Luther exhorts him to kindness and clemency against Osiander and his party.
Letters from 1533. no. 1994. 1994a.
Manuscript in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 172 and at Wolfenbüttel in Cod. From the Kraft Collection at Husum in Schütze, vol. II, p. 290, and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 473.
To the worthy and highly venerable man, Wenceslaus Link, the faithful and sincere servant of the Word in the Church at Nuremberg, his exceedingly dear brother in Christ.
Grace and peace in Christ! I have written a general letter to all of you who are servants of the Word, dearest Wenceslaus, and I have written it from my heart, God is my witness. For I am very much moved by your so persistent discord, and I ask you to allow me to say what is my opinion. You with your party follow the truth godly and loudly, which brings you enough favor with God and favor with men. The other, 1) I confess, follows his inclination more than enough, as is evident, and I myself do not approve of everything that is his; this is precisely what I am writing to him. But because he is a good and in all things upright man, and has not yet entirely stripped this flesh (as we are among ourselves), and is tempted by Satan! kaun, as we also are: therefore I beseech thee for Christ's sake, that thou mayest at last overcome the thought, and in the love of Christ himself, who said [Matt. 23:11], "He that is greatest among you shall be least," may you put on the form of the least, after the example of Christ; begin first to greet and address him kindly. Thou knowest that word of Solomon [Prov. 15:1.], "A mild answer quencheth wrath, but a harsh answer stirreth up anger." "A good word finds a good place." Who knows whether his anger and his displeasure will not be soothed by this cur? But you will do this not only according to the right of love, but, if I am not mistaken, also out of the duty of conscience. For I suspect from the articles you have sent me that you have paid too much attention to his sermons. Not that I say this is true, but that you did not admonish him about this matter before it was reported to others. May
1) Andreas Osiander.
No. 1994a