See St. Louis edition, vol. XVI, 1997, no. 1232.
1) Pauli and Sindringer, churfürstliche Räthe.
2) In this spelling the word is not lexically traceable; but fario is trout.
3) Luther had once asked his son Johann, who would be the most unclean cook in the world? and he had answered in the presence of several friends: a cook in the world. (Sagittarius.)
4) Invented names to denote the great ones at court.
5) See No. 2339 towards the end.
No. 2344.
To Jakob Meyer, Mayor of Basel.
Luther testifies to his joy at the accession of the Swiss to the Wittenberg Concord, which had been decided at Basel on Nov. 12, of which Luther received news in Schmalkalden.
The original is in Bibl. Brem., Class. IV, p. 907; reprinted in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 54 f. and in the Erlangen edition, Vol. 55, p. 172.
To the honorable, prudent Mr. Jakob Meyer, Mayor of the City of Basel, my dear Lord and generous friend.
Grace and peace in Christ! Honorable, careful, dear Lord and friend. I have received and listened to all of your writing, along with other writings, including those of the Confederates, and have almost happily and gladly noted your diligence and earnestness in promoting the Gospel of Christ. May God Almighty henceforth give us more and more grace, so that we may all agree together in true unity and certain unanimous doctrine and opinion, as St. Paul says, that we should all with one heart and one mouth praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and forgive and bear with one another, just as God the Father forgives and bears with us in Christ Jesus. Now it is no wonder, since we are still alive in the flesh, that both ours and yours may be suspicious of each other, since we have not discussed this matter in jest or invective, but seriously, and have disagreed with each other, as they have not been able to do or disagree about any frivolous matter: That here it will be necessary, in addition to Christian love, to forget the pranks and pains, and to strive all the more earnestly again for unity, be it with patience, litter, good conversation, and by whatever means it can and may be done, but especially with heartfelt prayer to God, the dear Father, who is the Father of all unity, comfort and love. For this reason, I again ask you most sincerely to persevere with yours faithfully, and to help that they will all help to calm things, to glimpse and to promote them for the best. It should also not be up to us
Letters from the year 1537. no. 2344. 2345. 2346.
and we also do our utmost, do not allow ourselves to be moved by all kinds of writings and speeches, and everything is very quiet in our N.B. pulpit and among the people; only that yours do not scare away the resting birds, but also faithfully help to make peace with us. The cause will not send itself in us, but we must send ourselves in the cause: then God, who initiates such things, will also be present and graciously accomplish them. Hereby commanded by God, amen. Greetings Ern 1) Joachim Vadian and D. Wolf Capito. I have not been able to write to everyone now, because I [am] a useless person all day today at the tiresome calculus. Saturday, after Valentini [17 Feb.] 1537. Martinus Luther.
No. 2345.
To Aegidius Mechler, preacher at Erfurt.
Luther refused to leave Erfurt at the call of Count Albrecht von Mansfeld.
From the Schmid collection at Helmstädt in Schütze, Vol. III, p. 40 and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 56.
To the man to be highly honored in Christ, Mr. Aegidius, minister of the Word at the church in Erfurt, his brother in the Lord.
Grace and peace in Christ! Johann Lang has explained to me that you, my dear Aegidius, will be called away from Erfurt by Count Albrecht, but I ask you for Christ's sake not to leave the church in Erfurt, especially in this precarious situation of the times, since I do not know where it will end, since God is thinking of wonderful things. It is a short time in which one will see what this immense mountain 2) of the advertised concilium will give birth to. If it should bring forth a ridiculous mouse, of course you would not want to have left that place; but if it should give birth to mountains or hills, again you would rather want to have persevered. I know what I am talking about, and it will also then remain the same place, which you have in
1) "Ern" set by us instead of: "Eur".
2) De Wette has separated Mons ingens Concilii 2c. from the preceding by one point.
and a much better one. Christ will take care of your poverty in the meantime and make you rich afterwards. If you have borne what you have borne for so many years, bear it for another six months or a whole year; then either I will call you away (if I remain alive), or others will do it, if Erfurt will not treat you differently. Farewell and pray for me, and even more for the cause of God. From Schmalkalden, February 25, 1537.
Your Martin Luther, D.
No. 2346.