Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/467

 of Matthew/ and Luther's De Servo Arbitrio. Melanchthon on the Gospel of John' and on the two Epistles to the Cor- inthians/ with Francis Lambert on the rule of the Minorites/ he had resold to James Yates; and some other volumes in English and German, which he had copied out with his own hand.

816. LUTHER TO SPALATIN. Enders, vii, 44. (Wittenbesg, about January 15), 1529.

Grace and peace. We, too, wish to know what you are do- ing with the visitation and how you are succeeding with it, my dear Spalatin, and wonder why you say nothing about it when you write. It is our custom, when necessary, to demand a contribution, however small. It affords some aid to poor pastors who have only two yoke of oxen and a little farm. Besides this, we strictly require an offering from everybody. But the condition of the churches everywhere is most miser- able. The peasants learn nothing, know nothing, pray noth- ing, do nothing except abuse their liberty. They go neither to confession nor to communion, as though they had been liber- ated from all the duties of religion They have neglected their papistical rites and despise ours, so that it is terrible to see the administration of the papistical bishops. Bruno * will tell you the rest Greet Eberhard * and all the brethren, and pray for me, a poor wretch and a sinner. Christ be with you.

Mart. Luther.

817. THE ELECTOR JOHN OF SAXONY TO LUTHER.

Greeting. Reverend and learned, dear and good Sir. We wish to inform you that the highborn Prince, George, Duke of Saxony, our own dear cousin, has had his counsellors here with us and has made complaint of the book which you re-

^ AnnoiaHonts in Evangelium Matthaei, Basle, 1523.


 * Annotationes in Johannem, 1523.


 * See note 4.

mentoriis epistolae. Evangelici in Minoritarum Regulom Commtnta/m (Tflbingen? 1523?). Title in the Catalogue of the British Museum, Luther's preface, Weimar, zi, 461.
 * Christianissimi Doc, M. Lntheri et A Cocti Quintis GalK pro sequentibus com^


 * Bruno Brauer, who apparently took the letter to Altenburg.


 * Brisger.

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