December 10, 1536.
To the respectable, highly esteemed Mr. Gregor Brück, the Right: Doctor, Electoral Chancellor of Saxony, my favorable master and dear godfather.
Grace and peace in Christ. Respectable, highly learned, dear Lord and Godfather. After you have informed me how my most gracious lord, moved by a letter from the Elector of Brandenburg and his cousins, has ordered you to receive a report from me on how my letter against the Cardinal of Mainz 2c... stands, I give you to understand that I think that the good princes almost mean well; to whom I also wish all the best with all my heart, but as I gave to understand at Torgau, and also orally to their C. and F. G., I would rather see them stop with their Lord cousin, the Cardinal, that he would improve himself and also listen once 2c. (which I therefore mean: he would have mocked enough of our dear Lord Jesus Christ until now and plagued poor people), which would produce more fruit than taking care of my letter. For my writing will bring little news without me thinking to unplug his nose, which he has so firmly plugged, and not wanting to smell how he stinks, so that he has to smell it. I am also again of the humble
Confidence against highly-named C. and F., they will mean that I cannot let it be called a tribe reviled, if I had to tell the truth to a boy, and the House of Brandenburg would accept it, as if the tribe were reviled with it, where I wrote a lot of evil from the Cardinal: they will accept more cheaply the dishonor, so the Cardinal with the deed puts on the tribe, and punish him even more for it, than I do. Otherwise it would be a new acceptance, where one praises or defends the one who does evil, and promises 1) or persecutes the one who punishes it.
The kings of Judah were of the highest and noblest tribe in all the human race; nor was the tribe reviled, since Isaiah punished King Ahaz, as did other prophets many kings. So now no tribe is so good, it carries sometimes one unrighteous child. And have to leave the imperial 2) rhyme unedited 2c. How would judges, yes, princes and lords stand, if they should be called reproachful, where they punish one of the good sex, for the sake of his badness?
1) to speak out - to speak evil against someone.
2) In the original: krystelichen; in the editions: kaiserlichen. The latter is undoubtedly correct. Cf. § 5 of No. 34 of this appendix, "keyserlichen" will be read in "krystelichen".
*This letter is found in the original at the Rhedig. Bibliothek in Breslau, subsequently printed in De Wette, vol. V, p. 34 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 157. Also in the Wittenberg (1559), vol. XII, p. 275; in the Jena (1568), vol. VI, p. 358; in the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. 917, and in the Leipzig, vol. XXI, p. 81. We have reproduced the text according to De Wette.
1884 Erl. 55, 158 f. 125 f. b. Wider Herzog Georg und Cardinal Albrecht. W. XIX, 2346 f. 1885
That thief would have been justified in saying that it was a great disgrace for him to be hanged. Yes, it is said: Dear journeyman, you should not steal either. O dear godfather, even with all the lawyers you do not come against me in this way. Summa, kings and princes are under God, who first wants to punish them with mercy, if they are wicked husks. Such merciful punishment the prophets have to do with words, but they have to suffer over it. Secondly, with wrath; God Himself punishes, and is then called: "He pushes
the mighty from the throne." But they laugh at the first punishment; therefore they must weep eternally for the other. If I do wrong to the Cardinal, then I sit here under a Elector of Saxony with justification. You shall accept this on this occasion in haste for report. If I should do better, I can do so (with God's grace, if I have time); for he must laugh very gladly, because he tickles himself so. Hiemit GOtt befehlt, Amen. Sunday after Nicolai. 1536.
E. willing
Martinus Luther.