Luther expresses his joy at the acceptance of the Concordia on the part of the Augsburgs.
The original with seal is at Augsburg in the city archives. Printed in Kolde's Analecta, p. 244.
To the honorable and prudent gentlemen, mayors and councilors of the city of Augsburg, my favorable gentlemen and friends.
G. and peace in Christ. Respectable, careful, dear gentlemen and friends! I have received your writing next to your preacher's letter, and have heard with joy that
1s "Your" put by us instead of "Your", since T[uus] is in any case accidentally instead of V[ester] in our template.
2) This date is Kolde's Conjectur, which is very probable, since Luther wrote on the same day to the preachers in Augsburg.
Letters from the year 1536. No. 2269. 2270. 2271.
you like the concordia that has been set up, I will report this to my most gracious Lord and others, who, if God wills, will also be pleased with it. Your. F[ürsichtigkeit] thus want to remain and continue until it finally comes to a decision, and in the meantime help to inform the people with time and also with reason, so that the truth comes forth, and where there is still error or misunderstanding in someone's heart, it is also eradicated. Hereby commanded by God, Amen.
Martinus Luther.
No. 2270.
To Johann Förster in Augsburg.
About the harmony that is not held particularly well in Augsburg and the disturbances that are to be feared from there.
From Cyprian's collection in Gotha in Schütze, vol. III, p. 14 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 14.
To the worthy and godly man, Mr. N. Joh. Förster, the faithful and fair servant of the church at Augsburg, his brother who is exceedingly dear to the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! My Margarethlein (Marussula) thanks you for your gift, my dear forester. I am very surprised that you write that Musculus spoke in such a way that one should incite the magistrate against the canons, while the opposite has been decided and accepted by all of us for certain. But you may act moderately and see whether they want to continue in this way or not; then we will open the whole matter to the council with complaints. In the meantime, it is enough that they themselves admit that the opposite has been decided here, precisely by saying that they have contradicted or opposed this opinion of ours (although it is not true). Therefore they will finally be convicted as people who want discord and a feigned unity. By the way, our opinion was not that what was discussed here should be concealed, rather we asked that it be reported to all churches, pastors and authorities, so that their opinion could be heard about it and indicated to us, only it should not be reported before everyone's opinion was known and before the
The agreement should be published by the printers, so that an untimely song of triumph would not be sung before the victory and many would cry out that everything was done without their knowledge and in a corner. For I expect the consent of all to be sent to us in writing, as you and your authorities have sent it, so that with public consent a public concord may arise, and the public may be published.
The other day, a certain woman in Magdeburg put Mr. Nicolaus Amsdorf in a state of unrest, so that he has very little hope of the sincerity of the agreement. I believe that you know the farthest fei, namely the wife of Doctor Cubito, "the Hummelsheim of Leipzig". She had told Amsdorf many and great things about your "Master Michel" 1) against us and our opinion etc. "It does not make good blood, if they do not want to stop." I still bear everything patiently, and did not want to report to your council so soon, until the cry would be greater. Fare well in the Lord and pray for me. My Käthe and all your relatives greet you. August 7, 1536.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 2271.
Elector Johann Friedrich to Luther.
The Elector asks Luthern to provide a position for the preacher Tilman von Heussen, who has been expelled from Jülich.
The original concept is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. N, pag. 109. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 258.
Our greeting before. Venerable, dear devotee! Tilman von Heussen, licentiate, has informed us by letter, which he sent to the highborn princess, Mrs. Sibylla, née von Cleve, duchess of Saxony, our friendly dear husband, how he had to leave the country of Jülich (Gulich) because of the holy divine word, with the humble request to accommodate him in our principality. Because we always wanted to provide for him and to have him graciously promoted as a preacher of the divine word, we have given him
1) Michael Keller, a Zwinglian.
Letters from the year 1536. No. 2271 to 2274.
10 fl. from our chamber, also 10 shocks of grain from our office in Wittenberg, so that he may live there for a while. Therefore, it is our gracious request that you inquire into the man's skill, and if he is found to be skillful and suitable as a preacher of God's word, for which we respect him, then you will apply yourself diligently to see whether you can place him in our Electorate of Saxony in time, so that the people will hear him, and he will learn the language in time and have his livelihood. You do us a gracious favor, and in your gracious opinion, we do not want you to do this. Date Lochau, Tuesday after Sixti [Aug. 8] Anno 1536.
No. 2272.