Yesterday I drank something which did not agree with me, so that I had to sing: If I don't drink well I have to suffer, and [yet] I do like to do it.11 I said to myself what good wine and beer I have at home, and also [what] a pretty lady or (should I say) lord. You would do well to ship the whole cellar full of my wine and a bottle of your beer12 to me here, as soon as you are able; otherwise I will not be able to return home because of the new beer.13
With this I commend you to God, together with our young ones and all the members of our household.
MARTIN LUTHER, DOCTOR To Elector John Frederick1 [Wittenberg,] August 20, 1535 In the resolution of the 1530 Diet of Augsburg,2 Emperor Charles promised to enter into negotiations with Pope Clement VII to bring about a general council of the church; this council was to meet at a place convenient to all parties involved, and was to enact a Christian reformation.3 As a first, half-hearted, politically motivated step4 in this direction a special papal envoy came to Germany in the spring of 1533 to negotiate with the German bishops and sovereigns, among them Elector John Frederick of Saxony, who functioned as spokesman for the Smalcaldic League. Even though the league protested some of the notions of the papacy concerning the council, it did not reject outright the plan of the council.5 By year's end Pope
Clement VII, however, buried the whole council matter again.6 The council plan was revived by Pope Paul III,7 and in 1535 the papal representative at the Hapsburg court in Vienna, Pietro Paolo Vergerio the Younger,8 traveled through Germany in an attempt to gain support for the council, especially for an Italian city as the place where the council would meet.9 On August 3 and 4 he visited Margrave George of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach, who on August 5 informed Elector John Frederick of Vergerio's visit and of Vergerio's travel plans, which included a visit to the Elector. On August 19 the Elector acknowledged receipt of this letter and pointed out that he would stand by the answer given to the papal envoy two years ago. On the same day the Elector forwarded copies of this correspondence to Brück and requested his counsel. Luther was also informed10 of this situation and was requested to give his judgment.
Letter No. 258 is Luther's reply. Luther points out that the answer given to the papal envoy two years ago says all that has to be said. He leaves to the Elector's discretion the matter of the city proposed by the papacy for the meeting of the council. He voices skepticism, however, as to the seriousness and honest desire of the papists to bring about a free and Christian council, and then places the whole issue into On Elector John Frederick, see LW 48, 181 f.
Text in German: WA, Br 7, 238.
Grace and peace, and my poor Pater noster!11 Most Serene, Noble Sovereign, Most Gracious Lord! I have received and carefully read Your Electoral Grace's letter, and also the copies [of the material] pertaining to the council.12 Since Your Electoral Grace graciously requests my judgment as to whether Your
Electoral Grace should make another statement which goes beyond the earlier answer given two years ago to the legate of His Imperial Majesty and of Pope Clement,13 it is my humble opinion that in that answer14 everything pertaining to this matter has been dealt with sufficiently, and certainly in a Christian way. As far as I am concerned I do not care about the place,15 wherever it were located in the whole world, since I am not yet able to consider this to be serious business.16 If they were serious, I would long ago have deserved to be taken and burned by these wrathful saints.17 Your Electoral Grace will certainly know what to reply, if they continue to insist on [their choice of] locale. I hope and pray that God will let the papists at least once come to their senses so that they will be forced to undertake in all seriousness a council which would have to be called free and Christian.18 But in this matter I am like unbelieving Thomas; I have to put my hands and fingers into the side and scars, otherwise I do not believe it.19 Yet God, in whose hands are the hearts of all men,20 is able to accomplish even more than that.
Herewith I commend Your Electoral Grace to the dear Father's, our God's, grace and peace. Amen.