Sept. 1, 1525.
From Latin
To the Most Serene Prince and Lord, Henry VIII, King of England
and Ireland.
I. Grace and peace in Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen. Most Serene King and Prince! Although I should have shied away from writing to your royal dignity and majesty, for the reason that I have
ischen translates.
I am aware that I had highly angered and offended the same E. K. dignity with my little book against E. M. (not caused by myself, but by those who do not mean well with E. M.), which I have printed foolishly and hastily.
2 Nevertheless, it is not only Your Majesty's royal kindness that makes me so happy, as the same
*) This epistle is found in Latin in Aurifaber, vol. II, toi. 290 d; with a better text in the Latin Wittenberg edition, vol. II, toi. 533; together with the reply of the King of England in an edition organized by Joh. Cochläus at Cologne in 1527, with XUmonitio loimnrük Ooolüuei in ntruingue opistolnm and other additions. In the excerpt, with omission of the passages from which one can clearly see that Luther did not want to revoke his kehre, in Ooinmenturiu loiiunnis Oooiiiuei, äs nötig et goriptig Nurtini I^utüori, p. 135. German in the Wittenberg edition, vol. IX, toi. 234; in the Jena (1556), vol. Ill, toi. 360; in the Altenvurger, vol. Ill, p. 486; twice in the Leipziger, vol. XIX, p. 358 and p. 549. Emser also published a German translation of this letter in 1527 under the title: Ein Sendbrief M. Luther's letter to the king of England, Henry the Eighth, in which he asks for forgiveness and mercy for having foolishly and too harshly violated the aforementioned king, with the promise to revoke it. The last reported by! King etc. Answer from the above-mentioned epistle, useful and Christian reading for every Christian. Cochläus says that he made the German translation together with Emser. - In Latin, this letter is also found in De Wette, Vol. MI, p. 23; our translation is based on this.
is praised by many in writing and orally from day to day, such confidence and courage that I believe that E.M. will not harbor eternal anger and enmity because she recognizes that she is mortal, because she recognizes that she is mortal, will not harbor eternal anger and enmity, but also that I have learned from credible witnesses that the booklet which went out against me under Your Majesty's name is not the King of England's writing, as the deceitful sophists wanted to make it out to be, who, misusing the title of E. M. did not realize the danger they were putting themselves in by disgracing the royal name, especially the monster to whom God and men are openly hostile, the Cardinal of York, 1) this ruin of your kingdom, so that now I cannot lift my eyes against E. M. because of great shame. M., since I have allowed myself to be so recklessly moved by these wicked people, against such a great king, especially since I am an unworthy man, yes, a worm, whom one should have overcome only by contempt, or left unnoticed.
In addition to this, although I am small, this has seriously moved me to write, that Father M. has begun to be well-disposed toward the Gospel and is very displeased with such loose people. This news was a true gospel to my heart, that is, a joyful message.
Therefore, with this writing, I throw myself at the feet of Father as humbly as I can, and I ask and beg that Father, for the sake of the love and suffering of Christ and His glory, will deign to condescend and forgive me for whatever I have offended Father with, as Christ Himself asked and commanded that we also forgive one another's trespasses.
5 Furthermore, if it should not seem too small to Her Majesty that I recant in another public book and again show honor to Her Majesty's name, then she should graciously give me to understand this, and I will then do it without any delay with great pleasure. For even though I am a petty human being compared to Your M., it would nevertheless be of no small benefit and piety for the
1) Edward Lee.
Gospel and the glory of God, therefore, if I were granted to write to the King of England about the cause of the Gospel.
6. however, as He has begun, let God also make her understand that she is inclined and obedient to the Gospel with all her spirit, and that she does not let her royal ears or heart be taken in by the pernicious voices of the sirens, who can do nothing but proclaim Luther a heretic; but rather let her understand what evil I can teach, because I teach nothing but that through faith in Jesus Christ I am the Son of God. M. should rather consider for himself what evil I can teach, because I teach nothing else than that we must be saved through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who suffered for us and was raised again, as the holy Gospels and the letters of the apostles testify. For this is the main point and the basis of my teaching, on which I then build and teach the love of neighbor, obedience to worldly authority, then also the crucifixion or mortification of the sinful body, as the Christian teaching prescribes. What then is evil in these main points of Christian doctrine? Wait and hear, and then judge. Why am I condemned, since I have neither been questioned nor overcome?
7. further, that I punish the abuse and tyranny of the bishops, who teach other things than the aforementioned main points [of Christian doctrine], yes, the opposite, and meanwhile seek income, splendor, carnality, yes, kingdoms, principalities and all the world's goods: does not the common man also notice this and condemn it, and do they not have to confess it themselves? Why do they not mend their ways and teach rightly, if they want to be free from hatred and blame?
(8) There is no doubt in your mind what great princes in Germany, how many rulers, and in addition how many highly knowledgeable people hold with me, and by the grace of God want to know that the teaching of the gospel, which has been cleansed from me by the special grace of Christ, is not condemned. Would to God that the Lord Christ would also add K.K.M. to their number and separate him from these murderers of souls.
9. but what wonder is it that the emperor
and some princes rage and rage against me? Is it not written in the 2nd Psalm, "Why do the nations rage, and the people speak in vain? The kings of the land rebel, and the lords counsel with one another against the Lord and his anointed"? that it is rather a miracle if some prince or king loves the gospel. Oh, how I wish with all my strength that I could rejoice and be glad about such a miraculous work in His Holiness! And may the Lord, before whose eyes and according to whose will I am writing this, give strength to my words, so that the King of England will soon become a perfect disciple of Christ and a confessor of the Gospel, and also Luther's gracious
most gracious lord, amen. If it should please E. M. to answer me, I expect a gracious and kind answer. Wittenberg on the first of September in the year of the Lord 1525.
Your Royal Majesty.
most subservient
Martin Luther.
With your own hand.
1) In the Emser edition, the date is September 7, 1525. The wrong year 1526 is found in the Jena, Altenburg and Leipzig editions. In the latter, the correct number has been placed above it once, Vol. XIX, p. 358. That September 1, 1525 is the correct date is evident from the first lines of the next following text.