On the Visitation in Meissen and in the Voigtland. Busy with a Nuremberg matter, Luther and Melanchthon instructed him to write how the
1) Michael Stiefel; the challenge is his prophecy of the last day.
The visitators are to behave against Hans von Minkwitz; nothing is to be done until Luther's advice has been obtained. About the occupation of a diaconate; about a strange celestial phenomenon and Luther's judgment about it. About the imprisonment of Stiefel. About Wicel and Cochlaeus.
From a copy in Cod. Chart. Gothan. 452, fol. 73 f., printed in Kolde, Analecta, p. 196i
To the highly learned and very honest man, Mr. G. Spalatin, preacher at Altenburg, his extremely dear friend.
To Mr. Spalatino at his own hand.
Grace and peace! We have answered your letter and those of the other two, which are assigned to the visitation in Voigtland and Meissen, which Mr. Erasmus Spiegel 2) brought with him, through the next messenger, who wanted to visit you in Altenburg, and I believe that you have received our letters. Spiegel, before his other business, could not negotiate more extensively with me on this matter the evening he delivered your writings, and early, as he was leaving, we had to meet at D. Martin's in a heavy trade of the Nurembergers, which concerned the Osiander. I hope that you will also like our opinion in both matters. We serve you gladly, but as in the school, where many and much comes together, so we are also otherwise held back by not a few affairs. You will offer my help and service to the mirror in all matters. As for the Mr. Johann Minkwitz [xxxxxxxxx] to
Concerning the deal that you are hinting at with those covert and mysterious words, D. Martin and Philippus instructed me to write to you that you should completely play the ignorant and not touch this deal, but Luther will appropriately act differently at this time. The man Minkwitz is great in many respects, and peculiarly useful to our commonwealth, indeed, to the public affairs of all Germany. Not all errors can be corrected at once, nor do we think that this man is to be counted among the great heaps. But this we say in your ear for the sake of many causes: I advise that you, before you do anything, first obtain Luther's advice in very secret letters, and that the letters be sent to me to deliver them into his hand. You write that you now know of a diaconate to which someone with a salary of 60 guilders could be appointed. The Lord Philip and I, we will send a good and learned man; in the meantime, I ask, do not change anything, expect
2) The same was one of the visitators.
Letters from 1533. no. 2014. 2015. 2016.
first our letters. On last Friday [Oct. 24.] from the tenth hour of the night until the twelfth hour (as Luther himself saw, while many others stood by) there flew in all four parts and regions of heaven, as he himself says, over the whole sky many lousy of fiery torches, not of the color of the stars, but of a flame-like and fiery color; he says that he has seen nothing similar in his life, and thinks that they were not natural impressions, but I do not know what kind of games of the devil in the air, which nevertheless meant something great. Michael Stiefel is held (as it is called) knitted 1) to the prince's hand, but not as a prisoner in jail. He will be deposed or otherwise punished by the parish. Around the garden of old Kreppin, Philip's mother-in-law, not far from this city, a tremendous roar has been heard at night, as of armed horsemen and fighters, and this has been told me by Philip himself, who heard it from his mother-in-law, who heard it from her gardener, who swears that this is not fictitious. Luther, as he is a despiser of the devil and has experienced [his] temptations before, says that these are all games and deceptions of the devil, who is unwilling against the gospel and wants to make us fearful through false terror, because he cannot do it with true weapons, since God protects us. But one must ask for peace and for authority, and not act presumptuously in the affairs of God. Luther now writes a very useful and exceedingly strong ram, 2) by which the papacy will be crushed like an iron wall, if there is still one: "Of the papal consecration, and angle or private mass." 3) There, he says, you will have a council what to do with the abbot at Grünhain. Wicel is laughed at in Eisleben by the sane and godly people, despised by the common people, detested by Count Hoyer himself, and always walks along sadly, perhaps having long since had a conscience about having betrayed the gospel and, as much as there is in him, having killed and condemned it. I will write against him if the matter requires it, and will treat that mouth as it deserves, which is born to bring out the dung that Satan has put in him as his resignation and cloaca.
1) Instead of "conspectus (?)" read constrictus. See St. Louis edition, vol. XVII, 2242 s. v. "bestricken".
2) The "ram", a siege tool for breaking down the walls.
3) St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1220.
into it (cacat). Such a cloaca is also Cochlaeus. Farewell in Christ, my dear Spalatin, and write me back whether the visitators have received the letter about the matter of Calixtus and others. My twins, Martin Jonas 4) and Käthe Jonassin (Joniscula), greet you and give you to understand by their laughter that you may pray for them to God. Again, be well. In haste. At Wittenberg, on the Sunday after the 11,000 virgins [Oct. 26], although they have never been. Anno 33.
Justus Jonas, D.
If it should happen that you enter into conversation with Doctor Benedict [Pauli], I ask you to treat this man in the kindest way, 5) who is undoubtedly great in the sight of God, since he afflicts him with such severe affliction. 6)
No. 2015.