#2255-To Johann Forster in Augsburg

(concerning der Wittenberger Concordie) (St.Louis Edition has "in" Augsburg for "zu".
Sounds like they were getting Anglicized.)

To the, in Christ,highly-repectable man,Herr Joh.Forster, Magister and faithful servant of the Church in Augsburg, his very dear brother.
Grace and peace in Christ! I plead with you very much,my dear Forster, that you take it in a friendly and patient way that I have not written anything to you about the meeting here as I see that you were awaiting and thought it sufficient that you were awaiting it. However, I am so overwhelmed with the letters of others as well with other matters that I was forced to put my keenest friends until newly won (friends) over completely and having the opinion that you and other old friends would rather suffer the delay and happily bide your time than those who were pressing for the recently adopted agreement as was the case mainly with your Magistrat (high officials). However, up to this day I have not written to all of ours (party) and am required by the Prince's chancellery to do so.

Surely I have very expressly and clearly protested again and again at this convention when they did not have an upright and clear disposition to the matter itself might have stood against the Concord itself because this duplicity would have resulted in an imaginary harmony and finally give birth to an unending split. However they have taken up everything in a holy and earnest way, also our Apology, so that I could not repulse them. I have also said: if you should deal otherwise, we would oppose you with this Apology. Christ knows what will happen and if He makes this Concord firmly a great wonder will have been done. But now we await the answer of the churches and your authorities whether this our coming to one pleases so that the Concord can be concluded and publicly published. Without the consent of both parties nothing can be done by us alone as we have the command from them. And thus we have announced to ours. To M.Bucer (as I hope) it has been sufficiently said that he will not permit the Magistrat to incite or act against the positions and rights of the institution-lords (Stiftsherrn). You pray with us all that everything well go happily, and finally (with God's enabling hand) the many and great offenses in the Church will cease, Amen. Greet all those who belong to you (adherents=Angehoerigen). My Kaethe greets you. The LOrd be with you. The 12th of July 1536. Your Martin Luther.