Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/152

 schoolmen, namely, that I learned more from him alone than from all the others. Very prudent of you to pass over these words of mine! I am at a loss to know why you should threaten so dire a castigation for my ignorance, accusing me of never having read nor understood what you wrote, when you say of my authority: "I know not who he is." Beware of this ignorance; first, read the man, lest you should be found a foolish judge, condemning what you do not know. And not to demand what is beyond your power, I do not desire that you should gather together all your schoolmen in order to find one sermon like one of his; I do not exact this, for I know that you could not do it. I only urge you to strain every nerve of your mind and scholastic learning to see whether you can rightly understand a single one of his sermons. After that we will believe you, that he is a dreamer, and you alone wide awake or at least sleeping with open eyes. I write thus, Eck, to spare you the trouble of admonishing me vainly, in hopes that you will put up something which I shall not be able to tear down and which will not need to be changed, something, that is, worthy of your genius and study, so that neither of us may lose our time. Farewell in the Lord, my dear Eck.

114. CAESAR PFLUG* TO DUKE GEORGE OF SAXONY. Gess, i. 53. Leipsic, January 10, 1519.

. . . The theologians at Leipsic are extremely sorry to allow the disputation between Martin Luther and the professor of Ingolstadt, and beg that your Grace will be present at it in person. . ..

115. ADOLPH, BISHOP OF MERSEBURG, TO GEORGE, DUKE

OF SAXONY.

Gess, i. 54. Merseburg, January 11, 1519.

We doubt not that your Grace well knows that many scan- dalous writings and sayings about indulgences have recently gone about, causing much offence among the common people and much danger to souls. Also, we have recently heard from

'A tnstted coimciUor of Duke George, and father of the celebrated bishop of Namnberf, Julias Pflng. According to a sajing in the table talk (Bind* Colioqmia, i. isi) he cared little for religion.

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