of these contentions. But these are strange occurrences and acts of God. . . . Philip.
731. LUTHER TO CASPER VON SCHWENCKFELD. De Wctte, lii, 1^3. German. Wittenberg, April 14,* 1526.
Grace and peace in Christ. Dear sir and friend. We have put off answering you for a long time so that you might know that we did not read your matter in a hurry and send a reply by the same messenger. But what shall I say? Per- haps it is God's will that you should fall like this. You tell me that you will prove that the Verba * agree with John vi and have the same sense ; but you have not done it and never will. What is the use of talking so much about "the twofold eating; the apparent and the true," and omitting all proofs that there are two such eatings in the Lord's Supper? You say it is so, but you do not prove it. Now we cannot believe you and build our souls on your words; therefore I ask you very kindly to desist from this public error and not put yourself in the number of those who are wretchedly deceiving the world. If you will not do it — well, God's will be done ! I am heartily sorry, but I am free from your blood and that of all whom you lead astray. May God instruct you ! Amen.
732. THE ELECTOR JOHN OF SAXONY TO LUTHER. Enders, v, 340. German. Torgau, April 21, 1526.
We would graciously inform you that we received a few days ago from Erasmus of Rotterdam a Latin letter,* ad- dressed to us, along with a German translation of the said letter. We gather from it, among other things, that he makes complaint because in your writings and books you attack him and others, sometimes too severely and sometimes too hastily. We send you herewith a copy of the Latin letter, from which you learn its full contents; and although we do not wish to limit you to any special manner of treatment in your books or writings, we do not doubt that you, who have both learning
1 De Wette and Erlangen (Hii, 383) date this letter August 11, but vide Enders, ▼t 338, n, 2. .
- I.e., the words of institution in the Lord's Supper. Luther denied that the
passage in John vi applies to the sacramert.
- On this, supra, no. 729.
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