Luther rejoices at the spreadof the gospelin Dantzic.
I devoured your letters with the greatest delight, rejoicing to hear of the wonderful progress the ^ and bishopshave forbidden the sacrament to the people, for which they are longing. If they had sufficient faith and courage to do
God's will,in preference to that of man, then I would advise them to risk partakingof it.
Any magistrate who is not opposed to the rite could find excuses for them with the king.
He could say it was not his duty to interfere in church matters or introduce innovations,or, in other words, to teach For when the king forbade preachingin
Dantzic there existed another state of matters there,serious disturbances beingrife among the citizens.
Now that they are at one, having received the greater, viz. the Word of God, why should theybe forbidden acceptingthe lesser}
For, in an exigency,one can do without the sacrament, but not without the But should thingsbe otherwise now, that outweighsthe reasons for this participation in the sacrament.
Nevertheless do not desist from preaching the Word or forsake the church, but steadfastly proclaim the doctrine of the sacraments.
So, if they cannot have the ordinance now, let believers still long earnestlyfor it, and comfort themselves through their faith in it,till the Lord hear their earnest prayer, and strengthenthem to confess their faith openly,and enter into the full enjoymentof the sacrament.
The main point has alreadybeen achieved when the administration of the church has been reformed.
Lord strengthenyou and all your believing ones with Holy Spirit, that you may have courage to bring matters to a happy conclusion.
Luther pleadsfor a deposedpastor.
The bearer,Conrad, who declares, my excellent Myconius, that you deposed him from his charge at He complainsthat after long years of work he is plunged into poverty with five children dependingon him.
I send him back to you, pleadingyou will listen to him and helphim to the utmost, so that he may not perishof hunger.
I am not reflecting on you in the slightest, having alwayshad the highestopinion of you.
I could not turn a deaf ear to his misery.
I shall be trulydelightedif you are once more restored to health;and I was so often at the gates of death this year, I felt as if I were suffocated by the burdens of the world.
May the Lord grant me a blessed release and hasten that gloriousday.
" so that the world may cease to rage againstHis Joachim has asked my opinion as to sacred playsfounded upon Holy Scripture, which some of our clergydisapproveof.
I shall tell you what All are commanded to make known the Word of God in some way or other,not only by words but by pictures
" carved work, writings,psalms, hymns, and musical instruments