Thanks for the sympathy for Luther's state of health and for the medicine he sent. In response to Huber's inquiry, Luther said that the Lord's Supper should not be taken secretly in the houses, but rather in neighboring villages, or that the council and the preachers should be informed beforehand that it would be taken in the Lutheran manner.
Handwritten in the Kreis- und Stadtbibliothek in Augsburg. Printed in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. XXXIV and in De Wette-Seidemann, vol. VI, p. 143.
To the honorable, prudent Mr. Hans Honold of Augsburg, my favorable master and good friend.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, careful, dear sir and friend! I thank you diligently for your faithful care, as you have taken care of my problem and ordered medicine for it, and also sent me the prescription. It is true that I had not thought to overcome such distemper, but had already forgiven myself for life; so hard was the distemper.
Letters from the year 1533. No. 1994a to 1997.
I was swindled into blaming not only natural weakness, but also the devil and his arrows, and I wanted to leave. But God's power has been strong in me over my conceit, and according to His wisdom, to make the living out of the dead, has also refreshed me again through your and all the brothers' prayers. Our physicians think that where I have the: Our doctors think that if I can keep open the flow in the left leg, as it has been up to now (in which they work), then it should give solution to the head. I believe so, but I still have to be provided with the arrows of the archmurderer. Enough of that.
Caspar Huber has written to me for advice as to whether one might not (because the desire, so long departed, is almost great) give and take the sacrament in houses, because one cannot get it publicly, especially in such a way that those who teach there or have been in office before are sufficient. Truly, in this alone I am concerned that, because the Zwinglians rule among you and the papists lurk, an unpleasantness may result that we do not see now, and because necessity does not demand such a thing, nor are you ever forced to make such a special communion. Afterwards, your conscience might be challenged and grieved because of such an undertaking, for it takes strong, courageous Christians to undertake it. But I would like you, where it is possible, if there is a town or village nearby where our Sacrament is administered, to take it there; if this is not possible, and you would dare to do it, then it would be my advice that you report it to the council and their preachers that you intend to give and take it in houses. Then you would find what they could suffer and what you could do. That would be better than to begin it beforehand and then have to wait and see what they might suffer or what you might do. For if you hear that they want to suffer, you are safer and free to do so; but if they do not want to suffer, you have already confessed your faith and their disfavor on your neck, and the struggle will be as great before you do it as it would be after you had done it, and yet you are safe, because you have desired it publicly and confessed it, which is all the better than that you should do it, without first having confessed it, behind their knowledge and against their will. However, if you
If we do so, the matter will take care of itself, and God will work something else, if we ask diligently. Hiemit GOtt befehlt. Amen. S. Praxedis [July 21] 1533.
D. Martinus Luther.
No. 1995.