Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/290

 intended to draw up a bull against him, but they subsequently made the Pope determine to discuss the matter more fully by making another Commission of other eminent men.

��227. LUTHER TO SPALATIN. Enders, ii. 322. (Wittenberg), February 12, 1520.

Greeting. Here is the letter^ of Bucer, a young brother who almost alone in his order gives some promise. At Heidel- berg he received me eagerly and simply, and conversed with me showing himself worthy of love and trust, and also of Aope.

Your admonitions came late. All that in one lost day, under the auspices of Melanchthon, I conceived, I am now .ring, with the presses as midwives.^ Suppose there is to a new and great conflagration, who can resist the plan of d? They are raging so without cause from God or fault me; and unless God humbles me I will despise them, for •^>ii yourself see how easily I can bear their learning and c^-^ice. Who knows whether they are predestined to be the ^use of revealing the truth, and whether they are not pre- ring for themselves the punishment of the hatred they have long nourished against us, namely, the shame which the ^^^emies of the truth ought to win. I have honored the bishop, but if they go on I won't let a bubble like him stop ^y fighting for Christ's truth.

When his Inhibition was posted up at Oschatz, some

brothers of Waldheim who came hither yesterday, told me

that someone had written on it: "Behold the bishops of this

age post up their ignorance even on Church doors! Alas,

Bishop, reread the gospel!" And more. Pray let the matter

go its own way ; God only is guiding it. We are carried along,

as I think, and are passive rather than active. Farewell and

pray for me.

Martin Luther, Augustinian,

^ Supra, no. 219.

Tbe Reply to the Bishop of Meissen's Placard, supra, no. 325. It was taken at once to the Bishop at Stolpen by the secretary of Mayence, Michael Reysch, aad read by him to the bishop and the "Official" (Christopher Beczschicz). They were displeased, bnt the more the Official cursed the more Reysch laughed.

�� �