Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/221

 174. PHILIP MELANCHTHON TO THE READER.

This is one of the prefaces, written under the pseudonjrm of Otho Germanus, to Luther's Commentary on Gahtians, which appeared early in September.

... It seems, therefore, that we have very little true th^ ology left. But if any one calls attention to this he is dubbed a heretic and schismatic for his pains. Thus it happened to Luther, a man respected for his manner of life and uncom- monly learned in sacred letters. When he was forced to propose certain theses for scholastic debate in order to resist those who, under the pretext of religion abused the Scrip- ture for their own desires, and when in doing so he had differed from theologians of indulgences and of Aristotle, first he was cited to Rome under the grave suspicion of heresy. Then, on account of the difficulty of the journey and moved by the prayers of friends, he was allowed to go to Augsburg instead ; but when he had gone there he was tried by various arts and sent away so that he does not yet know why be went there. But, at least, it is certain that a man who deserved well of Christendom on account of his serious and fruitful treatment of the Scriptures (as his numerous auditors can bear witness), was treated as a madman by certain coxcombs. If he speaks of this and complains of it in the following epistle,^ it may not be pleasant, but it will be necessary. More- over, while he was thus defamed and his life imperilled, he composed, among other profitable works, this commentary on the epistle of Paul to the Galatians. And being unable to polish it on account of his preoccupations with his enemies, he disdained to call it a regular commentary, and it was published by his friends against his will.^. ..

175. LUTHER TO JOHN LANG AT ERFURT. Enders, ii. 138. (Wittenberg), September 3, 1519.

Greeting. Reverend Father, I wonder why your Erfurt

^Luther's dedicatory epistle to Lupinus and Carlstadt, January, 1519. is meant Supra, no. 123.

mentaries, the style having been probably rerised by Melanchthon. Cf, EUingcr: Philip Melanchthon, xoo.
 * The Commentary on Galatians is, in fact, the most polished of Luther's com>

�� �