April 14, 1519.
Translated from Latin.
To the most Serene Prince Frederick, Duke of Saxony, Elector of the Holy [Roman] Empire. Erasmus humbly wishes Your Serene Highness good health and prosperity.
Most Serene Prince! Although I have never had the privilege of seeing Your Electoral Grace face to face or otherwise, what I have seen in the course of my life is not yet known.
I truly do not consider it my least misfortune, yet, inflamed by the praise of all who with marvelous unanimity have praised both your excellent gifts, worthy even of the highest seat of rulership 4) and your miraculous gifts, worthy of the highest seat of rulership. Your miraculous
4) i.e. the imperial dignity.
2) This letter is found in Latin in a book published without place and year before the disputation in Leipzig (June 27, 1519), whose title is: Oontentu in doe likello: liwasini liotsroüaini spistola aü iünstr. prinoiporn no üu66ln 8axoniu6 ete. Kriützrieuin. kositionss Ioanni8 üelrii seüolastieatz.?O8ition68 ülartini Imitiern ttieoloZieae. Oon6tu8ion68 Vnüroao 0aroto8tackii ttieotoZieae. etc.; further in Johann Friedrich Mähers ooininontat. in setneoosri vitrun Imitiern p. 87. Together with the next letter, the answer of the Churfürst to Erasmus, this letter is found in the collections of the letters and editions of the works of Erasmus described in more detail under No. 62 and 63; further in the Jena edition (1579), Dorn. I, tot. 211; in the Wittenberg, Dorn. I. tot. 236; m the Erlanger, ox>x>. var. ars., vol. II, 454; in Wolf's wetion. insinoradil. Dorn. II, x. 147. In German, fie are in the Wittenberg edition, vol. IX, tot. 84; in the Altenburg, vol. I, p. 264; in the Leipzig, vol. XVII, p. 233. Our translation is made from the Erlangen edition, which reproduces the text of the former. An extensive excerpt of this letter is found in Seckendorf's Hi8t. Imttrsrani8ini, tid. I, x. 96, H 65, aüäitio a.
I dared to praise you with high praise for your inclination to promote the fine sciences, which has also made you particularly and especially inclined towards me. To your name the life descriptions of the emperors [by Suetonius and other historians], which I have overlooked again. Thereby I do not seek anything else, nor do I desire anything from E. C. F. G., except that I would like to recommend the study of the fine sciences to her in the best way and to testify to some extent that I also meet the voluntary grace of such a great prince on my part with corresponding love.
Furthermore, that I did not send you this volume from Basel, because it was printed there, this was the cause that the way was tremendously far, because at that time you were in Wittenberg, and no reliable person could be found, to whom this could have been entrusted safely. Soon after, however, it seemed superfluous to send the book, because it had already been distributed everywhere. In the meantime, however, it seemed good to me to send this letter, as it were, as a scout, in order to inquire through it whether my service (sedulitas) would be pleasant or not. If this audacity has not been appropriate, then I will make an effort that what has been missed here through error will be made up for in another way. I also do not doubt that your unique and everywhere praised kindness will easily forgive this fault to a certainly servant and devoted heart, since, even if a right judgment was lacking, the endeavor to make oneself deserving for E. C. F. G. was not missing.
But if what we have dared to do has turned out well, we ask for no other reward for our service than that you may continue to be favorable to the beautiful sciences, which are flourishing everywhere in our Germany, and also add this part of the praise to that which you already have, which will perhaps bring no less honor, both for the Naterland and for the princes, than the glory in war has so far brought about. This good fortune will be ours, if also the charity of the princes will support the teachers of the fine sciences and highly gifted youths, who seem to excite extraordinary hope in regard to themselves, and the prestige [of the princes] will serve us for protection against these haters of the Muses (^c<7OMM<7c>e--7) and the tyranny of the old ignorance, who hold everything by force of arms in the most obstinate way. For what do not the inveterate (devoti) enemies of the beautiful sciences undertake? What tricks they use
not themselves? What plots do they not use? What ambushes do they not plot? What kind of mines do they not try to sneak through? What armor do they not bring? What projectiles do they not hurl at us, impregnated with deadly poison? What conspiracy? what close alliance exists among them to fight the sciences, which they did not learn as boys, and which they are ashamed to learn as old men, although 1) they could learn them almost with easier effort than with what they fight them. How united are they here, who are only united in order to hurt? what sharp minds do they have here, who are simple-minded in good things? How vigilant are they here, who are sleepy to earn good?
Recently, some works of 2) Martin Luther have appeared and at the same time the rumor has been spread that this man is excessively burdened by the power of the venerable Cardinal S. Sixti [Cajetan], who is the legate of the Roman pope to the Swabians. How did they jump for joy? how did they boast? how did they rejoice that they had been given what seemed to them a most desirable opportunity to do harm to the beautiful sciences? For according to the proverb of the Greeks, the wicked lack nothing but the opportunity, which gives the ability to harm to those who constantly have the will to harm. The holy sermons in front of the people, the schools, the meetings in the corners, the banquets have constantly resounded with nothing else but heresy and antichrist: Heresy and Antichrist. And in this so spiteful trade, the cunning people, especially among women and the unlearned rabble, mentioned the three languages, 3) eloquence and the beautiful sciences, as if Luther trusted in this protection, or as if heresies flowed from these sources. Although this more than intriguing insolence displeased all truly good people, it was nevertheless 4) criticized by certain people, who were
1) We used the Jen. Ausg. cum read instead of hnock.
2) Inend ration68. This may refer to the first edition of the collection of Luther's writings published by Johann Frobenius in Basel in October 1518, or to the second edition in February 1519.
3) The three languages are Latin, Greek and Hebrew. It is possible, - that Erasmus aims at the writing of Latomus, which appeared in 1519: vialoZN8, an tdeoloZo sit N66688aria trinin dnZnarnin neritia, äi886r6N8. In the Louvain edition of the works of Latomus, 1579, tot. 158.
4) Instead of tnin in the Erlangen edition we have read with. the Jena tarnen.
We consider it a terrible disgrace and even an offense that is close to heresy, if someone blindly flatters our mistakes. And see how we blindly flatter our errors; we consider it a terrible disgrace, indeed, the closest thing to heresy, when someone gives a tongue-thrashing theologian, of whom there are not a few, the name of a useless launderer (xxxxxxxxxxx) instead of that of a theologian. We forgive ourselves when we proclaim someone as a heretic and antichrist in front of a large crowd; we are angry with everyone else.
Luther is just as unknown to me as I am to him, so that I cannot come into the suspicion as if I am aiding and abetting him as a friend. It is not my place to either defend his works or to reject them, because I have not yet read them, except in bits and pieces (carptim). Certainly, everyone who knows about it must find pleasure in his life, because, since it is completely free from all suspicion of covetousness and ambition, and is led in moral purity, it should find favor even among pagans. How much does it not agree with the theological arrogance that one immediately, even where not even a book has been read through, rages against the name and the good rumor of a righteous man in such an abominable way, and that among the ignorant rabble, who have absolutely no judgment, especially since he has presented [Luther's things to be disputed, since he has submitted to the judgment of all to whom he had to submit and to whom he did not have to submit. No one has reminded him, no one has instructed him, no one has refuted him; yet they cry him out as a heretic and demand with inflammatory clamor that he be stoned (aä lupläsm xrovooarw). One would say that they thirst for the blood of men, not for the salvation of souls. The more odious the name of heresy is to Christian ears, the less should one be guilty of hanging the same on anyone sacrilegiously. Not every error is immediately a heresy, nor is what displeases this or that immediately heretical. Nor do those always represent the cause of faith who use such glittering titles. Indeed, most of them pursue their own cause, intent either on their gain or on their tyranny, although in their hasty endeavor to do harm they often accuse another of what they approve of in their own house.
At last, although so many old and new font
If there are no other authors, and until now not one has been found in whose books there are not dangerous errors, as they must confess, why do we read the others silently and calmly, but rage against one or the other in such a frightening way? If we protect the truth, why does not that which is contrary to the truth offend us in the same way wherever it is found? It is the holiest thing to protect the purity of faith and religion, but it is the most wicked presumption to serve our own lusts under the pretext of defending the faith. If something is accepted in the schools, they want it to be considered a revelation from heaven (oraculum), why are the schools divided among themselves? why do the scholastic teachers fight and fight among themselves? Yes, why does one theologian disagree with another at the Sorbonne? Yes, one can find very few who agree, if they have not conspired. Moreover, one not infrequently catches them condemning in the books of the moderns what they do not condemn in Augustine or Gerson, as if the truth changed with the author. Those to whom they are favorable read them in such a way that they leave nothing without excuse by distorting everything; those to whom they are hostile read them in such a way that there is nothing that they do not slander.
The best part of Christianity is a life worthy of Christ. If this 1) exists, one must not be easy with the suspicion of heresy. Now they devise certain new foundations, for that is what they call it, that is, they establish new laws according to which they teach that it is heretical what [they] do not like. He who accuses another of heresy must himself be able to show a life worthy of a Christian, love in exhortation, gentleness in punishment, sincerity in judgment, meekness in pronouncing a sentence. Since no one among us is free from error, why do we persecute the errors of others so ruthlessly? why do we prefer to conquer rather than to heal? why do we prefer to suppress rather than to teach? But he alone, who of all has been without fault, has not broken the broken reed nor quenched the smoldering wick. When Augustine had to deal with the more than heretical Donatists, he did not want them to be forced, but only to be taught, and kept the sword of authority from their necks,
1) Instead of the Erlangen edition, which is probably only a printing error, we have read with the Jena onm.
even though he was threatened daily by their daggers. We, whose real office is to teach, prefer to use force because it is easier.
This, most noble Duke, I have written all the more frankly, the less the Lutheran matter concerns me. Incidentally, since it is incumbent upon E. C. F. G. to protect the Christian religion through your godliness, it is wise not to allow any innocent person under your jurisdiction to be exposed to the godlessness of some people under the pretext of godliness. Pope Leo wants the same, since nothing is more dear to him than that innocence be safe. He rejoices that he is called father and does not love those who practice tyranny under his shadow. Also, no one obeys the command anymore.
The Pope's view is the one who carries out what is quite cheap. What they think of Luther there, I do not know. Here, at least, I see that his books are read very eagerly by the best people, although I have not yet found the time to read them. E. C. F. G. is well, which may Christ, the Lord, keep us healthy and in blissful government for a long time. 1)
Antwerp, April 14, 1519 AD.
1) Marginal note of the Jena edition: There are still many letters of Erasmus, in which he mentions the cause of Luther; whoever wants to read them, should read the collection of his letters. - The titles of the collections of letters and works of Erasmus are given at No. 62 and No. 63.