After the main issues11 have been settled, I have to start expelling the Jews.12 Count Albrecht13 is hostile to them and has already outlawed them.14 But no one harms them as yet. If God grants it I shall aid
Count Albrecht from the pulpit, and outlaw them too.15
I am drinking beer from Naumburg which tastes to me almost like the beer from Mansfeld which you praised to me. It agrees with me well and gives me about three bowel movements in three hours in the morning. The day before yesterday your little sons16 drove to Mansfeld because John of Jena17 so humbly begged them to do so. I do not know what they are doing there. If it were cold they could join the people who are freezing; however, since it is warm they certainly could do or endure anything else, as they are pleased.
With this I commend you and the whole house to God; give my greetings to all the table companions.
MARTIN LUTHER, who has grown old18 To Philip Melanchthon Eisleben,1 February 1, 1546 Luther thanks Melanchthon for his prayers and urges him to continue them. He points out that he himself is old now and ought to be retired. But notwithstanding his age, Luther continues, he is now being drawn into a struggle, and he wishes Melanchthon could be with him, were this not harmful to the health of his friend. Then Luther informs Melanchthon about recent developments: "Today" the most difficult issue in the controversy among the counts of Mansfeld has been settled; from now on the battle should be less severe, though Luther does expect that Wolf Pucher, a wealthy citizen and official of Eisleben, might still cause problems; he admits that with his criticism of legal sophistry he himself has deeply offended one of the jurists; on his journey to Eisleben he had been ill because he carelessly overexerted himself.
Throughout the letter Luther asks repeatedly for Melanchthon's prayers. He closes with greetings to his co-workers in Wittenburg and thanks them for their prayers.
On Philip Melanchthon, see LW, 48, 77, n. 3.
Text in Latin: WA, Br 11,277–278.2
To the man of outstanding learning, Mr. Philip Melanchthon, Master [of Arts],3 theologian and servant of God, my dearest brother in the Lord
Grace and peace in the Lord! I do thank you,4 my Philip, for your prayers for me, and I ask you to continue to pray. You know that I am an old man, and a man who ought to be retired.5 [But] now I am being drawn into a struggle6 which is troublesome to my studies, totally incompatible with my disposition, and quite bothersome to my old age; consequently I certainly wish you were here, were it not that consideration for your health forces me instead to think it is good that we left you at home.7 With God's help we have slain today the most bristly of all porcupines, the case concerning Newtown8—though not without a great fight. We hope that finally the battles will be less pitched if it pleases God.
I have deeply offended Doctor Melchior9 (as I see) since I really growled at the rigidity or bristles of the law—even though he himself had offended me first by the tremendously rude loudmouthedness10 with which, even prior to the battle, he bragged about gloriously exaggerated victories. The jurists11 are fooling themselves with their little bits of knowledge of the law, while in my opinion they all together have not the slightest idea of the usage of the law. Like hired pettifoggers they behave without any honor; they care nothing about peace, the commonweal, or religion. As usual, however, these are the things we are concerned about.
During the trip12 both a loss of consciousness13 and that illness which you usually call humor ventriculi14 caught me. For I went on foot, but this was beyond my strength, so that I perspired. Afterwards in the carriage when my shirt also had gotten cold from the sweat, the cold grabbed a muscle in my left arm. From this came that tightness of the heart and something like shortness of breath.15 It is my own stupid fault. But now I am quite well again; how long—well that, of course, I do not know, since one cannot trust old age, in view of the fact that youth …16