difficult times, when Satan is so full of evil devices.
Electoral Highness'shumble Luther's former boarder,who wrote the firstLife of Luther, givenin a series of lectures to a Grace and peace in the Lord
^ writes me that you are much disquieted over the tyranny of this most wretched Ferdinand, who has decided to banish all married pastors from his dominions.
I should be surprised if the Bohemians consented to this mad act.
Still,they may do so.
But what would be the result.^ Ferdinand's the only lands in the world Christ no other land which would gladlyreceive He who casts down kings forsake
Ferdinand's kingdom as the land of .^^ Why fear nightmares Rather be full of confidence in God's strength.Despisethis water-bubble,who does not know whether he may be a king or a worm to-morrow.
But we shall reignwith Christ to all eternity, while he shall burn in hell with the devil.
I herewith commit you to Luther receives a copy of the Bull condemning him in Rome twenty-fiveyears before.
I received your letter, my Jonas, with the enclosed copy of the Luther was condemned twenty-fiveyears ago.
You know what, since then, has been written,spoken, and attempted in every way to accomplish our destruction. theystillleave untried ?
This furyagainstus is,as the Scripture says, everlasting, like that eternal fire which will never cease, and which awaits them.
For even in hell they will not stop maligningGod's God, who has separated us from their societythroughHis holycalling.Concerningthe progress of the war, about which you write us, we only know that the Emperor put the French to flight, avoidinga battle.
He is probably imitating the cunningof the Turks, who weary out the enemy, refusing to fightunless compelledto ; meanwhile the expense incurred disgusts and tires us out.
Did you hear that the Emperor said to the Herzog of I have paidmore money for your generalsthan for the whole war.''
Orange said to his uncle " Ah, dear uncle,what will you gain from the EmperOr ^ Your officers have cost him more money than all the war."
What will be the outcome of all this treachery on the part of princesand kings?
War is now carried on with money, not with arms.
The soldiers are paidby their princes, and receive presents from the enemy.
Through such valour was Luxemburg taken, the French generalpaying20,000 ducats to the Emperor's mercenaries to deliver up the town and pretendthey were conquered. It is also said that Doria concluded a secret understandingwith
Barbarossa at sea, saying:
Are we among friends ?
Why should we destroyone another Thy as well as my lord will still remain Emperor !
Truly a heroic way of bleedingkings, princes, and peoples!
What will be left for the poor man if we have to satisfy these insatiable demands We shall soon feel this diabolic greed in our pockets. And lastly, it is reportedthat the Turks have massacred three thousand citizens and old men and also pastors in Stuhlweissenburg, so that their corpses were heaped over the town walls.
Satan is becomingafraid,and rages, because his time is short.
His own, or enable them throughHis joyfulspirit to mock at his wrath, whether theymay be preserved or destroyed.
It is said that the Emperor intends to reinstate the Herzog of Brunswick,but throughwhat means