Luther expresses his joy at the peace that has been established and comments on his writing of the angular mass and consecration of the priests.
The original is in Dessau. Handwritten in Cod. Goth. 185. 4. and in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 176. Printed from the Hanische Sammlung in Kiel in Schütze, vol. II, p. 299; in Stroebel-Ranner p. 229 and in De Wette, vol. I V, p. 494. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1411.
To the highly venerable man in Christ, Mr. Nicolaus Hausmann, Magister, in Dessau, the exceedingly faithful servant of Christ.
Grace and peace in the Lord! I believe you have heard everything, my dear householder, which God has wonderfully done for all of us, namely the peace among the princes, 2) the peace against the Erfurtians, 3) the already earlier peace with the emperor, and all this with favor and praise of the good name for our prince; thanks be to God, amen. I hope that now a snow mountain (niveum montem) 4) will shine in your heart and shine after so many clouds and mists.
Moreover, I have now attacked the papists, who rage and scream indomitable, with a booklet of a new kind, "Von der Winkelmesse", 5) because they want it that way. If your little kings (reguli = the princes of Anhalt) should wonder, you will tell them: Luther puts the wisdom and the power of the papists to the test; if they could give an account full of their doctrine, they should have won; if they could not, what would they do, if in the death struggle they had to feel these and besides these also the devil's arguments? For one must absolutely work towards it that the
2) The dispute between the Elector and Duke George over Luther's writings was settled on Nov. 18 by the Treaty of Grinuna.
3) Compare No. 2009.
4) Whether this refers to what was said in Letter No. 1885?
5) St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1220.
conscience be sure and certain in all things. For if one doubt is left, all else cannot be established. Therefore, the word of God is to be separated from the words of men in the most reliable way. For the day of the Lord makes it clear what wood, stubble, hay, likewise, what gold, silver and precious stones are [1 Cor. 3:12 ff]. For the certainty of truth is sought in this article; if the papists can give it, I will praise them; if they cannot give it, Antichrist will be fully revealed in all his abomination. Summa, if perhaps anyone will attack you with this book of mine, or with what I have otherwise written about the papists, you shall say briefly: Luther confesses his recent struggle with the devil, and asks (as the words plainly read) 1) the papists for an absolution. He who can give the same, let him be blessed: he refrains from shouting or citing something inconsistent, but he gives an answer; for to cite something that does not belong there is not to refute evidence. Otherwise Luther could also (as he had also seen to it) cite such inconsistencies, but he realized that this was not enough. Therefore 2) he confesses and desires the wisdom of the papists, that trustworthy judge of God and man. Be well in Christ and pray for me. My lady greets you. Wednesday after St. Lucius [Dec. 17] 1533.
Your Martin Luther, D.
No. 2022.