Luther writes to this man, who still had a lot of attachment to the papacy, with much mildness and instructs him to seek the right knowledge in prayer with God.
2) Instead of: alii casus, qui aliquid suadent we have assumed: aliqui casus, qui aliud suadent.
3) Jonas, "Wilch die rechte Kirche, Und dagegen wilch die falsche Kirche ist". Wittenberg, G. Rhaw. 1534.
From the Hanische Sammlung at Kiel in Schütze, vol. 11, p. 282, and vol. II, p. 260, from Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 158 (under the year 1532 to Georg Funk); in Strobel- Ranner, p. 218 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 438 f. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1404.
To the man to be highly honored in the Lord, Mr. Georg Held, Christ's disciple, his brotherly friend.
Grace and peace in Christ! The very good man, Mr. Nicolaus Hausmann, has told me about your sincere godliness in the Lord, dearest brother, although it is still weak and still very attached to the reputation of the pope and council; therefore I am not surprised about you. For I, too, having lived as an Augustinian for almost twenty years, have been so entangled and completely immersed in the same opinion that you are in, through long custom and habit, that if God had not torn me out of it with obvious force (of which Nicolaus told you), I could perhaps never have been dissuaded by words, although everything was exceedingly certain to me. It was so difficult to put the word into practice and to dare to do myself what I had taught as certain. How much less is it to be wondered at that you, who (as I hear) in so many years have become accustomed to this way of life, and have not (like me) been forced to daily assert the word of God against it, are so minded. Therefore, do not despair, but do this: pray from your heart that the Lord Jesus may grant you to see this divine dialectic, which teaches that Christ is something other than Moses, the Pope and the whole world, yes, something other and greater than our conscience, which is nevertheless more valid than Moses and the Pope. For if Moses and your conscience, which torments and accuses us by the law, must be believed, how much more must we believe him, the Lord over all things, Christ, who said, "Believe," and again, "In vain do they serve me with the commandments of men." There may be innumerable popes and innumerable conciliarities here, but what are they against Christ? certainly a drop against the sun. But this you will learn in time by praying, for it is too great to be grasped suddenly by a mind that has been used to something far different for a long time. I speak as one who has
Therefore, I believe you easily. But I exhort you to persevere diligently both in prayer and in doing, and the Lord will be with you. I wish that the same thing that I say or write to you be read and said to Mr. Roseler, and I desire that you greet him with your words and with my heart. Fare well in Christ, who may make you stronger day by day, Amen. On Friday after Lätare [March 28] 1533.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 1964.