About Gabriel Zwilling's removal from Altenburg; Luther's apology for his harsh writing against his opponents. He sends a part of the New Testament and gives news about the completion of the whole.
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 88; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 235 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. Ill, p. 435.
To Magister Georg Spalatin, ecclesiastics and servant of Christ, his [friend] in the Lord.
JEsus.
Grace and peace in the Lord! Ludwig Dietz, 6) secretary []of the king] in Poland, was a very pleasant guest and was received by us according to our ability. But I am glad that Christ is still reigning in so many places: everywhere people are thirsting for the gospel, from everywhere people are demanding evangelists from us. It is quite bad that Gabriel 7) has been removed from Altenburg, because Wenceslaus 8) has written for the second time and praised man in such a way that I cannot believe it to be true.
who had stayed in Wittenberg for three weeks in matters of the order, must have been the bearer of this letter to Spalatin in Nuremberg. See the last note to No. 89 of this appendix, which is also found in Erl. Briefw., Vol. Ill, p. 441. The information, which the Erl. Briefw. here, p. 427, note 1: "Spalatin had now returned to Lochau", will be based on an error.
6) 1oäo6U8 Imäovieu8 Deeiu8, Dietz, from Weißenburg in Alsace, is the well-known historian who was secretary at Siegismund's court in Krakow for a long time. - Misled by the wrong reading l)u6i8 instead of l)eeiu8, reports Seckendorf, Hi8t. ImtU., lib. I, p. 241, K139, that Margrave George of Brandenburg sent his secretary from Poland to Luther in matters of religion (reUsioLik! oau8").
7) Gemini.
8) Link.
if it was not written by such a great man, for I myself did not know that Gabriel was such a one as this one, this one and that one praise him. You therefore see to it, as much as is in you, that those people are not deprived of his service. For I do not think that Wenceslaus will be there long.
I have deliberately wanted my booklet attacking the bishops' larvae 1) to be so harsh, but I will not be milder against the King of England either. I see that I humble myself in vain, soften, plead and try all ways that can serve peace, therefore I will be harder against the angry people and those who daily put on their horns more and more, and let out my horns on them to irritate Satan until he, after his forces and attacks are exhausted, collapses in on himself. Therefore, do not fear, but do not hope that I will spare those people. If they should also suffer troubles and innovations, they will not suffer them through us as the originators, but through the instigation of their tyranny, as fate so wills it.
So far I have sent you a copy of the New Testament piecemeal up to the Gospel of Luke and the letter to the Corinthians; now I am sending the rest; if it should not have come to you, then ask where it must be asked, or write again if it is lost, so that I do not continue also to waste the following sheets (terniones) 2). In addition, I send another, complete copy, as far as it is printed, what I have received from them for the prince; for this reason they conscientiously preserve the impressions (chartas). The work progresses slowly. For now you have only half, there are still eighteen other sheets (terniones) left. It will not be finished before Michaelmas, even though they print ten thousand pages 3) every day under three presses with enormous
1) St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 668.
2) A tkruio consists of three m mutually laid folio sheets, which are provided with the same signature, usually only on the first page of the first three sheets, because then, if they were correctly laid from each other, the signature for the three following sheets of itself.
3) Thus edartarurn will have to be taken here; not, as it is usually taken, as "bow," but as.
Work and diligence. Fare well and pray for me. Wittenberg, Saturday after Jacobi [July 26] 1522.
Martin Luther.