Recommendation of a poor clergyman and news.
From Aurifaber's unprinted collection, p. 250, in Schütze, vol. III, p. 76; from Dan. Meyers ReformationsHistorie von Hannover, p. 105, at Strobel-Ranner, p. 271; at De Wette, vol. V, p. 128. German at Walch, vol. XXI, 1284.
Grace and peace in Christ! I write to you very seldom, my dear Jacob, and do not answer your letters as you might wish. But I hope that you will accept this in fairness and in order, since you know my manifold burden with business, work, weakness of age and temptations, and also because I think that my letters are not necessary for you, since you are otherwise already abundantly gifted by God, so that even in this exceedingly bad time, which is overwhelmed with so much ingratitude and contempt for the salvific word, you yourself can guide and comfort both yourself and all. But enough of that. By the way, two very good and learned brothers have come to us from Lower Germany, but we are overwhelmed with poor people everywhere, who are poor enough ourselves; nevertheless, we had decided to feed them both according to our means. But since they cannot be useful here because of the language, it seemed good to Philip that we send one of them back to you, if perhaps, as he thinks, there is a vacancy for a preacher, so that they are not forced to be idle, at the same time because you are rich, and the greatness of your riches can easily overflow onto their little poverty. If now the ingratitude of men has gained the upper hand among you so that you cannot maintain him until he is provided with a preaching office,
1) Instead of veniente we have assumed moriente.
send him back to us: we want to share with him what we have.
News. I, an exhausted old man, tired from so many labors, always and from day to day become young again, that is, new sects always arise for me, which a new youth would be necessary for me to resist. You will learn about the antinomians from these theses. If there were no reason to prove that we are the called and chosen ones to the kingdom of God, and in truth have the word of God, this one would be enough, that we are attacked by so many sects, which always rise up anew, some of them also of our origin, so that I may mention the papists and the special (privata) wars of Satan, also the contempt of the word among our people. But we are not better than the apostles and prophets, nor even than our Lord Himself.
It is written for certain (constanter) that the Emperor, the French and the Venetians have united their fleets against the Turks, and that on the sea there is a happy beginning against such a great enemy. God grant blessing and prosperity, Ps. 20. 2) The Concilium moved to Vicenza has completely fallen away. And the pope at Rome leads a life of prosperity, and endeavors, rightly and wrongly, to enrich and elevate his own by bravely killing or eliminating with poison those whose goods his sons covet. Rome is incomparably worse than God could consider worthy of any allowance for reformation; the final wrath of God has come upon it.
2) In Latin: Psalm. XIX, after payment of the Vulgate.
Letters from the year 1538. No. 2466 to 2469.
No. 2466.