February 11, 1536.
1. grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, wise, dear friends! I must answer your writing briefly this time, because I am overwhelmed with business, and also weak 2c.
2. and is my faithful warning, beware of the high spirit that wants to enter you, and have this as a sign that he comes from himself and casts himself out, when God speaks in the prophet Jeremiah Cap. 23, 21: "I did not send them, and they ran; I commanded them nothing, nor did they preach or teach."
3 Therefore let seals and letters show you who sent him; or give signs from God that he was called by God or man. If not, let him be silent and shun him. For what God calls or sends, He does in a proper way, either by signs or by the testimony of men.
(4) Secondly, notice the devil in this, that he is afraid to go to preaching, even though Christ is preached purely; yet St. Paul rejoices that his gospel was preached even through hatred and envy in the judgment house at Rome, and allows Christians to go to idolatrous houses as guests, and yet they are not partakers of idols, as you may read in 1 Cor. 8 [and] 9. For such partaking is spiritual, and not bodily. Otherwise a Christian would not have to eat or drink with the wicked, nor talk or trade with them.
5. 2 Kings 5:18, 19. The prophet Elisha allows Naaman the prince to worship the right God in the temple of Rimmon of his king. And Jeremiah writes to the captives of Babylon that they were worshiping idols.
Servants should worship God, and not worship idols with the others. And how wise such a spirit is, he shows also herewith that he leads the saying, Christ is not here or there 2c. Is Christ not here and there (at Leisnig); how then is he at Freiberg in his house? Or does not Freiberg 1) also mean here and there, all places where you go or stay? Why then does he want to give the sacrament in his house, since his house must be called here?
And what a hopeful lie is that, if he calls it pilgrimage, when someone receives the sacrament or hears a sermon in Leisnig, or do we not know what pilgrimage means, 2) that the spirit must interpret it to us with new language? It would be good for the authorities to do this and to keep the spirit silent, because he would like to take you to Freiberg to a bath. Take good care of yourselves! By all means, do not let yourselves be persuaded that every householder should give the sacrament in his house. For I may teach at home, but I am not a public preacher, for I would be publicly appointed. St. Paul also speaks of the sacrament in 1 Cor. 11, 20 ff. that we should come together and not make each one his own supper.
7 Therefore it is not spoken: The sacrament is made by the word, therefore I may make it in the house. For it is not God's order and command; but he wills,
1) The words: "in his house - Freiberg" are missing in the editions.
2) "or - hot" is missing in the outputs.
*) This letter is found in the Wittenberg edition, vol. XII, p. 202; in the Jena edition (1568), vol. VI, p. 349; in the Altenburg edition, vol. VI, p. 907; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. 87; in the Erlanger, vol. 55, p. 123 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 673. Further, in the "Trostschriften" published at Jena by Rödinger's heirs, pp. b ij ff, with good variants given to De Wette, vol. VI, p. 486, note 3, almost all of which we have included. Otherwise, we give the text of the letter according to the Jena edition. The postscript, which is found in a copy in Ooä. ekart. OotU. No. 401, is printed in Burkhardt's "Briefwechsel", p. 245 f., and included by us.
that the sacrament is administered by public ministry. For the sacrament is instituted for public confession, as Christ says, "Do this in remembrance of me," that is, as St. Paul says, "Proclaim and confess the death of Christ."
8 But how can I write everything so abstemiously and so briefly? I advise you to beware of this spirit, for it has often appeared to me, and has always been disgraced with its boasting.
(9) Go ye with the church, and let the priests do what they do. Where they preach the gospel, hear them; ask nothing of their doings, if they speak the word only, as Christ saith, Matt. 23:2, 3: "They sit in Moses' seat. What therefore they say, hear, and do; but after their doings do ye not."
10. what may the evil spirit say, if all that is not God's word, which the papists have, where then did we get the baptism and the whole Bible? or shall we then make a new Bible by this spirit? The Jews have the Bible, and we all got it from the Jews, so I hear if I heard a Jew read the prophets, it would not have to be called the prophets. Why then does St. Paul, Apost. 13, in the Jewish school at Antioch? But I cannot have more time now. Hiemit GOtt commanded, Amen. Friday after Dorothea, 1536.
D. Mari. Luther.
[Postscript.]
Tell also the other good friends, so Magistri Antonii 1) half of Leisnig wrote to me, that I heard such their heart almost gladly, and of my fortune I will gladly do the best, but they also wanted to help advise how it should be done. The good man works very hard and faithfully; but such a great disagreement has arisen between him and the parish priest there that I have no other advice to find but that he be taken from there, in addition to the fact that he also has little pay there. But this should not prevent a time when the priest and he could serve God and the souls in love and unity, so that the trouble would stop. The priest wants to be right and is not easily repudiated. So I also know and know well Magistrum Antonium that such trouble and discord hurts me, and I do not know how to advise him without divorce. Now ask both of you, as I have done, that the parish priest will not allow himself to be challenged and find a good means even in this, as he thinks that agreement can be reached between the two. For it is truly no good, lind evil mouths get cause to speak, which is not good. Hereby commanded by God. On Friday after Dorothea, Anno in 1536.
1) M. Antonius Lauterbach. Cf. Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 1416, Luther's letter to the council of Leisnig.