Luther comforts him in his temptations and reports news from France, the Netherlands, Cologne 2c.
Letters from the year 1542. No. 2891. 2892.
Manuscript in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 367 and in Cod. chart. 402. f. Goth. Printed in Heckelii mannip. epist. , p. 94; in Kapp's Nachlese, 4th Th., p, 670; in Litterar. Wochenblatt, 2nd Th., p. 370; in Schütze, vol. I, p. 189; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 297; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 440; in Redenstock, Colloquia, tom. II, fol. 227 (wrong 127) and in Bindseil, Colloquia, tom. II, p. 303; German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1315.
To the man highly esteemed in the Lord, Anton Lauterbach, pastor of the church at Pirna and bishop of that region, his extremely dear brother in Christ.
Grace and peace! "Harvest the Lord and be of good cheer" [Ps. 27:14], my dear Anton. If there were no temptation to exercise the faith of Christians, then what would happen to the safe, idle, pleasure-seeking Christians would mean the same thing that has happened to the papacy. Since the temptations are rhubarb, myrrh, aloes, and the antidote to all the worms, pus, putrefaction, and dung of this body of sin, it follows that they must not be despised. But we do not have to seek or choose them according to our will, but rather receive them, of whatever kind God wants them to be, since He knows which ones, of which kind, and how great they are, are most useful and suitable for us. Therefore, be strong, and think that if we have to bear any trials (as is true), we would rather bear them than worse and heavier ones. Let go, and bear all that the centaurs (nobles) and the papists undertake. But do not refrain from acting, writing, supplicating, and trying everything with the prince, and wherever it is at all necessary. Who knows when God will give a good hour? Do not be afraid, lest we be found as people who have grown weary and have given way to your devil, the tireless enemy, and then we feel remorse for our actions too late and are ashamed of our softness. So may you not torment yourself for the sake of your mother, who would rather live in Stolpen under the papacy than in Pirna to the annoyance of the Gospel. Pray for her without ceasing, and you have done enough. Surely it would not be good if everything we wish or desire were to happen soon and instantly. God takes better care of us in
He sees the folly of what we are about to desire.
We have no news about the Turks, not even about a campaign of ours. In Belgium, the emperor issued a public edict forbidding rage against the Lutherans. Since there had been peace in France for two years, the Gospel had gradually crept in through imported books. When the monks, the sophists and the parliament learned of this, they began to rage so that they burned 50, but under such great indignation of the people that the king, lest a noise and riot arise in Paris, was compelled to intervene and control the cruelty. The bishop of Cologne began to change the abuses in his diocese. Praise be to God who glorifies His Gospel, so that if our countrymen, like those of Bethsaida, Chorazin and Nazareth, do not receive the prophet in his homeland, the Samaritans and the Cananaean woman 2c. will receive him, and those will be left in their disgrace. Let us only continue to preach, pray and forbear. There is a reward for our labor, and we do not labor in vain. In haste. You are well in the Lord, and at the same time pray for me, that I may fall asleep at some good hour. I have completed the race, I have kept the faith, I have fought the battle as much as I was given according to my measure.
No. 2892.