Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/340

 favors the Turks and deplores the punishment of heretics, one, in short, who tries to mix the highest things with the lowest; it is singular wisdom, I say, to recognize that such a one has not been sent by Christ, but by Satan, for the man has been carried to such a height of pride and madness that he has dared openly to say and write that he will have faith neither in the writings of the holy doctors, nor in the decrees of the Roman Pontiffs, but only in himself and his own opinions, which is more than any heretic has hitherto pre- sumed to do.

Therefore your Lordship has wisely spumed the company of this pestilent and venomous man, who, as you can judge, brings some stain on your noble house and much on the Ger- man nation. It is also to the credit of your piety that you never consented to any of his great errors, but rather with- stood them. By you, at least, no occasion has been given for turning from the old and eternal order of the orthodox faith, preserved for so many ages by the Holy Spirit. . ..

Wherefore, having convoked a council of our venerable brothers, and of others, including all who are expert in the Canon Law and the Holy Scripture, after thorough ventila- tion and discussion of the affair, at last, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, who in such matters is never absent from the holy see, we issued a decree,^ written in apostolic let- ters and sealed with the leaden bull, in which, among the almost countless errors of this man, we commanded to be written down in order those which are partly simply heretical and subversive of the right faith, and partly scandalous and impious through their undoing for simple men of the bonds of obedience, continence and humility. For the other nu- merous errors, which in the gall of unjust hatred he vomited forth against this holy see, are to be judged rather by God than by us.

We send your Lordship a copy of this bull, printed in our fostering city, that when by it you have learned the errors of this minister of Satan, you may, as is prescribed in the bull according to the apostolic mercy, first exhort and warn him

'The bull Bxsurge Dominet June 15, 15C0. Reprinted by B. J. Kidd: Docu- wtenU, no. 38*

�� �