for he has nothingto lose."
I have neither gold nor possessions, nor do I had a good reputationand honour, I am being robbed of them by My useless body, weakened by many hardships, still remains.
If they depriveme of this in God's service,they only render me poorer by an hour or two of life. My sweet Redeemer is sufficient for me.
I shall praiseHim all my life.
He keep you through all eternity, my dearest father.
Luther writes submissively to the Pope,in whose justiceand love of truth he seems to have implicit confidence.
Luther, Augustinianmonk, desires everlasting salvation to the I know, most holy father,that evil reports are beingspreadabout me, some friends havingvilified me to your
Holiness,as if I were tryingto belittlethe power of the I am being accused of being a heretic,a renegade,and a thousand other ill names are beinghurled at me, enough to make my ears tingleand my eyes start in my head, but my one source of confidence is an innocent conscience.
But ail this is nothing new, for I am decorated with such marks of distinction in our own land, by those honourable and straightforward people who are themselves afflicted with the worst of consciences.
But, most holy father,I must hasten to the point,hoping your Holiness will graciously listen to me, for I am as awkward as a child.
Some time ago the preachingof the apostolicjubilee of the Indulgences was begun,and soon made such headway that these preachersthoughtthey could say what they wished, under the shelter of your