To Justus Jonas letter 31 - Martin Luther

TO JUSTUS JONAS

Luther receives a copy of the Bull condemning him in Rome twenty-five years before. December 16, 1543.

Grace and peace! I received your letter, my Jonas, with the enclosed copy of the Bull in which Luther was condemned twenty-five years ago. You know what, since then, has been written, spoken, and attempted in every way to accomplish our destruction. And what do they still leave untried?

This fury against us 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 maligning God’s Son. Praise be to God, who has separated us from their society through His holy calling. Concerning the progress of the war, about which you write us, we only know that the Emperor put the French to flight, avoiding a battle. He is probably imitating the cunning of the Turks, who weary out the enemy, refusing to fight unless compelled to; meanwhile the expense incurred disgusts and tires us out. Did you hear that the

Emperor said to the Herzog of Julich: “I have paid more money for your generals than for the whole war.” And the Prince of Nassau 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 princes and kings? War is now carried on with money, not with arms. The soldiers are paid by their princes, and receive presents from the enemy. Through such valor was Luxemburg taken, the French general paying 20,000 ducats to the Emperor’s mercenaries to deliver up the town and pretend they were conquered. It is also said that Andrea von Doria concluded a secret understanding with Barbarossa at sea, saying: “Are we among friends? Why should we destroy one another? Thy as well as my lord will still remain Emperor!” Truly a heroic way of bleeding kings, 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 reported that 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 becoming afraid, and rages, because his time is short. May the Lord protect His own, or enable them through His joyful spirit to mock at his wrath, whether they may be preserved or destroyed. It is said that the Emperor intends to reinstate the Herzog of Brunswick, but through what means I know not. Let us pray for our princes. For I doubt not, if a war broke out, that our Centauren would do as the Julich people did — after they had squeezed everything out of our princes, they would sell them for money. Money, only money! This is the maxim of those in power. They will sacrifice nothing for the Fatherland. They only wish to enrich themselves, and under the pretext, or by means of the opportunity which war affords, swallow up everything.

“Devour” in the devil’s name; hell will give you enough of this. Come, Lord Jesus, and hear the sighs of Thy Church! Hasten Thy appearing, for the evils are coming to a height. I have written this in order to write something. Farewell, and teach your church to hasten the day of the Lord through their prayers. God will listen to the sighing for the day of redemption. All the signs foretell this.

Your own MARTIN LUTHER . WITTENBERG. (Schutze.)

The Diet of Speyer met on February 20. The Elector came with a brilliant retinue, and was received with great respect by Charles V., who required help against the French, as Ferdinand did against the Turk. The Protestants tried to gain favorable terms for themselves. The question of secret marriage engagements came up this year. The worry this caused, and the renewed disputes on the Sacrament with the Swiss, made Luther ill. He said he would leave Wittenberg, but by his birthday Melanchthon

wrote joyfully to Dietrich that he, Cruciger, Bugenhagen, Jonas, etc., had dined with him, and lovingly discussed Church matters.