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 tt2 LUTHER'S (jORRESPONDENCE AND Let 7St

radical laws at once. In my opinion we should act as did Moses, who only wrote down his laws after they had been put in practice among the people. Your Grace should provide the schools with good teachers and the parishes with good pastors, and b^^ by oral conmiand and private instruction and let the innovations be gradual and proceed farther when things get started and are going of themselves. Then the Ordinance could be published and all priests commanded to obey it; I know well and have learned that laws passed pre- maturely are seldom well obeyed, as the people are not used to them nor ready for them, as those legislators who sit apart devising laws may think. Making laws and enforcing them are vastly different things. By this Ordinance you would change much arbitrarily. But when some of the reforms have been already put into practice it will be easy to pass the law. Legislation is a great, noble, comprehensive thing, and cannot be successful without the spirit of God, for which we must humbly pray. Moderation is necessary; after customs are rooted, laws will follow of themselves. This necessity has been experienced by the greatest law-givers: Moses, Christ, the Romans, the Pope, and all other law-givers. This is my opinion, but I have no desire to set metes or bounds to your Grace and the preachers in your Grace's lands, but commend them to God. It is my duty and I am always ready to serve your Grace in all things.

Your Grace's devoted

Martin Luther.

751. LUTHER TO NICHOLAS HAUSMANN. Enders, vi, lo. (WrrrENBERc), January lO, 1527.

Grace and peace in Christ, my dear Nicholas. I have no news except that the Elector has answered the university, saying that he wishes to hasten the visitation of the parish churches. When that has been done and the churches have been organized, then the use of the ban can be taken up. What measures can we take when things are so upside down? Zechariah is in press, and the book is growing daily under my hands; at the same time I am attacking the sacramenta-

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