Luther excuses his silence with his many affairs; of his overcoming illness, and greetings.
The original is in the von Wallenrodt Library at Königsberg. Printed in Vogler's collection, Königsberg 1622; in Acta Borussica, I, 802; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 253 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 689.
To the man to be highly honored in Christ, Mr. Johann Brismann, a true doctor of theology and now an extremely faithful preacher at Königsberg, his very dear brother in the Lord.
Grace and peace! Your letters have always been pleasant to me, my dear Brismann; that I have not always answered them, you give yourself the reason for that in your letter, for I am very busy. But the preoccupations are not so much to blame as the messengers, who, either out of prudence or preoccupied by their own affairs, often neglect me, even when I have written. Besides, being already old and more than once seriously ill, I am compelled to refrain from much greater things than writing letters to friends, to whom I have a firm confidence that they will not need this irritant of friendship, but will also, when I am dead, be lively and busy ministers of the doctrine of Christ, among whose number I have always thought you one of the first. Christ has begun the good work in you, who bless and strengthen you in these exceedingly evil times. But Christ conquers and reigns, amen.
Greetings from me reverently Mr. Poliander and all colleagues, but also D. Basilius Axt with his own.
I rose from death with Christ this Easter, because I was so ill that I was convinced that I had to go to Christ our Lord, which I eagerly expected and desired, but there was another will in heaven, namely that I should see more evil until the pit. For the evil spirits, who have been beaten by God so often, still do not stop raging, as you also write, because their God does not stop roaring and seeking whom he may devour. Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray bravely in faith and be vigilant. Surely he does not sleep.
Fare well in Christ, my dear brother, and pray for me that our Lord Jesus Christ may take me away from this evil world at a good hour, Amen. On the first day of May 1536.
Martin Luther, D.
No. 2236.
To Anton Rudolph, Weinmeister at Weimar.
See St. Louis edition, vol. X, 720.
N o. 2237