I could not have believed (but pray do not spread this)that this man could have had so many strange opinions,and could have strayedso far from our doctrine.
I say, if we irritate him further we would only cause greater offence,and fresh disturbances would ensue which it is better to avoid.
If you are satisfied with our counsel, we trust that this business may, through time, quietdown, and he meantime draw nearer to us.
We lose nothingthrough forbearance,while, if he do not repent, he will only injure himself through his obstinacy.
Lord smooth all these disturbances.
I commit you to Him, my brother.
I hope he will not be displeasedbecause the publicationof his theses has been so long delayed.
We have reasons for this,waiting for this dark cloud to pass away.
I beg you not to show this letter to any one except Spengler.
Luther directs a pastor how to treat despisersof the sacrament.
We threaten those who despisethe services of the sanctuary and neglectto partake of the Prince's wrath, and with being denounced as blasphemersof God.
Then, if they do not improve,the pastors must instruct them for a month or longer,to try to make them see their error.
But if found to be quite hardened, then they must be expelledfrom the congregation and avoided as heathen.
(Titusiii.lo-ii) is explicit on this point regardingthe ban.
If the generalremedy is ineffectual, then you can write againregardingthe matter.
Luther's course of instruction to his children and to all EvangelicalChristians for 1533.
An enemy of allreligions and a specialopponent of Christ,a perfectexample and copy of Luther, write this with my own hand to my dearest son,
Johannes,and throughthee to all the children of the Holy Luther's great work, begun on the Wartburg, was finished, and issued in six parts, under the title "Biblia,the whole
Reformation introduced into WUrtemburg by Philipof Pomerania through Dukes Philip, the latter marryingJohn Frederick's sister.
Bugenhagen compiled Confession of German dialect for Pomerania,a preciousrelic of Reformation times.
Luther dissuades him from going to Ntirnberg.
Why complain so vehemently,my Amsdorf, about my not answeringyour letters, and fear you have offended me You should rather have argued thus
I erred,he would certainlyhave written, pointingout my mistake.
His not writingproves that all was right, and there was no hurryto answer, especially as I was an ailing and worried man.''
This is written in the brotherlyspiritof our old and tried friendshipin I fear to advise as to the Provostshipin NUrnberg. For I might err, and yet not err, and I dread greatlythat this call would not suit the open-hearted
Amsdorf, who takes the direct path to the objecthe has