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 336 LETTERS OF MARTIN LUTHER 1536 be strong in silence and in hope, and so you will over- come in Christ this sophistical grammarian. Through silence one can do much in self-defence in such cases, till we can set you free and place you elsewhere, as we hope to do. Meanwhile it is much more dignified to put up with the injustice than to act. The right asserts itself at the end. As to the excellent Johannes, you have quite upset me. I hear he is imprisoned in Castle Leuchtenberg, from where that letter was written. Martin Luther. (Walch, 2 1. 1452) CCCLI To Wolfgang Brauer, Pastor at Jessen On private communion. December 30, 1536. Grace and peace in Christ, worthy Herr Pastor ! Regarding the question which your good friend at Lintz, Sigmund Haugreuter, wished to be laid before me, this is my answer, that it is not the duty of himself and house- hold to communicate thus, having no call or command to do so, although his tyrannical superior refuses to administer the sacrament, in spite of it being his duty to do so. For he can be saved through believing the Word. It might become a great scandal were the sacrament of the Lord's Supper handed about in the different houses, and in the long run do much harm, causing divisions and creating sects ; for nowadays people are so strange and the devil so mad. For the early Christians in Acts did not specially partake of the sacrament in their own houses, but all came together to do so, and even had they done it, such an example does not now hold good, even as it is not customary now to have all possessions in common, as was the case then, for now the gospel is proclaimed along with the sacraments. But it is only proper that the head of the house should teach God's Word to those under him, for God has commanded us to instruct our children and servants. But the sacrament and confession