Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/348

 rector. . . both because he is devoted to this cause and because he has been exhorted thereto by a letter of the great Erasmus of Rotterdam, written in the midst of his labors, in which letter he shows his extreme good will to the university of this city." Platz matriculated at Erfurt in 1497 (ibid, 202) and devoted himself to theology. He became a well-known humanist and the master of Eoban Hess (Krause: Eoben Hess, i. 26).

Dear Sir, I am not able to withhold my love for you, since I have learned from Draco,* that serious youth, that you are most learned and eagerly favor sound learning, and that you take care that it shall flourish at Erfurt, now under your au- spicious presidency. It is the special honor of your prudence that you bring this about without tumult, which we see is ex- cited elsewhere by the imprudence of some men. The classics QUght to come to a university not like enemies to spoil it, but like guests to live in peace. I never liked the tumult, and either I am much mistaken or more will be accomplished by modera- tion than by impotent force. I think it is the part of good men to desire to carry through their reforms with injury to few, or, if possible, to none. Vain, controversial theology has arrived at that point of inanity that she must be recalled to her sources. But I should prefer to have even her corrected rather than hissed off, and that she should be borne until a more potent theological method be developed. Luther has given some splendid warnings, but would that he had done it more civilly. He would then have had more favorers and allies, and would have reaped a richer harvest for Christ. And yet it would be impious to leave him entirely undefended in what he has rightly said, lest hereafter none should dare to tell the truth. This is not the place, nor is mine the ability to pronounce on his doctrine. Hitherto he has certainly profited the world. Some men have been forced by him to

IJohn Drach (Draco, Draconites), born 1494 at Carlstadt on the Main, matrictt- lated at Erfurt in the summer of 1509, following the examples of Hess and Jonas he made a visit to Erasmus in 1530. (Erasmus had been in correspondence with him before; #. g,, there is a letter from Erasmus to Draco, October 17, 1518, in the Hodoeporicon (January, 1519) of Eoban Hess.) Later Draco went to Wittenberg, where he was inscribed in the summer of 1523, and shortly after- wards took his doctor's degree. In the same year he became evangelic preacher at Miltenberg, but was driven out by Albert of Mayence. Enders, iii. 156-7. From 1534-47 he was professor at Marburg, 1551-60 at Rostock; he then became the Protestant Bishop of Pomeranna. He died 1566. Allen, iii. 406.

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