Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/96

 Let. 529 OTHER CONTEMPORARY LETTERS W

But if God's will and work were to be hindered thereby, that his Grace would not like, and therefore wishes the whole case to be put before him, for he is expert in these high mat- ters. These things his Grace wishes him to know, and means it graciously and well.

529. LUTHER TO THE ELECTOR FREDERIC OF SAXONY.

DeWette, ii, 137. German. Born a, March 5, 1522.

Disregarding the Elector's wishes (r/. supra, no. 528), Luther left the Wartburg, March i, and traveled by easy stages to Wittenberg, where he arrived March 6. This letter was written while on the way.

Favor and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, and my htunble service.

Most serene, high-born Prince, most gracious Lord I Your Grace's kind letter * reached me Friday evening, as I was about to depart the next day. I need not say that I know your Grace meant the best for me, for I am certain of it, as far as a man can be of anything. Indeed, my conviction of it is almost superhuman, but that makes no difference*

I take the liberty of supposing from your Grace's tone that my letter * hurt you a little, but your Grace is wise enough to understand how I write. I have confidence that your Grace knows my heart better than to suppose I would insult your Grace's famous wisdom by unseemly words. I assure you with all my heart that I have always had a perfect and un- affected love for your Grace above all other princes and rulers. What I wrote was from anxiety to reassure your Grace, not for my own sake (of that I had no thought), but for the sake of the untoward movement at Wittenberg carried on by our friends to the detriment of the evangelical cause. I feared that your Grace would suffer great inconvenience from it. The calamity also bore hard on me, so that, had I not been certain we had the pure Gospel, I should have despaired. To my sorrow the movement has made a mockery of all the good that has been done and has brought it to naught. I would willingly buy the good cause with my life could I do so. Things are now done for which we can answer neither to God nor to man.


 * Supra, no. sa8. ■ Supra, no. 527.

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