See St. Louis edition, vol. XVII, 2074.
No. 2176.
To the clergy in Augsburg.
See St. Louis edition, vol. XVII, 2076.
1) These and also the following gaps are completed by us with the words in brackets.
No. 2177.
To the Mayor and City Council of Augsburg.
Luther wishes that the unity of the two churches may always exist from now on.
The original is in the city archives of Augsburg. Printed in the twelfth annual report of the historical district association for the administrative district of Swabia and Neuburg for the year 1846, p. 70; in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. 197 (with the wrong date: "Oct. 25") and in De Wette-Seidemann, vol. VI, p. 164.
To the honorable, prudent gentlemen, mayor and council of the imperial city of Augsburg, my favorable lords and good friends.
Grace and peace in Christ! Honorable, prudent, dear gentlemen! I am truly delighted in Christ from E. F.'s writings, from which I have heard how E. F. and your church preachers, leaders and congregations have so warmly liked my answer through Mr. Gereon, Doctor, and so earnestly inclined to unity with us. May the Father of all comfort and peace continue to give the spirit of His dear Son JEsu Christ in all our hearts, to increase and grow, so that such unity may remain thorough and pure from now on, so that one day the sighing of many pious hearts may cease, which spirit has been saddened by such a chip, and the papists may stop their revenge: Papists their revenge be stopped, who always boasted: Behold, they themselves are not one among themselves, and are excellently strengthened thereby in their abominations. I will (as I wrote before) leave nothing to be lacking in me, if God wills, and will not let such comfort and joy, which my dear God still shows me before my end, be taken away nor hindered, and I stand in right good hope that Christ has come with grace between and among us and wants to cast out the discordant spirit, and, as E. F. asks, I will not believe what else would be said to yours, for I have previously reported it all to E. F. and them. What I have also written to your preachers about a convention, they will report to you and will know how to use E. F.'s advice. F.'s counsel in this matter.
Christ, our dear Lord, strengthen E. F. with the right spirit to promote his holy name, kingdom and good pleasure, Amen. Wittenberg, quinto Octobris 1535.
E. F. williger
Martinus Luther.
Letters from the year 1535. No. 2178 to 2181.
No. 2178.