that alms and kindness towards one's neighbour are far higherthan the Indulgences.
Therefore,I admonish you to buy no Indulgences, as long as you have poor neighbours to whom you can give the Indulgencemoney.
If you act otherwise,I am blameless ; the responsibility is yours.
I firmlybelieve that those who neglect the poor and purchaseIndulgences merit condemnation.
I shall tellyou a great cause of annoyance to me, viz. the busybodies have invented a new mode of attack,by circulating everywherethat our
Prince is at the bottom of all I do, as if he caused me to make the Archbishopof Dear one, advise me how to act, for I am deeplygrievedthat the Prince should come into illrepute through me, and I fear beingthe cause of dispeace between such great princes. But I shall gladlypermitthe
Prince to lead me into a disputation, or placeme on my trial, if he would openlygiveme a safe-conduct, but I dislike the innocent
Prince being blamed on my account.
They are trulyperverse people who love the darkness and hate the light.
They have traversed three lands to layhold of John Reuchlin,and have dragged him hither againsthis will, while I am at the door, and pleadingto be taken, and they leave me alone and whisper in corners that which theycannot defend.
Farewell,and forgive me for making so many words about this,for I am talkingto a friend.
(Both free and bound in the Lord.) Luther laments the spreadof his theses.
ChristophScheurl,my esteemed friend in Christ,my greeting I have received two letters from you, a German one, my good Christoph, isi8 along with a present from that superiorman,
German propositions.You wonder I did not tell you of them.
I did not wish to have 'them widely circulated.
I only intended submitting them to a few learned men for examination,and if theydisapprovedof them, to suppress them ; or make them known through their publications, in the event of their meeting with your approval.
But now they are beingspread abroad and translated everywhere,which I never could have credited, so that I regret havinggiven birth to them
I am unwilling to proclaimthe truth manfully,for there is nothing 1 more ardently desire,but because this way of instructing the people is of little avail.
I am still uncertain as to some points,and would have gone into others more particularly, leavingsome out entirely, had From the rapidspreadof the theses
I gatherwhat the greater part of the nation think of this kind jof Indulgence,in spiteof them having to disguisetheir opinionsfor fear of the Jews ; stillI must have the proofs of my propositions in readiness,althoughI cannot publish them yet, having been delayed through the " being so long in returning them.
Lord grants me leisure, I purpose issuing a book on the use and misuse of the Indulgences,in order to suppress the beforementioned points. I have no longerany doubt that the peopleare deceived,not through the Indulgences, but throughtheir use.
I have finished these propositions I will send them to you.
Meantime, pray remember me to Darer, that excellent man, and assure him of my continued gratitude.But I expect both of you to discard your exalted opinionof me, and not to expect more from me than
I can render,for I am nothing, and can do nothing, and am dailybecomingmore of a cipher. I wrote lately to Dr. John Eck, to you, and to all the others,but fear you have not received the letter.
I am most anxious that the pamphlet of our highlyesteemed vicar Love," which appearedthe other day in Munich, and made such