A man will not become so sharp, who can know the devil well enough. He hangs a slap on him, and will not satisfy him, unless Christ is at hand, who has turned the game to him; otherwise it is truly lost with us, how much we men are born. He makes himself too fat and too wide, And knows beforehand all that is ready, What master Peter 4) now thinks, And hard against him is opposed, That he wants to write a book big, And not let the devil go.
as well as in the Jena edition, these words can be found. The "great lament" is that Master Peter stabbed his son-in-law Dieterich at the table. On September 12, 1538, this death is spoken of as a long ago fact. Cf. Tischreden, Cap. 24, § 74. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 742. The death stroke took place in the week before Easter (Easter in 1535 fell on March 28) 1535, as we learn from a letter of Veit Dietrich to Fesel in Coburg, dated August 22, 1535 (Kolde, Analecta, p. 209). At that time, Master Peter was already a very old man. In a letter of Franz Burkhardt to Justus Jonas it says (Kolde I. 6.): miseret me senis illius, qui jam in decrepita aetate tam gravissime lapsus sit... From 1502 on, Peter Barbierer visited Leipzig from time to time and stayed there with Georg Reich (Seidemann, Leipziger Disputation, p. 100 ff. De Wette, vol. VI, p. 712). In 1517, on September 14, Luther sent a greeting from him to Christoph Scheurl (De Wette, Vol. I, p. 63). About his further fate in life we learn the following from Okennnckor's DUesanrus Hieolo^ine of 1544 (N86r. Oresck. V. I80<I. 4°), p. 2I5 9: "nnni 1535 die 30 dul^ in exiliurn rnik-sns 68t Ns6i8t6i^ peter palbirer." The same date is found in Ood. Nun. I^nt. 967. 63. This date, says Kolde I. e. p. 210, can hardly be correct according to the above letter of Veit Dietrich. - July 30, 1535 was a Friday; on a Friday the public court over Master Peter took place. Perhaps therefore the letter of Burkhardt, which reports this, is written on Wednesday, July 28. The error would not be to be looked for approximately in the dates objected to by Kolde, but in the Datirung of Dietrichs letter. Should not perhaps dw Xprili8 22 Vn. 1535 should be read instead of: dis XnA1I8ti 6t6.?
4) "Peter" inserted by us after Stangwald instead of: "N." in the old editions.
He thinks: I'm not so afraid this time of such a new fairy tale; I've probably seen it so badly anyway, before him I will also still stand. I remain a prince of the world, even if you Christians do not like it. The great crowd stands with me, According to your will little goes, And whoever there wants, let him show me, If perhaps a man has grown, How holy, wise and great he is, Who before me would live free, And without harm escape me, Unless one or four, who is not called Master Peter, What does it matter, my kingdom keeps the most? So defiant is the devil, full of all roguishness, trickery and cunning, That Master Peter may well watch in the matter sharply, That he does not show him a trick, And also bring him into great misfortune. He has done it to many more people than anyone can ever count. Therefore, it is time to pray, the devil is full of wrath and envy.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever.
This word cannot be understood by the law; for the same word (as the Lord speaks Joh. 7, 19.) no one keeps; yes, it kills, says St. Paul, Rom. 7, 11. Gal. 3, 10. but his word, of which he speaks here, is the word of faith. For though faith be small and weak, yet it keepeth this word; and therefore it is not only possible, but also easy and good to keep. But the law is not only difficult, but also impossible to keep. For the hands of Moses are heavy, that stones must be laid under them: but the hands of Christ are so light, that they draw out dead men, and set them over themselves.