Spiritual Experiences (Buss) n. 5915

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5915. Luther was fonder than others of arguing and of confirming by reasonings, and said that he rarely comes across such as were able to debate with him concerning his doctrinals; thus, lamenting that he was rarely able to be in that delight. It was, therefore, told him, that the reason he is such, is, because he hatched his dogmas from his thought, and also meditated continually about the connection of things with his principle; and that they who do so, love to argue, and to present and listen to, such things, in thought. The reason others are not like this, is, because they learn doctrinals, but do not ponder the connection of other things with the principle, except when they do it from others and not from themselves. They, therefore, do not let themselves into interior thought; for they who are only in confirmations of a dogma, and also let themselves into confirmations of the connection [of other things with it], not from themselves and from their own thought but from that of others, do not see them; and those who are learned think only of the confirmation of one thing; thus, they do not have the mind diffused to other things, like their leader. Besides this, the followers have thought but little about such things save when they have been preaching and teaching, and, in the interval, of worldly and bodily matter - he, however, continually, from morning even until evening: wherefore, as he said, when those come to him who are able to debate, they do not long stand against his reasonings, but, after a short stay, retire, because he wearied their thoughts.


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