The council expresses its gratitude for Luther's two letters (No. 2144 and 2145), as well as for the efforts to provide them with a preacher. They are pleased about the concordia work that has come about, against which they do not want any sects to arise.
From Cod. Goth. 40, fol. 205 in Burkhardt, p. 240.
To the worthy, highly esteemed Mr. Martin Luther, Doctor of the Holy Scriptures, our dear Lord, we, the mayors and councillors of the city of Augsburg, offer our friendly, willing services beforehand. Worthy, highly esteemed,
Letters from the year 1535. No. 2167 to 2168.
Dear Doctor! We have received two letters of your dignity, pleasing and offering, besides our envoy, Doctor Gereon Seiler's, relation, done to us for his homecoming, of which everything, especially also the diligence, on our part, first with our dear Lord Doctor Urbano Regio, and subsequently, when he could not be raised, with Magister Johann Förster, and then demonstrated other goodwill to the aforementioned our envoy, we thank him kindly, and request that he return this to us for your sake. W. in return and to owe it to you. Then we further enjoy the beloved settlement, achieved by means of divine graces. As much as we (if God wills) do not want to omit anything that might be in its favor, but do not want to undertake or allow anything that might be detrimental or detrimental to it, but [promote it, so] 1) we have given our special dear and good friends, those of Strasbourg, Ulm and other cities in the upper part of the country, such an accepted agreement and received joy through the above-mentioned Doctor Gereon, who have been pleased by it no less than we, and, as much as in them, are also willing to keep it, as E. W. has also heard from them themselves. W. will also hear from them himself. Hereupon our friendly request comes to your dignity, whether sooner or later something (important) would be attributed to the association, in advance by special persons, or otherwise indicated, that they do not believe the same indications behind the back of the superiors, but always want to make such indications and other their concerns known to the 2) superiors themselves, and then hear their report. For if some misguidance, sects or repugnant teachings, which God would graciously prevent, would arise among us, we are inclined to stop such seductions with God's help in due time and to turn them to betterment according to E. W.'s well-founded (grounded) counsel, nor are we less inclined than other Christian estates or members of eager diligence. For God Almighty may graciously preserve E. W. for the consolation of the Christian churches in long-lasting health and keep us all in constant unity. Date on September 8, 1535.
No. 2167a.
Johann Forster in Augsburg to Luther.
(Regest.)
Förster reports that the council, after hearing him preach for thirteen days, gave him the parish of St. Johannis with the approval of all the preachers of the city.
1) Added by us.
2) Burkhardt: "dem".
The ceremonies and customs were quite different from those in Wittenberg, but he believed that they could be tolerated. The Lord's Supper is publicly acknowledged to have the body and blood of Christ present, but not as much as the Wittenbergers; this is due to their ignorance and not to their malice, for they strive to maintain the concord. They are right about baptism. In the sermons and in the treatment of the Word, the clergy are very similar to their masters Zwingli, Oecolampad, Pellican, Bucer 2c. Forster wanted to push the article of justification, then also the doctrine of the two sacraments. About the plague that reigns in Augsburg and continues to spread. He asks "Luther" to answer the imperial cities, and that he keep Melanchthon from traveling to France because of the king's disloyalty and cruelty. A series of greetings.
No. 2167 b.