of September 4, 1517.
Translated from Latin.
Luther sends the theses communicated in the previous number to Johann Lang.
His brother Johann Lang, prior of the [Augustinian] hermits at Erfurt, the new licentiate of sacred theology.
JEsus.
Hail. I have sent you through Magister Otto 1) our theses and my interpretation of the ten commandments. 2) However, I had
1) Otto Beckmann, who had been a teacher at the university in Wittenberg, then went to Erfurt to continue his studies there.
2) The Weimar edition assumes in vol. I, 39tj, that Luther here refers to a German adaptation of this scripture made by himself, which now no longer exists.
At that time, I did not have so much time to write something about it, because I was informed that he was leaving immediately. By the way, I am waiting very much, beyond measure, tremendously and anxiously to see what opinion you will form about these wonderful sentences of ours; for I really suspect that these sentences will seem strange, even heretical, to your people, while they can only be in accordance with the right doctrine to us.
is available. The translation included in Walch, alte Ausgab", Vol. Ill, 1632-IW5 is improved from the Latin by Zeidler after the Gallic part p. 2-8H.
*) Latin in Aurifaber vol. I, p. 36; Lösrber's Neformations-Acta, vol. I, p. 818; De Wette I, p. 60; Erl. Edition, Briefwechsel, Vol. I, p. 106. The text of the latter is the basis of our translation.
Therefore, let me know as soon as possible and, at my request, offer it in the most certain way to my lords and truly venerable fathers of the theological faculty and others to whom it seems good to you, and let them know that I am of course quite willing to come and discuss it publicly, either at the university or in the monastery, so that they may not think that I want to mumble this into a corner, when our university is so small that it could appear as a corner. I have therefore sent you the interpretation of the Ten Commandments in both languages, so that you might, if you wished, preach about them to the people; for this is why I have taught them, as I believe, in an evangelical way.
I believe that you will find the Magister
You also know Johann, the Antonite, teacher at Brieg; he has died, as Magister Johannes Heß, as I believe, will have already reported to you. You have robbed the brother Nicolaus of Antwerp 1) of too much money, therefore we must sue you for extortion, because you are not allowed as much as we are. Farewell.
From Wittenberg, September 4, 1517.
Brother Martinus Luther.
Send back the apostle's letter to the Galatians as soon as possible, because it is the property of the brother Augustin of Cologne.
1) Nicolaus Jodocus of Antwerp, honored by the University of Leuven with the title of Master, also moved to the University of Erfurt in the following winter semester (according to the Erl. edition).