Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/123

 they could. If this is true, Duke George will not be pleased that they are so timid in this matter, and will hardly act on their advice. . ..

��546. LUTHER TO GABRIEL ZWILLING.

^ Enders, iii, 342. Wittenberg, April 17, 1522.

After Luther's return to Wittenberg Zwilling had left the city and was living in retirement at Diiben. When the City Council of Alten- burg asked Luther to recommend a preacher for that city (Enders, iii, 333), he gave them Z witling's name (De Wette, ii, 131), and wrote him this letter. >.

Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. The Council of Altenburg has asked me for a preacher of the Gospel. If they come to you, go with them; if they accept you, receive their call as though it were assuredly the voice of God. I have offered you to them and recommended you, and so I beg you to accept what I have done in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who calls you through me and Philip, and go in peace. May the Lord make you to increase unto thousands of thousands. See to it, above all things, that you are moderate, and wear the dress of a priest, putting off that broad-brimmed hat * of yours for the sake of the weak, remembering that you are sent to those who must be fed with milk and released from the snares of the Pope. To do this you must work only with the Word, as you have heard from me, and as you will read in my new book.* It is the Father's will that men be drawn to Him through Christ, not forced or led to Him by our laws and or- dinances. The first thing to do is to fill men's hearts with a dislike for wickedness; then wickedness will fall away of its own accord, without our effort; love for goodness must be sown, then goodness will come of its own accord, and it will come to pass that the kingdom of God shall suffer violence and violent men will take it by force." The Lord grant you His mind and Spirit, that you may be a worthy minister of


 * I.e., the lay liead*drett.

' Von beider Gesialt des Sacraments, etc, cf, supra, no. S44* P* > i9» n* >• ■Matthew xi, 12. Luther's interpretation of the passage is that men will be- gone eager to enter the kingdom.

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