Grace and peace in Christ!
Almost since we arrived here, my dearest father, we have been plagued by the devil and his servants in the angriest and most poisonous way, here at the Diet in Augsburg, in manifold ways, as though we were in the middle of enemies--as Christ says, in the midst of wolves [Matt.10:16]; and thus was it an increase to our pain and sorrow [to hear]
from your last letter to Urban, and from your letter to Caspar, that our previous letters to you were not delivered. We cannot imagine what kind of punishment this misfortune might be that at the time when we most wanted you to receive our letters and we, on the other hand, wanted to receive letters from you, that Satan should do this against our will and while we were bristling as it were to struggle out of [his] hands. I cannot assume anything other than that in this way he might increase your evil temptations, my dearest father, and take from us the one and only comfort we seek.
I have in the past fifteen or twenty days written four long and explicit letters. I not only wrote of the death of my son Friedrich; I also wrote of the death of Mercurius the chief-chancellor and of many other things in a second letter; recently, we, Spalatin and I, have written detailed accounts with many words of the entry [into Augsburg] of the the Emperor. May God grieve these villains who either suppressed or lost the intended letters. Daily we go from our hotel to the table of the Chancellor at the court, and there is no day that we do not inquire whether there is a messenger for Coburg, and when there is a messenger, we never permit him to leave empty-handed. Thus we have worked it out with Chancellor Brueck that the Prince should send this riding messenger and commanded and made him sware for the sake of Christ that he would go to you and report to us how many letters you have received within a month or during the time we are here.
That messenger whom we sent at our expense, and to whom we had to give four gold-gulden, was not sent so much for my wife and ours, but on your account. We had above all emphasized that he should, above everything else , deliver the bundel of letters to the treasurer of Coburg to be faithfully delivered to you. Since that villain returned and brought only one brief letter from you, which he likely received on the return trip, and when he was pressed whether he had not received explicit [detailed?] lettters from you, he appeared to be fearful of us and spoke somewhat obscurely and let something slip about a bundel of letters which he left back in Torgau. However, when we pressed the scoundrel into a corner we could get nothing further from than that he swore he left the letters in Torgau. You would do us a favor by telling us what you think about the matter so that we can take our revenge on that corrupt scoundrel if he has dared to deceive us. He should go straightway into prison, or if he is convicted he should be hanged on a cross, as I hate nothing more than the evil and faithlessness of gross people.
What concerns the Diet, at least so much as we have learned, and that which is of any significance, we have previously written, so if I were to repeat it now, it would likely seem to be old stuff. However, about the entrance of the Emperor, I am sending that which has been printed of the ostentation, as it is likely that you did not receive Spalatin's description or mine.
Recently, the Herr Cardinal of Salzburg has , through Wolfgang Stromer of Nuernberg, summoned Herr Philip Melnachton to a private conversation. As it was already the second hour of the night when he returned weary and concerned that he would be able to get back, he waited till the morning to tell what had transpired. He said: I heard nothing other than extreme threats and hardly less than a judgment of death. More marvelous things you will hear orally, dearest father, how they are secure as if no God exists or lives, and how they rely on human power and consider us to ants and flies.
Both Philip and I have been with Cornelius Schopper, who was earlier at the court of the exiled King of Denmark but now is the secretary of the Emperor. He said, as he is one who likes to joke and jest, that we could, "if we have money," purchase from the Italians whatever sort of religion we want; if we don't have a Groschen, however, our case will be dry and thirsty. He said it was virtually impossible that the Emperor, who is surrounded now by Cardinals and Bishops, would pronounce anything as a good and acceptable religion other than the Papal. Thus the elders persuade him. In short, they rely on men and ridicule Christ. The Salzburger said to Philip, after he heard the word "Conscience" [conscientia]: "Ach, conscience!, what conscience, conscience! The Emperor will not suffer any common disorder." However, the miserable people do not know how the Name of the Lord is a mighty fortress [eine feste Burg] and a brass wall, a very strong armament against the devil and the world. The Lord has previously given strength and courage to us against every threat, and the Gospel of His Son has been glorified by the greatest of wonders; this we have seen also in the suppresssion of the Peasants' Revolt. If He is our Helper, they will not lay a finger on us, and if they touch us, they will not do us harm. Everything will turn out for the best. Be it well with you in Christ.
Given at Augsburg on the Saturday after the Octave of Corpus Christi [25 June] Anno 1530. From the heart your Justus Jonas, Doctor.
[Note: It is interesting to note the use of the phrase, "A Mighty Fortress," uttered by Jonas on the day of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession, amid the evident distress--"we have been plagued by the devil and his servants in the angriest and most poisonous way"--of Luther's followers, giving context to that wonderful hymn.]
