April 28 or 29, 1523.
Friedrich Churfürst and Johannes, brothers, Dukes of Saxony 2c., offer their friendly greetings to King Henry of England with royal dignity, and what they are able to do dear and good.
1st Most Serene King, especially dear Lord, uncle and friend! Your Royal Dignity's letter, which holds date at Grenwick [Greenwich], on the 20th day of February, we have received on the 27th day of April of this present year.
by handing over your honorary holder. 2) received, and all the contents heard.
2. and we do not wish to hold back your kind opinion that we have accepted your kind reminder, admonition and warning with good thanks, for which we also hereby express our kind thanks. For we note from this that your will and spirit, so
2) d. i. Herolds.
*This letter is found in Latin in Cyprian's "Nützliche Urkunden zur Ref.-Gesch.", Theil II, p. 276; in German in Spalatin's unnulid. rekoinrub. p. 61. In the German Allsgaben: Wittenberger, vol. IX, tot. 173; Jenaer (1585), vol. II, col. 198; Altenburger, vol. II, p. 286 and Leipziger, vol. X VIII, p. 213. We have followed the Jenaer edition. For the determination of the time, compare the last note to this writing.
The people of the city, who are well acquainted with us, are very friendly to us, as reported in the Scriptures, so that E. K. W. should think that we would also like to show ourselves as friends.
(3) And we should be sorry that in our times errors of the holy Christian faith should arise, and that nothing should be preached, taught, written, or done in any other way that is contrary to the holy faith, and that unchristian strife, division, indignation, and other troubles should arise from it. And it should be even more burdensome to us if it should be imposed, caused or promoted by us, as much as we understand it, for which God, the Eternal, may protect us as we ask.
(4) For the will of God and of men shall never decide and experience otherwise than that our will, mind and opinion has never been and is not yet to hold us, with the grant of divine grace, otherwise than as Christian men and obedient to the holy Christian church. If anything grievous should be done against His Holiness or anyone else, of higher or lower rank, and before against those to whom we are bound by obligation, or if anything else unchristian should be done, or should be done later, we would not like it, but would be truly sorry.
5 To this we should not be a little burdened, if E. K. W. encountered something repugnant and disastrous from the fact that the English 1) and Saxons, according to credible English and Saxon histories and chronicles, are related to each other due to their innate friendship, many hundred years ago.
For this reason, we do not wish to reproach His Holiness for the fact that we have never undertaken to represent Luther's teachings, writings and sermons, but have left everything to its own value and responsibility. As we, Duke Frederick 2c., have informed several nuncios of Papal Holiness, Mr. Leo the Tenth Blessed and the present Pope, Mr. Adrian the Sixth, partly in writing and partly orally, also Roman Imperial Majesty, our most gracious Lord, and other estates of the Holy Roman Empire at the Imperial Diet in Worms and many others.
7. have also never entered into things, because that we might have suffered, and still, that the holy gospel and divine word, doctrine and truth be preached and taught, and the glory of God and the love of neighbor be faithfully sought.
1) Jenaer: Engelleser.
8 Luther also went to Wittenberg last year against our knowledge and will, and wrote to us, Frederick, that he wanted to stand by everyone's rights, and in such a letter he confessed that he had come there against our knowledge and will; this was reported to the imperial regiment at Nuremberg at that time.
9th Because also E. K. W., as a highly knowledgeable, learned king, as they are praised, themselves report in their letter to us that they considered them rude and ill-mannered, that they should thus compare themselves, that they should enter into disputation with Luther and interpose; also that E. K. W. do not want to rage with the nonsensical, and never want to become so nonsensical that they should be annoyed that they are scolded by a nonsensical man for a nonsensical man: therefore, E. K. W., as the wise man, can easily see that it would be difficult for us, without divine Scripture, and as they are not sufficiently reported and experienced in such matters, to act or undertake anything that would be contrary to God and the world.
We also do not want to conceal the fact that after the Imperial Diet held at Nuremberg, Papal Holiness requested through her nuncio, among other things, to indicate to her ways and means how these things should be dealt with. Thereupon Imperial Majesty's Governors, Princes, Princes and Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, in which we have also had full power over ours, finally give the affected Papal Holiness Nuncio the answer that they know of no other means and ways to reject this and other complaints, except that Papal Holiness, with Imperial Majesty's approval, has a free, free, and free of charge right of the Holy Roman Empire. Maj. should proclaim a free Christian concilium in a convenient place in the German nation, and begin it as soon as possible within a year.
(11) For this reason we want to be hopeful to God, where such a free and Christian concilium is undertaken and God's honor, common benefit and the love of the neighbor are sought (for which we also want to ask), that God will give His grace that these things will also be diligently considered, acted upon and promoted for the benefit of common Christianity.
(12) For we must ever be unmoved by the comforting promise of Christ our Savior, made to us in Matthew chapter 18, vv. 19, 20, when He says: "If two or three of you become one on earth, why they should ask, it shall be done for them of My Father who is in heaven. For where
two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Yes, as God says Isa. 65, 24: "Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear". If we alone called upon GOD, the Merciful, in a right faith and trust. For as Christ, our Lord and Savior, Matth. 21, 22. and Marci 11, 24. says: "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in your prayers, believe only that ye shall receive them, and they shall be granted you." And St. Paul Rom. 4, 20. 21. writes: "Abraham was strong in faith, and gave glory to God, and knew in all certainty that what God promises He is able to do," and the word and the faith are so strong that, as Christ Himself says Matth. 16, 18: "even the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
(13) What will now be considered, approved and decided in the future Concilio by the assembly of common Christianity for the best and most conducive to the holy faith and the entire Christian Church, with Christian counsel and on the basis of the Scriptures of God: in this we want to keep and show ourselves, if the Almighty God will otherwise spare us our lives for so long, with the help of God, as Christian princes ordered by the grace of God.
For what and other reasons, God wills, it shall be found that we have not proven ourselves in this matter, and otherwise, of our hope, other than as befits Christian men.
(15) Accordingly, our friendly request to E. K. W. is that, if things were to come to them differently, they would not give credence to this, but would have excused us good-willingly; as we note from their letter that they have done without this from themselves until now; that we express special thanks to E. K. W..
16. for God, who eternally knows and recognizes the hearts and minds of all of us, we do not want nor know to boast, and do not doubt that God will decree everything according to His divine will, praise and gracious favor.
17 And because the Catholic Church also informs us in its letter that the Turks' nonsense, which at first only arose from two, is now spreading to land and water, which we have always found difficult to experience, and still: it is good to note that such troubles, because of our, the Christians', sin, extend so far and tear down so far. Therefore hold
We can do no better than to call upon God Almighty above all things for His grace to ordain such things for the comfort of us poor sinners, and that we may have peace and unity among ourselves as much as is humanly possible.
18 And we hope that Your Majesty, as a Christian king, will also be diligent, advise and help everywhere, so that war and disunity between Christians may be tolerated, and peace and unity may be established and maintained, and the enemies of the holy Christian faith may be resisted all the more effectively, and they may also be converted to God and the true Christian faith by God's help, for which Your Majesty, as a powerful, possible king, may do much good.
19. for E. K. W. know that God is a "prince of peace", as Is. 9, 6. is written, and through his prophet Jeremiah Cap. 29, 11: "I know well the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of sorrow, that I may give you the end that ye wait for." For this reason St. Paul also writes in his other epistle to the Corinthians at the last, v. 11: "Be at peace, and God will be with you of love and peace."
20 For we hope that God Almighty will grant us grace, therefore we also want to ask at all times to faithfully promote, as much as is in us, that which may suffice to strengthen divine honor and word, also the holy Christian faith and peace, and the love of our neighbor.
21 We did not want to behave in a friendly manner to your letter, and we kindly ask you to note this. We also hereby command you to maintain God Almighty, as our special dear Lord, grandfather and friend, for your blessedness. E. K. W. is blessed in the Lord. Datum Altenburg in Aprili Anno Domini 1523. 1)
Your Royal W. Oheime and Friends, Frederick, Elector, and John, Brothers, Dukes of Saxony,
signed with his own hand.
1) This date is found in both the Jena and the Wittenberg editions. Our letter is to be dated either April 28 or 29, because on April 27, the English herald delivered the letter of his king to the Elector, while we find the same already on April 30 at the court of Duke George of Saxony. (Cf. No. 77 in this volume, §1.)