Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/515

 timidate the populace. I am resolved, however, before I leave Germany to publish the excommtmication of Hutten, and, when I am once safe, to print it; but God prevent it happening while we are in Worms, for it would not help our cause, but would cost us all our lives.

At Hutten's instigation all men, high and low, are trying to frighten us, but Caracciolo and I are determined to stay till the end, and, if Martin comes, to do our best. If he does not come we shall request a final prohibition of his books and libels and will stick to it without letting ourselves be in- timidated by the threats of a thousand deaths.

438, MARTIN BUCER TO BEATUS RHENANUS AT BASLE. Briefwechsel des Beatus Rhenanus, 272. Ebernburg, April 6, 1521.

Greeting, most learned Beatus ! As all things are uncertain, and the success of the priests against the Lord and against his Christ^ is doubtful, I preferred to let others write to you about them, myself waiting for a chance to tell you something more certain of the content of the meditations of the wicked, when, that is, the result of the battle of truth and falsehood would be plainer. But when our Valentine came hither I could not omit writing something of the doubtful cause of the gospel. For the wicked are in labor, and with violent throes have brought forth a little mandate. They bear in their womb a great giant, Antichrist himself, who will not only hurl mountain on mountain, but with his' own might will thrust from heaven Christ and all the gods. I know nothing of Luther save that he wrote Spalatin that if he were sum- moned only to recant he would not come, and that he would soon write to Charles that it was just the same as if he had come hither and returned to Wittenberg. For if he wished he could recant there. But if the Emperor were offended at these words and judged that he were an enemy of the Empire, he would offer to come, were he summoned to be punished, for he would by no means flee and leave the Word in the battle. These were his very words. But he writes that he

^This letter is very poorly printed, due probably to Bucer's bad hand. I change the reading here, for it it evidently an allusion to Psalm iL 2, ao trans- lated in the Vulgate.

•Reading "suo" for "tuo.** The syntax is as confused as the metaphor.

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