In response to his inquiry (of May 18), Luther gives him news of his stay and his writings so far, the most recent of which is the one against the Archbishop of Mainz concerning the indulgence in Halle. He reports that he agrees with Melanchthon about the abolition of the monastic vows and wishes Gerbel luck for his marriage.
Printed at Aurifaber, vol.I, BI.362K; at Ki8t. 600168. 866. XVI. 8Uvpl6M6Qtum,?. VIII, xo. 30, p. 340; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 89 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. Ill, p. 239. The second half of this letter is found in 0oä. OotNav. 451 as a letter to Melanchthon.
To the man distinguished by scholarship and Christian godliness, Nicolaus Gerbel, jurist, his extremely faithful friend in Christ.
JEsus.
Hail in Christ! Your letter, dearest Gerbel, which was written to me on the day before Pentecost [May 18], was only delivered to me on Michaelmas, and this I write to you today on All Saints' Day [November 1], and do not know when it will reach you; perhaps at another Pentecost time or never (ad Calendas Graecas). 3) You see the cause of my silence; namely, you may attribute this to fate, that is, to the hidden will of God.
By the way, I believe that you have since learned from others what you are asking so anxiously and amicably, namely how my affairs are. I have withdrawn from the public sphere by following the advice of friends, albeit reluctantly and without knowing whether I was doing something pleasing to God. I certainly thought that I should stick my neck out to the common rage, but they were of a different opinion. Moved by their advice, horsemen sang to me by a disguised attack on the way and brought me to a safe place, where I am now treated in the friendliest manner.
3. but you can believe that in this idle solitude I am exposed to a thousand devils.
3) The Greeks had no calends, hence the expression.
am. It is so much easier to fight against the incarnate devil, that is, against men, than against the evil spirits under heaven [Eph. 6:12]. Often I fall, but the right hand of the Most High raises me up again; therefore I also seek publicity again; but I will not, unless the Lord calls me.
It is not up to me to send my books to you. I have written about this matter to Spalatin, 1) that he see to it. In the meantime, a booklet has gone out against Catharinus on the Antichrist, likewise against Latomus of Louvain, likewise the German Scripture on confession, likewise the 68th Psalm interpreted in German, likewise the Canticle of Mary explained in German, likewise the 37th Psalm explained in German for the consolation of the church at Wittenberg. 2) Philippus has published for me a protective writing against the Parisians 3) which I have provided with a German [Vor- und Nachrede]; it has also already been published. He also has the theological Methodus 4) under the press; a book worthy of Philip.
5) The German interpretation of the Epistles and Gospels has been in the press from me throughout the year, 5) likewise I have written a public 6) chastisement against the Cardinal of Maiuz, because he has again erected the idol of indulgences in Halle, likewise the interpretation of the Gospel of the ten lepers; 7) everything in German. I was born for my Germans, whom I also want to serve. I have great desire to publicly attack the high schools with writings, but I have not yet decided to do so. I have resolved not to write anything about Matthew.
1) Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 766; De Wette, vol. II, p. 91.
2) The above writings are found in the St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 1434; vol. XVIII, 1056; vol. XIX, 814; vol. V, 656; vol. VII, 1372 and vol. V, 306.
3) St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 960, and 932 the verdict of the Parisians with Luther's pre and post speech'.
4) the loai tiieoloMei.
5) the German church postilla.
6) This will be the writing "Wider den Abgott zu Halle", whose appearance Spalatin prevented, and which has disappeared without a trace. But still on December 1, 1521, Luther threatened the archbishop of Mainz with the publication of this writing. Compare St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, Introduction, p. 26 a.
7) St. Louis edition, vol. XII, 1438.
8) but I had begun to preach both Testaments from the beginning for the people in Wittenberg for the pulpit, and I had come in the first book of Moses up to the 32nd chapter, in the Gospels up to the voice of John the Baptist; here my voice fell silent. Behold, there you have everything you asked for.
6) Your earlier letter, which you had sent to me to Worms, I received long after in this solitude. 9) But it is extraordinary how much I liked the wife and the bridegroom 10) who gave and adorned her to me. But she gave birth to the children I listed above. You are asking whether the offspring is similar to the mother. She is still fertile, and she is heavily pregnant, and, Christ willing, she will bear a son who will crush the Papists, Sophists, Religiosists and Herodists with an iron 11) scepter [Ps. 2, 9.]. For about the vows of the monks and priests we, Philip and I, have a strong alliance, namely, that they must be annulled and destroyed. 12) O, about the wicked Antichrist with his scales! how Satan has devastated through him all the mysteries of Christian godliness!
You want to greet your wife again, and I wish that she loves you and is loved by you again. You happy man, who have overcome the impure celibate state, which is also damnable either by constant rutting or by impure rivers, by an honorable marriage. Suffer all that this state instituted by GOD entails, and be grateful to your GOD. The completely wretched and dishonorable state of young men and girls reveals such great abominations to me every day that my ears already do not hear anything.
8) In his letter, Gerbet, also on behalf of his friends, had asked Luthern to prepare interpretations of the whole of Matthew as soon as possible.
9) May 12. See No. 68, § 1 in this appendix.
10) This refers to the fact that Gerbet had presented Luthern with his edition of the New Testament published by Thomas Anshelm at Hagenau in 1521. The "wife" is therefore the Bible edition, "the bride's guide" Gerbet.
12) This refers to Lucher's correspondence with Melanchthon on vows and "Luchers Urtheil über die geistlichen und Klostergelübde," St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1500.
uglier than the name nun, monk and priest, and I consider the married state to be a paradise, even if it has to contend with the utmost paucity.
Greet also the others whom you have named to me, Otto Brunfels, 1) Caspar Uringer and Lucas Bathodius, and all who hold with you to the gospel and condemn the spirituality of the angels, as the apostle says [Col. 2, 18]. And thou hast well and pray for me. From my desert, 1521.
Martin Luther.