[Wittenberg,] February 16, 1542 At the time Luther wrote this letter, Jonas was in Halle to organize and supervise the evangelical church there. Luther asks Jonas to see to it that his messengers (who would bring letters to Wittenberg) wait for a reply if Jonas expects to get a reply at all. Then Luther mentions that Kilian Goldstein, the carrier of the present letter, was a most welcome visitor, and would have been even more welcome had he stayed for dinner. As an afterthought, Luther responds to a no-longer extant letter of Jonas by stating that he, too, wishes to know whether Karlstadt passed away with a repentant heart and by announcing the pending arrival of Karlstadt's widow in Wittenberg. In a lengthy postscript Luther communicates news: Bucer's wife, his daughters, and a son have perished in the plague; a ghost disturbs Karlstadt's grave and house; the Sultan intends to invade the Empire, and the Sultan's oldest son is revolting against his father; the Hungarian stories have been printed in Wittenberg; and finally, Eck has published a book about the Diet and Colloquy of Regensburg.
On Justus Jonas, see LW 48, 275, n. 3.
Text in Latin: WA, Br 9, 621–622.1
To the illustrious man, Mr. Justus Jonas, Doctor of Theology, the provost2 at Wittenberg, a faithful ambassador of Christ3 at Halle, my superior4 to be revered in the Lord.
Grace and peace! I have told5 that excellent man, Doctor Kilian, your syndic,6 the same thing that I am communicating to you [now] by means of this pen, dipped in ink and filling up the paper, namely, that you should not continue to request an answer from me7 unless you have first coaxed the messengers or letter carriers to do a small service—that is, at least to return alter they have delivered a letter, and pick up8 an answer. For they deliver your letters to me as if they were forced to take care of other things after they have dropped off your letters, or to turn them over to the first person they meet, or in the meantime to kill a Turk. Well, if you do not take care of this, then have no doubt that I am unable to answer. For (as you know) I am too poor9 to be able to send letters to you by my own messengers; further, I am too occupied to be able to look around for someone who might perhaps go or move from here to Halle. This is in reply to your four letters, or perhaps even more.10
By the way, Doctor Kilian was a most welcome visitor, and would have been even more welcome had he stayed for dinner. But he said that he had to hurry, so I urged him in vain to stay. Be that as it may, the agreement of souls is a sufficiently large and happy banquet, however far apart their bodies are, according to the saying: the church is the fellowship of saints.
Farewell, and pray for me. The Lord be with you. Amen.
Greet your highly respected wife, the fruitful one who is blessed with children, on behalf of all of us.
Concerning Karlstadt's death,11 I too12 wish to know whether he passed away with a repentant heart.13 His wife will be here about Easter,14 and from her we shall find out everything.
Bucer's16 wife has perished in the plague; also all his daughters and a son. Many learned men have died,17 as I think you know.
A friend writes from Basel that Karlstadt has died and adds a fantastic story; he insists that some ghost comes to Karlstadt's grave and moves around in his house, making all kinds of noise by throwing stones and gravel.18 According to Attic Law19 one may not speak evil of the dead;20 therefore I shall add nothing.
We have seen to it that the Hungarian stories have been printed.21 The Poles say that the Turkish tyrant aims for the domination of Europe, and that there is no doubt that the Turks intend to invade Germany and demand free passage from the Poles. The Poles promise to fight, provided that they will get help from the Germans. But if at this Diet of Speyer, just as at the others, there is quarreling back and forth in a Sophistlike way,22 then the events will speak [louder], and Germany will be beset by some doom. I sustain myself with this one consolation, that is, I know that God cares for the church.