Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/137

 Brother Martin Luther, M. A., D. D., a noble and most famous member of our university, has related to us what the VetJ Reverend Legate Cardinal Cajetan has written to your Higl*-' ness; namely, that he urges you to send the said Luther ^^ Rome or to exile him from your territories, on account c^^ certain propositions debated by him and long ago offered t^^ the Supreme Pontiff. Lutlier adds that he offered to debat:: - publicly or to give a private answer in writing, and that h-- prayed that his errors might be pointed out to him in writ- - ing, with the reasons and authorities from the Scripture an(i^ the holy Fathers added, so that by their light he might per — ceive his errors, but that none of these requests was granted,^ but he was simply ordered to retract what he had said - wrongly. Nor was the care of the faithful shepherd shown • to him, for the shepherd is bound to give a reason to every- one asking it, and is even commanded to teach willing and unwilling alike, in season and out of season.

Therefore Luther has asked and obtained that we should intercede with your Highness, and should beg that your most illustrious Highness should deign to write to the legate or even to the Pope and graciously to intervene, requesting that the articles and points of his errors should be shown him in writing, and that reasons and authorities should be given, so that he may know that he has erred and thus recant, not be- ing forced to condemn opinions before he knows whether they should be condemned. It was the ancient custom of the Church, as the examples of the Fathers show, to urge the correction of error by reason and authority and not to con- demn by mere assertion the sayings of anyone. . ..

��99. LUTHER TO CHRISTOPHER LANGENMANTEL AT

AUGSBURG.

Endcrs, i. 305. Wittenberg, November 25, 1518.

Greeting. Excellent Christopher, I arrived safely and hap- pily at home by God's grace. The offices of extraordinary humanity and kindness with which you overwhelmed my unworthy self, have made your name and fame a pleasant and sweet savor to us. For I commended your fidelity and

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