Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/300

 been foiled, so that God shows that He wishes to make vain all the counsels of that tyrant of souls and lead him to his end. . . . Martin Luther.

664. THE ELECTORAL COUNQLORS TO THE ELECTOR

FREDERIC Barge, ii, 577* Gernian. Torcau, March 19, 1525.

The controversy with Carlstadt (cf, supra, nos. 651, 652) became more and more violent Against him Luther wrote a work, entitled Against the Heavenly Prophets of Images and the Sacrament, the first part of which appeared in December, 1524, and the second part in January, 1525. Weimar, xviii, 62ff. The bitter tone alienated the Strassburgers and many others, Barge, ii, 276. Carlstadt replied with an Exegesis of I Cor. X [16], which appeared in February. In the meantime the Peas- ants' War had broken out, and Carlstadt was both discredited and frightened by the movement He therefore wished to return to Sax- ony to hide, a matter discussed in the following letters.

... If now the Doctor [Luther] should wish to relegate Carlstadt to some convenient place outside of Wittenberg, in the land of your Grace and your Grace's brother, doubtless your Grace and your brother would not oppose him. You would also agree not to molest Carlstadt, or allow him to be molested, as long as he should refrain from further preach- mg and from assembling mobs. Wherefore he would not fear anything from your Graces, nor would any safe-conduct be necessary for him. Your Graces should give command to show him this in reply to his letter.

And if this or some other plan pleases your Grace, it is our humble advice that Spalatin should betake himself to Wit- tenberg, and communicate it to Dr. Luther orally, in order that, as your Grace wishes to escape these matters and not to appear in them, there should not be much writing about them. It is, however, to be feared that Carlstadt will not give credence to Dr. Luther without a written statement, nor will he accept his excuses in place of one. Perhaps, therefore, Luther will need to have a letter to show Carlstadt in fulfillment * of the promise he made, to prove to him that he [Luther] has at- tempted to get such a written statement and has not succeeded. Wherefore, in our humble opinion, it can do no harm if Spala-

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