#1782-Stephan Roth to ML

To the excellent and honored Herr Martin Luther, Doctor of Theology and Ecclesiastic,his especially to be respected Herr, for his special attention.
Grace and peace in the LOrd! In this one thing I boast before God and the world that through you it has been granted to me, beloved father, that I confess Christ and the mystery of the Gospel and that I am a witness of your labors,vigilance,pressures, and pains which now for fifteen years you have, for the glory of Christ and for the sake of the Gospel, consistently and magnanimously born and for which I especially to our God give undying thanks and verify.For the rest I cannot but marvel over the preciptious judgment which you made about me and the Zwickauers whom you have not even once heard and not to mention convicting us who are, yes, innocent and do not deserve this. You condemn us for this one thing that we have condemned this Soranus, whom you know well, unheard and insultingly threw him out without compensation. Why condemn us unheard? It is strictly not true we expelled Soranus disgracefully and publicly punished him but rather there was a Christian dismissal namely through a determination of a definite time for departure motivated not without the Council having reverence and prompt, mature deliberate preparation of which there is yet by us a copy and the original available. Why, worthy father, have you been misled by the ingratitude of these men? That you in such a weighty and most important matter, namely the welfare of souls, have given such a terrible judgement not having heard one of the parties. And I whom you regard as the originator and promoter of this tragedy am condemned to the ropes, may God prevent it, and not conscious of any fault in this matter, with you only taking this Soranus from among the priests,whether they might want to or not, for a witness. This even an unrighteous judge would not even in the most insignificant matter do hastening to judgment when the other party is unheard or absent. Thus one says in the proverb: the testimony of one is no testimony; one should hear from both. It pains me and make me sad that you come to such condemnation seeking only a hearing entirely from your own (side?). I am completely certain you were not even once (before?) deceived by such beasts but have brought them to the light countless times. It is likely that God has ordered it so that I may orally defend myself and mine. How has it come to us poor people that we so innocently and so suddenly should be condemned by the unverified accusation of just one man and come to have both an ungracious God and an ungracious land-prince?May God not let it happen! They have eaten salt for a long time with you at Wittenberg, as with us, so you should know them well as we do. Not all cooks are good cooks who wield a long knife. There are many Christians in name only and preachers of the Gospel who seek more for themselves than for Christ and if you would look more closely, you would find it so. In future times these will be very active and I as a prophet predict this with certainity, and would to God I am mistaken. However, enough about this. For the rest as to what the threat-words are about, namely, that you me and the Zwickauer beasts will be taken up in a book for a common example we leave this with God. You may see what the enemies of the Gospel will bring about through this conclusion or what it will bring upon my Zwickauers. With the church-goods the Council is not ashamed of their dealing and at any time is ready to give a reckoning of every penney. They are not scrambling for the church-good for themselves and do not take them as a robber as you falsely accuse them but it is upon them to justify it to their consciences. Why do you in this regard hear only the accuser? In short, in all these things the Council will prove its innocence.Believe the Council is innocent and holy and this shameful stain should not be permitted to remain. Thus I have briefly answered your vehement letter so that you see we are not fearful before this accuser but confident and steady and give an account of every word and action not only to you, worthy father, but also to our Prince, and anyone else who is concerned and so often as is necessary. Therfore I plead with you for the sake of Christ and Christian peace that you withhold or take back your hasty judgment until you have heard us and read our justification. Little will be lost, I believe, and lest you repent your hasty judgement of us poor,unheard, innocent people. It is also not without reason that Soranus is without (prior?) knowledge or inquiry dismissed as you will also learn in time. We should not for that reason be excluded from the fellowship of Jesus Christ as you judge since you have falsely assumed that from the other party. Rather we are driven by a holy zeal and to be sure enabled by our confession and the Gospel of Christ. You would not deny that among those who boast of the Gospel there are at the same time godless and under the pretense of the Gospel follow their own desires and do the same with great bitterness,immodesty and impetuousness so that in their sermons this is mixed in rather than stressing Christ. There is hardly a sermon in which one does not hear:You sticks, you blocks, you rogues, you rogue-necks, you clubs, you oxen, you gross Zwickauers,you godless people, I must chop you up, I must twist you up (behaspeln?), hack you,circumcise and the like. How much this incites the rabble, or how the people are edified, you might well determine by your discernment; whether you call this anything but the denial of the Spirit I wouldn't know. Thereupon follows the greatest and inexpressible despising of the Gospel and of the true servants of the Word of God. The rest I will forego with due consideration. The grace of our LOrd Jesus Christ be with you and long support you and strengthen your heart so that you firm and an iron wall against all the assaults of the enemy and endure them. Presently do not regard this as evil but your letter has forced me to answer. You may ascribe that to this if I have herein transgressed. Greet your Catharina and all who are with you. Do not so hastily push an old friend out your felllowship and if you have time and consider it good write again so that I may know whether I stand in grace or disfavor with you since it greatly concerns me to know. Given on the Monday after Palmarum (3 April) in the year after the birth of Christ 1531.
NOTES: So what do you think? Did ML make a hasty judgement in defense of Soranus?
Sounds like Soranus poured it on in some of his sermons. A prescher said that he didn't worry if people walked out on his sermons, but if they came toward you, look out! When I read: urge the work of Christ I was reminded of ML's principle that the books of the Canon "treiben Christi"