Luther reports the return of the Churprinzen; he wants the Reichstag to end.
This letter is found handwritten in Wolfenbüttel, 6<xl. t1;äm8t. 108, toi. 96; at Dresden, oock. 6. 140, toi. 83 6; in the Ooä. HutEnd.; in the Oxi. kostoew. and in the 6oü. Isn. 6, tot. 116. printed at Ooewstüuus,
1) Augustus means in first meaning: sanctified, holy. Therefore we were allowed to render ^uAustum (Augsburg) by Heiligenstadt. Since the word is ambiguous; so fittingly anch could be translated thus: "who has sent you to the imperial city, make you all more of the empire".
2) in sutturs is also in the following number, 8 3; it is not to be translated: in the throat. Oorrosio will probably be a kind of lichen, not a "scratching in the throat".
3) De Wette offers inlsnua pUwAMn; the old translator read (perhaps more correctly) salsnm, for he translates: "das salzige Geblüt". The Erl. Briefw. offers: "ulsuln.
toin. Ill, koi. 876; in Buddeus, p. 204; in Schütze, vol. II, p. 188; in De Wette, vol. I V, p. 164 and in Erl. In Walch, twice: once here, and again incomplete and with wrong date in this volume No. 1074. We have omitted the latter redaction and referred to this number.
Grace and peace in Christ! Yesterday our younger prince arrived together with Count Albrecht, unexpected and sudden guests. And I have seen with joy that they have escaped from that turmoil; after all, God wished that I could see you shortly as escaped ones, if it is not granted to expect you as released ones. You have done enough and more than enough; now the remaining time is for the Lord to do it, and He will do it. Just be a man and hope in Him. I am both indignant and comforted that Eck and his opponents are dragging out the matter with this trivial quibble, namely, if we claim that both forms of the sacrament are necessary, we condemn the whole church and the emperor himself. The wretched people finally have this last resort, that they raise quibbles in the presence of the emperor. Rather, let them confidently abuse the emperor, by which they seriously challenge the one who has already drawn his bow in heaven and laid deadly bullets on it. For so say the Turks: it is not to be supposed that so great a nation should be condemned.
2 If this reason of proof is good, what article of faith is left that we could confess or keep if the articles of faith depend on quantity? But for what purpose do I treat this in letters? You may see to it that you are mindful of this, that you are one of those who are called Lot in Sodom, whose souls torment those with ungodly works day and night. But it follows [2 Petr. 2, 9.j: "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation." You have confessed Christ, offered peace, obeyed the emperor, endured insults, been satiated with blasphemies, and have not repaid evil with evil: Summa, ye have done the holy work of GOD, as befits the saints, in a worthy manner. Rejoice also at last once in the
Lord, and be glad, ye righteous [Ps. 32:11], ye have been long enough afflicted in the world; look up, lift up your heads, your redemption draweth nigh [Luc. 21:28]. I will raise you, as faithful members of Christ, among the saints (canonizabo); how then can you seek any more honor? Or is it too little, that mau have rendered faithful service to Christ, and behaved as a member worthy of him? Let this be far from you, that the grace of Christ should seem so small to you. But more of this orally.
I have been healthy in these days. I suspect that the winds, which now make the castle shake and roar outside, have been in my head and will one day return to my head again; they seem to be shifting around me. The prince gave me a golden ring, but so that I would see that I was not born to wear gold, it immediately fell from my thumb to the ground (for it is a little too loose and too wide for my fingers). I said: You are a worm and not a man. It should have been given to the Faber and the Eck, for you lead or a rope would have been more appropriate or a rope at the neck. He wanted to give me the opportunity to return home and take me with him, but I asked him to leave me here so that I could wait for you when you returned and wipe off your sweat after this bath.
I wish and pray that you may have strong and good courage, so that you will not let yourselves be troubled by the appearances and appearances of the present things, since you know that everything is entirely in the hands of him who can not only cover the sky with clouds in an instant and make it cheerful again, but is also in the habit of doing so and even takes pleasure in it. In his bosom I command sinners you sinners, who are confessors and not defenders of their sins. Greet all our brothers in the Lord, who will shortly absolve you, amen. From the desert, on Thursday about 1) the equinox [Sept. 15] 1530.
1) We have retained the reading versus in Schütze and De Wette, against post in Erl. Briesw.
You should not believe anything about the plague in Wittenberg. Everything is well, as you have seen from the last letters.
Your Martin Luther.