everything was sealed with a sausage10 and left to the King's pleasure. The English themselves said: "Our King vacillates." And Doctor Antony11 said several times: "Our King in no way respects religion and the gospel."
Since that time I have come to be glad that the King has shown by public action that he has fallen from the gospel and, even more, that he has revealed his hypocritical pretense. By no means would we have fared well with him, for we would have had to load his sins upon ourselves, and yet had a false friend in him. Above all, as the English let slip while they were here, we would have had to let the King continue to be and be called "Head and Defender of the Gospel," as he boasts that he is head of the English churches.12 Away, away with this head and defender! Gold and money make him so cocky as to think that he should be worshipped, and that God could not get along without him. Let the King himself carry his sins, for which he is not ready to repent; we have enough of our own to carry. We have more than enough evidence [of his hypocrisy]: he [betrayed] Emperor Maximilian and soon thereafter King Louis of France as well.13 He should be pope, as in fact he is in England.
May our dear Lord God protect Your Electoral Grace and all friends14 from every evil, especially from such cunning, insidious15 attacks of the devil. Amen.
Your Electoral Grace's dedicated To Mrs. Martin Luther On June 11, 1540, Melanchthon left Wittenberg for the Electoral court in Weimar, intending to go from there to Hagenau. He was to participate in a colloquy between evangelicals and Roman Catholic theologians which was to work out a theological basis for Emperor Charles's policy of reconciliation between the opposing religious-political parties of the Empire. Melanchthon arrived in Weimar on June
12 and became so seriously ill that he could not continue the journey.1 In order to make new arrangements, Elector John Frederick2 summoned3 Luther and Caspar Cruciger4 to Weimar on June 16.5
Luther arrived in Weimar on June 236 and stayed there until approximately July 4 when he and the others went on to Eisenach with (the now recuperated) Melanchthon. Luther and his friends stayed there from July 7 to 26, primarily for the purpose of finding a solution to the highly embarrassing problem of the bigamy of Landgrave Philip of Hesse.7 On July 27 Luther and Melanchthon left Eisenach for Wittenberg, where they arrived on August 2.8
Luther's absence from Wittenberg of approximately six weeks is the background for the four following letters written by Luther to his wife. In letter No. 290 Luther informs his wife that he is well, that Melanchthon's health is improving, and that at Arnstadt a pastor has driven a devil out of a young girl.
Luther also discusses business and family matters: Catherine should help Bugenhagen and others find a pastor for the parish in Greussen; he, Luther, has received the letters from his children, but as yet has received no letter from his wife; he encloses a "silver apple" which Catherine should divide among the children; he will stay until July 4 in Weimar and then go to Eisenach with Melanchthon; Wolfgang
Seberger should not neglect the mulberries and should tap the wine. Luther adds greetings to all his boarders and friends and asks them to step in and help wherever the need arises.
Text in German: WA, Br 9, 168.9
To my dearly beloved10 Katie, Mrs. Doctor Luther,11 etc., to the lady at the new pig market:12 Personal Grace and Peace! Dear Maid Katie, Gracious Lady of Zölsdorf13 (and whatever other names Your Grace has)! I wish humbly to inform Your Grace that I am doing well here. I eat like a Bohemian and drink like a German;14 thanks be to God for this. Amen. The reason for this is that Master15 Philip16 truly had been dead, and really, like Lazarus, has risen from death.17 God, the dear father, listens to our prayers. This we
[can] see and touch [with our hands], yet we still do not believe it. No one should say Amen to such disgraceful unbelief of ours.
I have written to Doctor Pomer, the pastor,18 that the Count of Schwarzburg is asking that a pastor be sent to Greussen.19 As a wise woman and doctor, you, with Master George Major20 and Master Ambrose,21