excellent of men, to reissue some of Athanasius's writings upon the Trinityhas my warm approval.Among these I enjoyedimmenselythat which was held before an approving judge,under Constantine the Great,viz. the disputation between The very thoughtof the delight with which I devoured it as a young monk, when it was put in my hands by my spiritual director in Erfurt, doubtless a true
Christian, even beneath the accursed cowl, is to this day one of my pleasantest recollections ; and yet this was only a personalpleasurefor my specialbenefit.
But what you propose is somethingmuch greater.
Christ's spiritworking in and through you in desiringto preserve and defend those doctrinal articles concerningthe Trinityin their purityin the church of God, for whose maintenance that saintly man
Athanasius did not shrink from drawing down upon himself all the demons in hell,in the world, and the whole kingdom of God.
Your resolution is therefore,most excellent Pommer, salutaryand good in this depraved age, when all our articles of faith are being assailed by the emissaries of Satan, especially those on the Trinity,which certain sceptics and epicureansare beginningaudaciously to scofF at ; and they are ablyassisted, not only by these
Italian grammarians or rhetoricians,which they think they are, but by certain Italian -German serpents, who by word of mouth and in their writingscatter broadcast the bad seed, whereby they excite the admiration of their own followers and boast of their success.
But these Devils,or Epicureans, or Sceptics, or Lucians, or whatever kind of adventurers,Italian or German, they may be, are nowhere when brought into the presence of Him who said to our servant
Sit thou at my righthand."
Let us await the laurels these giantswill carry away with them from those seeminglyglorious assaults upon I gigantic war is nothing new
Euseladus or a Typhous ' has nevertheless been overthrown once in a century, while our servant Jesus Christ has nothingelse to do but overthrow these giants, and will not cease doing so tillat last,
Israel says, the seed and the root shall along with the branches be rooted up, and all the giantsdestroyed. We dailylook for this,and pray that it may soon take place.
The grace of God be with you.
In this year John Frederick spent fourteen daysin Wittenberg, Luther preachingdailybefore him.
Cruciger, and Apius of Hamburg were made doctors of theology.
Elector, with his wife Sybilla, and his brother,Herzog Franz of Magnus of Mecklenburg,etc., were present at the disputation.The Melanchthon,took part.
Dr. Jonas presided, and afterwards the Elector entertained them at the Luther,Melanchthon,and Crucigerhad visited the Luther found them well versed in the Scriptures, and in his own writings, as well as in those of Zwingli and CEcolampadius. At table theyconversed on the Three times,most cherished friend, the opportunityof writingyou has,much againstmy will, been snatched from me.
I have been overwhelmed with writing, as the books and prefaces, which will appear at this LeipsicFair {Messe)^ will testify.Therefore
I beseech you to forgivemy delay. My love to you is and ever remains unchangeable, althoughI may not always be able to giveexpression to it,but I am ever at your service.
I was finished with the books earlythis morning, I wrote the letterswhich had to be sent to Narnberg this evening; and now that these also are despatched,I shall devote my leisure to write fullyto