Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/488

 we were found entirely innocent. But may Christ our Lord tread Satan under His feet and ours.

Your Grace's obedient servant, Martin Luther.

83a PHILIP OF HESSE TO LUTHER AND MELANCHTHON. Enders, vii, 125. German. (Fuedewald, July i, 1529.)^

Grace and peace from God through Christ our Lord, and the illumination of the Holy Spirit for true understanding and true steadfastness. Amen.

Learned, especial and dear friends. We have received and read your separate answers* to our recent letter, addressed you by our own hand, in r^;ard to a friendly and pacific col- loquy with Oecolampadius and others of his following;' con- cerning the division in our Christian religion on the subject of the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in which you write us that you will come to Marburg on the appointed day, Michaelmas, and take part in this friendly conference. Because, then, we have the comfortable and as- sured confidence that such a colloquy will lead to a friendly understanding and be productive of all good (if God gives us grace; for which we will heartily and earnestly pray); and since the other party has promised, if God graciously wills it, to appear on that day;* therefore we ask you again, kindly and coiuteously, that you will show your goodwill by appear- ing on that day, and will certainly come to us to Marburg on Michaelmas, in order to begin, on the Thursday following, this friendly and kindly and pacific colloquy, at which we ourselves, God willing, shall be present in person. We ask that you do not refuse this invitation or hinder the meeting, so that no offence may be given. Therdby you will, without doubt, be comforting weak consciences and doing a good and Christian work, which we hope will be for our good. But since in matters of this kind we can propose no special measures

^Thotigfa undated) this letter was prol>ably written at the same time with the dated letter to Zwingli (Schuler and Schulthcss, yiii, 3138.).

'SMpra, no 837.

had been invited to participate in the colloquy.
 * No mention is made of Zwingli even here, though as early as April as he

ceived the inviution on the day his letter was written (Enders). His letter, prom- ising to come, dated July 12, given in facsimile in Ments: Handschrifttn, a^tu
 * Zwingli had promised, but Oecolampadius, who alone is mentioned here, re-

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