Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/57

 28. LUTHER TO CHRISTOPHER SCHEURL AT NUREMBERG. Enders, i. 81. Wittenberg, January 27, 1517.

Greeting. Learned and kind Christopher, I received your letter, which to me was both very pleasant and very sad. Why do you frown? For what could you write more agree- able than the well merited praises of the reverencj father, or rather of Christ in his vessel, our vicar? Nothing can please me more than to hear that Christ is preached, heard and received, or rather lived, felt and understood. Again, what could you write more bitter than that you desire my friend- ship, and than the many empty titles with which you load me ? I do not wish you to be my friend, for my friendship will bring you not glory, but danger, if, at least, that proverb is true that friends have all things in common. Wherefore, if you partake of what I have by this friendship, you will find yourself richer in nothing but sin, folly and ignominy. Such are the qualities in me, which, as I have said, you called by such contrary epithets. But I know that you savor of Christ and you will say: I admire not you, but Christ in you. To which I answer: How can Christ, true righteousness, dwell with sin and folly? Nay, it is the height of arrogance to presume that you are the habitation of Christ, except that this boast is easily permitted to the apostles. Therefore I congratulate your happiness in becoming the familiar friend of our father, Staupitz, but I pray you spare your honor and do not degenerate into my friendship, even though the rev- erend father himself, not without peril to me, boasts of me everywhere and says : "I preach not you, but Christ in you," and I must believe it. But it is hard to believe. For this is the unhappiness of this wretched life, that the more numerous and

becoming M. A. in 1504 and licentiate in theology 1511. To him Luther dedicated the Address to the German Nobility, 1520 (Smith, 79). In 1521 he accompanied Luther to Worms. In 1534 he was called to Magdeburg. In 1534 he took a prominent part in Luther's quarrel with Erasmus, which brought him into trouble with Melanchthon and Bucer. In 154a Luther consecrated him Evangelical Biahop of Naumburg, which position he was obliged to vacate in consequence of the Schmalkaldic war (1547). In 155a he obtained a position at Eisenach. His last years were disturbed by quarrels with other Lutherans. RealencyclopSdie.

On this work see: T. Kolde: Augustiner-Cangregation, a8o, and Humbert: Origines de la thiohgie modtme. It shows marked influence of Luther's ideas on his former teacher. Kolde, op, cii., p. 296.
 * De Executione aeternae predestinationis, which Scheurl translated into German.

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