#1716-To Conrad Cordatus in Zwickau

Grace and peace in Christ! I neither know what nor have I something, my dear Cordatus,with which to answer your letter as the same sort of complaints have overwhelmed me from throughout the dukedom (electoral Saxony) of our Prince. Itis a kind of secret and very harmful persecution that one so despises our preaching-office,hates and attacks it by trying to destroy it through hunger.Likely it is the fate of the Word that when it comes to its own, its own do not receive it.[John 1:11].The surrounding neighbors could not suppress the worship of God in Jerusalem but she her own self supppressed it. Christ could never have been crucified if he had stayed away from Jerusalem. "It cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem [Luke 13:33], and "no where is a prophet lacking more than in his father-land." Thus it happens also with ours. From outside the enemies can establish nothing by their rage so they must do it within where there is peace with ours by their contempt. Hate and hunger will exterminate the Word.Immediately will follow the punishment of this evil and more will yet follow namely starvation and pestilenz if it continues in this way. "If God would delight in being gracious to this German land, we must not let it happen." For this I request, my dear Cordatus, that you either endure , comforted by the example of Christ and those who are His or that you renounce your stubborn Zwickauers.I see neither any hope nor know of anyway in which they can be changed. This I say as one who has experienced it and has suffered it. It will happen that this great dukedom will be empty of the servants of the Word with hunger alone being enough to drive them out to say nothing of the suffering.More at another time since bodily I am very weak and sick. Greetings from me to Nicolaus (Hausmann), your bishop and be it right well with you in Christ, Amen. From Wittenberg on the day of Luke [Oct.18] 1530. Your Martin Luther.
Notes: ML barely escaped with his life from Zwickau when in the early twenties they were inclined to the likes of Carlstadt.
Cordatus will be one of the compilers of the Table Talks of ML.