Grace and peace! It is not necessary that you come here to me, my dear Johann, as I here said orally what you related to Herr Spalatin. He will tell you everything,namely that your deed and the rumor thereof is yet so recent that it cannot happen that you can be publicly installed anywhere. Otherwise we would already beyond measure be pressured under external and internal offenses. For this reason you must consider having patience for a time and the ears that have been publicly afflicted are satisfied by your penitence and after your misery is known it will be open to us to show mercy increasingly. There are plenty of godless ones lying in wait who can make a plank out of a splinter; and would like to burden us all with your plank if you were suddenly lifted up to another position. Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God until the time comes for you to be raised up and this you should also do for our sakes who must of necessity bear very burdensome things so that you have a right to our mercy who without trespassing must suffer innocently so many offenses of the sects and internal evil. Christ have mercy on you and strengthen you and make you forthwith a different and better man,Amen. Given on Vitus Day (15 June) Anno 1535. Your Martin Luther.
NOTE: "Your Martin Luther" telling it like it is. That signature "YOUR" is commonly used in correspondence with those close to ML especially fellow Augustinians and Kaethe.
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