To Philip Melanchthon letter 19 - Martin Luther

TO PHILIP MELANCHTHON

Luther, Amsdorf, Agricola, and Spalatin had now finished the articles for the future Diet by the Elector’s command. (No date. ) Grace and peace in the Lord! As Dr. Anton himself is coming to you, I have nothing special to relate of our life and doings. See that you prove a good friend as well as combatant

to both emissaries, for the honor of their King and also of our Prince. I am glad that Dr. Anton is at length free from the courts of justice. For my part I already fear the worst, as the other ambassador is lingering too long. For people’s patience might easily be exhausted, considering what sort of gentlemen these highly esteemed Cardinals are, for they as well as the Popes are deceivers, thieves, robbers, nay, very devils in the flesh. Would that there were more kings of England to slay them! For the Ambassador, Paul Vergerius, said to me here, “Ha! the King of England causes the Cardinals and Bishops to be murdered. But . . .,” etc. He then made a movement with the hands, growling and threatening the King with evils such as no potentate has ever endured, certainly not expressed in so many words, but with compressed lips. They are rascals through and through, even to the heart’s core. God make you believe this. Priest Albrecht in Halle has taken away the Abbot’s staff at Zinna and the Monstrance in Jutterbock with other vessels, with all due ceremony, leaving behind the written and sealed certificates testifying they were once there. The staff and the Monstrance will bring in great sums. He is in very deed worthy of the rank of Cardinal, one who in cunning might successfully vie

with and speedily surpass all other Cardinals if the reins were only left in his hands. For even thus they plundered the churches and stole altar trappings, mass money, and precious stones in Rome and over Italy, and they continue to do so. You perhaps fancy when you read Cicero that Verres and Dionysius were greedy vultures. But nowadays one highly esteemed Cardinal of the Holy Catholic Church is possessed by a hundred Verreses and a thousand Dionysiuses, not only in heart, but he openly perpetrates such rascality, as these deeds testify. We look for your return, and if an unpleasant rumor reaches you, pay no attention to it. We hope that even if an epidemic should spread abroad we shall have moderately pure air for our little bit of sky. Things would look otherwise if it were really an

epidemic. Everywhere on the face of this earth men are liable to decay. We cannot all remain alive here upon earth or we would never reach yonder. My wife sends you greetings, and often thinks of you. Beware that you do not make me jealous, in case I might revenge myself upon you in a similar manner. Farewell in the Lord, and greet Caspar Cruciger and all our people, and pray for me. MARTIN LUTHER . (Schutze.)

The Protestants held their congress in Schmalkalden in February 1537, where Luther was very ill. It was resolved to restate the articles of the Augsburg Confession, which was considered too mild for the times, and for this it was not Melanchthon’s smooth pen which was called into requisition, but that of Luther. This was the origin of the so-called Schmalkaldischen articles, which were an elucidation and supplement of the Augsburg Confession, and strengthened the Evangelicals in their faith.