Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/281

 conscience. We know that a Christian is not made such by any outward work, much less by his attitude to such things as images and the Sabbath, - which are left free in the New Testament like the rest of the ceremonial law. St. Paul says, "We know that idols are nothing in the world." If they are nothing, why should we bind and torture Christian consciences for the sake of nothing? If it is nothing, let it be nothing, no matter whether it stand or fall, as Paul says of circum- cision.

I can bear the imputation of Carlstadt that I drove him out of the land. Wer<e it true I would answer to God for it. I am glad that he has left us, but sorry he is with you, and should like to give him a little warning. I shall take care that my apology will be hard enough for him to answer. Guard yourself from the false spirit who acts as he does; I warn you there is nothing good in it.

He himself persuaded me at Jena that I should not con- found his spirit with the seditious, murderous spirit of All- stedt.* But when, on the behest of the Elector, I went to see his "Christians" at Orlamunde, I saw what seed he had sown, and was glad to escape safe, being driven thence with stones and mud, the inhabitants giving me their blessing in these words, "Go hence in the name of a thousand devils lest you have your neck broken before you leave." They clean forgot the excuses they had previously written me. If the ass had horns, that is if I were Elector of Saxony, Dr. Carlstadt should not be exiled ; I begged the Elector not to do so, but only to pre- vent Carlstadt from doing harm.

I hope, dear friends, that you will be wiser than we, for we are fools to write of our own deeds. I see the devil only seeks a pretext to make men write and preach against us, no matter how good or how bad we are, that thereby men may be kept still about the chief things of Christ and their mouths be filled with gossip. Let everyone look only to the straight path, and to the nature of the law, the Gospel, the faith, the kingdom of Christ, Christian freedom, love, patience, the doctrines of men and such things. In the meanwhile, if you refrain f roc"i.breaking images you do no sin ; even if you

^ Mfinzer.

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