Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/470

 ing. Everyone knows that the Church was afflicted with tyranny and with ceremonies and with laws made only for gain. Many either desired or planned a remedy, but ill-con- sidered remedies make things worse, and it comes to pass that when those who wish to break their yoke do not suc- ceed they are drawn into a harder servitude. Would that that man would either abstain altogether from proposing remedies or would do it more gently and circumspectly. I labor not for Luther, but for the glory of Christ; for I see some prepared to do what, if it succeeds, will leave us nothing but to write the dirge of evangelic doctrine. . ..

400. LUTHER TO SPALATIN AT WORMS. Enders, iii. 86. Wittenberg, February 17, 1521.

Greeting. I hope that my letters and books have at last reached you, Spalatin. I wonder what prevented your get- ting them earlier, as in the meantime I received two letters from you, neither of which mentioned your getting mine. What wmd has blown away all that I wrote to Huttcn?* I know not why I should try so hard to keep writing and send- ing things. I commanded some pages of my German Asser- tion to fly to you, snatched wet from the press, but now I see that they limped. I now send the rest, and will continue to send what the press produces.

Emser is vomiting his poison at length to please Duke George. I am obliged to answer the man only on account of his most impure lies. I am not yet able to answer Mur- nar; who can do all things? Adam Petri has printed my Commentary on the Psalms at Basle, which I regret. The Bishop of Merseburg, that holy servant of the Pope, has burned my books.*

Matthew Adrian has asked leave to resign, which we im- mediately gave him. Thus we are freed from that man. Would that Aurogallus* deserved to succeed him. . ..

^Supra, no. 379.

'On January 23.

lyCatthew Aurogallaa or Goldhahn (c. X490'November 10, 1543). of Commotau in Bohemia, is first heard of as school teacher at Schmalkalden. In 15 19 he came to Wittenberg, and in 1521 was appointed professor of Hebrew to succeed Adrian. He was a great help to Luther in translating the Old Testament. In 1535 he published a Hebrew grammar. Allgtmeint deutscke Bicgraphie.

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