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 68 LUTHER'S CORRESPONDENCE AND LcL 3S

treats Psalm, xxii., so suitable for this season, or else Hilary's Explanation of the Psalms, or else Cyprian's not inept ser- mons, or Augustine on John, beginning with chapter xiii., which narrates the events of Easter week. I shall try, if I am able, to-morrow to teach how Christ may be seen in every man.^ Farewell.

Martin Luther.

35. LUTHER TO CHRISTOPHER SCHEURL AT NUREMBERG. Enders, i. 96. Wittenberg, May 6, 1517.

Greeting. Dear Sir, I thank you for your gifts of Staupitz's works, but I am sorry that the reverend father distributed my foolish trifles* among you. For they were not written for Nurembergers, that is, for delicate, discerning souls, but for Saxons, rude people as you know, who need their Christian doctrine chewed and predigested for them with all possible care. But even if I wished it, I would not be able to write anything tolerable to Latin ears, less than ever now that I have chosen to devote myself to the service of the dull crowd. Wherefore I pray you keep my book from the inspection of the learned as much as you can.

I have written a friendly and careful letter to our Eck as you asked me, but I do not know whether it has reached him.

I am sending you these declarations, which they call Theses, and through you to Father Wenzel Link, and to any others who may care for this sort of tidbit. If I mistake not, you have here not the Paradoxes of Cicero,* but those of our Carlstadt,* or rather of St. Augustine, which are as much more wonderful and worthy than those of Cicero, as Augus- tine or rather Christ is more worthy than Cicero. For these Paradoxes convict of carelessness or ignorance all those to whom they seem more paradox than orthodox, not to say those who, having not read, or not understood, Paul and Augustine, rashly judge them heterodox,' blinding themselves


 * Two sermons De passione Christi, Weimar, i. 335.


 * /. #., the Seven Penitential Psalms,


 * Ciccroni8 Paradoxa ad M. Bmtum.

K)ii CarlsUdt's Theses, cf. supra, p. 42, note.

K^acodoxa.

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