Melanchthon reports on the negotiations of the Diet after receiving Luther's and Bugenhagen's report (No. 2787) 1) and on the Turkish War.
Ans of a copy in Cod. Rehd., vol. III, at Breslau, printed in Corp. Ref., vol. IV, 302. The external inscription reads: "Dem Herrn Doctor Johann Heß, seinem Gönner, als seinem lieben Vater." Melanchthon thus sent it to Hess.
1) The Elector sent it to Regensburg already on May 13, although he had received it only on the evening of May 12 (cf. No. 2785).
To Martin Luther.
Hail! The most noble prince has sent here your judgment on the formula in the matter of justification. If agreement were subsequently reached on the other articles, this formula could easily be improved. For it will again be submitted for deliberation, and among the princes everything is still undecided. I also disliked the word "active" (efficax) at this point 2). But it was a very violent dispute about many pieces, and Contarenus had sent a quite inconsistent formula, which was completely rejected. So, since I do not want to cite everything, this piece was left lying. Afterwards we have been put to the test much more violently about the [doctrine of the] church. It was asserted that legitimate conciliarities cannot err. The article has been set aside because I do not yield. This has been followed by a dispute over the enumeration of sins] in confession. They defend this, not because they disagree, but so that they do not lose the rule of confession. Yesterday I explained the reasons why we disapprove of the law on enumeration. Now we go to the rule of the pope, the invocation of the saints and the masses. Here, if I can, I will leave these disputes pending, and apologize to the Emperor. For the latter accuses me of having become harder because of your commandments and because of the admonition of the French king. This whole action here is done with extraordinary artifice. But because Emperor Carl still assures that he is striving for an improvement of the infirmities in the church, and insists that the trial not be broken off, I have not been able to wriggle out of it. What he will do I cannot guess, for he conceals his counsels extraordinarily; but those closest to him indicate that they are peaceful ones. It is said that he will resolve the disputes that cannot be settled, and some have better hopes than others. It is difficult to say anything with such a great diversity of opinions about his will. For me, this hiddenness also causes difficulty in negotiation.
The army of King Ferdinand is besieging Buda. It is said that Turkish troops would be there to free Buda from the siege, but I believe that there is a greater silence about Hungarian affairs here than among you.
2) See St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVII, 595: "that the sinner is justified by living and active faith".
Be well and happy. May 19. At Regensburg.
No. 2790.
To Ehrenfried vom Ende zu Wolkenburg.
An Economical Matter.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 331. Printed in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 93, no. 172; in Walch, vol. XXI, 442; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 358 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 309.
To the strict and honorable Ehrenfried vom Ende zu Wolkenburg.
Grace and peace. Dear sir and friend! My dear Käthe asks you, and I ask for her, because she has become a new housekeeper in Zülsdorf, and is far away from us, that you do this neighborly friendship for her, and lend her 12 bushels of grain and 24 oats, which she will honestly return to you after the threshing, so in the near future. I do not want to make such a request, nor do I want to burden you with it, since I do not want to fail to do you good and to do it willingly, because you have previously shown yourselves to be so kind to me without being asked. Our dear Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and comfort you in all your trials, as he promised. It is said, as Christ says: "If we were of the world, that is, of the devil, the world, that is, the devil, would love us. But because we are not full of the world, the world is hostile to us, so our flesh is weak. But Christ is the stronger above all things, and will not leave us at last, if we abide in him, and go not to them that curse and blaspheme him. May the same dear Lord be with you forever. Amen. Friday after Cantate [20 May] 1541. Martinus Luther, D.
No. 2791.