Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/515

 Bishop of Bamberg/ in dismissing the two collectors, said he would rather suffer life imprisonment than consent to such a robbery. The Bishop of Wiirzburg * has sent a legate to secure from the Emperor a revocation of the decree. See how the Pope seeks to destroy Germany with his Florentine arts since he cannot win otherwise. Thus their saviour has begun to save them ! It is just and right that they who oppose Luther, their defender, should, under their own preserver, lose everything they have and be destroyed in the wrath of God. At Cron- berg in Hesse an unborn child cried out twice in the bath-room in the hearing of the whole family. This is a bad sign. You will communicate these things to your pastor. Dr. Nicholas Hausmann. Farewell, and pray for me.

Dr. Martin Luther.

866. THE ELECTOR JOHN OF SAXONY TO LUTHER. Enders, vii, 221. German. Tosgau, January i8» 153a

Greetings, reverend, learned, dear Sir. It has been re- ported to us several times in the past few weeks that you have ceased to preach in our city and parish church at Wit- tenberg. This has disturbed us greatly, especially since we cannot know the reason for it — whether it is physical ina- bility or something that has aggrieved you. If your physical condition makes it impossible for you to preach so often in the week, it is our desire that your burdens shall be so light- ened that you can preach once a week, possibly at the Sun- day mass. If the reason for it is a grievance against our sub- jects at Wittenberg, we should be sorry to hear it, and would be ourselves much aggrieved to learn that the conduct of some of them had been the cause for you to stop your preaching. You know better than we can tell you how important it is, not only for the people of Wittenberg, but for those of our other lands and for foreigners, too, that you should not cease to preach. Therefore it is our especial and gracious request to you that, for the praise of the Almighty and the comfort of poor people who desire it, you will not give up preaching altogether, but will preach at least once a week, on Sunday,

^Weigand von Redwitz, Bishop of Bamberg, x 512*56. 'Conrad III von Thungen, Bishop of Wurzburg, 15x9-40.

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