Luther begshim to tellJustusJonas of his child's death.
I ordered this letter to be givento you, for I knew of no other way of letting JustusJonas hear of his son's death.
Communicate it to him very gently. His wife and famulus certainlypreparedhim for it.
My peoplewrote that they stood over his death-bed,and he died of the same illness which so latelydeprived him of his first
The child was alwayssickly.I shall delaywritingin case of increasing his sorrow.
I am tormented on all sides,but we shall not let our courage sink.
This is our hour of sorrow, but,like the woman who rejoiced when her son was born, we too shall look forward to a joyful time.
So let us bid adieu to our foolish lamenting; for our cause, prayers, and hopes rest with Him who is faithful to His promises. Speak comfortably to the man who, in the world's eyes, is bowed down with sorrow, causingit to rejoice in our affliction. The Elector would not permitthe preachingto be stopped.
I have delayedansweringyour most graciousletter from Augsburg, with all its news and admonitions not to let the time hang on my hands.
It is most kind of you troubhng about me, and here we are most anxious about your Highness,and pray constantlyfor you.
I do not find the days long.
We live like lords,and this last week seems hardlythree days.
Grace is at present in a most tiresome spot.
Highness is certainlyenduring all this trouble, expense, danger,and ennui solelyfor God's sake, as no one can find any fault with you except on account of the pure
Word of God, for all know you to be a blameless, pious,and quietPrince.
God loves you dearly,seeingHe considers you worthy to suffer so much enmity for conscience' sake.
God's friendship is more preciousthan that of the whole world put together.
Besides,the merciful God isdisplaying His loving-kindness in making His Word so fruitful in your For there is a greater number of excellent pastors and preacherstherein than in any other land,who teach the truth,thus helpingto preserve peace.
The young people,too, are so well instructed in I feel quitetouched when I see young boys and girlsprayingand talkingmore of Christ than they ever could do in all the cloistersand schools of bygonedays.
Grace's land is a beautiful land for such young people,and God has, so to speak, erected this paradisein your Grace's lap as a specialtoken of His favour,placingthem under your protection that you may be their gardener. For God, whose bread all your subjects eat, wishes you to care for them, even as if God
Electoral Highness'sdailyguest.
One sees the injuryyoung peoplereceive at the hands of godlessprinces,who, out of this paradiseof God, make idle,sinful servants of the devil.
For with all their wealth God does not think them worthy to spread His work, or even give a cup of cold water " nay, they had nothing better to give the Saviour on the cross than vinegarand gallto drink.
Grace has ever had the earnest prayers of all Christians in your lands especially, and we know our prayers will be heard, because what we ask is good.
Oh that the young people may join,and with their innocent petitions commend you, as their dear father, to Grace will graciously accept this letter, for God knows
I speak the truth and do not dissemble.
Satan is grievingyour heart.
He is a doleful,disagreeable spirit, who cannot bear to see any one happy,especially in God, so how much lesswill he suffer your
Electoral Highnessto be of good courage, for he knows how many depend on you for edification throughthe livingWord in your domains
So we must stand by you with our prayers and love, for when you are joyous,then we live ; but when you sorrow, then we are sick.
Saviour will send the Holy Ghost, the true Comforter, who will protect your Grace againstthe poisoneddarts of this sour, bitter spirit.Amen.
Luther speaksof the pilgrimage to Coburg.
R5mer were with me, and to-dayArgula von Now that so many are findingtheir way here,I intend either not to let it be known
I am at home or go out for the day,so that peoplemay think Pray try to prevent people coming here.
I write in Johannine haste,for I shall remain hidden.
They say the bishops will succeed in postponingthe Reichstagtill, at least,the provisions are all consumed, compellingthe people to return home.
Emperor is usingevery device to prevent the Elector of Treves coming to the Diet.
Luther speaksof his father's death.
Grace and peace in Christ !
In my last I complained, Philip,of you returning a messenger empty handed to me, and two have come since Appel, and now the driver with the And so many of you there who have usuallya mania for writing!
I do not know if it be carelessness, or if you are displeasedwith me, for you know in my solitude how I long for letters, as in a dry and parched land.
Emperor has ordered the Augsburg people to dismiss the hired soldiers and remove the barricades.
Staufen told me of the magnificentreception the Emperor in Munich, there being plays and entertainments in his honour.
Papistswish to prevent him visitingAugsburg.
If this be true, then it shows God's hatred towards them in not answering our prayers for them.
Reinecke writes that my beloved father,old Luther, died at one on This death has cast me into deep grief,not only because he was my father,but because it was through his deep love to me that my
Creator endowed me with all I am and have, and although consoled to learn that he fell asleepsoftlyin Jesus,strong in faith,yet his loss has caused a deep wound in my heart.
Thus are the righteoustaken away from the evil to come and enter into rest.
I am now heir to the name, being the eldest Luther in the family,so it beseemeth me to follow him into Christ's kingdom, who gave him unto us.
I am too sad to write more to-day, and it is only right to mourn such a father, who by the sweat of his brow made me what
I rejoicedthat he lived to behold the lightof the truth.
Greet all our friends.
Luther againblames his friends for not writing.
I now see that you have all entered into a compact to torture us by your silence.
I herewith announce that we shall now vie with you in your silence,althoughpossibly that will not disturb you.
I must praisethe Wittenbergpeople,who, althoughas busy as you, have written thrice before you sluggards wrote once.
I have received letters of condolence from every quarter, on my father's death.
If you wish, you can hear the particulars from I laydown the pen, so that my constant writingmay not drive you into a more persistent silence.
Greet our people. The grace of My wife writes that the Elbe is dry,for no rain has fallen.
Much water, many adventures.
Teutleben was a brother-in-law of Amsdorf,and managed the Elector's business in Rome.
Esteemed and deeply learned Doctor and good Friend I was delighted to hear that your Sophieand you are well.
I have nothingnew to write, for our silent Junkers send no letters from Augsburg, which annoys me greatly.And I know your brotherin-law, my good friend
Amsdorf, would be indignantif he knew they had become so taciturn, especially at this time.
He can be their judge.
From hearsay I learn that Venice has sent several thousand guldento the Emperor,and five tons of gold,which cannot be accepted, as the Pope has promised to supplyhim with all that is needful,and the French,with their " par ma foi,"have done the same
" truly a good joke; but who would relyon such promises?
Luther himself that even were Francis loyalto the Emperor,and not each thinkingof his own advantage, stillthey are three different beingsin one person, each of whom has an inconceivable hatred againstHis
Majesty,meanwhile deceivinghim, through hypocrisy and lies,till they either perishthemselves,or drag that pious,noble youth into difficulty and distress.
" cannot forgetthe defeat at Pavia,and the Pope, beingan Florentine to boot,and a child of the devil,cannot forgetthe disgraceof the plunderof
Rome, no matter how cheerful he tries to appear " they are only Venetians " and excuse their wrath under the pretext of revengingMaximilian*s death.
God help the piousCharles,who is trulya sheep among wolves Charles entered Augsburg, the Elector of Saxony bearingthe sword before him.
I write,dear Conrad, to show you I have not forgottenmy promise. For I sit here, and there is littlehope of my beingcalled to the Reichstag; but,should
I go, I shall let you know.
Your dear vicar (colleague), Hausmann, tellsme that you are determined to go, but I questionif it would be expedient, as your work would suffer ; and it is still doubtful if the religiousquestionwould be dealt with, and if it is,whether it may not be in secret, as the Emperor has forbidden a publicdiscussion.
We hear no news, as our Augsburg friends never write ; but it seems certain