Conway, William Martin: Literary remains of Albrecht Dürer (1889)

IX.]

LUTHER AND ERASMUS.

159

Thy Son, Jesus Christ, was fain to die by the hands of the priests, and to
rise from the dead and after to ascend up to heaven, so too in like
manner it should be with Thy follower Martin Luther, whose life the
Pope compasseth with his money, treacherously towards God. Him
wilt thou quicken again. And as thou, oh my Lord, ordainest there-
after that Jerusalem should for that sin be destroyed, so wilt thou also
destroy this self-assumed authority of the Roman Chair. Oh Lord, give
us then the new beautified Jerusalem, which descendeth out of heaven,
whereof the Apocalypse writes, the holy, pure Gospel, which is not
obscured by human doctrine.
Every man who reads Martin Luther’s books may see how clear and
transparent is his doctrine, because he sets forth the holy Gospel.
Wherefore his books are to be held in great honour and not to be
burnt; unless indeed his adversaries, who ever strive against the truth
and would make gods out of men, were also cast into the fire, they and
all their opinions with them, and afterwards a new edition of Luther’s
works were prepared. Oh God, if Luther be dead, who will henceforth
expound to us the holy Gospel with such clearness ? What, oh God,
might he not still have written for us in ten or twenty years !
Oh all ye pious Christian men, help me deeply to bewail this man,
inspired of God, and to pray Him yet again to send us an enlightened
man. Oh Erasmus of Rotterdam, where wilt thou stop ? Behold how
the wicked tyranny of worldly power, the might of darkness, prevails.
Hear, thou knight of Christ! Ride on by the side of the Lord Jesus.
Guard the truth. Attain the martyr’s crown. Already indeed art thou
an aged little man (ein altes Mdnniken), and myself have heard thee say
that thou givest thyself but two years more wherein thou mayest still be
fit to accomplish somewhat. Lay out the same well for the good of the
Gospel and of the true Christian faith, and make thyself heard. So, as
Christ says, shall the Gates of Hell (the Roman Chair) in no wise
prevail against thee. And if here below thou wert to be like thy
master Christ and sufferedst infamy at the hands of the liars of this time,
and didst die a little the sooner, then wouldst thou the sooner pass from
death unto life and be glorified in Christ. For if thou drinkest of the cup
which He drank of, with Him shalt thou reign and judge with justice
those who have dealt unrighteously. Oh Erasmus, cleave to this that
God himself may be thy praise, even as it is written of David. For thou
mayest, yea verily thou mayest overthrow Goliath. Because God
stands by the Holy Christian Church, even as He only upholds the
Roman Church, according to His godly will. May He help us to ever-
lasting salvation, who is God, the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost, one
eternal God ! Amen.
Oh ye Christian men, pray God for help, for His judgment draweth
nigh and His justice shall appear. Then shall we behold the innocent
blood which the Pope, Priests, Bishops, and Monks have shed, judged
and condemned (Apocali). These are the slain who lie beneath the
Altar of God and cry for vengeance, to whom the voice of God
answereth : Await the full number of the innocent slain, then will I
judge.”