Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/506

 sermon against the Turks ;^ Philip and Jonas are printing a tract ' on the same subject. Do your best to make your own hard-hearted, incredulous and stubborn Zwickauers believe and fear and tremble at the sight of the rod and the wrath of God. It will not be a jest, but the final wrath of God, in which the world will come to an end and Qirist will come to destroy Gog and Magog and set free His own, for all the prophecies of Scripture are fulfilled, though we are sure that our humble prayers can avail somewhat against that Turk who will plague us Germans not this winter only but until the end of the world, as says Daniel vii. Farewell in the Lord and pray for me. I will wrestle even unto death against the Turks and the god of the Turks. Greet my dear Cordatus and his Christina.

Martin Luther.

858. LUTHER TO WENZEL LINK AT NUREMBERG.

Enders, vii, 179. (WrrrENBERc), October 28, 1529.

Grace and peace in Christ. Of our s}mod at Marburg there is nothing to write, my dear Wenzel, for you have already learned it all from Osiander. They were humble enough, nay, more than enough, and tried to gain recognition as our brethren. Nicholas Amsdorf is exulting greatly and praising the work of God because, although they sought to be recog- nized as our brethren, they did not succeed. He thinks Osiander's prophecy has been fulfilled, for two years ago he prophesied to Zwingli, as to a second Ahab, elated with the hope of victory, that within two years either he would be con- founded, or he (Osiander) was not "speaking in the Lord," * and now they, who condemned us as idolaters,^ cannibals, Thyestians, worshipers of an impanate and edible God, Capemaites, etc., are seeking the fellowship of such people and are not considered worthy to have it. His story is true, and so is his boast, as we ourselves see.

1 Ein Heerpredigt wider den Turken. Weimar, xxx,* i6off.

'The tract is usually ascribed to Jonas, who dedicated it to Philip of He8S« (Kawerau, i, 140), but cf, Buchwald, Wittenberger Brief*, p. 72*


 * I Kings xxii, 38.

« Epithets applied to the Lutherans because they held the doctrine of the Real Presence in the Eucharist.

�� �