Luther reports on his arrival in Augsburg on October 7, and that he will now speak with Cajetan only after three days, after he has previously rejected the impositions made on him by his deputy. News about various persons, namely Staupitz, whose arrival he expects.
1) Because it seems to us that kul886t is unstated, we have assumed fuit.
2) Matthäus Lang, Cardinal - Diaconus of the title St. Angeli, Prince of Gurk, Archbishop of Salzburg, Legate de Latere of the Apostolic See in Germany. Cf. above No. 175.
The original of this letter is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, vol. I, p. 83; in Löscher's Ref.-Acta, vol. II. p. 628; in De Wette, Vol. I, p. 142 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. I, p. 239.
To his Georg Spalatin, the highly learned and loving priest of Christ, his friend in the Lord.
JEsus.
Hail! We came to Augsburg, my dear Spalatin, on the day of St. Marci, which is after Franciscus [October 7]. However, we arrived tired, and I almost stayed down on the way, having contracted I don't know what kind of severe stomach sickness, but I got better again. Today is the third day after my arrival and I have not yet seen the Reverend Legate, but on the first day I immediately sent Doctor Wenceslaus and another to report that I was there. In the meantime, I have been given safe conduct or a salvus conductus by very good friends among the imperials and the council. Out of consideration for our most noble prince, all are willing and ready to serve me.
For although the Cardinal, the reverend Legate, promises all kindness, my friends do not want me to trust him implicitly, so wisely and carefully do they take up the matter. For they know that he is inwardly extremely bitter against me, however he may outwardly present himself, which I have also recognized not indistinctly from other things.
Today, however, I will go to him in any case and request the first conversation and presentation; what will happen I do not know. To some it seems good for my cause that the Cardinal of Gurk 3) is absent, to others also that the Emperor is also absent, for he is not far from here and is expected back daily, and the Bishop of Augsburg 4) is not in town. I dined yesterday with Conrad Peutinger, the Doctor, who is both a citizen and a man, as you know him best.
3) Matthew Lang mentioned in the previous letter, not, as Seideinann thinks in De Wette, Vol. VI, p. 665 8. v. Gurk, Bishop Raimund von Gurk, who died already on October 5, 1505.
4) Christoph von Stadion.
This one takes up my cause most of all with the greatest zeal, and also other councilors not less busy; and I do not know whether the reverend Lord Legate fears me, or whether he intends a Grenelthat.
Yesterday the Orator of Montferrat 1) sent to me that I should not go to the Legate until he had first talked to me. This man came (like all those in favor) at the instigation of the legate and provided by him with instructions, and urged me with many words and (as he said) with the most salutary advice that I should agree with the legate, return to the church, recant the evil spoken, by holding up to me the example of Abbot Joachim of Florist, who in just this way had managed not to be a heretic, even though he had spoken heretical things. Then the lovely man advised me against it, I should not give any reasons: Do you, he said, want to set up a tournament? In short, he is an Italian and remains an Italian. But I said: If I can be taught that anything I say is different from what the Holy Roman Church says, I will be my own judge and recant immediately.
5 Incidentally, here will be the knot: if he [Cajetan] will make the opinions of St. Thomas more obstinate than the decree and the reputation of the Church can suffer, I will not give way to him in this until the Church has revoked its previous decree, on which I base myself.
(6) Ei, ei, he said, do you want to organize a tournament? Then he went on to the most nonsensical proposals, that he publicly confessed that it was permissible to preach lying sentences, if they only brought good profit (bonam questam, as he said) and filled the chest; and that he said that one should not deal with the authority of the pope disputation-wise, but that the same must be raised in such a way that he alone, by his wink, could do away with all things, also with that, which challenges the faith.
1) Urban of Serralonga, who had been at the Electoral Court as the envoy of Count William IX of Montferrat in 1517. After the count's death, he stayed with Cajetan (Löscher, Ref.-Acta, vol. II, p. 453).
2) The abbot Joachim of Floris (near Cosenza in Calabria, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) died in 1202.
especially in this matter, and several other things that you will hear orally.
But I have rejected this Sinon, who had been instructed not at all thoughtfully in the Pelasgian art 3), and he has gone away. Thus I hover between hope and fear, for this clumsy mediator has instilled in me not a little confidence.
I did not find Doctor Christoph Scheurl in Nuremberg, so I asked Philipp Feilitzsch to give six florins to Johann Böschenstein in the name of the prince, and he borrowed another four florins from D. Scheurl or the prior of our monastery in Nuremberg. 4) For he said that he could not accomplish such a great journey with so little means. He will now come as soon as possible.
Our reverend father Vicarius, Doctor Johann Staupitz, writes that he will definitely and certainly come if it is beyond doubt to him that I have arrived. Therefore, on the day I arrived, I immediately sent Brother Leonhard to announce my arrival, and I expect that he will come today.
The Frankish envoy had left shortly before I came to his country, and left behind an excellent verdict on me, in which he testifies to his favor towards me.
If you will share this letter with my Wittenbergers, or at least what you want them to know, you will do me a favor (at another time I will write more extensively and more, now I could not because of business and lack of time). Greet them all in my name, and may they be well, whether I come back or not. For it is certain that I will appeal to a future concilium, if the venerable Lord Legate will want to act more by force than by right.
(11) We know that the rose has been sent to our most noble prince by the pope (which they are accustomed to bestow on the great with great hope), and that all favors have been promised to him in the most benevolent manner. Summa Summarum: the Roman Church
3) See VilL. llb. II, V. 79. 106. 152.
4) Böschenstein received these four florins from Scheurl (Scheurl, Briefbuch II, p. 53).
(if one may speak so) has an insatiable thirst for gold, and by devouring it she increases the thirst again and again. Farewell in eternity and say the best thanks to the most noble prince in my place and commend me to him. Augsburg, Sunday after Dionysii [Oct. 10], very early, 1518.
Brother Martin Luther, Augustinian.