Beginning of September 1519.
Translated from Latin.
Luther excuses himself with the amount of his business; it is also not necessary to answer because Luther and Dungersheim are so completely different in their basic views: Luther wants to know everything proven from Scripture, but Dungersheim from the Fathers, who cannot be absolved from error and violent distortion of Scripture.
To the excellent Hieronymus Dungersheim of Ochsenfurt, Doctor of Sacred Theology at Leipzig, his superior in the Lord.
Hail! You can easily see for yourself, good sir, how I am far more busy than you, so that it is impossible for me to answer your so extensive letter; but that is not necessary. For I see that you base yourself only on the sayings of the fathers, although you know that we accept none without the Scriptures being judges. I ask you, how could any of us know which of the fathers has spoken rightly, if the Scriptures are to be understood only according to them and not rather they are to be judged according to the Scriptures? If one must hear them without the judgment of the Scriptures,
why should we not hear them all together? Therefore, to all the sayings of the fathers you should have this short answer from Augustine, yes, which is also taken from Paul: "I read the others in such a way that they are as holy and learned as they can be, so I do not consider it right that they have taught in this way. 1) I will not let my liberty be taken captive, which Paul gave me, saying, "Test all things, and keep that which is good" [1 Thess. 5:21]. It is enough that the holy fathers are defended against the accusation of heresy: against that of error and violent distortion of the Scriptures they cannot and need not be defended. Hereby farewell in the Lord.
1) Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. XVI, 2635, ยง 22.