End of July or beginning of August 1523.
Newly translated from the Latin.
To Johann Crotus, a right man in Christ, Martin Luther wishes
Grace and peace. I am sending back to you, dear Crotus, the protective writing of our Apel, and that in print, namely, that deserves such a godly, free and learned defense writing, that it also praises Christ in the light and in public, while the godless gnash their teeth and harden themselves in vain over it. For our Christ reigns, not only in heaven, not only far from the enemies, but in the midst of his enemies, and that by no other power than that of his scepter, which he sent from Zion. This he shows sufficiently today in Apel and his brother who is connected with him. 1) You are surprised and indignant that the bishops are so angry. But if they did not act in this way, they would be
1) Friedrich Fischer.
not such bishops, and if they were not such
bishops, they would not act in this way.
There are now two brothers burned in Brussels, 2) a third is degraded at the same time (as it is called); it is not known to which Assyria or Babylonia he was led away by the Sophists. Many are held in captivity and are destined to a similar sacrificial death. And with an unbelievable nonsense the servants of the popes rage against Christ. Others write curses and blasphemies; that is, obedience to the imperial edict that our cause be assigned to a future council. We are still very calm, but if they continue in this way, we too will be subjected to the
2) The two Augustinians Johannes von Essen and Heinrich Voes were burned in Brussels on July 1, 1523. This is the approximate date; the Erlangen "Briefwechsel" places our writing between July 26 and 29, 1523.
*Johann Apel, a native of Nuremberg, was Canonicus in Würzburg under the bishop Conrad von Thüngen, and just like his friend Friedrich Fischer, he was employed as a councilor from "the bishop's chancellery. Although both were lawyers, as canons they were bound to celibacy. At first, Fischer had entered into a secret marriage with a Fraulein from Mainz, and his example was followed by Apel, who married a noble nun from the Würzburg monastery St. Marx "zu rettung seines gewisfens". After some time, both of them were indicated by adversaries. The bishop asked Apel to return the nun to her convent, but he refused because she was his wife. In mid-May, when he was cited before the bishop, he asked for permission to submit his justification in writing, and then, on the following day, submitted his letter of protection. But already on June 1, he and Fischer were arrested at the chancellery and "thrown into the bottom of a deep tower" on Frauenberg. The two women, warned in time, saved themselves by escaping. Only after several orders of the imperial regiment, which had been caused by repeated supplications of the relatives of both husbands, it finally came to the bishop that on August 26 the prisoners were released from their custody, and on September 27 the bishop gave the verdict that they should be deprived of their office and benefice, and shortly thereafter they left the monastery. Apel, recommended to the Elector by Lazarus Spengler, went to Wittenberg and took over the lectures on canon law given up by Jonas.
Already earlier Apel had had relations with the Wittenbergers. In 1502 he was one of the first students at the newly opened university. Luther, Melanchthon, Jonas, Joh. Lang from Erfurt and others belonged to his friends, and he had an old friendship with Spalatin. Probably before his imprisonment, he had sent a copy of his defense to his friend Crotus Nubeanus in Fulda, and the latter had the document sent to Luther, who decided to make it known through printing and prefixed a letter to Crotus. It appeared while they were still prisoners under the title: vetensio loüunnm ^pelli uä Lpseopnm Herbiwo1on8om pro 8uo eoniuZio. Four leaves in quarto. At the end: IiuproWunr VVittomvorM: 1523. Luther's letter begins on the back of the title page. The printer is Johann Grunenberg in Wittenberg. A second edition, which is otherwise identical to the first, corrects the printing error on the title page and offers Lpi8eopum; in addition, in several copies there is only a dot after VVittooaberM instead of the colon. A reprint was published in Königsberg in Prussia in 1524. The whole manuscript is reprinted in "Innocent News 1710," p. 199, with Luther's letter; the letter alone in Aurifaber, toro. II, toi. 141; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 358; in the Erlanger, opp. vnr. ar^., körn. VII, p. 500; in the "Briefwechsel" of the Erlanger Ausgabe, vol. IV, p. 180, and in the Weimarsche Ausgabe, vol. XII, p. 71. We have retranslated according to the latter.
Edicte of the emperor finally say valet. We will not, of course, burn (as they do) or throw into bonds, or do anything by force (for that is not proper for Christians), but 1) protect the honor of the Word with words and writings and chastise the abominations of the papists more thoroughly.
But that you admonish me that I should also punish our screamers, because they cause great trouble with their uncouth words and customs: their conscience certainly gives them testimony that they do not have from me what is offensive to you. But, dear Crotus, who knows whether Christ, according to his supreme counsel, does not want such impetuous evangelists to be so nonsensical, not for our sake, to whom they can do no harm, but for the sake of the enemies of the Word, the bishops and sophists? For until now, although they have been asked so often in all humility and modesty, they have never wanted to admit those who wanted to give an account, 2) but with closed ears and eyes, like angry and senseless people, as the gospel could only be heard, they condemn and persecute everything, so that they are not worthy to see or hear a humble evangelist.
1) which was forbidden by the imperial edict, as it commanded not to have controversial writings printed,
2) The Weimar edition rightly notes: "de Wette declares this passage 'obviously erroneous' without reason."
Look at the tyrant Apel with his whoremongers. Are they not quite worthy, according to your own judgment, that, having despised such a godly and thorough defense, and having crucified Christ who speaks wisely, they not only like to hear their lies and wickedness, but also do not see the saving gospel preached in any other way than that they are twice, thrice, seven times, even without end, offended and corrupted by it? And that those who would not be softened by the wise Christ are hardened to the end by the foolish Christ? O how incomprehensible are his judgments!
Therefore, dear Crotus, let us bear the grievances of our fellow men, and by prayer seek redress for these things from the Lord. Of course, I do not entirely dislike the fact that some of us stumble like this (as far as the matter itself is concerned). For through this weakness of ours it will happen that the adversaries will hope for victory and take courage to blaspheme. This hope of theirs is our salvation and their destruction, as it is written [Ps. 73:18], "Thou overthrowest them when they rise up." "Over a little while, so shall he come that is to come, and shall not be pardoned" [Heb. 10:37.]. In him prosper. Grace be with you, amen. Wittenberg, 1523.