Recommendation of a clergyman for employment. About the beneficial effectiveness of Cruciger in Leipzig and the orientation of the visitation in the Duchy of Saxony.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, Vol. III, p. 277. Printed in Schütze, Vol. III, p. 106, and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 198.
Grace and peace! I recommend to you, my dear Jonas, this Magister, the Magister Mörlin's brother, Maximilian, whether you can perhaps provide him with a position. I believe that he is suitable, and I think that you know him, since he has preached with us several times. And he pleases me in all things. We have chosen his brother to take the place of M. Anton 1) as elder (presbyterum) of our church. God give his blessing, amen.
We believe what you write, that Satan is (as I have written before) 2) not imaginary Satan, and that he rules in Leipzig in the head of Behemoth; we hear that he is an Epicurer, although D. Caspar Kreuziger (Crucifixor) tells us to have good hope with regard to the people. God would have him crucify the head and body of Behemoth, since he has hitherto destroyed their proud spirits.
1) Lauterbach.
2) No. 2561.
3) even by the sight alone, or, if I say it more correctly, they themselves crucify and torture themselves through envy and hatred. For the male crucifier does them the burned suffering by laughing at them (urit), about which I rejoice. But if it were given us to believe against hope, He is mighty, and the triumphator and victor of Israel, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, will (as Job [Cap. 40, 26.] says) make the head of Behemoth enclosed in a fish trap a triumph. Only do not give way to the ills, but confidently go out to meet them, 4) but in such a way that you send us back the crucifier (crucifixorum) soon after you have appointed preachers. If the Leipzigers do not want to provide for themselves, we cannot do without ours forever. 5) Fare well in the Lord and continue bravely, certain that you will administer the mission of Christ, 6) and one day you will also send a testimony to the
3) On June 21, Myconius wrote to the Elector: "When I came again to Leipzig the next day from E. churfl. Grace from Wurzen to Leipzig, after the next disputation on baptism, the papists, doctors, and preacher-monks, most sharply prepared to dispute against our doctrine of the sacrament, supposed the pope's and devil's lies and abuses of the sacrament, of transubstantiation, and of the long presence of Christ's body and soul in the sacrament, of the prolonged presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament, where it is kept and enclosed apart from the custom, and also transferred, of the Adoration and the entire monastic and papal consecration, and would have sworn to it, because they were so well prepared, and one, D. Matthew, come to their aid from Hall, they wanted to become knights at God's word, or ever make a scare that the poor people would be misled, and hold our doctrine and things suspicious and uncertain. But our dear Lord God strengthened me against them in body and soul, and yesterday Friday [June 20] before and after noon, in the presence of the Rector, all faculties, all students, and the entire university, I fought with a large crowd of people and scholars in the Collegio majori, in the largest auditorium, in the name of the Lord, for the preservation of the pure teachings of Christ, and God gave me grace, as E. churfl. Gn. will learn from others that the devil with all his attachments, lies and blasphemies with all shame, but Christ with His Word and Sacrament, drawn like gold through the fire, has passed in all glory and retained the victory." (Seckendorf, Hist. Luth., lib. III, p. 220a.)
4) Virg. Aen., lib. VI, v. 95.
5) The Leipzigers were concerned with keeping D. Cruciger forever. Cf. the letter to the Elector of November 4.
6) Jonas was one of the visitators together with Spalatin, D. Melchior von Kreizen and Johann von Pack. Seckendorf l. c.
Letters from the year 1539. No. 2567. 2568.
You will find this in your second life, namely when they, having become full, fat and fattened, begin to need us in nothing and will repay us for this highest good deed with the greatest ingratitude. For this is the seal of every good work. For if the world were grateful, it would be certain that our work would not please God, since it would lack the seal of the world's ingratitude. On Wednesday after the first of August [Aug. 6] Anno 1539.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 2568.
To Francis of Rewa (Rheva), Count of Thurocz in Hungary.
Luther warns him not to surrender to the Zwinglian error.
In Innocent News, 1716, p. 570; at.
Strobel-Ranner, p. 280 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 199. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1293. In all these editions dated August 7. Seidemann in De Wette, vol.VI, p.574, note 9, says: "Abgedrucktauch in: Memorabilia Augustanae Confessionis in Regno Hungariae a Ferdinando I. usque ad III. Recensuit Joannes Bibini (Pastor in Preßburg). 1787. p. l. 8. (Tom. I.) pag. 43, as of August 4. The pastor Andreas Institoris at St. Helena in the county of Thurocz took a copy of the letter in the archives of the Newa family, and his son Johann shared this copy in 1687 with the pastor Johann Burius at Karpfen, who incorporated it into his handwritten Micae historico-chronologicae under the year 1539." Then Seidemann gives the variants of the latter manuscript, which seem to us to deserve almost without exception the preference over the readings of the other texts.
To the noble and highly famous man, Mr. Francis of Neva, Count of Thurocz, his lord to be revered in Christ.
Grace and peace in Christ.' Although I see, most illustrious man, that you have written among much business, I have also wondered how in the sacramental matter of Zwingli such a large amount of evidentiary grounds attaches to you, and I am very sorry that you are so moved by these grounds. But since I too am now too busy to write at greater length, I beg you in the meantime, for the sake of Christ and your blessedness, not to fall into this error, that you believe that there is only bread and wine in the sacrament and not the body and blood.
Christ. For your reasons are those of Zwingli, against whom we have written many things, but in German, and by God's grace have converted many. 1) For what inconsistency is there in believing that the body of Christ is in heaven and in the sacraments at the same time? Is it difficult for the Almighty God to do what seems unbelievable to us? John 3:13 says: "No one leads to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven." If he was in heaven when he walked on earth, how can he not have been in different places at the same time? To whom this is unbelievable, how will he believe that God is man? how that in the body of the Virgin the true God is essential at the same time? how that One Person of the very simple (simpIicissimae) Godhead became flesh, to the exclusion of the other two? The mysteries of faith are handed down and accepted by the Word, not grasped or indicated by reason. It is very much, indeed, wholly reason, which admits that the same body cannot be in different places. But reason is blind, and what is impossible before it, GOtte is exceedingly easy. For me there is not the same body in heaven and on earth; but who am I? For me there is not a great body in a small piece of bread; but who am I? "With God no thing is impossible" [Luc. 1, 37.]. Not he who understands, but he who believes will be saved. And again: If you do not believe, says Isaiah Cap. 7, 9. you will not know, neither will you remain. That would be a very miserable God, who does not say or do what is unbelievable to us 2). So only finally there would be no article of faith, if it were to be judged according to our reason. But since I am busy, I am forced to break off here. Again and again I ask you to hold on to the old faith of the church, until I will more abundantly refute your reasons in time. The words of God: "This is my body" 2c., will not be deceiving. Your reason and man's
1) Here the manuscript offers: et Iatine Deo gratia, quaedam convertimus [and, thanks be to God, some things have been translated into Latin.
2) Walch: "believable" instead of: "unbelievable".
Letters from the year 1539. No. 2568. 2569. 2570.
Wisdom is deceitful and deceptive. May the Lord Christ sustain and guide you by his Holy Spirit, Amen. Given at Wittenberg, on the 4th [7th?] of August, Anno 1539.
Martin Luther, devoted to Your Excellency.
No. 2569.
To Ludwig, Count of Oettingen.
Luther reports that Georg Karg has been ordained and recommends him. This is the answer to No. 2564.
The original is in the Oettingisch-Wallerstein archives. Printed by De Wette, vol. V, p. 200 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 238 and (after the original) vol. 56, p. 221.
To the well-born, noble Lord Ludewig the Elder, Count of Oettingen 2c., my gracious Lord.
Grace and peace in Christ. Well-born, noble, gracious Lord! As E. G. desires, Magister Georgen Kark has ordained me according to Christian apostolic wisdom, as he will report to E. G., also Magister Philippus has written everything without doubt, I quite humbly command the same Magister Georgen to E. G., for he is a finely learned man, and even though he is still young, I hope that God will create much fruit through him; for he has seen and well heard our teachings and ways (which, praise to God, are indeed Christian), and has diligently kept to them (1). May our dear Lord Jesus Christ grant our Lord, together with his country and people, his abundant grace to serve God here and to live there forever. Amen. At Wittenberg, Tuesday after St. Laurentii [Aug. 12] 1539.
E. G. williger
Martinus Luther, D.
No. 2570.