Luther wishes Amsdorf luck in increasing his income and indicates to him that he wants to leave solitude because of illness. He instructs him how to answer the Emser.
Printed in Aurifaber, vol. I, p. 338 b; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 26 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. Ill, p. 195.
1) Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. X, 1816.
2) In the second half of September, Spalatin had asked Melanchthon to write a consolation text for the Elector (Oorx. ILsk. I, No. 135), but the latter rejected it and referred him to Luther.
3) In the writing "of the spiritual and monastic vows," St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1500.
4) This letter was probably written and sent at the same time as the one in No. 75 in this appendix, because Luther, as the end of that letter shows, had written it earlier, but dated it only when he sent it.
JEsus.
I wish you luck that your income has been increased by the priesthood at Schmölln 5), my dear Licentiate, and may you prosper. But that that scribe has started the rumor that I am at Wartburg (in Wartperg), let that go. For the princes themselves do not know where I am, much less that scribe. By the way, I will be in Erfurt soon, and perhaps before this letter comes to you, for the sake of my illness. There I will appear in public, if they will tolerate me at least for a while.
Philip has written that you will answer Emser, 6) if it suits me; but I fear that he is not worthy to have you as an answerer. Again, I fear, since he is full of Satan, that he would laugh and mock if one of the young people answered him. For the spirit that rages within him does nothing but seek words to mock at, while he sets aside the matter itself. Whatever happens, when you answer him, be on your guard, so that you know that you are talking to a completely unworthy spirit, not to a human being. For he himself understands nothing of what he speaks, but the spirit that drives him to rage through a long disease of spite, and he speaks everything only to provoke and mock.
3. Therefore it is necessary to write against him in the most simple way, and to fortify everything in advance with caution, so that Satan may not get hold of words or an occasion, so that, even if not he himself (of which one must despair), nevertheless everyone, no matter how unlearned, may see that he has spoken nothing to the matter, since he proves by sayings of the fathers that there are priests, 7) while I had brought forward the Scripture, namely, that he is babbling in vain: "Step forward, you holy one" 2c. For I have in my little book
5) near Altenburg.
6) This did not happen, but Luther himself had to answer by the scripture: "Widerspruch seines. Irrthum" 2c. St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, 1352.
7) Emser had sought to prove the difference of the priests and the laity from the Fathers.
claims that from the fathers the kind of people are called priests, which he tries to point out in vain. 1)
Therefore the passage of Peter [1 Ep. 2, 6-10], likewise Revelation 5 [v. 9 f.] and 20 [v. 6] must be treated with the foregoing and the circumstances] 2) and made a mockery of the devil, that he brings forward a passage of Scripture in which it is proved that they are called priests, as I also mocked before in the same book. Then this must be ridiculed, that he wants the priests to be proved by the word [Matth. 5,13.]: "You are the salt of the earth", 3) as if salt and priests were the same thing, which is known by the children in the schools who read the Vocabularium Ex quo 4). Next, that the prestige of the fathers is clearly nullified by the apostle [1 Thess. 5,21.]: "Test everything"; likewise by Augustine, dist. IX, c. Noli; likewise by the word of Jerome on Matth. 23: "What is not valid from Scripture is as easily despised as it is put forward. But that 5) uran should not believe the fathers further than they themselves wanted to be believed, that is, only the passages of Scripture that they have cited.
5 Therefore the foolish mind does not even understand the subject of his book, since it is argued, not what the fathers said, but why they said it, so that the reader may know that it is something else "to say" and something else "to believe"; and
1) For understanding, compare the beginning of Luther's writing, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVIII, 1354.
2) Set by us instead of a gap. Aurifaber has on the side: Ossunt MLsdLM verka.
3) See Luther's "Contradiction" 2c. St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 1356 f.
4) The Vocabularium Lx yuo is a much-used textbook at the time, an excerpt from des 4obauui8 6s 4auua (John Balbi of Genoa c. 1286), orckiuis praockieatoruiu, 8ururua, yuas vocatur Oatbolicou. MoZunt. 1460. it takes its name from the opening words of the preface: üx yuo vocakularü varü autontici etc.. The content is lappish, e.g. to sal it says: ,,8a1 saltz. Lt äicitur a salio, quia galtst in iZns. 8al iä 6kt gaxisntia Weyßheyt. unäs aeeips 8al 8apisntis." To gaesräog: ,,8ae6räo8 ^uagi gaera "lang vsl (ioeeng, huia larZug äsdst esse a priest, aaesr<Ioti88a uxor 6jug."
5) Aurifaber: quo<Z. De Wette and after him the Erlanger Briefwechsel: quo.
that we do not argue from the saying, but from the believing of what the fathers have said: so far be this blasphemous mouth from its own aim (scopo).
6. other things ye shall see; only doubt not that the evil spirit speaketh out of him as out of his buttocks, which he hath rightly possessed, who alone dealeth by departing from the matter, and multiplying his blasphemies by many books. It is clear the evil spirit, but this one thing is lacking in his wickedness, that he possesses and occupies a stupid, dull and unlearned vessel, although he likewise, as unworthy as he is, by his raging impetuosity sufficiently demonstrates how he is decided by the Scriptures and has nothing that he can duly bring forward for his kingdom in the parishioners. And that hurts this Satan.
(7) I say this so that you may write against him with a contemptuous and calm mind, and not be provoked as against a man. For by this contempt (but in such a way that you provoke him by mockery and convict him of foolishness) you will provoke and torment the hope of the exceedingly proud spirit in an unbelievable way, so that he will spew out much more blasphemies and give himself away.
If I had known sooner that he was possessed by an evil spirit, I would have cast out the devil quite nicely, even though I have plagued him enough so unawares. But if he should write in Latin, as he promises, then I will do what I have not yet done. It seemed to me that Peter Suaven was suitable for this, but because he had already been dragged around by the Leipzigers before, it seems to me that one should not give the devil an opportunity for the old rage against him, because the sneering devil would certainly bring up this example against him again.
(9) Praise be to God, who has not only given us this battle against the evil spirits, but has also revealed to us that it is not flesh or blood by which we are attacked in this matter. Therefore be of good cheer and rejoice. He who threw out the prince of this world does not fear the one who was thrown out, whom he despised when he was to be thrown out. He reigns and will
reign in us sinners and his fools, while Satan rages in the wise and his righteous.
10. I now desire to be a disciple in Hebrew 1) but also of Philip in Colossians. Thanks be to Christ who has made lins so rich through the unspeakable gift of his word. I rejoice so much in your abundance that I can easily bear my absence. For I see that I am not in need of you, but that I am in need of you. Farewell and pray for me. An unpleasant and distressing rumor has come to us about Günther Staupitz 2), but I hope that there is nothing to it. May the Lord avert such evil from this house, amen. From my desert, 1521.
Martin Luther.