To Johann Bugenhagen,Visitor in Lubeck letter 2 - Martin Luther

TO JOHANN BUGENHAGEN

Luther approves of his intention to republish some of Athanasius’s writings, especially that upon the Trinity. (No date.) Grace and peace in Christ! Your intention, most excellent of men, to reissue some of Athanasius’s writings upon the Trinity has my warm approval. Among these I enjoyed immensely that which was held before an approving judge, under Constantine the Great, viz. the disputation between Athanasius and Arius. The very thought of the delight with which I devoured it as a young monk, when it was put in my hands by my spiritual director in Erfurt, doubtless a true Christian, even beneath the accursed cowl, is to this day one of my pleasantest recollections; and yet this was only a personal pleasure for my special benefit. But what you propose is something much greater. I behold Christ’s spirit working in and through you in desiring to preserve and defend those doctrinal articles concerning the Trinity in their purity in the church of God, for whose maintenance that saintly man Athanasius did not shrink from drawing down upon himself all the demons in hell, in the world, and the whole

kingdom of God. Your resolution is therefore, most excellent Pommer, salutary and good in this depraved age, when all our articles of faith are being assailed by the emissaries of Satan, especially those on the Trinity, which certain skeptics and epicureans are beginning audaciously to scoff at; and they are ably assisted, not only by these Italian grammarians or rhetoricians, which they think they are, but by certain Italian-German serpents, who by word of mouth and in their writing scatter broadcast the bad seed, whereby they excite the admiration of their own followers and boast of their success. But these Devils, or Epicureans, or Skeptics, or Lucians, or whatever kind of adventurers, Italian or German, they may be, are nowhere when brought into the presence of Him who said to our servant Jesus Christ, “Thou art my Son”; and again, “Sit thou at my right hand.” Let us await the laurels these giants will carry away with them from those seemingly glorious assaults upon God. Such a gigantic war is nothing new; an Euseladus or a Typhaus has nevertheless been overthrown once in a century, while our servant Jesus Christ has nothing else to do but overthrow these giants, and will not cease doing so till at last, as Israel says, the seed and the root shall along with the branches be rooted up, and all the giants destroyed. We daily look for this, and pray that it may soon take place. Amen. The grace of God be with you.

MARTIN LUTHER . (Schutze.)

In this year John Frederick spent fourteen days in Wittenberg, Luther preaching daily before him. On June 18, Bugenhagen, Cruciger, and Apius of Hamburg were made doctors of theology. The Elector, with his wife Sybilla, and his brother, Herzog Franz of Luneburg, and Magnus of Mecklenburg, etc.,

were present at the disputation. The Englishman, Dr.

Robert Barnes, and the Scot, Alesius, along with Melanchthon, took part.

Dr. Jonas presided, and afterwards the Elector entertained them at the Castle.