Complains about Staupitz's silence; about the negotiation with Miltitz; about the Leipzig disputation, which the Leipzigers initially refused; about the Basel edition of his small works (opusculu).
1) Namely, von Eck's first edition of theses. See St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, Introduction, p. 25a f.
Printed in Aurifaber, Vol. I, p. 151; in Lösche" Ref.Acta, Vol. Ill, p. 964; in De Wette, Vol. I, p. 251 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. I, p. 430.
To the venerable and dear father, Johann Staupitz, Vicar of the Hermits of St. Augustine, his patron and superior to be highly venerated in Christ.
JEsus.
Hail! Even though you are very far from us and silent, venerable Father, even though you do not write the eagerly awaited letters to those who are waiting for them, we want to break the silence. We wish, all of us wish, that you would let us see you once in this heavenly region. I believe that my [Augsburg] acts have come to you, that is, the Roman anger and displeasure; God is tearing, driving, I cannot say leading me; I am not powerful, I want to be quiet and am torn into the midst of the noise.
Carl Miltitz saw me at Altenburg and complained that I had attracted the whole world to me and had withdrawn it from the pope; he had scouted out in all the inns that among five people hardly three or two were favorably disposed toward the Roman party. He was equipped with seventy apostolic breves for the task of bringing me captive to the murderous Jerusalem, the purple-clad Babel [Revelation 17, 4. f.], as I learned afterwards from the prince's court. Since it was desperate with this undertaking, he began to negotiate that I should give back to the Roman church what I had taken from it and recant.
But since I requested that he should report the things to be revoked, we finally agreed that some bishops should be ordered to do so. I named the Archbishop of Salzburg, of Trier, and of Freising, and in the evening he received me, and we were merry at a banquet, and after he had given me a kiss, we parted. I pretended not to understand these Italian tricks (Italitates) and hypocrisy. He also had Tetzel called and scolded; at last he convicted him in Leipzig that he owed ninety florins as his monthly salary.
He would have had a salary and three horsemen and a wagon free of charge and without any expenses. Now this Tetzel has disappeared, and no one knows where he has gone, except perhaps his fathers.
4 My corner, the treacherous man, draws me again into new things, as you see here, 1) so much does the Lord see to it that I am not idle. But this disputation will, if Christ wills, go out badly for the Roman rights and customs, on which Eck leans as on his sticks [Isa. 36, 6. Ezek. 29, 6.].
I would like you to see my small works (opuscula) printed at Basel, so that you can see what learned people think of me, Eck, Silvester and the scholastic theologians. For the very witty people call Silvester magirum [cook] of the palace 2) instead of magister of the palace (but it is magirus in Greek, ahead in Latin), making a deliberate printing error, and they rebuke him with other very sharp remarks. This will hurt the Roman great ones. You, I beg you, pray for me. For I have the firm confidence that the Lord requires your heart to be concerned for me. I am a man exposed to society, intoxication, tickling, carelessness, and other troubles, and am surrounded by them, except that which oppresses me by virtue of my office.
The Leipzigers have finally given their consent to the disputation with Eck and accuse me of carelessness that I had written that they had refused it, and demand in a letter addressed to me that I should revoke this. But I am certain through Duke George that they have refused. I have answered twice that their dean, when I asked for it, had refused me before, which he also did. So pitifully do people seek whether they can prevent such a disputation, but Duke George is very insistent on it. Farewell, dearest father. February 20, 1519.
Brother Martin Luther, Augustinian.
1) Probably Luther sent with this letter also the letter to Carlstadt, No. 361 in this volume, to which the disputation note of Eck is attached.
2) Compare St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, introduction, p. 20a and the note to it.
No. 32.
Luther to Spalatin.
Admonished by Spalatin to mention faith and works, also obedience to the Roman church in his defense, Luther says that it never occurred to him to become unfaithful to the Roman see. The Roman decrees are supposed to leave the true gospel unhindered. The arrangement of lectures at the university.
The original of this letter can be found in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, Vol. I, p. 154; in Löscher's Ref.-Acta, Vol. Ill, p. 965; in De Wette, Vol. I, p. 235 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. I, p. 446.
To the esteemed and highly learned man, Georg Spalatin, court preacher to the most illustrious Elector of Saxony.
JEsus.
Hail! You have reminded me twice, my dear Spalatin, that I should mention faith and works, then also obedience to the Roman Church in my German treatise on defense 3). I believe that I have done so, although it was published before you reminded me. It has never occurred to me that I would have wanted to fall away from the Roman See; indeed, I am content that he be called, or be, the Lord of all. What is that to me? since I know that also the Turk is to be honored and tolerated, for the sake of violence, because I am sure that only by God's will (as Peter [1 Ep. 2, 13. Rom. 13, 1.] says) any violence can exist. But I am anxious, because of my faith in Christ, that they should not tear and defile his word according to their will.
2. the Roman decrees shall leave me free of the true gospel, and even if they take away everything else, I will not do the slightest thing. What more can I do or should I do? Therefore, I will be more than happy to stick to the treaty and not innovate in anything, because this disputation, as I hope, is a disputation, and only the scholars should keep an eye on it; the common people will have their sermon. Farewell.
3) This is Document No. 281 in this volume: "Unterricht auf etliche Artikel, so ihm von seinen Abgönnern auflegt und zugemessen worden worden.
You wish to know who the petitioners are with regard to the lectures that the most noble prince would like to change? The Rector, 1) Carlstadt, me and Amsdorf. Many, however, do not like it, but for a quite unjust reason, since they do not look at what is useful for the young people, but at what the magisters should feed on. And as I was arguing with someone the other day, I said: If the scholarships are only to be given to feed the masters, then the university will become a hospital for the poor. The poor must therefore be fed in a different way, here we must look at what is useful for their studies. They are blind and have no judgment. I hope that the most illustrious prince will give the right advice here. Farewell. March 5, 1519.
Brother Martin Luther.