SWEETNESS DISPELS BITTERNESS.
From Dresden Luther proceeded to Erfurth, and re-appeared to discharge the functions of Vicar General, in that very convent where, eleven years before, he had wound up the clock, opened the gates, and swept out the church. He nominated to the priorship of the convent, the bachelor John Lange, a learned and pious but severe man, he exhorted him to affability and patience. 'Put on,' he wrote to him shortly after, 'put on a spirit of meekness towards the prior of Naremburg, this is but proper, seeing that he has assumed a spirit of bitterness and harshness. Bitterness is not expelled by bitterness, that is to say, the devil by the devil; but sweetness dispels bitterness, that is to say the finger of God casts out the evil spirit.' We must perhaps regret that Luther did not on various occasions remember this excellent advice.”—D'Aubigne's Hist. of the Ref., vol. 1, chapter 9.