#1704: To Melanchton

To his very dear brother, M. Philipp Melanchton, the servant of the Lord. Grace and peace in Christ!

You wouldn't believe, my dear Philipp, the great cloud of sayings and letters which are full of complaints against yours, especially against you. I am overwhelmed after your (Melanchton's and Jonas') letters. I am reluctant to write this as I am hesitant to cause you concern over a small matter when in the great matter you are looking to me for consolation and which I previously made a great effort faithfully to bring about. But now I am struggling with letters from ours and yours. I defend myself as follows: First, I say: Ours in Augsburg write to me differently and do not say such things [as Melanchton?]. I have the firm opinion, however, that I would rather believe you than them and I hope you have not kept anything from me which concerns this matter. So I am of the confident conviction that you have conceded nothing and that the Confession remains inviolate and the Gospel is held to. If there is something that goes beyond the Gospel and our Confession: is it necessary for you to alter that? Thus, with the ancients we have offered voluntarily that we will suffer and do everything also in relation to our enemies that does not violate our conscience and the Gospel. For this reason, I am undisturbed and fear nothing in this matter, but I am concerned about force and deception for your sake. Therefore, I appeal to you for the sake of Christ that, as soon as you can, you write to me, perhaps by the Nuernberg post, what has transpired since you last wrote. I am forced to have great concern by the excited [tragicissimae] letters of ours to think that something dangerous meanwhile has ocurred . Something of the sort was rumored at mealtime recently in the presence of the Young Prince [the Churprinz came to Coburg on Sept.14], but I denied it and said: They have not written to me and I am awaiting their letters: do something then so I can therewith shut their mouths. What I previously have written to them in answer is not highly regarded by them and of no effect. The Lord Jesus support you and lead you in His grace and mercy, Amen.

From the wilderness on Tuesday after Lamberti [20 Sept.] Your Martin Luther.