Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/101

 Martin Luther a?id his Revolt against the Church 63 Consequently I beg of you, lest this noble enterprise of yours come to naught, to resort to a little dissimulation, so that you may get your hook well fixed in your reader before he suspects your object. The apostles followed this plan, never pressing anything openly and always maintaining a dignified and kindly bearing. St. Paul resorts to similar de- vices in his Epistle to the Romans. How dexterously he maneuvers in order to keep their favor ! He advances, with- draws, dissimulates, shows the divine treasure from afar, but carefully veils it. In short, he so skillfully balances his presentation that he neither irritates nor wearies his readers. The Acts of the Apostles abound with examples of his skill. . . .* Thus by indirect means important results may be gained. So I would have you always keep open a safe exit by which you can escape when in danger, — even if but too hard pressed in discussion. Recently I received a book by Silvester Prierius, 2 which he has absurdly enough directed against your treatment of indulgences. If you are going to reply, I would have you do so in prudent language and so reflect the true spirit of Christ as he appears in the Gospels. You should dwell upon the origin and growth of our religion, the original customs, the nature of hardened error, and the varying decrees of popes and councils, so that your presentation may be visibly confirmed as coming directly from the fountain of truth. Then remember that certain kinds of nonsense are fre- quently better dispelled by a laugh than by laborious effort. Be very careful withal not to attack the pope himself, but lay all the blame on Prierius for his impudent adulation, and for suggesting motives unworthy of the papal dignity, simply in the interest of his own belly. Oppose yourself to 1 Capito here recalls, for Luther's guidance, the stratagem of Paul, who, when surrounded by a hostile multitude, brought up the question of the resurrection, and so set the Pharisees and Sadducees by the ears and gained the support of the former (Acts xxiii. 6-9). 2 Prierius was connected with the papal court, and was the first to attack Luther's theses in a very irritating pamphlet.