Luther disapproves of the reintroduction of the Buhlhäuser.
Manuscript at Gotha in Cod. chart. 451. f. and in Cod. 185.4. Printed by Buddeus, p. 268 from CoIIectio loc. commun. Luth., p. 170; in Opp. Welleri, p. 207 at the end; in Seckendorf, Hist. Luth. lib. III, § 83, p. 313a from the collection of Sagittarius and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 305. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1306. Since the text in Seckendorf is significantly better than in De Wette, we have translated according to him.
2) Burkhardt: "one".
3) Added by us.
Letters from the year 1540. No. 2707. 2708. 2709.
To D. Jerome Weller, the servant of Christ.
Grace and peace! Have nothing to do, my dear Jerome, with those who want the Buhlhäuser to be restored. It would have been more tolerable if the devil had not been cast out than if he had been let in anew and fortified anew. Those who want to restore the Buhl houses may first renounce the name of Christ and be pagans who do not know God. We Christians, if we want to be such, have a manifest word of God: "God will judge fornicators and adulterers," much more those who favor them, protect them, assist them with counsel and help. How else could one teach publicly against fornication, if one had to praise the authorities who allow fornication? But, they say, according to the words of Augustine, everything will be infected with fornication (libidinibus). Against this, by God's grace, there is a remedy, namely marriage or the hope of marriage. But what is the need for marriage as a remedy or the hope of it, if we allow fornication to go unpunished? We have learned that when the Buhl houses were flourishing under the S,atan, things were not only not advised, but rather, through the example of free fornication, profanation and adultery were increased, which was also publicly known. Now that, thank God, fornication is forbidden, there is less profanation and adultery, especially in public. Let the authorities (because they want to be Christian) punish both fornication and profanation as well as adultery, at least if it is obvious; if such things happen secretly a lot, they are excused. Summa: Against God we can do nothing, nor permit, nor tolerate. What is right must be done, even if the world would perish over it. (Fiat justitia et pereat mundus.) Farewell. In haste. Friday after Aegidii [Sept. 3] Anno 1540.
Martin Luther, D.
No. 2708.
To D. Caspar Güttel, pastor at Eisleben.
News of prevailing illnesses in Wittenberg and of Agricola's word-breaking departure for Berlin, where he had received a call.
Handwritten at Gotha, Cod. 185. 4. Printed from the Caspar Sagittarius at Jena collection at Schütze, Vol. III, p. 144 and at De Wette, Vol. V, p. 306.
Grace and peace from God the Father through Christ. Respectable Doctor and Pastor! Although I am very busy and now an old man and not very firm, I will take his place in the ministry, because our pastor Johann Pommer is suffering. Almost everyone here is ill, including D. Jonas and D. Creuziger. I have had ten deathly ill people in my house. These fevers have an extraordinary strength; many seize them, but undulating ones kill them. M. Grickel has done a work worthy of his antinomy: he has secretly escaped to the margrave, breaking the solemn promise given and deceiving the princes. 1) The tree is recognized by its fruit. There the faithless and lost man will race against us with lies. Fare well in your Lord. At Wittenberg. In haste. Friday after Aegidii [Sept. 3] Anno 1540. Yours, M[artin] L[uther].
No. 2709.