[683] Erl. ed., 49, p. 300 (1537): “I myself must testify from my own experience: After having been a pious monk for over twenty years.” This reading of the sermons reported and edited by Cruciger is embodied in the text, whereas, in the notes, it is corrected to “fifteen.”
[684] Erl. ed., 46, p. 78, Sermon of 1537.
[685] On March 28, 1519, “Briefwechsel,” 1, p. 490: “Fraterculus in Christo … in angulo sepultus,” etc.
[686] To Joh. Braun, April 22, 1507, “Briefwechsel,” 1, p. 1 f; “sola et liberalissima sua misericordia … tanta divinæ bonitatis magnificentia.”
[687] March 17, 1509, “Briefwechsel,” 1, p. 6.
[688] From a MS. sermon of Luther’s of 1544 at Gotha. Scheel, “Dokumente,” p. 20.
[689] To N. Paulus is due the credit of having drawn attention in 1893 to the description given by Luther to Usingen. Hausrath in his article “Luthers Bekehrung” in 1896 (“N. Heidelb. Jahrb.,”) also noted how happy Luther had at first been in the convent. Cp. his “Leben Luthers,” 1, p. 22.
[690] Lauterbach, “Tagebuch,” p. 197 (Khummer): The good old man had taught him to commit perplexing matters of conscience “divinæ bonitati.”—Preface to Bugenhagen’s edition of St. Athanasius “De Trinitate”: “Vir sane optimus et absque dubio sub damnato cucullo verus christianus.”—Cp. “Opp. lat. exeg.,” 19, p. 100, on the preceptor’s words (above, vol. i., p. 10): “Fili quid facis, an nescis, quod ipse Dominus iussit nos sperare?”—Cp. Lauterbach, “Tagebuch,” p. 84 (Khummer): Luther’s reminiscence of the wise exhortation of his preceptor on conversations with women (“pauca et brevia loquatur”).—Cp. “Colloq.,” ed. Bindseil, 2, p. 1.
[691] See above, vol. i., p. 11.
[692] To George Leiffer, Augustinian at Erfurt, April 15, 1516, “Briefwechsel,” 1, p. 31.