Hear the letter:
"_Most Reverend Sir:_--As many good men applaud the very great
moderation exhibited by your Eminence, amid your honors and elevation,
I am induced to cherish the hope, that your Eminence will receive my
letter with favor. Verily it was a true saying which Plato uttered,
that nothing more desirable, or better, or more divine, can happen to
men, than when wisdom is associated with power in government. Hence,
when the intelligence arrived, that your Eminence was sent to this Diet,
as judge in the pending religious controversy, many good men
congratulated Germany, that the investigation of these most important
affairs was confided to a man, who transcended others not merely by his
high (official) dignity, but also much more by his wisdom; for even
heretofore the fame of your Eminence's wisdom him resounded through all
Germany. Now, as I believed, that with this wisdom your Eminence would
greatly abhor violent measures, I was thereby induced to write to your
Eminence, that it might be made known to you, that we also long only
for peace and concord, and reject no condition for the restoration of
peace."
"We have _no doctrine different from that of the Romish Church_, (wir
haben keinen von der Roemischen Kirche verschiedenen Lehrsatz,) yea, we
have restrained many who wished to disseminate pernicious doctrines, as
may be proved by public testimonies.
Pages:
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73