About the sale of the Burggrafenthum in Halle; about an admonition of Luther to the son of Jonas, and about the death of his daughter Magdalena.
The original is in the library at Wolfenbüttel. Printed by Schütze, Vol. I, p. 224 and by De Wette, Vol. V, p. 498 f.
Your highly famous man, Mr. Justus Jonas, Doctor of Theology, Provost at Wittenberg, Envoy to Halle in Saxony, his superior in the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! I stand by my opinion, my dear Jonas, namely that it will never happen that the Satan of Mainz buys the Burggrafenthum of Halle, 1) especially at such a high price, and with such an adjunct that he should let the Gospel run its free course. Everything that this child of cursing and destruction does or says is a lie and hypocrisy. You remember that I used to say that even the sun has seen nothing more devious than this head. He makes only play and laughter out of our prince, as out of all people. That is why I think that you Hallensians were frightened in vain, and as if by lightning from a pool, which was very pleasant to that monster, who lives solely from being the most
1) The text says vendat (sell); De Wette remarks on this: Luther probably made a mistake and wanted to write emat, since the Elector already attaches the Burggrafenthum to himself. Compare No. 2791 and our note there.
devilish devil, namely, that he sees the misfortune of the wretched, or, if it is not a real misfortune, yet rejoices that they are tormented by a fictitious (falsa) misfortune.
I have reminded your son, as you wrote, with a stern and serious admonition that he should gratefully obey his father, and indeed vain such a father, and be mindful that God has blessed him with such a great blessing that the father saw the years of his [the son's] manhood while he was still alive, through whose counsel and help such a frail age and original sin could be governed, given the great wickedness of the world and the fury of the devil. He vowed that he would be obedient and await your and the teacher's advice.
I believe that the rumor has told you that my exceedingly dear daughter Magdalene has been born again into the eternal kingdom of Christ, and although I and my wife should only happily give thanks for such a happy escape and blessed end, through which she has escaped the power of the flesh, the world, the Turk and the devil, the power of natural love is so great that we cannot do it without sobs and sighs of the heart, yes, without great mortification. Namely, the looks, words and gestures of the living and the dying exceedingly obedient and reverent daughter cling deeply in the heart, so that even Christ's death (and what is the death of all people compared to his death?) cannot completely take this away, as it should be. Therefore, give thanks to GOtte in our stead. For 2) He has indeed done a great work of grace for us, since he so glorifies our flesh. She had (as you know) a gentle and sweet and quite lovable character. Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ, who called her, chose her and made her glorious. Would that God would grant me and all of us such a death, rather such a life, which I ask only from God, the Father of all comfort and mercy. In him be well with all your relatives, amen. Saturday after Matthew [Sept. 23] 1542. Yours, Martin Luther.
2) Instead of Non, we assumed Nam.
Letters from the year 1542. no. 2950. 2951. 2952.
No. 2950.