Grace and peace in the LOrd! Somewhat wearily I am calling Simon Hafritz back,my dear Amsdorf, and because I command no place to accomodate him and your Magdeburgers have presented him with very little I am necessitated to nourish the poor though being poor myself. You know my household; yet if nothing else can be done it is safer that you release him and it is better that I be burdened than that you should have distress. Therefore may he come in the Name of the LOrd.
Whether there will be a Diet (Reichstag) I do not know. This I do know that whether it is held or not, harmony is impossible simply because of the nature of the case itself since who can reconcile Christ and Belial? or how could the Pope agree that faith alone justifies and the papal works are damnable? or would he agree to become a nothing and Luther prevail as lord? and not only can he not consent to this for the sake of harmony but it is also we the persons on our side even if we wanted to cannot be persuaded; we would consider it either as a disgraceful or confused split.But some say that a Diet would have the weight of establishing Ferdinand as a Roman king accepted by all. It is written among us that there are three rare stars in heaven seen by you and that your eccleiastics (clerum) seek your destruction. Give us a report about this. In Augsburg Satan is ruling by the enemies of the Sacrament and Baptism and the entire faith. The very same is happening in Ulm. One says that the Strassburgers are returning to the right path. The Pope is stubbornly refusing the Emperor a Council. What has happened to Gandanus , the Cardinal and son of the Pope I believe you already long ago heard about. Pray for me and be it well with you in LOrd. Wittenberg, on the Saturday after Bartholomew (26 August) Anno 1531. Your Martin Luther.
NOTES: As to ML being "burdened" the Editors think that "pravari" in De Wette is a printers error and so they conjecture "gravari".
ML is giving a list of rumors so I don't think the appearance of the stars and the destruction of Nicolaus are connected.
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