Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/331

 326 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let, 26^

Dialogue, both printed by Enders, ii. i66ff. This closed the corre- spondence. For dates, cf, supra, no. 201.

Greeting. Truly, my man, you have excellent major pre- mises, but very poor minors. You keep saying only "The Church, the Church, heretics, heretics!" and will not allow that the text "Prove all things"^ was said to one man. But when we ask for the Church, you show us one man, the Pope, to whom you attribute everything, though you do not offer the least proof that his faith cannot fail. But we find more heresies in his Decretals than in any heretical book. Thus, in what alone is to be proved by you, you perpetually beg the question, as though you were ignorant that the worst fault of argimient was petitio principii. This, I say, you must prove, that you have the Church of God, and that it is no- where else in the world. We wish to be judged by Scripture, you wish to judge it. Please stop wearying me with such words, or, as you threaten, publish what you wish. If the Fathers are to be read without selection and judgment, the Scripture is taken away. Of the form of God* and of the papacy I think as I thought ; nor do I doubt that I will easily answer whatever you publish on these subjects. Don't be impertinent, my man ; for a whole year you have tried to do much and have not greatly succeeded. Many words do not move me, but solid arguments ; nor do I therefore accuse the saints of falsehood, as you are wont to deduce from my words, if I say that Scripture is sometimes twisted by them. Pray beware, if you do write anything, not to deduce such consequences and corollaries from my words and put your own construction on them. You will need sharp eyes. For a good doctor should not say that one has lied who has bardy erred, since Augustine himself confesses that many obscure texts bear a manifold sense, although we must believe that the sense is simple. . ..

If you use such methods against me, you will succeed finely; there will never be an end of writing and disputing. For always when I say one thing you understand another, just

^i Thessalonians, ▼. ai.

n*his refers to a debate on the text, Philtppians, ti. 6.

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