Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/497

 ried our Elector until we were compelled to promise that we would come, but we informed him two or three times at length, that we had no hope of any good results, but feared that ever3rthing would be for the worse. Still he persisted, and we promised to be present if he would invite others also, and even honorable papists as witnesses against the future bragging of these boastful saints.^ Now, if you do not come it will be to our advantage,* and though I greatly desire to see you, I would rather give up that personal satisfaction than gratify my wish at the cost of public danger. May Christ build you up and increase you to His glory. Amen. Pray for me, a siimer. Your Martin Luther.

849. LUTHER TO JUSTUS JONAS. Enders, vii, 157. (WrrrENBERC^ August or September, 1529.)

Grace and peace in Christ. Prepare yourself, and make up your mind to it, my dear Jonas, that all who come to me seeking parishes, whether they are bellies or spirits, I will send to you. This man that I send is one of them. You will see what kind of a man he is. To me he seems to be fitted for the field or the plow; he might, indeed, make a sexton. You may find something else in him, for the spirit can de- ceive me and hide itself from me. Do as you please.

Philip still grieves.* We are standing by him, as is our duty. Would that all the Timons,^ rather than he, had such afflictions to bear, so that they might be humbled. For they are so proud of their own wisdom that they do not know how much a single public character, even a weak man and a sinner, is better than many, nay, than all the thousands of private Jeromes, Hilarious* and Macariuses.* And yet they boast to us about their ceremonial, celibate saints, all of whom together are not worthy to unloose the shoe's latchet of a single Philip ; nay, to boast a little, not yours, nor Bugenhagen's, nor mine. For what have they all done, either private saints or celibate


 * So Melanchthoii to tbe Blector on May 14, su^ra, no. 839.
 * /.«.» it will give them an excuse for not going.


 * C/. supra, no. 844.


 * Timon of Atiient, proverbial for misanthropy.
 * Hilarion, the founder of monasticism in Palestine (d. 371).


 * Macarius of Thebes, the most famous of the pupils of St. Anthony (d. 39l)w

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