To the illustrious Prince and Lord, Lord Johann Friedrich, Duke in Saxony, Landgraf in Thuringia and Markgraf in Meissen, my gracious Lord!
G.and F.(grace and peace) in Christ and my poor prayer. Illustrious, high-born Prince,gracious Lord! I have the dealing, gn.H,(gracious Lord), which EFG (your princely grace) has sent here read it all and it makes me think (as the Cavillationen in several places illustrate) that there are those who do not have proper earnestness for peace. Although I now know also hearing it recently orally from EFG that EFG has all earnestness and passion for peace; so I am yet pleading to excess and with loyal concern that EFG would not be moved by such acute point-pushers (Punktleinsetzer) but continue as he has begun; since God is greeting us and it is time that we thank him as the Scripture of St. Paul(2 Cor.6:2) says:Do not take the time of grace and day of salvation in vain. I am concerned that if we let go of the occasion for peace to be established it may never ever be afforded in such a good way. Thus speaks the proverb:fronte capilata, the occasion is before us as a full head of hair but afterward bald as a ball (sphere?);this is as the Papists experienced well when they would not yield in Augsburg. Christ, our LOrd and Savior, strengthen EFG with His Spirit and grace,Amen. At Wittenberg on the day of Sts.Peter and Paul (29 June) 1532. EFG's submissive M.L.
Note: Johann Friedrich will succeed his father Elector Johann (died in August)in 1532 but it will not be a time of peace.
fronte capillata = forehead hair cover? Where's our Latin scribes?
Pinces are "gracious". Electors are "most gracious"
The Latin for "Punktleinsetzer" is "Cavillatores" so maybe punctilious sophistry would be better?
No comments:
Post a Comment