Of Tmtfetter's death. Luther reports that he is busy editing the explanation of his thirteenth thesis against Eck. He has not yet received a definite answer from Duke George about the Leipzig disputation. Of a journey of his enemy Rabe to Rome; of a great challenge, which he wants to communicate orally. Greetings.
Handwritten in 6oci. Qotk. 399, col. 128 k. Printed in Aurifaber, vol. I, p. 179; in Löscher's Ref.-Acta, vol. Ill, p. 979; in De Wette, vol. I, p. 281 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. II, p. 69.
1) As we can see from a letter of Beatus Rhenanus to Zwingli of April 4, 1519 (from Basel), Cajetan and his comrades had wanted to go to the head of the French party, Richard, Elector of Trier, by ship to Oberwesel near Coblenz on the Elector's Day (March 31), and they had therefore hired vehicles. These, however, were stopped by the Spanish envoys under the pretext that this was done by order of the Elector of Mainz. When a complaint was made to the prince of Mainz, he denied that it had happened on his orders.
2) Luther's letter to Erasmus of March 28, 1519, is found in the St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 1582.
3) Staupitz.
To the venerable Father Johann Lang, Vicar of the Augustinian Hermits in Thuringia, the highly learned and righteous Master of Holy Theology, his friend to be highly honored in Christ.
JEsus.
1. hail! We have heard that D. Jodocus of Eisenach has departed from life. May the Lord accept his soul and forgive him all his sins, including ours. I send what you see, we have nothing else.
2) I now give the reasons of proof about the so much hated thirteenth thesis 4) for the sake of the envy that goes around with the fact that I am not to be admitted to responsibility in Leipzig. In three letters 5) I have not been able to obtain a definite answer from Duke George (that Leipzig raven 6) has traveled to Rome in order to bring other lies there and other sacrilegious things here), but I will be present in order to at least offer myself for answer. But everything is admitted to Carlstadt.
3 In addition to these things, another, greater challenge has befallen me. With all this, the Lord teaches me what man is, which I thought I already knew well enough up to this point; you will hear it verbally when you are present. The brother John Caesar escaped the danger of death by the devouring ulcer.
Be well and pray for me, a great sinner. I have no need of anything but the mercy of God. Therefore, envy torments me because it feels that I have no need of other things. Wittenberg, on the Monday after Exaudi [June 6] 1519.
4) "Luther's Explanation of his Thirteenth Thesis on the Violence of the Pope," St. Louis Edition, vol. XVIN, 720.
5) These letters from Duke George to Luther on March 4, May 7, and May 23, 1519, are printed in Seidemann's "Leipziger Disputation," p. 129, Supplement 21.
6) Hermann Rab (also Rabe), a native of Bamberg, came to the University of Leipzig in 1486 (became Doctor of Theology there in 1512), entered the Dominican Order and was elected Provincial in Saxony at Osnabrück in 1511, iriHuisitor kasretioas pravitatik in 1517, Prior of the Pauline Monastery in Leipzig in 1525, died there on January 5, 1532. In Cyprian's "Nützliche Urkunden," vol. II, p. 106, the Brref that Rab wrote to Miltitz in Tetzel's favor is dated January 3, 1519.
Greetings to the venerable fathers M. Johann Nathin and Bartholomäus Usingen and all. Soon you will see the proofs of my thirteenth thesis of the supremacy of the pope, which I hope are insurmountable.
Brother Martin Luther, Augustinian.
No. 46.
Luther to Spalatin.
Luther asks Spalatin to thank Marcus Schart on his behalf for a gift of money and at the same time sends him several copies of the "Sermon on the Preparation for Dying" (St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 1984). About Eck's writing Expurgatio (see St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, Introduction, p. 27b) and Luther's rebuttal "Luther's Letter to Johann Eck on Eck's Purification Writing" (No. 383 in this volume), which is already at the printers. He sends a copy of the "Works on the Psalms" for Langenmantel.
The original of this letter is in the Anhaltisches GesammtArchiv. Printed in Aurifaber, Vol. I, p. 216; in Löscher's Ref.-Acta, Vol. Ill, p. 990; in De Wette, Vol. I, p. 352 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. II, p. 218.
To his [friend] in the Lord, Georg Spalatin, the highly revered servant of Christ.
JEsus.
Hail! I ask you to thank Marcus Schart in my name, my dear Spalatin, for the ten florins and at the same time send him these copies, as many as seem good to you. But since I had become so rich, on the same day the need of several people made me poorer, to whom I am forced to lend. I am distressed that there is so little love left among the people of Christ, since they do not even have twenty guilders [so that] one can help the other. I am therefore of the opinion that those florins were given to me because the Lord wanted those people to be served through me, and yet it is not enough. Therefore, if you advise me to do so, I will also knock on the door of the most gracious prince for poverty. For my sake, thank God, I am not worried.
2. the raging corner has a "cleansing writing" against the letter addressed to you 1)
1) No. 380 in this volume.
to which I have already replied with a sheet that is to be completed this week and has already been sent to the printer. It is to be marveled at how man rages, also full of lies. Then he has come to me quite appropriately and conveniently in that he has carelessly exposed his hypocrisy. But in this, with concealment of everything else, I have seized him, and will compel him to reveal himself and his Leipzigers more. Next I will send a copy.
If Langenmantel does not have the complete "Works on the Psalms", send him this copy; but if he has several sheets, send it back and indicate the number, so that we do not harm the printer. Fare well in the Lord. On the Day of All Saints [Nov. 1] 1519.
Martin Luther.
No. 47.
Luther to Spalatin.
Luther's recommendation of Matthew Adrian for employment as a teacher of the Hebrew language. He sends his "Letter to Johann Eck on Eck's Purification Scripture" (No. 383 in this volume); thanks the Elector for Wildpret.
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, vol. I, p. 2I6d; in Löscher's Ref.Acta, vol. Ill, p. 991; in De Wette, vol. I, p. 364 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. II, p. 222.
To His Most Holy in Christ, Georg Spalatin, the completely righteous priest of God.
JEsus.
1st Hail! As you see here, my dear Spalatin, Matthew Adrian writes to me, the Hebrew of Louvain, perhaps driven out by those through tyranny, and desires to teach Hebrew with us. You know the reputation of this man and his learning. Therefore, you would like to present these gifts of God to the most noble prince as an exceedingly noble opportunity to promote the Hebrew language among us. And I ask you to answer this as soon as possible, so that I can give him an answer. In the meantime, his messenger is staying with me. You see that he thinks that our
The death of the prince (which God wants to postpone for a long time) has been announced. This may be a false omen.