Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/521

 slept on it. How much more fitting would it be that such and still greater honor be done to this Daniel by all kings and princes, that he should lie not only under their heads but in their hearts, inasmuch as he teaches differently and more highly than Homer was able to do.

For in him a prince can learn to fear and to trust God when he sees and recognizes that God loves the pious prince suid rules him graciously and gives him all good fortune and safety, and contrariwise that He hates the bad prince, casts him down in anger and lays waste his power. Here we learn that no prince should trust to his own power or wisdom, nor presume upon it nor brag about it. For no realm nor government stands in human strength or wisdom, but it is God alone who gives, establishes, maintains, governs, protects, preserves, and Who also takes away. It is all held in His hand and depends upon His power as a ship on the sea or even as a cloud under the sky. . ..

870. LUTHER TO THE ELECTOR JOHN OF SAXONY.

G. Berbig: Spalatiniana, 1908 (Quellen und DarsfeUungen aus

der Geschichte des Reformationsjahrhtmderts), p. goff. Germaai

DcWette, iii,.56a German.

Enders, vii, 239. (WrrrENBERc), March 6, 15 jo.

During the last months of 1529 and the early months of 1530, the governments of Saxony and Hesse were much occupied with the question whether it was right to resist with arms a forcible attempt by the Emperor to suppress Protestantism. The jurists of Saxony replied to the Elector's question with an affirmative, but Luther, supra, no. 859, with a negative; Philip of Hesse's similar question to Luther, kndersT vii, 199, brought a similar answer, December 16, 1529. supra, no. 863 ^ A meeting for further consideration of a league of Protestants and lor bringing pressure to bear on 'the Emperor by refusing help against the Turks, was held at Nuremberg, January 6, 1550. Smith, 227f. A further request for a complete statement from the Elector, January 27, Enders, vii, 223, brought the following from Luther and a separate opinion from Melanchthon, Corpus Refortnatorum^ ii, no. 666. In view of the political difficulties it was thought expedient to keep Luther's statement private. It was sent to Spengler, the town clerk at Nuremberg, but Melanchthon refused to send it even to Camerarius (Corpus Reformatorum, ii, no. ^), He took it with him to Nuremberg, however, in April, and here it was copied by Dietrich,

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