Luther thanks him for the preserved memory, asks for deffen continuation and desires his intercession. - Augusta was the envoy of the Bohemian brothers to Luther in 1536, 1540 and 1542. Seidemann-De Wette, vol. VI, p. 466.
Printed by Buddeus, p. 275; in the Fontes rerum austr. XIX, 28; from the Börner Collection at Leipzig by Schütze, vol. I, p. 226 and by De Wette, vol. V, p. 500. German by Walch, vol. XXI, 1319.
1) That is: common vituperation (see St. Louiser Ausg., Vol. XVII, 2249, s. v. "Holhipler").
To the venerable brother in Christ, Joh. Augusta, servant of the divine word among the brethren at Leitomischl, his very dear [friend].
Grace and peace in the Lord! My dear John, your brother Lorenz 2) from Leitomischl has requested a letter from me to you, and has informed me of your opinion of us, how true and sincere it is, and that you remember me in your prayers. Therefore, I am grateful to all of you and ask that you continue to pray for me. For I am convinced that the time (horam) of this miserable life of mine will not last long. But I wish that God may take my soul away from here in peace; may He grant it in mercy, Amen.
No. 2952.
To Jakob Probst, pastor in Bremen.
Of God's judgment on Duke Heinrich von Braunfchweig; 3) about a plague of locusts and Magdalena's death.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, Vol. III, p. 368, printed in Schütze, Vol. I, p. 227 and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 501.
2) Lorenz was a clothier (Burkhardt).
3) This is indicated in the text of the letter by "N.".
Letters from the year 1542. no. 2952. 2953. 2954.
Grace and" peace! It is true, my dear Jacob, what you write, that N., the child of perdition, is afflicted by God, as he deserved, and as the previous prophecies against him wanted. But this example of God is not only presented to the tyrants of our time (as the examples of all times also go over the tyrants), but also to the despisers of the Word, whose Germany is full, and especially to those who begrudge your N. his misfortune very much, but do not hate their own sin very much. And you, Scotist, tell us what difference there is between an exceedingly ungrateful despiser of the word and an open tyrant. Both of them say in their heart: There is no God, only that N. has been angry in an unusual way. Otherwise, our sins are pressing us enough, as you know, but we complain in vain. Let it go as it goes, because it goes as it goes.
We have new monsters of locusts around, which I have taken in general sight. They have not yet been here, but in the not distant neighborhood there is such a great cloud and crowd that wagons and horses move one, two, three miles away, as it were, through rattling crabs. The plague is raging on all sides. We have little or nothing from Hungary. My extremely dear daughter Magdalena has gone away to the heavenly Father, having fallen asleep in complete faith in Christ. I have overcome the paternal movement of the heart, but with a certain threatening murmur against death; through this displeasure I have soothed my tears. I loved her very much. But death will suffer vengeance on that day together with the one who is the author of it. Fare well and pray for me. On the day of Dionysii [Oct. 9] Anno 1542.
My Käthe greets you, still sobbing and her eyes wet from crying.
Your Martin Luther, Doctor.
No. 2953.
To the Elector Johann Friedrich.
(Missing letter.)
Intercession for his cousin, Hans Schützmeister zu Eisenach, for a dispatch from Eisenach Abbey, in
to which he had turned his fortune. - The letter is missing until now. The resolution to the sequestrators of Thursday after Galli [Oct. 19] 1542 was that the etc. Schützmeister 60 fl. from the sequestration fund.
The resolution is found, as Burkhardt, p. 415, states, in the Weimar Archives, Reg. OO, pag. 792, Eisenach.
No. 2954.