Luther regrets the great sufferings they have to endure (in Hungary) from the Turks. He testifies that Matthias Devay (cf. No. 2975) did not catch the false doctrine of the Sacrament in Wittenberg, and indicates that he will soon write his last confession of the Lord's Supper.
1) It would like to read insanctissini (of the most unholy) instead of: insanissimi.
2) Walch: "the smallpox".
Letters from the year 1544. No. 3109. 3110.
In Innocent News 1727, p. 181, and 1718, p. 931; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 331 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 643. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1333.
To the brethren who are highly esteemed in Christ, to the ministers of the Word in Eperies and the neighboring places, to the loud and exceedingly faithful [friends] who are very dear in the Lord.
Grace and peace. In the Lord, men to be revered! I have read your sorrowful letters with excessive sorrow in my heart, since I see such great wrath of God, rather such great guilt of our sins, which have compelled God to send such a terrible raging of the Turks against us. May He grant that we may be restored and, after repentance, atone for this wrath, or, if it is absolutely determined that it will be so, may He grant that this will be the last wrath and one of the great signs before the day of His glory and our blessedness, as He has said: And there shall be great 1) signs. Let it be done, amen.
By the way, what you wrote about Matthias Devay surprised me very much, since he also has such a good name with us, so that it is difficult for me to believe what you write. But however it may be, he certainly did not get the doctrine of the Sacramentirans from us. We are constantly fighting against it here, publicly and especially, and there is no suspicion or even the slightest trace of this abomination among us, unless the devil is murmuring in some hidden corner. Perhaps you are moved by the fact that we have given up the elevation of the host as a favor to some neighbors, not out of necessity, because from the beginning we wanted it to be considered free, and even now we refrain from it, not in order to deny our doctrine of the Sacrament, Rather, we leave it free for others, even among our Church, and we ourselves will re-establish it if it should be necessary or useful, as the whole Church of Milan does not use the canon or the elevation, even to this day, although the whole Roman Church does otherwise; and yet there is no offense there. Therefore
1) Instead of mea we have assumed magna. Walch also read it that way. Cf. no. 3113.
stand firm and do not doubt that I will never (unless God allows me to become furious) stand with the opponents of the Sacrament, nor will I suffer this abomination in the Church entrusted to me. Or if I should do otherwise (which God forbid), say confidently that I am furious and damned. It is the devil, who, knowing that I am invincible in public, since so many of my books are available as witnesses, is intent on bringing me into ill gossip in the corners with his! serpentine and furtive hisses wherever he can, and to deface the word of truth under the pretense of my name. Therefore, after my so many confessions, I am forced to make one more, which I will do soon, and that is the last one).
I have absolutely no suspicion of M. Philip, not even of any of us. For, as I have said, Satan does not even dare to make a noise in public. Let us pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will shortly put an end to this last and exceedingly wicked world, which has come to its highest point, so that it no longer seems to be able to suffer itself. Come, Lord Jesus, amen. In him you are well. Given at Wittenberg, Monday after Quasimodogeniti [April 21] 1544.
No. 3110.