Congratulations on the birth of a son. About a man who had claimed that Luther and his followers were uncertain of their doctrine. 1)
Handwritten in Cod. Goth. 185.4 From the Börner collection in Leipzig in Schütze, vol. II, p. 298 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 493.
Grace and peace in Christ! I wish you happiness, my dear Eberhard, on the birth of a son, and have asked and still ask the Lord that he may also keep his mother healthy. That you write about the one who is with us (de illo nostro), that you are very disturbed by his letter, in which he claimed that our doctrine is uncertain to us: I am surprised that you keep the letter of this man, of whom you know that he is completely taken in by his preconceived opinions (affectibus), and by the same 2) let yourself be moved. For he has a mouth that makes many words, but which he himself does not understand. But I believe that
1) De Wette's statement of the content is mistaken, since he says that that person doubted the certainty of the Protestant doctrine.
2) Here we have inserted iisque, referring to literis. Already De Wette tried to help this sentence in another way.
Letters from 1533. no. 2019. 2020. 2021.
No. 2020.
To Johann Schlaginhaufen at Köthen.
Thanks for a gift, and encouragement for melancholy.
From the Raupach collection in Hamburg in Schütze, vol. I, p. 392; in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 494 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 34.
Venerab. in Christo Viro, D. Jo. Schlaginhaufen, Pastori Coethensi, fideli Verbi ministro, suo fratri.
Grace and peace in Christ. My dear priest! I thank you for your gift of mespas, and even though this land bears such figs, I prefer to eat them than any other figs, even if they are only a little younger, but they must be ripe. But I do not like to hear that you are still sad at times, since Christ is as close to you as you are to yourselves, and does not want to eat you because he shed his blood for you. Rather, do honor to the pious, faithful man, and believe that he is dearer to you and more favorable than D. Luther and all Christians. What you promise yourselves to us, promise yourselves much more to him. For what we do, that we do by his commandment, but he who does it
1) Instead of certi we have assumed: certiores, and ipsae instead of ipsi. Before cordibus we have inserted de. Here, too, De Wette has tried to improve the corrupted text.
to do us, he does it with natural goodness and unbidden. Herewith hastening, and commanded to God together with yours, Amen. 1533, Vigilia Luciae [Dec. 12] Martinus Luther.
No 2021.