Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/40

 of ingratitude. Would that all the churches, and especially the collegiate churches, had a fourth as many men in the min- istry of the Word 1 Thank the Lord, who has shown you the light

See how wordy I am getting. It is reported that the Cardi- nal of Mayence has 1800 sworn enemies, and that Chievres is suffering with a dangerous fever — some say he is dead.* A certain bishop, especially hostile to Luther, died at Worms.* I have not much news, for I am a hermit, an anchorite, a real monk, though neither shaven nor cowled ; if you saw me you would see a knight and would hardly recognize me.

Tell Amsdorf that the pastor of Hersf eld * too, a good man, so they say, has taken a wife, so that you are not the only ones to have a newly married prior. Tell him, too, it is reported that this man has been preferred to him for Peter Lupinus' place. O sons of Adam ! But it is well that his upright and liberal spirit should have caused him such a loss, and the other^s different spirit have brought him such gain. Our merits are hidden and distributed, but the rewards make manifest the counsels of our hearts. I fear that the pastor of Kemberg* may be driven out, and thus two lives will suffer want and as many more as come from them ; but let us have faith ; the Lord lives and does not suffer even the birds to starve. Give him greetings and encouragement. I wish you, too, and all the rest, to rejoice and be glad; by so doing you will not only gratify me, but will also please God and scorch Satan's scales." Your sadness is my greatest sorrow and your joy is mine.

And so farewell in the Lord. I hope you will commend me to Him, and I in turn will remember you as much as I can. Keep the Qiurch of the Lord, over which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops,* not mere imitations of bishops. Greet

» He died May 27.

Aleomdtr, aaS, n. i. My note in Vol. I, p. 431, should be corrected accordingly.
 * Aloisiu8 Marlian, bishop of Tuy» died on the night of May lo-ii. Kalkoff:

1 520-1. Apparently he married at this time, and, after the death of his wife, a second time in xsaj, both times with the consent of the Abbot of Hersf eld, Kraft Myle. Festehrift sun G^dachtnis Philipps von Hwsstn, 1904, p. 90.
 * Heniy Fnchs, who preached the gospel of justification by faith in the winter

« Bemhardi. Vide supra.


 * One of Luther's favorite epithets for the papists.

• C/. Acto XX, aS.

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