Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/277

 215. THOMAS VENATORIUS TO WILIBALD PIRCKHEIMER. Pirckheimeri opera, cd. Goldast (1610), p. ^^2-

Epstett, January 8, 1520.

Venatorius (Gechauf) b. 1488, at Nuremberg, Dominican in Ba- 1523 the first Lutheran pastor at the New Hospice church, 1544 for a while at Rothenburg, died at Nuremberg 1551. Enders, vii. 301.

Pirckheimer (1470-1530), born at Eichstadt, studied in Italy 1490-7. After his return to Nuremberg became a councillor, and, having in- herited wealth, a patron of the arts (Durer) and learning, and himself translated a good deal from the Greek. Allgemeine deutscke Biog- raphie. He was at first an enthusiastic Lutheran, was accused of writing a satire on Eck (Der ahgehohelte Eck), and was excom- municated by the bull Exsurge Domine, afterwards making submission to the Pope and receiving absolution. See a sketch by F. Roth in Schriften des Vereins fur Reformationsgeschichte, no. 21.

... Do not let what you wrote about that false theologian Eck bother you, for he is impious and seeks occasion to quar- rel with all learned men, which is easy for him to do. For Reuchlin and the best part of the University of Ingolstadt disagree with him. Recently, when a bookseller had im- ported some tracts of Martin Luther, Eck, together with the university, decreed that they should all be burned. But when he did this I cannot say how much laughter he awak- ened against himself, and how he departed alone covered with blushes. His only triumphs are those of calumny. . ..

216. LUTHER TO SPALATIN AT ZERBST. Enders, ii. 290. Wittenberg, January 10, isaa

Greeting. I send you, Spalatin, a letter* with some news, by which you will see how unhappy is the hatred of Leipsic, and how malignantly they abuse the simplicity of Duke George, not fearing to allege that it is a great error and heresy to communicate in both kinds.' And yet, although Christ's gospel ordained this, I would not command it to be done ex- cept by the authority of a council. By this example alone you can easily learn what they say in other matters. Please

^On this. Smith, p. 78, and supra, no. 209.

'Luther's Sermon had on the title-page two monstrances, which Duke George considered a symbol of communion in both kinds.

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