Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/327

 822 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let 2^

vigilant friend prevented it. Not that I can judge Luther's works, but this tyranny by no means pleased me. . ..

2sa ERASMUS TO MELANCHTHON AT WITTENBERa

Corpus Reformatorum, i. 204. Louvain (May, 1520).*

... There is a variety of news about Luther. I favor the '. man as much as I can, even though they [my enemies] al- \ ways join my cause with his. It was decided that his boob should be burned in England, but I stopped this by writing letters to Cardinal Wolsey. At my suggestion also, he im- posed silence by a public proclamation on those who clamor foolishly before the people, mentioning Standish" by name. He favors sound learning, and is offended by nothing in Luther except by the denial that the primacy of the Pope is of divine right. Those who favor Luther (and almost all \ good men favor him) wish that he had written more civiDy and moderately. But it is too late to warn him now. I see that there is going to be trouble, but I pray that it may be for the glory of Christ. Perhaps it is necessary that scandals should come, but I should not like to be the cause of the scandal. The plan of those fellows is truly diabolic, for they desire nothing else than to suppress Christ and to reign in his name. Commend me to Luther and to all your friends. I have written this hastily, while ill and while the messenger was waiting. Your Erasmus.

P. S. — Luther's Answer^ to the Condemnation of Cologne and Louvain wonderfully pleased me. At length they have begun to be ashamed of their premature pronouncement. I ^ should have preferred that my name had not been mentioned, for it simply compromises me and does not help Luther. Hut- ten is here, soon to go to the court of Charles, which is no^

^This letter seems to be about the same time as that to Oecolampaditu 0' May 14, 1520, no. 257.

'Henry Standish, D. D., died 1535, a Franciscan, attidied at Oxford afl^ Cambridge, preached at court various times between 15x1 and 1520, when kc became the chief spiritual adriser of Henry VIII. He was made Bishop o^ St. 'Asaph, May 38, 1518. He was a stout consenrative, bitterly opposed to Cdet* Erasmus and the Reformers. Die, Nat. Biography,

'March, 1520. Weimar, vi. 183. Cf. Smith, op. eU., aoz>a.

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