Reply to the letter of the Council of April 8: that public absolution should not be punished and should be rejected.
Letters from the year 1533. no. 1969 to 1972.
The original is said to be in the library at Nuremberg, as stated by De Murr, I, p. 209, but could not be found by Ranner. Handwritten in Cod. Gallij, II, p. 235 and in Cod. Palatin. 435, p. 5. printed according to the original given to him by the priest Nopitsch in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 444 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 8. according to the manuscripts in Corp. ref.
To the honorable and wise, mayors and council of the city of Nuremberg, our favorable lords.
God's grace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Honorable, wise, favorable lords! To E. W. We have discussed these questions among ourselves, and do not know how to punish and reject the public common absolutio, for this reason, because the preaching of the holy gospel itself is basically and actually an absolutio, in which forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to many persons in general and publicly, or to one person alone, publicly or secretly; Therefore the absolutio may be used publicly in common, and also especially secretly, as the preaching may be done in common or secretly, and one may comfort many in common, or one especially alone; For although not all believe in it, the absolutio is not to be rejected, for all absolutio, whether it be common or particular, must be understood as requiring faith and helping those who believe in it, just as the gospel itself proclaims forgiveness to all men in all the world, and excludes no one from this absolutio; but it nevertheless requires our faith and does not help those who do not believe in it, and must nevertheless remain the universalis. But that here it may be considered that no one will desire the private absolutio, if one has the common one and lets it remain, to this we say that it has the form in right concern, that the consciences nevertheless need this special consolation; For the consciences must be taught that the consolation of the gospel is for each one in particular, and for this reason the gospel must be applied to each one in particular through Word and Sacrament, as you, as those of understanding, know that each conscience in particular disputes whether this great grace, which Christ beckons, also belongs to it. It is easy to understand,
1) Thus the Corp. ref.; De Wette: "how far".
that the private absolutio should not be dropped alongside it, and this applicatio 2) also shows more clearly the understanding of the gospel and the power of the keys; for very few people would know how to use the common absolutio or accept it if they did not remember this applicatio alongside it, that they should also accept the common absolutio as if it were every special one, and that this very thing is the gospel's own office and work, certainly forgiving sins by grace. For these reasons we hold that the common absolutio is not to be rejected, nor is it to be dismissed, and that one should nevertheless receive the private applicatio s[ive] absolutio alongside it. God preserve E. W. always graciously. We are always ready to serve E. W. willingly. Date Wittenberg, Friday after Easter Day [April 18] Anno 1533.
D. Martinus Luther.
Philip Melanchthon.
No. 1970.