Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/136

 Word of God is prospering among you and that you have put yourself to so much pains in its behalf. You ask why I have answered the King of England so sharply/ so that you can reply to my opponents. I would have you know that I did it purposely, and will henceforth show no more gentleness to blasphemers and liars. My preaching and writing has gone as far as it can, and has reached its limit. You know that Christ and Peter and Paul were not always gentle. How often does Christ call the Jews "a generation of vipers/' "mur- derers/* "children of the devil/' and "fools"? Especially in His last sermon, in Matthew xxiii, how hard and how terribly He rebukes them 1 Stephen, in Acts vii, calls them murderers and betrayers ; Peter curses Simon, in Acts viii, and tells him to go to the devil with his money. And as for Paul, how sharply he reproves 1 He calls them dogs, apostles of the devil, liars, deceivers, falsifiers, seducers, children of the devil. I shall say nothing of the prophets.

Now, as you know, I have written many little books with- out any severity, in a friendly and gentle tone ; I have made the most humble overtures, and run after those men and ap- peared before them * at great difficulty and expense, and have borne their measureless lies and slanders. But the more I have humbled myself the more they rave and slander me and my doctrine, until they have become hardened and can neither hear nor see. If anyone is so minded that he dis- regards and despises my long patience and my many offers, why ^ould I care if he takes offence at my rebukes? He shows that he sees no good in me, and only seeks occasion to despite me. Therefore he must be given the occasion, so that the falseness of his heart may be revealed, for no one who comes to my teaching with a right heart will take offence at my severity.

But IS not their judgment biased when they will not see the severity and slander of my enemies, and call them the best of Christians and hold me a heretic? They have been far more severe than I have ; nay, many of them have become crazy against me. Judge for yourself what kind of hearts they are that let the much good that is in my work pass, and

> Vide smpra, no. 553, n. 3. 'At Augsburg and Wonns.

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