January 3, 1523.
To the illustrious, highborn prince and lord, Mr. Georgen, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave in Thuringia, and Margrave of Meissen.
JEsus.
To stop raving and raging against God and His Christ, instead of my service before. Ungracious Prince and Lord, I have received Your Honor's writing together with the booklet or letter I am supposed to have written to Hartmann von Cronenberg, and I have especially had the place of which Your Honor complains read to me as concerning important infractions, soul, honor and reputation, since the same booklet is printed here and also elsewhere. Because E. F. U. now desires to know what I want to confess in it, my answer recently is: That it is the same for E. F. U., it will be taken for confessed, lain, sat, or run. For whatever I do or say against E. F. U., whether secretly or publicly, I offer myself up as right, and, whether God wills it, I will also receive it as right. But God will find the power. For where it is E. F. U. 1)
1) Luther first wrote G here, but corrigirte U. (Seidemann.)
If I were serious and did not lie so rudely that I was too close to E. F. U.'s soul, honor and good reputation, she would not blaspheme and persecute Christian truth so shamefully. However, this is not the first time that I have been lied to and maliciously exposed by E. F. U., so that I would have just cause to complain about the infractions concerning my soul, honor and good reputation. But I keep silent about all this, because Christ commands me to be favorable even to my enemies.
Which I have also done so far, with my prayer to God for E. F. U. And I still offer to serve E. F. U. with what I can, without any false request. If this is despised, I cannot go; therefore I will not fear to death for any bubble of water, whether God wills and my Lord Jesus Christ. May He enlighten E. F. U.'s eyes and heart and please Him, and make me a gracious, favorable prince, from E. F. U. Amen. At Wittenberg on the eighth of John. 1523.
Martinus Luther
By the Grace of God
Evangelist at Wittenberg.
2) In the original: leumat.
Some of Luther's letters concerning this section are found in the appendix to this volume, viz:
a. Luther's letter to Wenceslaus Link, January 7, 1523. Appendix, No. 6.
Duke Georg wrote to Luther, confronted him about the injustice done and questioned him about the letter to Hartmuth von Cronberg. Luther answered him in such a way that he will not like it.
b. Luther's letter to Spalatin, January 14, 1523. Appendix, No. 7.
Duke George will probably have already made his letter to Luther (No. 92) public, especially before the Elector Frederick and the Imperial Regiment. Luther does not want to publish it first, but he sends it to Spalatin. He also wants to send him his answer to Duke George, if Spalatin has not yet seen it.
c. Luther's letter to Spalatin, end of March
or beginning of April 1523. Appendix, No. 9. (Cf.
Seidemann, "Erläuterungen," p. 75, note).
Nothing new had happened between him and Duke Georg after the first letter. Count Albrecht von Mansfeld had cried out to Luther in this matter, not in the name of Duke George, but for himself, and had tried to persuade him to appease the Duke by a milder letter.
d. Luther's letter to Spalatin, April 25, 1523.
Appendix, No. 8.
Luther sends to Spalatin the letter that Duke Georg sent to Count Albrecht von Mansfeld Wider Luthern (which is full of rages, bluster and threats), which a friend had sent to Luther in confidence (on April 3) with the condition that he would not allow anyone to copy it. (Cf. De Wette, vol. II, 317 f.; Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 831 f.).
*) Where this letter is found is indicated in the previous number. We give it after De Wette VI, 37.
d. Because of the privilegii and the preface of Duke George before Emser's New Testament.
94 Preface of Duke George of Saxony to the New Testament, by the worthy and highly respected Magistrum Hieronymum Emser, the licentiate of law, emendirt anew, restituted everywhere and brought right 2c. *)
August 1, 1527.
1. We George, by the Grace of God, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen, do publicly confess and make known to all and sundry to whom this our writing comes, now and forever, and in remembrance of these things: that after Martin Luther, then an Augustinian monk, was not satisfied with his own condemnation, but also undertook with great diligence and earnestness to lead other people together with him to the same condemnation and to his godless sect, How he then in a short time has not only taken over and seduced the poor simple-minded and unintelligent common people, but also several great potentates, communes, and heads of the German nation by his glaring and heretical teachings, sermons, and writings.
2. Especially, however, by his presumptuous interpretation of the entire New Testament, which, contrary to the order and content of the holy Christian church, he has perverted, added to, and detracted from the proven texts in many places, riddled it with poisonous and heretical glosses, 1) rejected several entire books from it, and has reviled and rebuked the canonical writings of the holy apostles with shameful words, as for brazen letters, which held neither apostolic office nor kind in them, so that he alone might cover up his presumption and ungodly doctrine under the appearance of the Gospel and Word of God, and teach and authorize the people all the better. As such his false interpretation, printed in many thousands of copies, small and large in form, has been presented to the common man as the righteous gospel and word of God, and has been preached, read and held for it, thereby deceiving and seducing many a pious simple-minded person.
1) d. i. provided in the margin.
3. for this reason we, with temporal well-considered advice, and also, by order and command of the Roman Imperial Majesty, Caroli V., our most gracious Lord, we have forbidden the reported Luther's Interpretation and New Testament to our dear and faithful subjects, to avoid punishment and harm to body and soul, and have had it taken out of their hands, in a completely fatherly, guilty and good opinion, which the much-named Luther, together with some of his followers, have also most severely perverted and scolded us as a tyrant, persecutor and enemy of the holy gospel and word of God, and which we would not allow to be read and preached freely in our lands. Therefore, they harassed us to the point of unreasonableness.
4. For we hope to God that all those who know us well have never noticed or recognized otherwise than that we have gladly heard the Gospel and Word of God as accepted by the Christian Church, and that God would have us follow it in deed, and that we are not inclined to suppress the true Gospel and Word of God, but only Luther's and the other falsely named evangelical preachers' deceitful doctrine, preaching and writing in our lands. If God wills it, we also want to rest on this steadfastly and, by means of divine grace, persevere to the end of our lives. We trust and hope that even those to whom we are unknown, and those who will come after us, will have excused us from the following credible information and narration of the Lutheran and the other up-and-coming fanatics' doctrine and fruits that sprang from it.
*This preface of the duke, together with the writings included in the two following numbers, is found in the collective editions of Luther's works, namely in the Wittenberg (1569), vol. IX, p. 301; in the Jena (1566), M>. IV, p. 542; in the Altenburger, vol. IV, p. 639; and in the Leipziger, vol. XXII, p. 16. In all these editions the year 1528 is erroneously given, which, as Walch says in the introduction, p. 41, "is to be regarded as a printing error. Cf. Seckendorf. Rist. Luttt., ILb. I, p. 209. We have followed the text of the Jena edition.
5. For although Luther first began the matter with a semblance of a supposed reformation and improvement of the abuses that were supposed to be ingrained in the clergy and the secular, he subsequently let himself be heard with words and works that his mind was not to improve things, but even to overturn them; As he then famously said many times that he wanted to do it, he also spared no effort in it and very much dared that in a short time no church, monastery, church or monastery, no priest, monk or nun, and neither prince nor bishop should remain under heaven. He was not content with this, but also, partly through his subsequent fanatics and falsely named evangelical preachers, undertook to completely eradicate the entire Christian church and our holy faith, and to expel not only the dear saints, but also Christ Himself from heaven; as they then attacked, despised and abandoned one after the other.
6. first the Doctores scholasticos, then also the old holy teachers, who are called Ecclesiasticos. Which scriptures, canons, and decrees (given to them by the Holy Spirit for the betterment of the churches) they publicly burned with fire, had the holy images and crucifixes (which did not stand for idols, but only for the memory and remembrance of the simple people) broken and smashed in churches and in the streets.
7. all good works, namely: virgin chastity, fasting, praying, celebrating, going to church, processions, cloisters, litany, vespers, masses, matins and the other horas. In addition, the vigils, masses, funerals, thirtieths, anniversaries, and everything that is kept by the church for the benefit of the dear departed souls, along with all Christian and traditional and praiseworthy practices, not only blasphemous promised, but also even abolished and omitted.
8. they have become so completely carnal and savage that even on holy Fridays and the required feast days they eat and eat meat, not out of necessity but solely out of spite and contempt for the church, asking and demanding that after their death they not be buried in a consecrated place but like another unreasonable animal, that no good be done to them, nor that they be prayed for. And in order that they might remain free and unpunished in all this, they have for this reason also struck down the holy councils and all the power of the church, and have granted the common rabble the power, not only over the Scriptures and councils, but also over the church.
also to judge and punish the authorities, spiritual and secular.
9. Consequently, they have also been unintentionally subjected not only to the discontinuation of ceremonies and sacramentals, such as consecrated salt, water, spices, candles, and other things, which, as St. Paul says, are sanctified in the church through prayer and the Word of God, but also to the disrespect of the holy sacraments themselves, some of which they even reject and do not want to have for a sacrament, such as Confirmation, Holy Unction, Priestly Ordination, and Confession, together with Penance and the Repentance of Sins.
(10) Others, however, pervert and change it in various ways and forms, baptizing differently from what the Christian church has ordered and hitherto held praiseworthy, one in this way and another in that way, and some tell it that baptism is not at all necessary. Item, the sacrament of holy matrimony, which has been held in dignity and honor by males since the beginning of the world, they also tear apart in an unchristian way, allowing and giving two or more wives to a man and two or more husbands to a woman.
They have proclaimed the holy mass an abomination and idolatry, now in German, now again in Latin, and in various ways, contrary to the old Christian order, on none of which it is finally based, and even today the matter is not one among themselves. But beyond measure unchristian and in many ways they act and destroy the reverend sacrament of the tender Corpus Christi and blood of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. Which some, contrary to the order of the holy Christian church, want to have under two forms, some under none at all, some consider only the flesh and blood of Christ and not Christ Himself, some say that Christ is indeed there, but only as a man and not as a God. Some say that bread and wine together with the flesh and blood, others that it is only bread and wine and a bad sign, like a seal on a letter; as if we should not trust God, nor believe, without a letter and seal.
(12) For this reason, they do not show honor or reverence to this reverend sacrament, but turn their backs on it, stare like logs, and will not bow down to it, in whose name all knees in heaven, on earth, and under the earth must bow. Some go to it without any repentance and confession, touching it themselves with sinful hands, eating and drinking as if it were otherwise a common food or drink. They push the hosts into their pockets and play with them, which is an abomination to Christian ears.
When they hear this, they call it an idol and a devil, and trample it underfoot, some of whom are also punished embarrassingly for it.
This is undoubtedly because they do not consider Christ to be God, but only a bad man and prophet (as was recently publicly disputed by two apostates in Nickelsburg), and some do not consider him to be anything at all. They say that he was conceived in original sin, much less that he could have taken away other people's sins, with outrageous abuse of his most holy mother, the immaculate virgin Mary, who is held in greater reverence and honor by Turks and pagans than by these unchristian sacrilegious people.
14. From which ungodly teaching, preaching, disputation and writings nothing else sprang but these following tender fruits, as from a muddy quat or dung an unclean poisonous worm, namely not only a carnal, but also an animal and devilish freedom, self-will, sacrilege, disobedience and bloody rebellion of the poor seduced subjects, contempt, disgrace and blasphemy of all ecclesiastical and secular authorities, apostasy and wretched fall of the clergy, discarding of their habit, together with all discipline, shame and fear of God, forgetting their vows and oaths, the unseemly marriage of monks, priests and nuns, the dispossession of their goods, the destruction of their monasteries and churches, from which the vestments, chalices, monstrances, gold and silver censers and other sacred jewels, item stone, iron, stained glass windows and others, given for God's service and glory, have been have been sold on the open market, used for worldly pleasure, and the houses of worship have been turned into stables and other unseemly buildings, all worship and devotion of the people to God and His saints has been extinguished, and our holy Christian faith has been completely extinguished in many places.
(15) We are silent about many spiritual, pious virgins who were forcibly taken out of their monasteries and deprived of their virginal status and honor against God, honor and justice: although this is to be considered minor compared to the miserable murder, death and bloodshed of the poor deceived subjects and so many miserable widows and orphans, to which they have wantonly forced the authorities by their obdurate sacrilege and disobedience. But what is this to be counted against the damage and loss of so many Christian souls, whom Christ bought with his precious blood, and whom Luther and his adherents and subsequent false evangelicals have condemned to death?
The people of the city have again alienated themselves from the preachers, hawkmongers, and the spirits of the red men through their seductive teachings, and, as is unfortunately to be feared, have caused them to be eternally damned.
16 Since all this is publicly known and undeniable, for Luther has recently made himself famous in the booklet against the King of England's epistles, that none of the fanatics and the pagans knew anything special about Christ or the Gospel if Luther had not written and brought us into this freedom and light, or, even if they were so skilled, they would not have been so bold or thirsty to take up the matter.
17 Thus, every man of good character and constant pious Christian can well judge for himself whether we, as a Christian prince, did not have reason enough to forbid Luther's interpretation, teaching and writing to ours, and whether we did not justifiably bear a heartfelt displeasure and grievance over such unchristian conduct, pernicious damage and downfall of the noble German nation, contempt of God and eradication of our holy Christian faith. And, in the undoubted hope, only men who do not adhere to this sect will have excused us from the accusation 1) made by the Lutherans, now and for eternity.
18. For such dishonor and reproach was not encountered by him alone, but just as Jannes and Jambres Most, Simon the Magician Petro, Alexander and Hymenaeus Paulo, Ebion and Cerinthus Johanni, and Hermogenes Jaeobo resisted and murmured against them: Thus Luther has rebelled against the heads of the holy Christian church and all ecclesiastical and secular authorities, not only with outrageous invectives and words of shame, so that his mouth may well be called the mouth of the beast of which John writes in his Revelation on the 13th chapter. [V. 2.)
19. Finally, for further proof and clearer indication that we alone want to prevent the heretics' damned and deceitful word and doctrine, and not the true Gospel and Word of God, or to read or preach it, we have our dear devout, the worthy and highly esteemed Magistrum Hieronymum Emser, the right licentiate, to this end (because he earlier wrote Annotationes on Luther's interpretation, and indicated several hundred false passages therein), that he has now also taken this trouble upon himself, and read the entire New Testa-
1) d. i. Accusations.
The author, with his utmost diligence and ability, has emendated, restituted, and restored to its rightful place, in accordance with the order and the soundness of the proven old text and the description of the holy apostles and evangelists, and has also, as follows, let it go out in a manly manner by means of an open print.
(20) Which we have all the more graciously encouraged, so that henceforth no one among us may complain that the Gospel or Word of God is withheld or denied to him, and that every devout Christian may stand by the true and righteous Word of God, and may recognize Luther's and the other heretics' perverse interpretation, glosses and interpretations with the greatest care and guard against them.
(21) Those of us who will obediently accept and read this justified New Testament and true Word of God will be so much more pleased to know in grace and all good things, so much greater will be the benefit and piety of their souls' salvation that they will derive from our hope.
(22) But so that the reported emendation and justification is not perverted or changed by the heretics as soon as in the beginning by false emphasis.
We give the reported Licentiate Emser this freedom and privilege that in the next two years after the date of this open letter, no one in our lands, territories and principalities may reprint it and, even if it is printed outside, sell it, without his favor, knowledge and will, at the penalty and loss of two hundred Rhenish gülden, half of which any violator shall pay to our chamber and the other half to the above-mentioned licentiate Emser, in recompense for his toil and labor, and shall be obliged to answer. According to this, each one of them is to direct himself, and to prevent any damage. Given in our princely city and court Dresden, on the first day of August, after the birth of Christ our Savior, a thousand, five hundred, and in the eighth and twentieth year, 1)
1) This preface belongs, as has already been noted above, to the year 1527. For it follows from § 19 that Emser was still alive. The old editions may have reprinted this preface from the edition of 1528, and in this edition, the year of the earlier preface may have been changed to 1528, which was not uncommon at that time. Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition. Vol. XXII, Introduction, p. 24.