Printed in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 54; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 175 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. III, p. 323.
To Johann Lang, theologian and evangelist of the church at Erfurt.
JEsus.
Hail! Of course, I believe that your leaving the monastery was not without cause.
1) There were mainly three men who had brought about the Paris verdict of condemnation (St. Louis edition, vol. XVIII, 932 ff.), namely Ll. Noel Beda, syndic of the theological faculty there, Wilhelm a Hukreu or Oucchßnk (of the oak) and a certain Christophorus. As we can see from a letter of Glarean to Zwingli, July 4, 1521 from Paris (2^viLKlii opp. VII, 176), the mocking names Lelna, Ltkreus and Okristotoinus were attached to them.
2) No.78, ?2 in this appendix.
3) This that Melanchthon, as we know from Oorp. Rec. I, 448.
4) There are three St. Stephen's days, namely the actual St. Stephen's day, on December 26 (this has Kolde 1.6. erroneously assumed), KtsMani translatio, on May 7, and Ltkpliavi invkntio, on August 3. That the latter is to be placed here is beyond doubt according to the contents of the letter.
but I would rather that you had been above all causes; not that I should throw away the freedom to go out, but that I should want the opportunity to be cut off from the adversaries, just as Paul cut off the opportunity from the false apostles, since he preached the gospel in Achaia without pay, 5) and had put apostolic law, freedom and power in the back of his mind. But now I will strive for this too late and in vain. If I have time, I will write a letter to the church at Erfurt 6), although I see that both you and ours have grown beyond my measure in the knowledge of the word, and everywhere the word is fulfilled [John 3:30]: They must grow, but I must decrease.
But the power of the word is either still hidden or all too ringing in all of us, about which I am very surprised. For we are the same as before: hard, unreasonable, impatient, reckless, drunken, lustful, devout: in short, that characteristic and the glorious love of Christians nowhere comes to the fore, and it becomes the opposite of Paul's words [1 Cor. 4:20]: We have the kingdom of God in words, not in power.
I must not come to you, for it is not right that one should tempt God and seek danger of one's own free will, since I have to expect dangers enough here, as one who is excluded by papal and imperial ban and completely exposed to all men to be beaten to death, safe by no other protection than the heavenly. I see that many of our monks leave for no other reason than that for which they entered, that is, for the sake of the belly and carnal freedom, through which Satan will raise a great stink against the good odor of our word. But what shall we do? They are idle people and they seek their own, so it is better that they sin and perish apart from than in the cap, lest they perish twice when they are punished in this life. Greet all of ours, because I do not know which ones are
5) In the editions: "sine S." This has De Wette resolved by sulario according to 2 Cor. 11:9. In the Vulgate the preceding verse reads ^stäpsuckinm.
6) St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 962.
may now endure with you, and be at ease in the Lord, amen. I ask you to command in your prayers our cause GOtte, also the life of Duke Frederick. If we do not restrain him by our prayers, I fear that he will not remain with us long. And when this head is taken away, then also the salvation will be taken away, which God has given and still gives to our Syria [2 Kings 5:1]. Wittenberg, Friday after Oculi [March 28] 1522.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 102.
Luther to Spalatin.
Luther answers an exegetical question, expresses his displeasure about the monks leaving, as well as about the publication of his letters without his consent. He completed the writing "Wider die Verkehrer und Fälscher des kaiserlichen Edicts" and was working on the interpretation of the 7th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians.
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 139 b; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 356 and in Erlanger Briefw., vol. IV, p. 177.
To the Lord Georg Spalatin, servant of Christ, evangelist at Hose, his [friend] in the HErrn.
1. grace and peace! It is a long time since I answered you to the passage of John [Cap. 14, 31]: 1) "Arise, and let us depart"; I am surprised that you did not receive it. I do not think much of secret interpretations, but it seems to me to mean the exit from the constraint of the law into the freedom of grace, just as the dining room was in a closed house and a closed city, but the garden under the open sky. But this freedom brings persecution, and Christ suffers because of the word of freedom.
I know no monk from Zelle except Thomas, the apothecary, 2) who has long since left for Eisenach. I do not see why they should flee if they rightly offer themselves, as I do; moreover, if they want to snatch those or me away by force, then ge-
1) This letter is missing.
2) There was a pharmacy in the Alten-Zelle monastery.
May the will of the Lord be done. It is indeed very troublesome to me that runaway monks fly here in such large numbers, and what is even more annoying to me is that they soon marry, although they are a kind of people who are quite unfit to acquire anything. I am thinking daily about a council to put a measure on this matter.
My letters written in German have gone out of print through no fault of my own. I wanted to send them closed and sealed, but D. Hieronymus has published one, namely the one to the virgins 3), the other one Amsdorf. Indeed, I wish nothing so much as to publish nothing, for I am tired of writing such things. But the press of Lucas 4) needs money, so I have explained the mandate of the emperor 5) and now I am editing the 7th chapter of the Corinthians. -I have become a servant of foreign profit or even of greed; how gladly I do this, since I am so busy, you can easily believe. I have not yet published anything at all, nor will I publish anything, unless I am looked over by others, so that I keep the order.
I send Hadrian's bull 6) against Prince Frederick, but send it back immediately. It is thought to be Hadrian's own style and wisdom, but it has been withheld because of the Cardinals' threats and meanwhile secretly left out. Farewell and greet all of ours. In haste, on Saturday after Ciliano [July 11] 1523. Martin Luther.
No. 103.
Luther to Melanchthon.
Luther is not satisfied with the answer of the Archbishop of Mainz and with Capito's letter; he wants to answer the latter. He speaks at length about the Zwickau prophets and defends the infant baptism they rejected.
3) The letter published by D. Hieronymus Schürf is found in Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, 1930; the other one is found there, Col. 706.
4) Lucas Cranach and Döring jointly owned a print shop.
5) In this volume no. 733. - The interpretation of the 7th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians is found in the St. Louis edition, vol. VIII, 1026. It was published by Lucas Cranach and Döring.
6) The bull of Hadrian VI is found in this volume No. 716, the answer of the Elector to it No. 717.
Handwritten in the Ood. Kolter zu Dresden, 0. 351, Bl. 36; in the old royal library at Copenhagen, HL". 1393, x>. 53 (orthographically very faulty) and in the Ood. den. d. 14. Printed by Aurifaber, vol. II, bl. 41; by De Wette, vol. II, p. 124; by SeoksuäorI, lib. I, s 118, x>. 192d the U 2 and 3 (according to Aurifaber, but under the date: the ^utonii 86U 17.1) dun.) and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. Ill, p. 272.
To Philip Melanchthon, Christ's faithful servant and steward, my brother.
JEsus.
1. Hail! If the letter of Mainz 2) had been alone, he would have won, but now that that of Fabricius has been added, they show their deceitfulness and falsehood, which I dislike extraordinarily in Fabricius. I wanted an end to ungodliness, and that orator leads the cause of ungodliness by teaching the bishop to confess his personal sins, and thinks that in this way Luther is well deceived. I will also keep to myself that I do not treat man as he deserves in the first letter, but I will give an indication, so that he knows that man has breath in his nose [Is. 2, 22].
(2) I come to the prophets, (3) and first of all, I do not approve of your timidity, since you have both a greater spirit and greater learning than I do. And first, since they bear witness to themselves, they need not be heard immediately, but according to the counsel of John [1 Ep. 4, 1] the spirits are to be tested. If you cannot test them, then you have Gamaliel's advice [Acts 5:38] to postpone it; for I do not yet hear that anything is said or done by them that Satan could not also do or imitate. But you may inquire for me whether they can prove their profession. For God has never sent anyone unless he is either called by a man or proven by signs, even the
1) On January 17, Luther answered Capito's letter. Seckendorf's error may be due to a confusion of the date of this letter with that of the next one (No. 104), which is written on the same day and deals with the same matter.
2) St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 552; Luther's reply to Wolfgang Fabricius Capito's letter ibid. there, Col. 554.
3) namely the Zwickau prophets.
Son. The prophets had the right from the law and the prophethood in former times, as we have the right now through men. I do not want them to be accepted if they claim that they were called by a mere revelation, since God did not even want to speak to Samuel, unless Eli gave him the order to do so and knew it [1 Sam, 3, 4. ff.]. This belongs first to the public exercise of teaching.
(3) Now, in order to find out their special (privatum) spirit, ask them if they have experienced spiritual afflictions, divine birth, death and hell. If you hear that everything is pleasant, calm, devout (as they call it) and spiritual (religiosa), you should not approve of them, even if they say that they have been raptured into the third heaven, because the sign of the Son of Man is missing, who is the proving stone, the certain tester of Christians and the certain discerner of spirits. Do you want to know the place, the time, the manner of the conversations with God? Hear: like a lion he hath broken all my bones [Isa. 38, 13.], and [Ps. 31, 23.], "I am cast out of thine eyes," and [Ps. 88, 4.], "My soul is full of woe, and my life is nigh unto hell." The Majesty (as they call it) does not speak so directly that man sees it, rather [Ex. 33:20.], "No man shall live that seeth me." Nature cannot bear even a little glimmer (stellam) of his speech. For this is why he speaks through men, because when he speaks, we all cannot bear it. For the angel also frightened the virgin [Luc. 1, 29.], so also Daniel [Dan. 8, 17.]. So also Jeremiah laments [Cap. 10, 24.], "Chasten me with measures," and [Cap. 17, 17.], "Only be thou not terrible unto me." And what shall I make many words? as if the Majesty could speak confidentially with the old man, and need not first kill him and dry him up, lest the exceeding evil odors of the same should offend, since He is a consuming fire [Deut. 4, 24.]. The dreams and visions of the saints are also terrifying, at least after they are understood. Therefore, do not even hear the glorified Jesus, because you have seen him crucified before.
You will say: What is the point of this? For this is to refute others, not to prove ours. But how can I speak of it, being absent, not knowing what they plead? If they assert nothing else than this [Marc. 16, 16.]: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," and that the little children cannot believe for themselves, this does not move me at all. For how will they prove that they do not believe? Because they do not speak and do not show their faith? How nice! If this reason is valid, how many hours will we Christians spend sleeping and doing other things? Can't God in the same way keep faith in them during the whole time of childhood, as in a constant sleep? Quite well, you will say, this refutes the adversaries with respect to the faith already infused. But this is enough for the time being, that they are found to be such people who prove nothing, and are driven by a false spirit. But what do you say about the faith that is to be infused? There is absolutely nothing left but the foreign faith. If we cannot receive it, there is nothing left to argue about, but the baptism of little children must simply be rejected.
You say that the examples of the foreign faith are exceedingly weak. I say that nothing is firmer. Let them show, or all the devils, that an example of the foreign faith is weak. For that you say that Samuel prayed for Saul is nothing. He suffered for Saul [1 Sam. 15, 35.], he did not pray; or if he prayed, he did not pray in faith, that is, he did not believe that what he asked could be obtained, but put it in doubt and in the will of God, as David did when he asked for his babe [2 Sam. 12, 16.], and many for many others. For if he had thought it certain that he would receive it, he would have obtained it in any case. For the promise of Christ must be certain, Matth. 21, 22.: "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive them", and Matth. 18, 19.: "Where two of you shall become one on earth" 2c. It must therefore be unshakably certain that it is impossible for this not to be the case.
Otherwise the whole doctrine of faith will be shaken, and even one's own faith will be worthless, since it is based on the promises of the same. Yes, the faith of another is our own, but it is alien to another; nevertheless, it is necessary that what he believes should be done to another. All the examples of the Gospel belong to this category. For Christ also never rejected even one who was brought to him through alien faith, but accepted all. And what more can I say? The testimonies and examples of the whole Scripture are on the side of foreign faith, that is, on the side of one's own faith, which obtains faith for the other and all that he wants.
6 Now there remains the question whether the church believes that the faith is poured into the little children. For perhaps this question is raised with reference to the church, not with reference to the foreign faith or its efficacy. What the foreign faith is able to do cannot be disputed, since everything is possible to him who believes. But this question is of fact, not of right. For we cannot dispute whether the church must believe that faith is infused into infants, since she has the power not to baptize infants at all, and there is no passage of Scripture that could compel her to believe this, as they [Scripture passages] are there for other articles. Now what shall we do here? We do not prove the right. Who sees the faith? Therefore we must go to confession, since confession is made with the mouth for salvation. Now what does the church profess to believe in this article? Is it not this, that the children also are partakers of the benefits and promises of Christ? But it is objected: How if Augustine and those whom you call the church, or even think that they are, have erred in this article? Who will make us certain, since we cannot prove that they must believe so? But this objection may be thus rejected: If not the law, yet the fact is there that [this] is actually believed in the church. For who can be sure that Augustine does not believe the three-
What is the truth that he believed in unity when his confession is not believed? I am certain that his confession agrees with Scripture, but that he believes as he confesses, I am uncertain. But I see that by a strange miracle of God it has happened that this article alone, that even little children must be baptized, has never been denied, not even by the heretics: so that no confession of anyone 1) is against it, but on the contrary the constant and unanimous confession of the whole world for the present cause. But if one denies that this is the confession of the true and right church, then I consider this to be an exceedingly great impiety. For this seems to me to be the same as denying the church, for if this were not so, that church would doubtless at times have made the opposite confession, since the faith of the church has never ceased, and it has never been without confession of what it believes. You, as a man of understanding, will be able to deduce more from this.
(7) Since bringing a child to baptism is nothing else than bringing him to Christ, who is present on earth and opens the hands of grace, and since he has shown by all examples that he accepts what is brought to him, why do we doubt here? At least this we have taken from these prophets, that they cannot prove their own, since they lack an example and testimony, but we have examples and testimonies, so that even their testimony does not contradict us. For who can conclude thus? One must believe and baptize, so the children are not to be baptized. For they cannot draw this conclusion from this passage, since it does not prove that the children do not believe. They presuppose this, and must prove it elsewhere, but cannot. Now what is not contrary to Scripture is for Scripture, and Scripture for the same. With the same subtlety they could also annul circumcision and say: The little children do not have the faith of Abraham, therefore they must not have the sign of the same faith, while it is certain for us,
1) We have assumed ullius with the Copenhagen manuscript instead of illius in the Aisgaben.
that circumcision had the same power as baptism. Therefore, I do not see why infants should not be baptized according to the word of God and according to this example; only that baptism is free, not forced, like circumcision. Therefore, it did not have to be restricted to certain times, ages, ages and other external things, since it is completely free in itself. What was then said to one people for the eighth day is now said to all people of every age: "He who believes" 2c.
8 But more orally. I have always expected Satan to touch this boil, but he has not done so through the papists. Among ourselves and among ours he undertakes this exceedingly severe division, but Christ will tread him under our feet in a little while [Rom. 16:20]. I would also like to know how you take the word 1 Cor. 7, 14. "Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy," whether you want this to be understood of adults alone or of the holiness of the flesh? For I would like this to prove that the little children were baptized according to apostolic custom and in the time of the apostles. Although I see what can be said about this sanctification, I would also like to hear your judgment about it. For why should he speak of infants alone, since all things are holy to the saints, and all things are pure to the pure?
9) Keep the booklet against the bishop of Mainz, 2) so that it can go out and serve as a general punishment, if others should be nonsensical. Prepare an inn for me, because the translation [of the Bible] will require me to return to you, and ask the Lord that it be done with his will. But I wish to be hidden as much as possible; meanwhile I will continue with what I have undertaken. Farewell. On Octave Epiphany [January 13] 1522.
Your Martin Luther.
2) For this, compare St. Louis Edition, Vol. XIX, Introduction, p. 27.
No. 104.
Luther to Spalatin.
Luther counsels leniency against the Zwickau prophets. He is determined to return to Wittenberg, and wishes that the Elector may be calm about those enthusiasts. Similarly, with respect to Duke George, who assailed the Dukes of Saxony with complaints about the Wittenberg innovations (Seckendorf, nist. iMtü., 11b. I,§130, p.217).
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 40b; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 135 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. Ill, p. 286.
To Georg Spalatin, Saxon secretary (ab epistolis), his most trusted friend in the Lord.
JEsus.
Hail! I have received everything, my dear Spalatin, even the sack, although later than the other. Of course, I do not come because of the Zwickau prophets, nor do I change, for they have no influence on me. But I would not like them to be thrown into bonds, especially by those who praise ours. The people of Eilenburg 1) have innovations either imposed on them or imputed to them in regard to the use of the sacrament. In the past I was disturbed by rumors, so that I went to Wittenberg myself and watched, 2) but now I hear greater things every day. I will certainly return in a short time, God willing, and, if not to Wittenberg, certainly elsewhere either remain or stay as a stranger. For that is what the matter requires. I do not want the prince to be concerned about me, although I would like him to have my faith or I his power. I do not doubt that without bloodshed and sword we would laugh at these two smoking fires [Is. 7, 4]. The most unfortunate Duke George does in this matter what he has decided to do about him, who is terrifying in his advice about the children of men [Ps. 66, 5. Vulg.]. This is the hatred that he has long had for
1) In Eilenburg, the Augustinian monk Gabriel Zwilling, who had come there from Wittenberg, reformed in a stormy manner around New Year's Day 1522. Compare Seidemann, "Erläuterungen," p. 35 ff.
2) See St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 560.
He does not see that this is hatred. The Lord look at him, if he should be worth it; I cannot do anything else. You also see to it that our prince does not stain his hands with the blood of those new Zwickau prophets. Farewell and pray for me.
Neither the bishop's [of Mainz] nor Capito's letter 3) pleases me, because of the unfortunate and all-too-revealing falsehood. I have answered Fabricius, not the bishop, until I recognize his spirit. From the desert, 1522, on St. Anthony's Day [January 17].
Martin Luther.
The Bible I await with impatience, 4) because my word has been committed to it.
No. 105.
Luther to Joh. Lang in Erfurt.
Luther warns against violent innovations in Erfurt and urges vigilance and steadfastness. He complains about the apostasy of some of his followers.
Printed in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 59; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 180 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. Ill, p.330.
JEsus.
Hail! Above all, beware that the people of Erfurt do not imitate the tempestuous nature of ours in the removal of images, masses, one figure, and all other things. Only through the Word must all the aversions be removed, so that they fall away of their own accord and are destroyed without hand, just as the idols were removed by the apostles. They should also teach and insist on faith and love; the rest is known by itself. I do not have time to write to your preachers. If you take offense at the private mass, why do you not abstain from it? For what need is there to keep it? Can you not take the word of the mass without the form of the sacrament? or communicate somewhere?
3) See St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 661 and 663.
4) The Erl. Briefw. reads excepto, whereas the other editions read expepto; the former is probably a typographical error, since no variant is given for it; also not in Burkhardt, p.43.
with your comrades. But my book, 1) which is already under the press, will expose my opinion more widely to the whole world.
You have my opinion of the widows' faith in the apostle in the booklet of the vows; I have nothing else. You ask me for notes on Isaiah, thinking that I, like you, would have good leisure and rest all day, while I should ask such from you. Why you should not go to chapter 2) I do not see, especially since you are called, since you can also do this safely and it is held among friends; why do you fear where there is nothing to fear?
By the way, I ask you to pray diligently for me and this matter. Satan attacks us with the highest, yes, from all forces. The enemies boast in a published booklet of the "recantation of two Lutherans," 3) our Jacob and a certain Hermann. Melchior Mirisch did not recant, but writes that he acted wisely to gain their favor, that is, he worshipped Satan and pretended to know Christ, 4) the fine boaster! Many others have been forced to sign Jacob's recantation. I have seen Mirish's handwriting to Spalatin, which tells in many words the lamentable and terrible story of Jacob's recantation. Command also all of yours this matter and tell them in my name that they should pray humbly with constant prayer before God. They are to teach humbly and quietly among men, and then also to be courageous and steadfast against Satan. The matter is no longer a joke or a game, but will become serious and demand life and blood. The Lord Jesus, who has once again
1) "Luther's Opinion of Both Forms" 2c. St. Louis edition, vol. XX 62.
2) which was to be held at Grimma on Pentecost.
3) Namely Jakob Probst, the former Augustinian prior in Antwerp, and Hermann Garrits (Geradäus), a Utrecht and sub-priest at the Jacobi church there, who had to recant on January 13 in the Cecilia church.
4) Melchior Mirisch, von der Heyde, Augustinian prior in Dresden, preached the Gospel in Magdeburg. See Seidemann, "Erläuterungen," p. 148; Seckendorf, List. Luth, lib. I, 240 b and 246 a.
let his gospel shine, strengthen the hearts of all of us to the praise of his grace. Amen.
Of the evil that God does, why do you argue about it? I see that you are idle, with such great disturbances of Satan. He has no need of a work, nor is it a work about which you dispute, but it is an omission of a work on the part of God. For this is why we do evil, because he ceases to work in us and lets nature in its wickedness do what it does. Otherwise, when he works, nothing but good follows. And this omission of God is called "hardening" in Scripture. For evil cannot be done by God], since it is nothing, but therefore it happens when good does not happen or is hindered. But underneath be well. Wittenberg, given on the day before Palmarum [April 12] 1522.
Martin Luther.
The prophet Marcus 5) together with the Zwickau prophets were punished and reminded by me; unwillingly they left. One of them was completely angry, so that I have never seen a more angry person. So impatient was this spirit against a friendly and brotherly admonition. But Satan we met quite obviously.
No. 106.
Luther to Spalatin.
This number at Walch is not a special letter, but the postscript to No. 93 of this appendix, which we have transferred there.
No. 107.
Luther to Wenc. Link.
Luther informs Link of his return to Wittenberg, rebukes Carlstadt's and Zwilling's violent proceedings. He praises the resolutions of the Augustinian Convention; he is full of courage against his enemies, especially Duke George, but fears that they will incite the people to revolt by their foolish actions.
5) Marcus Thomä from Elsterberg was also called Stübner, because his father had a bathhouse in Elsterberg. He was inscribed in Wittenberg on May 26, 1518. About him see St. Louis edition, vol. XX, introduction, p. 10 df, Ibid. Vol. XXII, 1010 f., 1822, No. 125.
Printed in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 9 (with the wrong year: 1521); in De Wette, vol. II, p. 156 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. Ill, p. 315. In Seckendorf, Hist. lmtL., lib. I, p. 177d is an excerpt (§§ 3 and 4) with the wrong date: "ä. 27. l'sdr."
JEsus.
Hail! In order that you may know that I am at Wittenberg, my venerable Father in Christ, I have written this to you with my hand. Satan has made an incursion into this hurdle of mine, and has taught to make the liberty of the spirit an occasion for the flesh, and, setting aside the ministration of love, to confound all things by the most obstinate robberies. Carlstadt and Gabriel were the authors of these abominations. Gabriel recognizes himself and has changed to another man, but what he will be and do I do not know. It is decided to forbid him the pulpit, which he has climbed out of his own presumption, without profession, against the will of God and men. Therefore, as he did not come from God, so he did not teach from God; and the fruit itself proves whose word he spoke and whose honor he sought. He whom God sent speaks the words of God [John 3:34], again, he who seeks the glory of Him who sent him is true [John 7:18]. This cause has forced me to return, so that, if Christ wills, I may destroy this game of Satan.
The statement of your assembly 1) has pleased me extraordinarily. For the Holy Spirit never seems to have been on the assemblies of the monks, except on this one. I hope that the Lord has begun to ridicule and mock Satan and his servants. Certainly, Satan is defeated, the pope with his abominations is also defeated, his last and least power must be overcome (as I see), namely the wrath of the water bubbles, which are perfectly inflated among you. We believe that Christ, the Son of God, is the Lord of life and death: who therefore should we fear? We have the firstfruits of victory and triumph over the papal tyranny.
1) At Wittenberg at the beginning of the year. There, it was decided to abjure the corner masses and the freedom to leave the monastery.
rannet, which before oppressed kings and princes; how much more shall we overcome and despise the princes themselves! He is not lying who said [Ps. 8:7], "Thou hast put all things under his feet." That he said: "all things", does he not understand in this also the anger of this water bubble at Dresden 2) and of all who have now been to Nuremberg? They may certainly try it and continue to push Christ down; in the meantime we will surely see that the Father can keep the Son at His right hand before the face and the tail of this smoking fire.
I am very much afraid, however, that if the princes should continue to listen to the foolish brain of Duke George, there would be an uproar that would corrupt the princes and authorities in all of Germany, and at the same time the entire clergy would also be affected; for this is how this matter appears to me. The people are agitated everywhere and have eyes; they do not want to be oppressed by force, nor can they be. The Lord is the one who does this, and he hides these threats and imminent dangers from the eyes of the princes, yes, through their blindness and violence he will accomplish this, so that I think I see Germany swimming in blood. Therefore, for the sake of Christ's mercy, my dear Wenceslaus, I ask you to pray with us, together with your own, and we will stand as a wall against God for the people on this day of His great wrath. The matter at hand is serious, and that foolish head in Dresden does not care about the people's cause if he can only exercise his nonsense and ingrained hatred.
4. then, if you are able to do something, make an effort that through your councilors the princes will be moved to make and act decrees modestly and without violence; they should consider that the people are no longer such as they were before; they should know that the sword in their own house (domesticum) is certainly near their necks. They are going about to destroy Luther, but Luther is certainly going about it so that they may be preserved; not Luther, but they are facing destruction, which is
2) Duke George. - "Die zu Nürnberg" is the Reichsregnnent to which Duke Georg belonged.
they intend, so much is missing that I should fear them. I certainly believe that I speak this in the spirit. If then wrath is determined in heaven, so that it cannot be prevented either by prayer or by good counsel, we want to obtain it so that our Josiah 1) may fall asleep in peace, and the world be left to its own Babylon.
What Christ remembers I do not know, but this I do know, that I have never had so stout and proud a spirit in this matter as I have just now. And although I am exposed at every hour to the danger of death in the midst of the enemy, without all human protection, I have never in my life despised anything so much as these foolish threats of Duke George and his kind. And this spirit (do not doubt it) will be master over Duke George and all who are of the same foolishness. I write this soberly and early in the day, in full confidence of a godly heart. My Christ lives and reigns, and I shall live and reign. Farewell, dearest Wenceslaus. Wednesday after Reminiscere [March 19] 1522.