heart as if God had uttered them, but I hardened my heart againstit, till you exclaimed, Hast thou never heard that one should obey his parents ?
In spiteof this most powerfulword I ever heard out of a human mouthj I perseveredin my own righteousness, and despised you as beingonly a man.
But were you then unaware that God's command must be obeyed firstof all?
Had you been able,would you not then have exercised your paternalprerogative, and dragged me from beneath the cowl I would have suffered a thousand deaths rather than have acted as For my vow was not worth such deception.
But God, whose mercy isboundless,has brought about great good throughmy errors and sins.
Wouldst thou not rather have lost a hundred sons than not have beheld such marvellous blessing Satan must alwayshave foreseen this,for he has poured out the whole vials of his furyupon me.
I might learn the wisdom of the highschools and the sanctity of the cloistersfor myself.
Dear father,do you ask me to renounce monkish orders God has been before you, and has brought me out and has placedme, as thou seest, not in the miserable,blasphemousservice of monachism, but in the true divine worship,for no one can doubt that Parental authority must yieldbefore this divine service
** whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me," says Not that parentalauthority ceases with this ; but where
Christ's authority clashes with that of parent's, the latter must give way.
I send you this book, from which you will see how miraculouslyChrist has redeemed me from my monkish vows, and endowed me with such freedom, that althoughI am the servant of all men,
He is my sole Bishop,Abbot, Prior,Lord, He has deprivedyou of your son, so that,through me.
He may help the sons of many others,and prevent you rejoicing alone.
I know you will do no more in this matter.
Pope should assassinate me, and cast me into hell,he cannot raise me up again to slayme once more.
For should he condemn me, and burn me, my heart and will shall stillstand out againsthis absolution.
I hope the great day is approachingwhen the kingdom of wickedness will be cast down and destroyed. Would to God we were considered worthy to be burned by the Pope, that our blood might cry out for vengeance, and therebyhasten his end.
But, if not worthy to testify with our blood,let us cry to Him alone,and plead for mercy, so that through our life and voice we may bear witness that Jesus alone is our
" blessed to all eternity.Amen.
Whom may you be blessed,dear father " thy Margaret,along with our whole connection Out of deference to Spalatinand the Court,Luther had kept back his book againstthe idol at Halle,but now tries to stop the scandal.
My services are ever at your disposal, esteemed lord !
I wrote you twice in Latin.
First when those lyingIndulgences were issued,under your 1517), warningyou against those corrupt, money-lovingpreachers, and their heretical books.
And althoughI could have traced the whole uproar to your havinggiven your sanction to the publication of these books, stillI have spared your
Grace,and the House of Brandenburg,fancyingyour Highness did it out of ignorance,led astray by false flatterers, whom I attacked as you know.
But my faithful admonition was turned into ridicule, and my services repaid with ingratitude instead of thanks.
(Feb. 4, 1520),I humbly begged to be instructed by your Grace, in answer to which