Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/29

 Steal this time from my many and various affairs to write you, especially as messengers are scarce, and were they plentiful, could rarely be used on account of their ignorance and care- lessness. My only purpose in writing is to conmiend myself to you, and to express my hope that you will continue to think of me as you would wish to have me think of you. Although I cannot be, and do not think I am, equal to you in any good thing, nevertheless I have a great affection for you which I cannot give you now as I have so often given it to you in the past. I know that your generous spirit expects nothing from me save the things of the spirit, that is, to have the same knowledge of the Lord, and one heart and soul as we have one faith in him.

Wonder not that I departed without saying farewell. For my departure was so sudden that it was almost unknown to my fellow monks. I wished to write you but had time and leisure for nothing except to regret that I had to break away without saying good-bye.

Now I am at Wittenberg, by God's command or permission. If you wish to know my condition, I am well, thank God, ex- cept that my studies are very severe, especially philosophy, which from the first I would willingly have changed for theo- logy ; I mean that theology which searches out the meat of the nut, and the kernel of the grain and the marrow of the bones. But God is God; man often, if not always, is at fault in his judgment. He is our God, he will sweetly govern us forever.

Please deign to accept this, which has been set down in haste and extemporally, and if you can get any messengers to me let me have a share of your letters. I shall try to do the same for you in return. Farewell in the beginning and the end, and believe me such as you wish me. Again farewell.

Brother Martin Luther, Augustinian.

3. LUTHER TO THE PRIOR ANDREW LOHR AND THE CON- VENT OF AUGUSTINIAN S AT ERFURT.

Enders, 1. 7. Wittenberg, September 22, 1512.

Luther returned to Erfurt in the late autumn 1509, where he re- mained three semesters lecturing on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. He made a journey to Rome in the winter of 1510-11, returning to

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