Probably February 1521.
To the firm and strict H. E., 1) my special favorable master and friend, D. Martinus, my good fortune.
Strict and firm lord and friend! I have received Emser's torment 2) to the bull at Wittenberg in addition to your writing. And although many advised me against answering him as a public liar and blasphemer, I did not want to refrain from doing so, so that the sow's belly would not be too big to show him his lies. For he is such a coarse head that, although he imposes vain lies and nothing honest, he nevertheless believes that he has a right cause and has won; it was not fitting for me to remain silent, because he directs all his lies to the disgrace of my doctrine. I did not want to keep all this from you in good opinion. I hereby command God.
The first one. He wants to show what kind of bird I am. It is necessary for him. For even though I am not pious, God has so far protected my life that no one has been able to reproach me with truth, and these two years so many lies and liars have come to shame on me that it will cost Emsern art and effort to report him. But I have an advantage over him, I may not tell anyone what kind of bird he is, he is known by his song and feathers; as his rumor smiles, so do his books. It is a mercy, where liars and boys scold me.
1) H. E., as the title indicates, a nobleman, probably the councilor Haugold von Einsiedel from Surrey. Already Seidemann, in De Wette, vol. VI, p. 492, has expressed this opinion by stating this letter as addressed to him.
2) Sheet of four leaves.
3) I.e.: dares to believe.
He has now let print twice. Latin and German, and otherwise chatted back and forth, as I am supposed to have said: I did not start the game in God's name, it shall also not end in God's name. What should he do if he knew something thoroughly about me? How then should his Christian love, of which he prides himself, burn against me, if he is so restless in this poisonous, self-invented, insolent lie; he would like to take a murderous stab at it and desecrate all my books and teachings in an instant and appropriate them to the devil. But you missed and the blade got into your fingers. You wretched man, how are you so bold to torture and swear by God's holy name that you do not act against me through hatred, envy and lies, if your heart and conscience know otherwise. Hold still, I will spread your feathers a little and also show yourself to yourself; for others already know what kind of bird you are.
It happened in Leipzig at the castle in the chancellery (for I have a freshly good memory of it), when the Eck's Practica dealt with the disputation according to his advantage and my disadvantage, and we saw that the honor was sought by the opponent more than the truth, and I hoped until that time that they had begun it in God's name, as I had; then I spoke with miserable words and a saddened mind: This thing was not begun in God's name, nor will it come to pass in God's name, as the outcome has proven. Now everyone sees that this prophecy of mine has been fulfilled, for what the disputation has brought forth is all too much in the day.
I can testify to these words of mine, not only with those of ours who were there, but also with those who were not there.
*Under this title, the text was first published individually by Johann Grunenberg in Wittenberg in 1521. For a more detailed determination of the time, see the introduction. In the complete editions: Wittenberger (1554), vol. VII, col. 143b; Jenaer (1564), vol. I, toi, 361b; Altenburger, vol. I, p. 558; Leipziger, vol. XVII, p. 611; Erlanger, vol. 27, p. 205. The attribution is again in Erlanger, vol. 53, p. 55, and in De Wette, vol. I, p. 546. In these last two editions it is, as we think, set too early, namely in January.
but also with Emser's own conscience, who also stood there, and the envy from his face immediately burned and sparkled with great malice.
Therefore I despised this public lie, never wanted to answer for it; thought the holy priest of God and Christian lover would once be ashamed himself of such a public impudent lie and fear, if I and ours were silent, that the table, oven and vault of the chancellery would shout about him and cry: Emser, do not lie yourself to death! The lie is too big for a versifex 1) and wind poet; for I do not like to write against those who I know are decided by their own conscience and knowingly stink and lie.
In addition, the holy priest of God knows well with everyone that not I, but Eck has begun the disputation; how should the word then be on my beginning? For I can boast and prove that in all of this I have never started anything with anyone, that I am always unwillingly torn and driven by useful, salutary business; that many pious people have also taken pity on me to defend and protect me with much noble loss of time against my lying and malicious adversaries, who wantonly invited me upon themselves to hunt their honor on me; and when they failed, they wanted to throw the guest out with dirt.
They shall, however, if God wills, invite me without their thanks, as they have invited me, or let me go from them with honor and atone for and pay for the courage shown in me by the evil enemy's incitement. They shall not and will not dampen my game in this way; I hope to God that they will; and before ten years pass, Emser, Eck, Pabst with all their liars and deceivers shall realize whether they or I have begun in God's name, even if they burn my books and me for it.
So my words have not been directed at me, but at Eck, Emser and [the] Leipzig theologians, whom the holy priest of God has perverted to me in the Jewish way, as the Jews interpreted Christ's word from the emperor,
1) Verse maker.
Interest and temple building, to prove his Christian love. And write, I have said that it was not started by me in God's name; martyr and swear to it that he is not doing it out of hatred and envy, and the holy name of God must serve him for his poisonous lies and be disgraced because of it.
Do you know your feathers, you noble bird? Who will believe that you write a true word, when you not only lie so shamefully and wantonly, which I have worked so hard to get out of you; but also by unchristian tortures and swearing you drive such poison into the innocent hearts without fear and bring such death of your lies under the living name of God into so many Christian people? How should you rage and stink, if you had seized me with one letter as bravely as I have seized you in this lie!
The little piece that you write that I said: "The devil strikes" is also of the same truth as yours, that the poor common simple-minded people are annoyed by my teaching. My Emser, whoever wants to make me a coward does not have to attack me with lies. These three years so many lies have been invented about me, as you know, and all of them have been disgraced. Because you also deal with lies, there is no fear with me that you should penetrate through with honor, even if it lasts for a while.
That you and Eck, Pabst and the whole Behemoth are offended by my teaching, be praised and blessed to God. But I have not yet experienced anything else, through the writings and testimonies of many pious people, except that my teaching is comforting, useful and beneficial to the simple, afflicted, imprisoned consciences, and the unworthy thank me so warmly and praise God that they have experienced the time to hear such a word. Christ says [Matth. 10, 24. 25.]: "The disciple shall not be better than the master. If they have called the father of the house Beelzebub; they shall call the servants so also. As they hear my word, so shall they hear yours," John 15:20. He was also offended by his cornered goats, Emser goats, wolves and serpents and such unreasonable raging beasts; but the sheep heard his voice.
So also my Annas, Caiphas, Herod, Judas, Pharisees, Scribes and the pious, noble, tender people must be angry with me; there strike happiness. Christ says, Matth. 15, 14.: "Let them go, they are blind and blind leaders." And if someone had already said, as you lie about me, that the devil strikes into your and your like evil-doers' anger, it would not have been a mortal sin, although I do not say it.
Therefore, dear liar, I did not say, as you accuse me, that I so despise the aversions of the simple that I would let the devil strike at them; you think of that, to describe me, as you write, [as] an arrogant, 1) haughty person. It hurts you in your heart my cheerful, great courage. But I am, and will, if God wills, also remain, against you and Eck, Pabst and your bunch, also the devil, with God's help, in a constant, arrogant, undaunted spirit, and defy and despise you as the unintelligent, blind heads and poisonous liars, and would that your ugly eyes should see my daily, cheerful courage; although the hearing offends you almost enough. Nothing shall help you your envy, sorrow, rage, and all that evil you may undertake. Because I do not humble myself before you angry, bloodthirsty tyrants and do not accept your lies and poison, I must be arrogant. So Christ and John also had to have the devil before the Jews [Matth. 11, 18. Joh. 8, 48].
But if I knew that my teaching (which cannot be, because it is the gospel itself) would be harmful to a simple-minded person, I would rather suffer ten deaths than let such teaching go or be unrepealed. It would have to be a villain, even worse than Emser himself, who would not be heartily sorry for the poor people's annoyance. It would also have to be an unchristian who would take on the tyrants' and Pharisees' anger. But whether I am an arrogant man, because that is not the case
1) The reading "hochtrabenden", which is found in the Jena and Erlangen editions, is a printing error, because Emser has written "hochtrabenden". This printing error could occur extremely easily, because in the old printings b looks like an inverted g.
I do not want to fight hard against anything that concerns my doctrine but my person. I have said several times before: my person touches whoever wants and how he wants; I do not pretend to be an angel.
But my teaching, because I know that it is not mine but God's, I will not leave anyone unaccountable. For there lies my neighbor's and my blessedness in God's praise and honor. But I respect that one should believe my Wittenbergers, who see my being daily and deal with me, more than the absent liar Emser. I know this well, as I am daily warned in writing not only by my fellow residents, but also from many countries, that I should not make myself so mean to everyone; and they scold my too settled spirit, as which everyone also presents himself with danger of life; no one has also given me a haughty spirit, but only Emser, whom I should believe, as my enemy, who tells me the truth, as one speaks, if he had not made himself such a public liar that one would want to grab it.
For this I mean, the thing that lies on me alone, where no more than nature would be in me, should ever humble a lofty spirit. It is considered impossible by many that I may live with such a being. Now I have so much to do that six years ago three would not have been enough for me; so now, by God's grace, I am fresh, healthy, cheerful and courageous, even idle. Which no doubt my Lord Christ does through the prayers of godly people, without my merit, in defiance and sorrow of all the enemies of God's word, that they may become like their fathers, the Jews, if God wills it, of whom it is written: "They have provoked me to anger by a strange God; so will I provoke them to anger by a strange people," Deut. 32:21.
Item, you also write, I have forbidden not to be obedient to the pope and authorities, and after the manner of your obdurate lying, you will not be red in the face of so many of my books, in which I teach clearly otherwise, even in the book of Capt. BabyI. ft,Of the Babylonian Captivity"], which nevertheless is the very worst of all
shall. So you lie about my presence, about my absence, about my books; on all sides you are a liar. I have burned the pope's books because of the same article, that he takes away the obedience of the authorities; and you say that I forbid the same.
So I have said: The pope and bishops have no power to burden Christians with their laws; but suffer and bear, as much as it may be without sin and danger, their unlawful violence from the Untern. I have written this not in one place, but in many.
You will not lie to me about the book of Thomas Rhadinus, dear liar! Your slobber and soap cannot be hid like that, even the art in it, which you praise as your own, is also painted similarly to you, not different from your crude, incomprehensible cops in philosophy and theology, as you shall find out. If there were art in it, I would not attribute it to you. Who will believe you that you are serious about touching the abuse of the spiritual state? Why did you keep silent about the atrocious abuse of indulgences and Roman pomps, and still keep silent today? And you do not attack any of my books, because in them I have not attacked any state, but only the vices? What do such lies of yours reveal to you? Thou confessest the vices and iniquities of the classes, and yet holdest thy porridge in thy mouth, and yet wilt thou be praised as pious and the enemy 1) of iniquity?
But I see that because the water wants to go over the baskets and virtue goes down with the unrighteous, you pretend to save the state; but you mean to strengthen vice and unrighteousness, as happened in the Costnitz Concilium. But we will undoubtedly be instructed about this in your delicious, elaborate booklet, which began with lies and will also be completed with lies. I can tell you many more such lies that I have kept silent so far. Only do not beat yourself up too much; the chips will fall into your eyes in heaps. Therefore I ask you for God's sake, my Emser, once again, would you moderate yourself of the lies.
1) Thus the Jena edition; in the Wittenberg "Freund".
and revoke these lies, so that you do not try God too high. You cannot harm me, I know that well, and I would rather have you recover than perish.
And that I may owe thee nothing, which a Christian is bound to do to his enemy, because I see that thou wilt set thy soul upon it, and like an angry bee forsake life; I will give thee leave in these writings, as I did before to one of mine enemies, and the choice to be angry or to laugh, and admonish and exhort thee when thine hour shall come (for we are all uncertain of a moment), that thou be not afraid nor despondent at my image and remembrance; that what thou hast done to me be without hurt unto thee, thou shalt boldly rely upon it. I will have done my part for the salvation of your soul; and even if, through the intervention of the evil enemy, you would now despise and laugh at my commandment and bless yourself from it, as I am well aware, remember it when the time and the need come and do not be afraid.
So I also want to have commanded all my enemies herewith, who do not yet know or have not yet experienced what the last need and fear teaches. I know what I speak now; the time will come that they will also know it, God grant, without their ruin; and do not presume that I will revoke one letter of my teaching, God grant, you will become cousin, sister or brother-in-law, you will become sheep or remain goat. It is not a matter of revoking here, but of putting life and limb into it, my Emser; that and no other. God help me with his graces, amen.
And that you yourself may grasp how you lie, and write against me not out of love of truth, but out of pure raging hatred, I will say further: If I were so possessed, since God is before, that I still said I had not begun it in God's name, what do you see against it? Because you cry out that you only want to touch my teaching without hatred. How many are those who teach the truth for the sake of money, good and honor? Have you not read that on the last day some will say to Christ, Matth. 7, 22. 23: "Lord, do we have the truth?
But to them he will say, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity. So that he proves that they have not acted in his name, as they boast. See to it that you too are not their companion, who so nearly boast and swear that you began it in God's name.
Item, Balaam, 4 Mos. 24, 15. ff., did the most noble prophecies, not in God's name, but for the sake of good. Christ says, Matth. 23, 2. 3., one should listen to the scribes who sit on Mosi's chair, whether they were wicked; which without doubt you must confess that they did not teach in God's name, but for the sake of benefit and honor. Is it not true that you and all papist hypocrites and liars rely on this reason and say all together: one should not despise miserly, unchaste, ambitious prelates and teachers, and summa summarum, one should not look at the life but at the teaching? Now it is not possible that these can rule and teach in God's name; but, as St. Paul says of them, Phil. 2:21: "They seek all their own profit." If you want to destroy all those who do not teach and rule in God's name, how much will you keep of the spiritual state, and where will you stay? I hope you will not want to have your teaching read or kept according to your holiness, for what would it be but mere superstition?
St. Paul, Phil. 1, 15. ff., boasts and is glad that the gospel was preached by some unruly, ambitious people, even by the enemies of the gospel, only to destroy the gospel. But thou, more precious and holy than St. Paul, thinkest to press my doctrine, where thou wouldst but raise an evil word from me; that thou mayest understand how thou, being blinded, seest not thy hatred and malice. Because you despair of the matter and do not like to break off my teaching, you turn your trunk and jaws on my life to desecrate it, so exactly that you also lie in wait for my word, because you
1) The Jena edition: ehrsüchtige; the Erlangen: ehrgyttige --- ehrgeizige. The Wittenberg wrong: ehrgüüge.
you cannot blame any work; you intend to write against my teaching and you write against my life. I mean, you got into the carnival and became the poet, as Horatius writes about, who pretended to make a barrel for him, and became a jug out of it. Just as he pretended to preach about love, and preached about the goose. Of course you do not have donkey's ears, as you yourself say; but see that you do not have donkey's brain and heart when you act so carelessly and without understanding.
If I had wanted to touch your life, do you think I would not have found something to write about? I could prove from your other book Assertio 2) that you confess that you bore hatred towards me, and out of hatred towards me wrote the first book of praise towards Bohemia; which you also deny so often in the same book, and always speak against your own mouth, in no place write without lies. But I have not wanted, nor do I want yet, to have anything to do with your or anyone else's life. I do not deal with life, but with teachings. Evil life is not almost harmful, because of itself; but evil teaching is the greatest evil on earth, which leads the souls with heaps to the 3) hell. Whether you are pious or evil does not concern me; I will attack your poisonous, lying and contrary to God's word doctrine, and with God's help I will counter it.
And that your deep art and great holiness may be astonished and blessed before me poor sinner and great fool, I say further and confess that I do not boast that I have ever started anything in God's name, as you boast with such high duties. How do you think now, Emser? Now let your pen crack or all the bells ring and shout loudly: It is all the devil's work that is in me, as you would have liked to have done in this murderous stab out of great love. Dear Emser, my heart is thus done that I hope I have begun it in God's name; but I am not so bold as to judge it and exclaim that it is certainly no different. I
2) D. i. Emsers "Aufrechterhaltung seines Bocks", the refutation against "Luthers Zusatz zu Emsers Bock".
3) In the old editions: gen Hölle.
1266 Erl. 27,215-217. IX. Luther's dispute with Emser. W. xvm, 1SSI-1SS3. 1267
I would not gladly suffer God's judgment over it, but I crawl to His mercy and hope that He will let it be started in His name; and if something unclean has been done to me, because I am a sinful man, living in the flesh and blood, that He will graciously forgive me and not judge me harshly.
This is how cowardly St. Paul makes me, 1 Cor. 4, 4. when he says: "I am not aware of anything; but by this 1) I am not justified. Neither do I judge myself; but God is he that judgeth me"; and David, Ps. 143, 2. "Lord, enter not into judgment with me; for there shall no living man stand justified before thee." But you, impudent, cowardly hero, far above St. Paul and all the saints, who have neither flesh nor blood, but are spirit and God, take it freely on God's last judgment, you do it all in God's name and without hatred, and offer equal defiance to the terrible judgment of God. Rather, strike him a cliff and pluck out his beard. 2)
It would perhaps be right that, where you were walking in the street in Leipzig, all the bells were rung and roses were placed under the feet of the new saint. And when you have signed me over, I ask that you also touch the last, divine, terrible judgment and write against it, as that would do you injustice, if your conduct would not be done in God's name; and entreat God, as you do, to enter into judgment with you. For you alone, before all men, have judged yourself and awarded yourself the crown, and you alone will be found justified.
Where do you want to go, Emser? Do you not see how your hatred blinds you, that you do not understand your own word and work? I have not read more frightening, more horrible words, so that my ears immediately shake at the fact that you are taking upon yourself God's final judgment. And if I had no reason to believe that you are lying and pretending everything you say and pretend, this horrible appeal of yours to the last judgment would be all too sufficient for me. For it can not be from
1) Jena edition: will.
2) Thus the Jena edition; the Wittenberg and Erlangen: also.
go to a right true heart, or all scriptures must be false. High swearing shows deep lies. But you meant to acquire faith by lying, and you have done so that your faith will be utterly disgraced. Who will believe you in one piece, when you call upon God's judgment with a false heart and lying words? But if you do not lie, your blindness is there and takes away your faith. For what good thing should you do in the divine Scriptures, if you are so stupid and blind that you do not understand your own word and heart, and God's judgment, and speak like a mad, drunken man?
Therefore, my advice would be that you remain a versifex and write your shameful verses; whether you lie or err would be without harm. For God's word and the Scriptures are too high for you, you start too horribly. I will also give thee notice to credence thy booklet, which thou liftest up, and complainest that my doctrine is so broken down, that there is no house where there is not a rebellion and dissension against me. My Emser, who has asked you to give a noble testimony against yourself to my doctrine? How could my doctrine be better strengthened than by such a confession of its worst enemy? God drives you, like Caiphas, Joh. 18, 14., that also your hatred must speak my best, just as you mean to speak the very worst. I have no stronger proof and miraculous sign for my hope that I began in God's name and teach the right word of God, than that it has been spread so quickly throughout the world, without my doing and seeking, and through innumerable resistance and persecution of all authorities and scholars, and is causing dissension. And if it had not done so, I would have long since become despondent and weary.
For that such work and rumor is the true nature of the divine word is testified by Psalm 147:15: "God's word runs swiftly"; and Christ, Luc. 21:15: "I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your opponents shall not oppose nor contradict"; and Matth. 10:34, 35, 36: "Ye
3) d. i. in turn.
do not think that I have come to send peace on earth. [I am not come to send peace, but sword and strife. For I am come to divide the son against the father, and the daughter against the mother; and to make man's enemies his own household."
If my teaching works in the world, as the enemy himself confesses, how can it be better for me than to hear it? Is it not a wondrous God who turns Balaam's malediction into benediction, and my enemies' gloom into my comfort, their defiance into my strength? Behold, how well thou, O thou handler of the holy scriptures, dost comprehend the divine word, the manner and the works! You want it to come in peacefully, to make no quarrel and to annoy no one. But Christ says. No; it may not and will not be so. If your first sixth is so grossly foolish in the beginning, what will the twenty that follow do? What you write will be vain foolishness and blasphemy, I think. You want to write little books and don't know how to begin; you intend to act God's word and don't know what his way is, where it ends 1) or serves; how do you think, dear goat, how did you push me so finely? Hope, you will push me in all pieces in such a way.
This is also the reason why I firmly believe that the pope's and all the sophists' theologians' books are in part the devil's teachings, because they were received with quiet peace and all honors, without contradiction of the world, and were feared and held higher than the holy gospel. Had they been of God, they would have pleased the lesser part, and would have become houses of dissension and martyrs 2) because of it. And you, holy priest of God and Christian lover, pretend to write peaceful doctrine that shall not offend, and invoke the Last Judgment. You do it without hatred in God's name. Dear, make St. Simeon a liar, since he says, Luc. 2, 34: "Christ is set up as a sign to be contradicted, and many will take offense at him.
1) lenden --- to direct, turn, guide.
2) In the old editions: Märterer.
bump, fall and rise." All the quarrels and wars of the Old Testament were a figure of the preaching of the Gospel, which must and should cause quarrels, disagreements, quarrels and rumors. In such a nature Christianity stood in the times of the apostles and martyrs, when it stood at its best.
It is a blessed strife, rebellion and tumult that God's word awakens; there comes right faith and strife against false faith; there come again the suffering and persecution and the right nature of the Christian people. So that such things do not happen, Emser thinks that one should preach other peaceful things. This is what the late Christian at Rome wanted for a long time and unfortunately achieved; which St. Paul calls operationem erroris, strong preaching and faith of error, 2 Thess. 2, 11.
For such preaching John Hus and Jerome of Prague were burned at Costnitz; for their doctrine also drove the goats and wolves to their heads and caused an uproar, so that in a council, when Emser's god, pope and cardinal were discussing how one should defend against their doctrine, especially against both figures in the sacrament, the Florentine cardinal came out and said: "Let the beasts eat and drink what they will, but they want to reform us and teach us the law, so let us fight against them." And the game went according to the same advice.
Just as my Cardinal St. Sixti 3) at Augsburg also did and pretended: If I only revoked the indulgence, there would be no need for the other, [they] probably wanted to find a distinction and an evasion. Thus they seek God's honor and the truth. Therefore, although Emser drags out [the] Aristotle and presses on me with [the] name of Hus and Jerome, I should rather be ashamed of Hus, because [of] Aristotle's honor, will gladly leave him the liar and jack Aristotle, find him in the pigsty or ass stable, so that Hus remains for me, who now, resurrected by God's grace from [the] dead, torments his murderers, the pope and his papists, stronger and more than when he was alive. And if Pabst and all Pabst's liars should burst
3) Cajetan.
1270 Erl. 27, 220-222. IX. Luther's dispute with Emser. W. LVIII, 1556 f. 1271
with malice, they must hear John Hus saying into their noses: You Christian murderers may shed innocent blood, but you will never keep it silent 1). Abel, who was too weak for his Cain alive, tortured him first of all when he was dead, Genesis 1.
4, 13. 14. I hope that it will also happen to me that I, like Samson, will also be able to read Judges.
16:30, do more harm to them in death than in life. For Christ's death also did more than His life, as He says, John 12:24: "The grain of wheat abideth alone, except it fall into the ground and die: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
It also does not bother me that he says it is a prophecy of a monk who is supposed to turn the world upside down. St. Paul and Peter are strong enough with me against all false prophets, both of whom have proclaimed the deception of the pope and his own. Even where I have the clear Scriptures, I respect none of them.
1) i.e. to silence.
Prophet, even if he came from heaven, because St. Paul, Gal. 1, 8, said: "We should not believe an angel from heaven, if he teaches differently than the gospel. But that the pope and his fellow tyrants have taught otherwise is evident. Hus has proven it, and so have I and many others; I will prove it even better. God help me.
And you, Emser, have wantonly presumed upon this matter, which is none of your business, and mixed yourself into it without need; I will watch you come out. You have stirred my pen anew, you will ever endure the game, and your name shall be told in many more books; do not complain. But if thou wilt revoke thy error, and depart from 2) hypocrisy, thou shalt soon make me silent and still. If not, do what you like. God help his truth. Neither to me nor to you, but to God alone be praise and glory, amen.
2) In the old editions: "des".