Priest Albrecht in Halle has taken away the Monstrance in Jutterbockwith other vessels, with all due ceremony, leavingbehind the written and sealed certificatestestifying theywere once there.
Monstrance will bring in great sums.
He is in very deed worthy of the rank of Cardinal, one who in cunning might successfully vie with and speedilysurpass all other
Cardinals if the reins were only left in his hands.
For even thus they plundered the churches and stole altar trappings, mass money, and precious stones in Rome and over Italy, and theycontinue to do so.
You perhapsfancywhen you read Cicero that Verres and Dionysiuswere greedyvultures.
But nowadays one highly esteemed Cardinal of the Holy Catholic Church ispossessed by a hundred Verreses and a thousand Dionysiuses, not only in heart,but he openlyperpetrates such rascality, as these deeds testify.
We look for your return, and if an unpleasant rumour reaches you, pay no attention to it.
We hope that even if an epidemicshould spreadabroad we shall have moderately pure air for our little bit of sky.
Things would look otherwise if it were really an epidemic. Everywhere on the face of this earth men are liable to decay.
We cannot all remain alive here upon earth or we would never reach yonder. My wife sends you greetings, and often thinks of you.
Beware that you do not make me jealous, in case I might revenge myselfupon you in a similar manner.
Farewell in the Lord, and greet CasparCruciger and all our people,and pray for me.
Protestants held their congress in Schmalkalden in February It was resolved to restate the articles of the Augsburg Confession,which was considered too mild for the times,and for this it was not Melanchthon's smooth pen which was called into requisition, but that of This was the originof the so-called Schmalkaldischen articles, which were an elucidation and supplementof the Augsburg Confession, and strengthenedthe Evangelicals in their faith.
Luther sends the articles to the Grace and peace in Christ,and my poor paternoster, High-bornPrince,most gracious Spalatin(forMenius and Myconius were too far away),who were here about Innocent's Day, to revise the articles as you wished, but on account of my weakness, caused by Satan, I am sure, were several days over them instead of one, as These beingconfirmed and signedby them, I now send to your
Grace by our good friend,M.
We all humbly plead, as some regardus with suspicion, fancyingwe wish to imperilyou princesand lords with your lands throughour reckless projects, that your
Grace would rebuke them, for we would rather run any risk than endangeryour Grace's lands and those of other lords.
Grace will know how far such articlesmay be acceptedby them, for we do not wish them to be burdensome to any, for each must be left free to adopt them or not as he pleases.
Written on the way to Luther leftWittenberg January 31, stayingin Torgau, Grimma, (wherehe preachedFebruary4),Arnstadt,and Although I fear this letter may be late,stillI shall write to say
I firmlyhope you have been free from your pain up till now, and thus my prayers have been answered.
A report has got abroad that Holiness the Bishop of Aix is on the way from