Grace and peace in Christ! I wish you happiness, my dear Eberhard, in the birth of a little son and I have prayed to the LOrd and I am yet praying that He will preserve the mother of the same in health. That you write that you are very disturbed by the writings of that one (de ilo nostro) who is by us in which he writes that we are uncertain about our doctrine: I marvel that you did not realize from the letter of this man, whom you know, that he is completely enthralled by his previously held opinions and is motivated by the same. He has a mouth that makes many words which he himself does not understand. Still I do not believe that he knows what the certainty of the heart is, yes, he does not what that is called when one judges the certainty of another. It is outrageous to judge the hearts of others as similar to one's own. Likewise there are many among the rabble and children who in reference to the heart are certain and likely not only he but also all of us. "Our LOrd God has not said to him what He works in the hearts of the believing ; however,"a fool must speak foolish things otherwise it would be thought that he was wise." We send to you M.Wolfgang
who by us has been ordained as well made a Magister or certified. Christ bless you all. Greet Herr Spalatin. 1533, on the day before Lucia (12 Dec.) Your Martin Luther.
NOTES: The text is corrupt in the sentence about the motivation of the man and in the sentence about the rabble and children and we ourselves. I have followed the conjectures of the St. Louis Editors.
Spalatin and Brisger were assigned to the Stiftkirche in Altenburg already under the Elector Frederich the Wise,in whose court Spalatin had served around 1525 ,I think.
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