Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/385

 was not only in words but in heart most deeply moved against the Lutheran errors and against Hutten's mendacity, so that he would have burned Luther's books in his dioceses long ago/. . . He expressed surprise that Eck had not visited him, and had done nothing about publishing the bull in Saxony. . ..

320. JOHN LANTSCHAD TO ELECTOR FREDERIC OF

SAXONY.

Archiv fiir Reformationsgeschichte, ii. 394. German.

Lantschad was a Swabian knight, who wrote in favor of the Reforma- tion in 1522, and in 1525 introduced it in his estates on the Neckar. He died in 1531. Loc. cit., p. 393. The letter is an interesting testi- mony to the reception won by Luther's Address to the German Nobility.

Most Gracious Prince and Lord ! I have read a little book, written, doubtless, at the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, by the learned Dr. Martin Luther to his royal Roman Majesty and the electors, princes and other estates of the Holy Em- pire. In this he thoroughly and clearly shows (what is gen- erally known to the greater part of Christendom) the great faults, crimes and grievances at present existing in the Christian Church, both in her higher and in her lower chiefs, who ought to be maintainers of the faith and of divine righteousness, but who, on the contrary, more and more uphold abuses to the hurt of God's honor and the Christian faith and to the de- struction of the Christian commonweal and particularly of the German nation. . . . Wherefore I pray, warn and admonish you as a Christian elector and as a member of the Holy Em- pire, to help act for the common advantage of ChristendoiO ... by which you will doubtless win everlasting salvatioD and in this world praise and honor from pious people. Your Grace's humble,

John Lantschad of Steinach, Knight

321. LUTHER TO JOHN VON GREFFENDORF AT WEIMAR. Endcrs, ii. 503. Wittenberg, October 30^ isaa

Von Greffendorf was a Chamberlain of Duke John of Saxony; in

Emperor, a position he held for a number of years. He was finally appointed by Charles, Governor of Milan. Biogrcphie Ginhale, Pastor, Tti. 417, note.

iThe influence of Capito ' prevented Albert from burning Luther's books for a while. Cf. P. Kalkoff: W, Capito im Dienste Albreckts von Mains, 1907.

�� �