# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1847 10 13_S147
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

..., more or less essential matters, or even matters of substance and matters personal, all mixed together, and thereby delay the settlement of the case actually under discussion), I am prone to respond somewhat sharply, when the presiding officer, whose duty it is to check what is improper, is too passive about it out of a mistaken regard for persons. I also confess this: that I tend to be rather curt with those who go about rather puffed up with many words and, full of emphasis and self-importance, yet contribute as good as nothing that serves toward the right decision of the matter at hand. If, then, I have here and there sinned against love toward this or that person in the manner and way of my conduct, it has nevertheless happened, so far as I am aware, only out of love for the cause; and by God's grace I harbor not the least grudge or bitterness against them and others whose sore and festering spot I have likewise touched, and who are for that reason rather hostile and ill-disposed toward me. For the rest, I pray daily to the Lord that He would also forgive me my hidden faults, but I can at the same time assure, with a good conscience before God and men, that from the bottom of my heart I also curse and condemn every thought that does not spring from honest and sincere love toward God and men, and that becomes manifest to me as such. — May, moreover, the united-church candidate for the ministry, Mr. H., the observer and judge of church conditions here, henceforth not be so hasty and light-minded as to pass, and even have printed, a final judgment upon someone from mere rumors and remarks of individuals — someone who is personally quite unknown to him and whose disposition and conduct he has not come to know through direct observation of indubitable facts.

—

(Submitted by Hermann Zick.)
The Wittenberg Concord, an Example of True Union.
(Conclusion.)

Many more cordial letters were now exchanged between Luther and the Upper German cities. First he addressed a friendly and loving letter to the city of Augsburg, which aroused there an inexpressible joy. In order to communicate this to the Strasbourgers, Dr. Gereon Seyler, a famous physician, and Caspar Huberinus hastened there by order of the authorities, whereupon they betook themselves at once to Luther. They brought him letters from the council and the preachers of Augsburg and were received by him and his household in the most friendly manner. This beautiful example, by which the Augsburgers made the beginning of true union, was followed by the Strasbourgers, who reported to Luther that all their fellow ministers and co-workers in the imperial cities of Constance, Frankfurt, Ulm, Esslingen, Memmingen, Lindau, Kempten, Landau, Weissenburg, Biberach, and Isny had accepted the confession that Bucer had prescribed for the Augsburgers.

[147]

Bucer himself was sent by the Strasbourgers to Stuttgart to Brentius, in order to remove every scruple from this pious and learned man as well, while Capito sought in Basel and Zurich to win the Swiss over to the work of peace. These signs of returning concord filled Luther's heart in his old age with blessed, inexpressible joy; for as the faithful warrior of the Lord himself confessed of himself at that time, "he was now old, gray, and almost entirely worn out, wearied by so much labor and temptation, and weary of everything, and wished and longed for the time of his departure, before which he hoped to see and leave behind only unity." Indeed! It is as though a precious high-priestly ointment were poured out over all his words when he speaks of this great hope. "God, the Father of all comfort, joy, and unity," he writes to the Augsburgers, "be praised in eternity, and may He bring this His fine work to a blessed end until that day, Amen! A heavy stone has thereby been taken from our hearts, namely the suspicion and mistrust which, God willing, shall not return again. Nothing more joyful has happened to me in this whole time of the reawakened Gospel than that, after the lamentable division, I can at last hope for, indeed see, a Concord. For Dr. Gereon's report and your letter show themselves to be such that my wound — that is, suspicion — is now so thoroughly healed that not even a scar remains. Therefore I beg you, through Christ, who has begun such a work in you, continue and persevere in this fruit of the Spirit. May you also show yourselves toward us with as hearty and upright a Christian love as we receive you with true love and faithfulness; and you may certainly be assured of this in Christ, that you can lay nothing upon us that we would not gladly and joyfully do, indeed even suffer, in order to confirm this Concord. For when this Concord is confirmed, I will sing with joyful tears: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace! For I shall leave to the church peace — that is, the honor of God, the punishment of the devil, and vengeance upon all enemies and adversaries. Be assured that I, so far as it lies in me, will faithfully and joyfully do and suffer everything possible for the completion of this Concord. For I desire, as said before, nothing more than that I might soon close this life with you in peace, love, and the unity of the Holy Spirit. Christ Jesus, the author of life and peace, join us together through the bond of His Spirit unto everlasting unity!"

Thus everything had shaped up beautifully and delightfully, when at the beginning of the year 1536 all hopes for peace threatened to vanish. For in Switzerland there were at that time printed again Zwingli's expositio fidei (an exposition of the doctrine of faith), and the letters of Zwingli and Oecolampadius, writings full of the most offensive errors. In addition, the latter were furnished with a short preface by Bucer, in which he openly took their orthodoxy under his protection.

When these writings reached Saxony, people were greatly taken aback by them. Melanchthon lost all hope; Luther too had doubts. "Since, however, you consider," the excellent Elector John Frederick wrote to him, "that there is to be little comfort and hope regarding the Concord: we truly do not hear this gladly. We are, however, of undoubting hope and confidence that Almighty God will know well and graciously how to bring it about, to His honor." At the same time he faithfully exhorted him to remain firm and steadfast in his doctrine, adding: "as we also know, without needing to remind you of steadfastness, that there will be no lack in you." But because the matters were "great, weighty, and important," he commanded his chancellor Gregorius Brück to be present at the conference.

Eisenach was first designated as the place of meeting; then, because of Luther's continuing sickliness, the nearer-lying Grimma. In May of the year 1536 the deputies of the Upper German cities came to Gotha — Martin Bucer and Wolfgang Capito from Strasbourg, Martin Frecht from Ulm, Bonifacius Lycosthenes and Wolfgang Musculus from Augsburg, Johann Bernhardi from Frankfurt am Main, Jacob Otther from Esslingen, Gervasius Scholasticus from Memmingen, Matthäus Alber and Georg Schradin from Reutlingen, Martin Germanus from Surfeld — where the superintendent Friedrich Myconius received them in a friendly manner. Already there it came to a discussion of the main matter; Myconius explained to them, briefly and clearly, the doctrine of our church, whereby several points became clearer to Bucer and Capito. Indeed, they finally had to confess that our doctrine agreed with Holy Scripture and with the holy fathers of the pure church.

Thereupon all proceeded to Eisenach, where the superintendent there, Justus Menius, joined them. Because Luther's weakness still continued, it was agreed to go at once to Wittenberg instead of to Grimma. Along the way the discussions were continued, and scarcely an hour passed in which our men did not explain and valiantly contend that the bread in the holy Lord's Supper is the true body of Christ. Having arrived in Wittenberg, the visitors moved into the lodging prepared for them by order of the Elector, while Myconius and Menius reported to Luther and Melanchthon that they had, for the most part, won over the Upper Germans along the way. Melanchthon took heart again, but Luther had doubts as to whether they meant it sincerely.

On the morning of May 22, Bucer and Capito went alone to Luther and handed him the letters of the Upper German cities. In the afternoon of the same day, Bucer and Capito came again to Luther's dwelling, while from our side, besides Luther and Melanchthon, also