Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/160

 was there proposed to him, in fraternal love, that he should allow the universities to be the judges, and he said no. He was then asked whether he would be willing to have the tem- poral and spiritual princes call together the most learned of their subjects to pass judgment on his doctrines; or, in case he had doubts about the spiritual princes, that the temporal princes should appoint for this work the most learned men that could be found ; this, too, he refused. In the third place, he was asked whether he would accept the decision of a gen- eral council, and this also he refused to do, and would agree to none of these methods, but only said his writings and his doctrines were true and needed no examination. Thus he per- sists in his obstinacy and many men's souls are deceived by him, etc (All this from the Margrave).*

I never heard any of these things before, and there are few who believe them except those who are hostile to Luther and his doctrine, but when I said I had never heard them before and they were hard for me to believe, especially that about Christ's sacrament and about His mother, I was told that it was certainly the truth ; and yet no matter how confidently it is said, I can simply not believe that Martin has taught or preached these things. If I had clear proof that it was not true, I should not hesitate to tell them who said so and who were present and heard it, so that they might know what they were saying.

The Margrave had a private talk with me to-day. He said I should help get your Grace to abandon Luther, for he feared that if this were not done your Grace might have trouble ; he would be very sorry to see this because of his fraternal affec- tion for your Grace and his relationship to your Grace; he spoke as one who was really concerned for your Grace's honor and welfare. To this I replied that for my own part I thought his Grace meant it well ; I desired to know, however, what your Grace had ever done in this matter about Luther, or in what way your Grace had taken his part; the matter was really not your Grace's concern; your Grace had nothing to do with it ; the cause was spiritual, and your Grace was a temporal Elector, therefore I did not think it proper for your

^Joacliim of Braadenbtirf' '^^ parentliests Is in Latin.

�� �