Grace and peace in Christ! What your Council has written to me I do not know and do not want to know, my dar Nicolaus, because I have sent back its letter sealed and unread because I have simply concluded that I do not want to hear, nor see, nor read the same and want absolutely nothing to do with their fellowship or carrying-ons. Therefore I am sending back at the same time their previous letter which,to be sure,I opened but not read when I saw that it came from Zwickau together with the sealed letters of Stephan Roth. Coming to me is the completely cerain rumor of what they are perpretating against me in Torgau promoting it with speaking and works so "if they want to give me orders in their letters, I will have nothing to do with it." Finally I am sending at the same time a letter giving thought to directing you how to proceed which is designated with the letter "B". You will see what you have to do. I will be most earnest in seeking to have nothing to do with any part of their counsel or actions. What I have previously written to you about should have been written. Howver, I have also written to the preacher at St. Catherine's and speak to his conscience how he can make himself so bold as to preach in the office entrusted to you without asking your counsel. I wish that you together with Cordatuse would STRONGLY urge the matter so strongly so that he, frightened , withdraws from this preaching-office which he has stolen.
For the rest what you write about Erhard Goetz you should know that the opposing party has not appeared as is indicated by the list of particulars. And the suspicion is arising in me that from your Council is breaking forth this tale which will be to the disgrace to you and all of us so that they are the only Zwickauers and the first ones who have tread down the servants of the Word with their feet and confused everything. For this reason I hold that Erhard should be free of his complainant whom by so many witnesses and by her own confession is guilty of breaking the marriage. Yet you know that that which previously encumbered the authority came upon us by necessity and which I have now in a publicized book put it back on the authorities. Now among other things the children of Belial (2 Chron.13:7) have in your Senate branded me with the loosing and binding of marriage as one who is playing and that according to my pleasure have taken over the sovereginty of marriage. "Beneath the skin they are boobs". For this reason if they are not satisfied with our judgment "so let them judge and rule in the name of the devil. They also should not stamp down on the office of the Word with their feet as they have undertaken to do or a different name should be given to them." The LOrd be with you, dear brother, and pray for me. Monday after Georg (24 April)1531. Your Martin Luther.
NOTES: Sounds like ML has mind up his mind about Zwickau.
Stanislaus Hoffman, a Bohemian, is the usurper of the preaching-office of Soranus at St.Catherines. #1788 following is addressed to him.
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