June 21, 1531.
To my dear lords and friends, to all devout Christians at Zwickau among the false brethren, grace and peace in Christ.
My dear friends! I know almost well, praise God! that you are many in Zwickau,
who are sorry that the others show themselves so unchristian against your pastor (householder) and preacher (cordatus). Truly, they have learned evil in the gospel, because they show such gratitude and honor to their pastors. But it wants and must be so,
*) In the same matter, compare above letters 4, p. 1606, 7, p. 1612, 11, p. 1618. D. Red.
that God is persecuted with His servants everywhere; outwardly with tyranny, inwardly with false brothers and ungrateful people, who nevertheless want to be pious and right, mock, disgrace and revile the innocent in the worst way; as now the example with you also shows.
Therefore my faithful request and admonition to all of you is, let them drink up the mad heads, and be quiet with patience and not quarrel with anyone about it; but do not hold them worthy, with whom you should destroy your peace and quiet. Let them make that they are God's enemies, so God is their enemy; for that I will also hold them. Now they are punished just enough by the fact that God is their enemy; for they have a great, grave enemy, whom they now defiantly despise, but in his time will honestly feel.
But you remain in the teaching, if you believe in