Luther expresses his dissatisfaction with the printing of the book "von der Beichte" and writes about the printing of the Postille. He rebukes the way Carlstadt argues against celibacy, wants to know at whose expense he lives there, and tells that he had been hunting with him.
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt - Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, Vol. I, p. 349; in De Wette, Vol. II, p. 41 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. Ill, p. 217.
To Georg Spalatin, his [friend] in the Lord.
. JEsus.
Hail! The second and third sheets of the confession I have received from you, my dear Spalatin; the same with the first one.
2) He had the office of a catechist at the parish church. Compare St. Louis edition, vol. XX, introduction, p. 42d.
I had already received the bow from Philip. But it is quite extraordinary how this printing repents and upsets me. Would God that I had sent nothing German, so unclean, so careless, so confused 1) it is printed to say nothing of the bad types and the bad paper. The printer Johannes is a Hans, who always remains in the old Schlendrian. 2)
2 I ask you to see to it that he does not print the German Postillen under any circumstances, but rather that everything that I have sent from them is kept and sent back to me so that I send it to someone else. For what use is it that I have worked so much, if through such great uncleanliness and disorder other printers are given an occasion to still increase and multiply the errors? I do not want anyone to sin against the Gospels and Epistles after this example; it is better that they remain hidden than that they are published in this way. Yes, for this reason I am not sending anything now, although I have almost ten large sheets on the same matter, and I will certainly not send anything more until I have realized that these dirty profit-seekers care less about their profit when printing the books than about the benefit of the readers.
For what does such a printer seem to think but this? It is enough for me that I make money; let the readers see what and how they read. Philip has sent three sheets of Latomus, which I like very much.
(4) How I would like Carlstadt to make an effort to refute celibacy with more suitable scriptural passages; I fear that he would incur ill reproach for himself and for us. For what kind of interpretation of Scripture is this, that "to give seed to Moloch" means so much as to be defiled by natural flow? as if everyone did not know that seed in this place means so much as children or offspring,
1) See St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 838, note 2.
Hans, who always remains in the same tempo, who does not let himself be dissuaded from his sloppiness (Weim. Ausg., vol. VIII, p. 132, note 2). - The printer is Grünenberg, not Lufft, as De Wette assumes. See St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, introduction, p. 38 f. After that, the information vol.XI, in the preface, Col. IX, Z.4 is to be changed.
as Ps. 37, 25. 28. and Joh. 8, 33. 3) is written. Why does he not use the words of Scripture, which call this evil softness (wollitiem) and impurity, as the apostle [1 Cor. 6, 9. Gal. 5, 19.] is wont to do? The fact that he even twists the passage to Timothy from a wife to be rejected 4) to the celibate state will be refuted by an adversary in many ways and with success.
It is an excellent thing that he has undertaken and a very good enterprise, but I wish that it will also be carried out in an excellent, skillful and successful manner. For you see how great clarity and the exertion of all forces on our part are necessary for the adversaries, since they blaspheme even the clearest and most appropriate. How much more must we, who are a spectacle of the world [1 Cor. 4:9], take care that our word is blameless, as Paul teaches [Titus 2:8].
(6) Perhaps I am concerned about strange things here, but they are not strange things if he succeeds in his plan. For what is more dangerous than to provoke such a large number of celibate people to marriage by such unreliable and uncertain passages of Scripture, so that afterwards they are martyred with constant anguish of conscience, and worse than now? I, too, wish that the unmarried life would become free, as the Gospel demands, but I do not yet know sufficiently how to go about it. But this I remember in vain, perhaps he does not want his course to be hindered, therefore one must let him.
7) I send the briefly explained passage to John, as you wished. 5) You will be ob-
3) In the original here are two inapplicable citations, namely Psalm. 77 st ^oli. 5.
4) Carlstadt had posted seven theses for a disputation to be held on June 21, 1521, the first of which reads thus: "As we reject the younger widows, so also the monks, so also the young priests in the conjugal state." Jäger, Carlstadt, p. 176.
5) This was the interpretation of the passage Joh. 20, 22. f., which Spalatin wanted to have interpreted more extensively, as we see from Luther's letters to Melanchthon, No. 100 in this appendix. This passage, inserted into the Sermon of Confession, is found at the end of the second part, St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 845 ff, A 63-68. The other passage, where Luther had already brought this interpretation before, is there, Col. 837 ff, § 46 ff; this cannot be the inserted passage, because it is on the third, already printed, sheet. The fourth arc begins in the original edition with z 52 (ibid. Col. 840).
to insert the same at a suitable place. For I do not have the entire sermon in my memory, but I assume that I have said this before quite abundantly, that this excess would perhaps not have been necessary.
8 Do not worry about the suffering of my banishment. For I do not care, wherever I am, if I am not finally a burden and a burden to these people. For I do not want anyone to be burdened by me. But I certainly believe that I am living here through the food and at the expense of our prince, otherwise I would not stay here for an hour if I knew that I was consuming this man's possessions 1) even though he gives me everything happily and gladly.
(9) For thou knowest that if any man's goods must be forfeited, those of princes must be forfeited, because to be a prince and not to be somewhat of a robber is either impossible or scarcely possible, and the greater the prince the greater. You will do well if you give me certainty about this. For from this so kind man I can learn nothing else than that he will receive me from the princely purse. But this is my way, that I fear to be a burden, where I am perhaps not a burden, and it is also befitting for a noble-thinking person that
he fears this
I went hunting for two days last Monday [August 12] 2) to get to know the bittersweet pleasure of heroes. We caught two hares and several poor partridges; truly an occupation worthy of idle people. I also did theology there under nets and dogs, and as much pleasure as the outward appearance of those things gave me, so much pity and pain brought the secret hidden underneath. For what is this image but that it signifies the devil, who hunts these harmless little animals by means of his persecutions and the godless teachers, his dogs? This extremely sad secret interpretation was all too obvious to the simple-minded and believing souls.
1) Hans von Berlepsch, castle captain at Wartburg Castle.
2) Monday and Tuesday.
11) There was a more gruesome secret interpretation. Since we had kept a rabbit alive through my efforts, and I had wrapped it in the sleeve of my skirt and walked away a little, the dogs had meanwhile found the poor rabbit, broken its right hind leg through the skirt and killed it by strangling its throat. Namely, the pope and Satan are so furious that he corrupts even the saved souls, and does not care about my effort.
(12) Yes, I am tired of this hunt; I think that the one in which the bears, the wolves, the boars, the foxes and such ungodly teachers are pierced with spears and arrows is more lovely. But I am comforted by the fact that the secret interpretation is exceedingly close to bliss when the hares and innocent animals are caught by men, [quite different] from when they are caught by bears, wolves and predatory hawks and the bishops and theologians similar to them, because it is meant that here they are devoured to hell, there to heaven.
This is what I want to have played with you through the letter, so that you may know that you who eat game at court will also be game in paradise, which the best hunter of Christ can hardly catch and preserve with much effort. A game will be presented to you while you are playing your game on the hunts.
I have changed my intention and am sending the rest of the postilion, thinking that if one has perhaps begun to print what I had sent before, that it cannot be postponed or stopped. However, I would like it to be printed on paper in large quarto format 3) and with Lotther types, because it will be a large book. But I will divide it into the four parts of the year, from quarter (angaria - quatember) to quarter, so that it will not be too burdensome and expensive.
15. but in vain do I desire this, because what I want cannot come to pass but
3) in cubitalis xunvri rnoänm the old translator asked correctly by "auf Regalpapierart^' given. The Erlangen correspondence explains it by: "in quarto". That Luther wanted a larger format, however, can be seen from his reasoning - "because it will be a large book".
what is done there. But whatever happens or does not happen, see to it, I beg you, that the copies written by my hand are well preserved or sent back to me. I know what kind of Satan is stalking them. I wonder if my Magnificat will finally be finished. Farewell and pray for me. On the Feast of the Assumption of Mary [August 15] 1521.
Martin Luther.
No. 74.
Luther to Spalatin (in Coburg). 1)
Luther sends Spalatin the Magnificat and the manuscript of the Book of Confession; he is still uncertain whether he should add the 119th Psalm, on which he is working, to this book. He is busy with the German Postille, studies Greek and Hebrew, and suffers from constipation.
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, Vol. I, p. 333 d; in De Wette, Vol. II, p. 16 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, Vol. Ill, p. 171.
To the man of excellent scholarship and godliness, Georg Spalatin, princely Saxon court preacher, his dearest in Christ.
JEsus.
Hail! I have received both your last letter and the booklet of Oecolampad 2) before, my dear Spalatin, with everything else, and now I am sending, because it is believed that it can be done most conveniently through you, as you see, the completed Magnificat, and the booklet which arose from the Sermon of Confession, which is attributed to Franz Sickingen, so that it may be printed, if it pleases you, as soon as possible. For I have already sent the 22nd Psalm 3) to the printer before.
1) Spalatin had left Worms with the Elector on May 23. On May 31, the latter wrote from Gerolzhofen to his brother that he hoped to be with him in Coburg on the next Sunday (June 2) (Förstemann, Neues Urkundenbuch, p. 19b). On June 10, Melanchthon received a letter from Spalatin at Coburg (Oorp, Lei. I, 396). Aurifaber and, according to him, Walch let Spalatin still be in Worms.
2) Hnoä non sit onsrosa obrlstianis oonkossio, Paradoxon doa. Oooolarnpadii. Basi! 1521. cf. no. 79 of this appendix.
3) St. Louis edition, vol. IV, I2S6.
You will therefore see to it that this is also brought there, unless something seems to you to have to be changed. For I have not yet decided about the 119th Psalm 4) whether I would prefer to have it connected [with the Scripture of Confession] or especially as a book of its own. The rest I will send as soon as I have learned what is advised by you there. For now I have it under hands in work, but not yet completed, therefore the messenger has been forced to leave it behind.
I have not yet received the postilion; the one to whom I had given the order has made a mistake. In the meantime, I have written that if they cannot be found, you will arrange for me to receive a copy of the shorter postilion, if you have it, along with the index of the epistles and gospels. In the meantime, I have provided my epistle in German for the Sunday after Christmas Day 5) with an exceedingly rich interpretation. I must also answer Latomus, who boasts in his lord the pope. But I marvel at the spirit of Oekolampad, not both because he has fallen on the same subject with me, but because he is so free, confident, and Christian. The Lord keep him and let him increase, amen.
I am very idle and very busy here: I am learning Hebrew and Greek and writing without interruption. The housekeeper treats me far beyond my means. 6) The disease I suffered from in Worms has not yet left me, indeed, it has increased; I suffer from extremely hard bowel movements as never before in my life, so that I despair of being cured. The Lord is seeking me so that I may not be without the remnants of the Cross. He is praised, amen.
I wonder what the imperial edict can withstand. I have read my letter 7) addressed to the estates of the empire on my return journey [from Worms] in print, but very
4) St. Louis edition, vol. V, 1252. Compare ibid. vol. XIX, Introduction, p. 38 b.
5) St. Louis edition, vol. XII, 204 ff.
6) vir bujus looi - the man of this place. The castle captain Berlepsch.
7) No. 581 in this volume.
erroneous. Here it is said that Herr Schifer 1) died and left a million gold florins to [Emperor] Carl. O about the bold Christ, who does not shy away from these mountains of gold! But would God that they would finally recognize that he, the Lord, is our God.
I did not answer the younger prince to his last letter, because the place of his stay] was not known to me, nor do I consider it necessary, so that the secret of my place is not betrayed by too many letters through some cause. You pray for me, this little thing is necessary for me, since I have an abundance of all other things. Everything that happens in public with regard to me does not concern me; I am finally sitting here in peace. Fare well in the Lord and greet whom you can. From the island of Patmos, June 10, 1521.
Henricus Nesicus. 2)