Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/490

 so long as the old inmates still live there is little hope that there will be any peace if they are forced either to introduce or put up with such innovations/ Moreover, such worship, established on the foundation of the old manner of worship, becomes after while an unprofitable thing, as has occurred before. But whatever of the old, good order of wordiip it is desired to reintroduce is best put into the schools and the parish ciiurches where the common man, too, can be present and be touched by it, etc., as we do here in Wittenberg and in other cities.

In the second place, it would be good if in your Grace's principality your Grace would establish one or two universi- ties, where not only the Holy Scriptures, but law and all the sciences would be taught. From these schools learned men could be got as preachers, pastors, secretaries, councilors, etc., for the whole principality. To this purpose the income of the monasteries and foundations could be applied so that scholars could be maintained in the schools at proper salaries, viz., two theologians, two jurists, one professor of medicine, one mathematician, and for logic, rhetoric, etc., four or five men.

For, if studying is to be good you must have not empty clois- ters and deserted monasteries and endowed churches, but a city, in which many people come together and practice on one another and stir each other up and drive each other on. Soli- tary studies do not accomplish this, but common studies do, for where many are together one gives another incentive and example.

In the third place, it is well that in all towns and villages good primary schools should be established out of which could be picked and chosen those who were fit for the universities, out of which the men can then be taken who are to serve your land and people. If the towns or their citizens cannot do this, then it would be well to establish new stipends for the sup- port of a few bright fellows in the deserted monasteries, so that every town might have one or two students. In the course of time, when the common people see that their sons can be- come pastors and preachers, and get other offices, many of

1 The Margrave had asked Luther's advice about the introduction into the monasteries of evangelical forms of worship.

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