To Philip Melanchthon letter 23 - Martin Luther
TO PHILIP MELANCHTHON
Luther had little hope of a happy termination to the Worms Conference. He was busy revising the
Bible, but was often interrupted by illness, from which he suffered during this winter. December 7, 1540.
Grace and peace! I was sorry, my Philip, to hear you had not received my letters. But you are not ignorant of the Court and its ways, nor yet of Satan. I fully believed that you had altogether four letters written with my own hand since you went to Worms, only, on account of my indolence and my advancing years, they were all addressed to you to save trouble. Your last letter came to hand yesterday, which contained an account of Granvelle’s speech, also of the articles you were asked to supply, which seem most Christian, and not difficult to accede to; and, last of all, our answer. I had great delight over the folly of the devil, or rather in Christ’s mighty power, which forced these people to undertake so foolish a cause. If I ever indulged any hope as to the result of this conference, for which such vast preparations were made, such hopes have now completely vanished. What should be
done? Everything that those who seem possessed of the devil do, assuming to themselves a majesty — nay, seeking to surround themselves with an almost angelic glitter — will only precipitate their fall. But He will give you His Spirit, as He has promised, for it is not you who speak. We are praying here, and hope the conference will melt into water for them. We have received the Imperial proclamation, and have ordered it to be printed, that the world may learn the Emperor’s will. At the first glance I really thought it was forged in order to complicate this discussion. But it is more injurious to Satan himself
than to us. For he must feel that nothing has been invented, but that everything is true which has been said against him. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen. For Thine enemies tremble before the breath of Thy nostrils. Hasten Thy glorious appearing. Amen. Here they will not cease punishing the incendiaries. And, by the grace of God, Hans von Wolfenbuttel is more and more hated. You need have no anxiety regarding your household, for all are well. We send you the printed confession of the Englishman, Robert Barnes. May the Lord bring you back speedily and in good health. For you will never achieve anything there, no matter how strong you may be in Christ Jesus. For out of that wilderness and abyss you cannot make fruitful soil. Let it remain a wilderness. In Christ we can accomplish all, and do even greater things than He does, but in the devil we can do nothing. Therefore we leave him alone. I hope
that you and Caspar have run your eye over the New Testament. We ventured to send Job, the Psalms, the Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, and Jeremiah to the printer without you. You will scarcely find any of Ezekiel, for, as you are aware, I turned ill over him just as I had begun it, and perhaps this will happen again if you do not speedily return. Farewell, and greet all our people. My wife Kathie sends friendly greetings. She is brewing Wittenberg beer with which to regale you on your return. The Lord be with you! Amen.
MARTIN LUTHER . (Schutze.)
The discussion at Worms began on January 14, 1541. Eck and Melanchthon represented the two parties, but the Emperor, who stood urgently in need of help against the Turks, broke it up in four days. It was resumed, April 27, at Regensburg. Melanchthon, Cruciger, Bucer, and
- J. Pistorius represented the Protestants. The Pope dispatched Cardinal Contarini as his legate — a superior man; but all efforts to come to an agreement proved abortive, and the Regensburg Interim was rejected. The Reformation was now making rapid progress in Halle, which was near Albrecht of Mayence’s favorite residence Magdeburg. Dr. Jonas had been preaching there, and had introduced the sacrament under both forms among the laity. It was here, too, that Winkler had preached, whose blood, Luther often said, cried to heaven for vengeance.