Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/337

 832 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND Let rjt

this as all rise : "The blessing of God the Father, etc. Amen." This is my manner of preaching. Farewell in the Lord.

Brother Martin Luther, Augustinian.

271. LUTHER TO SPALATIN. Enders, ii. 423. (Wittenberg), June 25, I5«i

Greeting. Dear Spalatin, I and many others think Melanch- thon should not be burdened with lecturing on Pliny on ac- count of his lectures on the Apostle Paul, which are so fruit- ful. The hearers ought not to be deprived of this good, since what they would get from Pliny would not be enough to com- pensate them. It is to be feared that some spirit who is not rashly to be resisted impels him to do this, lest it should tuni out a device of Satan to prevent, on this excuse, the cultiva- tion of good fruit. They think that if Pliny is to be given at all it should be by Professor John Hess.^ I know not what Melanchthon will do about marrying, especially the girl you suggest.^ I want him to take a wife, but wish neither to dictate nor to advise whom he shall marry, nor do I see that he is particularly anxious to marry.

Although I hope Melanchthon will not go to Bavaria,* yet I have always wished that he might have a larger salary, so that they might lose the hope they have conceived of getting him, since they see that he is paid less here than he would be there.* If there is any chance, be vigilant. For when op- portunity calls, it is not to be neglected, for it is God calling.

I will speak of the Strassburg tragedy* in a proper place. To-morrow my Prierias and German Romanist will be fin- ished.* Farewell. Martin Luther, Augustinian.

272. CONRAD MUTIAN TO JOHN LANG AT ERFURT. Krause, 654. (Goth a), July i, 1520.

. . . Who is that Martin Luder who together with Joh<^

^Thts was not John Hess of Breslau, but the Wittenberffer.

'Melanchthon married Catharine Krapp on November 27, 1520.

'Ingolstadt and Reuchlin were still trying to get Melanchthon. Cf. supr^^ no. 214.

^Melanchthon got the increase on his marriage.

^This refers to an incident described in the Address to the German t^obUitj^ Bishop William of Strassburg was prevented from reforming his cathedral the Pope.

Romanisten au Leiptng, Weimar, vi. zyytt.
 * Luther means the Epitome of Prierias and Vom Papstthum mm Rom wider

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