ath- anasius, Hilary, Basil, Chrysostom, Theophylact rather than Lyra, Aquinas, Scotus and the rest of the schoolmen. May they no longer drag Christ to the earth, as Thomas Aquinas al- ways does, but may they instruct the earth in the doctrine of Christ May they cease saying one thing in their farcical uni- versities, another at home, another before the people and something else to their friends; and may they cease calling

'A pun, "omlMis aomniis, summis dictum oportmt/'

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