This is the first time that the author has written a book about the history of the Church of God,
Concerning the indulgence, which he again had erected in Halle after Tetzel's death 2c.*)
December 1, 1521.
1. my willing services are E. C. F. G., most gracious Lord, before. There is no doubt that C.F.G. has in good, fresh memory how I wrote twice in Latin to C.F.G., only 1) in the beginning of the lying indulgence, which went out under C.F.G.'s name, in which I faithfully warned C.F.G., opposing out of Christian love the wild, seductive, money-addicted preachers and the heretical, disbelieving books.
2) And although I might have driven the whole storm, where immodesty pleases me, on E. C. F. G., as on him, who handled such under his name and knowledge, with printed title, written on the heretical books 2), I have nevertheless spared E. C. F. G. and the House of Brandenburg. C. F. G. and the house of Brandenburg spared, thought, E. C. F. G. thät solches ans unverstand und Unerfahrung, durch andere falsche Ohrenbläser verführt, an denen ich mich allein angehängt, wie mit manchen Mühe und Gefahr, ist E. C. F. G. wohl wissend.
3. but such my faithful admonition has brought ridicule, and at E. C. F. G. ingratitude for
1) On 31 Oct. 1517. Walch, old edition, vol. XV, 479. There with wrong date: I. October.
2) This refers especially to "The summary instruction of the Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg for the sub-commissioners, kosuitsutiarios and confessors, who would like to be appointed for the execution of the gracious indulgence...". would like to be ordered." Walch, old edition, vol. XV, 370.
Thanks received. I have written the other time 3) most humbly, offering myself to take instruction from E. C. F. G. I have received a harsh, naughty and unchristian answer. To take instruction from E. C. F. G., I received a harsh, naughty, unbishoply and unchristian answer, which pushed the instruction to me to higher power.
4 If the two writings did not help, I still do not let up, and according to the Gospel I will also do the third warning to E. C. F. G. in German, if it will help, so superfluous, unobligatory warning and pleading.
5 E. C. F. G. at Halle has now raised up again the idol who deprives the poor simple-minded Christians of money and soul, so that it may be freely publicly known how all the clumsy rebukes, 4) done by Tetzel, were not his alone, but the Bishop of Mainz's will, who also, regardless of my sparing, wants to attribute this to him alone.
6 Perhaps E. C. F. G. thinks that I am now of the plan, now wants to be safe from me and to dampen the monk by the imperial majesty. I let that happen. But E. C. F. G. should still know that I want to do what Christian love demands, not even the infernal gates, let alone unlearned men, popes, cardinals and bishops.
3) On 4 Feb. 1520. Walch, old edition, vol. XV, 1640.
4) The Wittenberg edition "Thaddel"; in the others: "Taddel". The meaning is: tadelnswerthe things.
*) This letter is found in the Wittenberg edition (1569), vol. IX, p. 129; in the Jena edition (1564), vol. I, p. 556; in the Altenburg edition, vol. I, p. 925; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XVII, p. 603; in the Erlangen edition, vol. 53, p. 95 and in De Wette, vol. II, p. 112. We reproduce the text of the Wittenberg edition.
I will neither suffer nor be silent that the bishop of Mainz should pretend that he does not know, or that it is not his duty to teach, if a poor man desires it of him and wants to know about it, and impudently 1) drive for and for, if it is to carry him money. I do not want to be scolded; one must sing and hear about it in a different way.
Therefore, my humble request to C.F.G. is that C.F.G. would leave the poor people unguided and unrobbed, that he would show himself a bishop, not a wolf. It has been made clear enough that indulgences are mere fraud and deceit, and Christ alone should be preached to the people, so that C.F.G. cannot be excused by ignorance.
E. C. F. G. want to be mindful of the beginning, what a terrible fire has become out of the small despised little spark, since all the world was so sure of it and thought that some poor beggar would be immeasurably too little for the pope and would not be able to do anything. God has still passed judgment, given the Pope with all his own enough to create, against and above all the world's opinion, led the game to such a point that the Pope can hardly be restored; it is also getting worse with him every day, that one may grasp God's work in this.
The same God is still alive, but no one doubts that he can withstand a Cardinal of Mainz, even though many emperors held him in high esteem. He also has a special desire to break the high cedars [Ezek. 31, 3. 10.] and to humble the arrogant Pharaohs [Ex. 14, 28.]. The same, I ask, would not want to try E. C. F. G. nor despise, his art and power is no measure.
10. E. C. F. G. only do not think that Luther is dead. He will insist on the God who humiliated the pope, so freely and cheerfully, and start a game with the Cardinal of Mainz, which is not much provided for. Do, dear bishops, together, young lords you may remain; you shall not yet silence nor deceive this spirit. If, however, any disgrace should befall you that you do not now reassure yourselves of, I hereby warn you.
11. therefore be E. C. F. G. finite and
1) Thus the Jenaers; Wittenbergers: freely.
I have to let it be a necessary, urgent and unavoidable reason for me, for the sake of divine doctrine and Christian blessedness, to publicly attack C.F.G., as well as the pope, to cheerfully persuade such an authority to bring all the previous abominations of Tetzel upon the bishop of Mainz and to show all the world the difference between a bishop and a wolf. Then E. C. F. G. may know how to judge and how to keep.
If I am despised, one will come who will despise the despiser again, as Isaiah says [33:1]. I have admonished E. C. F. G. enough; it is henceforth time, according to St. Paul's teaching [1 Tim. 5, 20.], to publicly revile, ridicule and punish the public evildoers before all the world, so that the offense may be driven from the kingdom of God.
13 Secondly, I ask that the C.F.G. abstain and leave in peace the priests who, in order to avoid unchastity, have entered or want to enter the conjugal state, not to deprive them of what God has given them, since the C.F.G. has no reason or justification for this, and all wanton sacrilege is unbecoming of a bishop.
(14) What is the use of you bishops, that you ask so insolently by force, and make hearts bitter against you, and will not nor may not prove the cause nor the right of your doings, what think ye? Have ye become vain giants and nimrods of Babylon? Deut. 10:8, 9] Do you not know, you poor people, that iniquity, tyranny, 2) because it has no semblance, because it denies common prayer, cannot long endure? How do you hasten to your accident, as the foolish, which will come all too soon for you yourselves!
15 E. C. F. G. sees from this that if this is not stopped, a cry will arise from the gospel, saying how fine it would be for the bishops to tear their beams out of their eyes first [Luc. 6, 42.], and that it would be fair for the bishops to drive their whores from themselves before they divorced pious wives from their husbands.
16. I ask, E. C. F. G. want to take care of themselves, to give me favor and space to weld.
2) sacrilege, tyranny - frevele tyranny.
gen. I have no love nor desire in E. C. F. G. dishonor and dishonor; but yet, where there is no cessation of dishonoring God and dishonoring His truth, I and all Christians are guilty of holding on to God's honor, although all the world, I remain silent, a poor man, a cardinal, would have to be disgraced by it. I will not be silent; and even if I do not succeed, I hope that you bishops will not sing out your little song with joy, because you have not yet exterminated all those whom Christ has awakened against your idolatrous tyranny.
17) To this I ask and wait for E. C. F. G. correct, prompt answer within fourteen days.
days. For after certain fourteen days, my booklet against the god in Halle will go out, if a mean answer does not come. And if this writing would be undertaken by E. E. F. G. councilors, that it would not come to hand, I will not let myself endure that. Councillors shall be faithful; so shall a bishop order his court, that what is to come before him may come before him. May God grant E. C. F. G. His grace for a right mind and will. Given in my desert, Sunday after the day Catharinä. Anno 1521.
E. C. F. G. willing and subject Martinus Luther.