not be surprisedby him.
For we are not ignorantof his devices, and how he carried them out upon Moritzburg and at Aschenburg ; and just now he has blessed, or rather cursed, two nuns
(God will redeem their souls).
All this proves the mischief he is anxious to do.
I have pled earnestly with my dear Jonas, that he would try to keep church, council, preachers,and schools closelyunited, so that through earnest prayer you may withstand the devil, and prevent him doing further mischief, which Jonas has up till now faithfully done.
I hereby commit preachers,sacristans,and schools to your Christian love, especially Jonas, from whom we were most unwillingto part.
I would gladly always have him beside me.
We dailyexperiencehow precious such faithful,pure preachers are.
They are very dear to " the labourers are few."
He commands them to be treated with double honour, and acknowledged as a peculiargift of He honours the world, as the Thou hast received giftsfor men,
Lord might dwell among them."
And it is no small gift that God has given you the heart to call such men, and love, cherish,and honour them.
In many places such men would be lightlyesteemed, and be obliged to go elsewhere, nay, even be compelled to flee.
Afterwards, when too late,they see what they have done, and think of the proverb, I have, but do not know what It is easy to make a change, but to improve matters is always dubious.
Christ strengthen you against the wickedness of Satan, and preserve you from his cunning devices, and at length give you ease and relief from the insidious attacks of flesh and blood.
Excellencies' obedient Luther writes about a peculiar kind of fox,and concerningthe conduct of the authorities of Nurnberg.
Grace and peace in the Lord, honoured father in I have communicated your opinion of this prodigyamong foxes to those conversant with the hunt, and they,to beginwith, said it could not be true.
But when they saw your letter,they were greatlyastonished, and allagreedin sayingthat the fox is slyenough not to harm the spot where he has his lair,and adduced as a proof of this that when they make their nest
{nisteln) in the moat round the town, they do no injury.
I do not know what all this portends,except it be that a mightychange,for which we longand pray, is imminent.
I am not concerningmyselfabout the Reichstag and councils.
I believe in nothing, I hope for nothing, and think of nothing. All is vanityof vanities.
Nurnberg peoplehave taken a certain nobleman prisoner in order to procure the release of their Baumg^rtner. If God do not step into the breach,this seems to be a spark sent to kindle a great fire in the future,for the punishment of the God will remove us before then.
There is no justice and no government in the land,which is,in very deed,onlythe dregsand end of the kingdom.
Your nephew George has showed me the paintingof the Lukas is a coarse artist.
He might have sparedthe female sex for the sake of God's creatures and our mothers.
Otherwise he might have paintedthe Pope more worthily,that is,representing him in a more diabolic form.
But you can judge better in the Lord.
Emperor has ordered the Augsburg people againto restore the Cardinal and the principalbishops, alongwith the clergyand the Papalceremonies.
But they will defend themselves by force of arms if necessary.