Of the Assembly of the Princes at Brunswick, 1531.
When the Princes (professing the Augustinian Confession) held an assembly at Brunswick, then Luther received three letters, wherein was shown that the Prince Elector of Saxony journeyed five days through the Marquisate of Brandenburg, whereas Prince Henry of Brunswick would neither give him convoy nor permit him to go through his country. But the Prince Elector of Brandenburg, in his country, gave him princely entertainment in every place, and many went out of Brunswick to meet and to receive him. But the Landgrave of Hessen went on the other side, through Goslar, without a convoy. Christianus, King of Denmark, the second day of the assembly, delivered up the Confession of his Faith, and was held and esteemed a second David. Whereupon Luther said, God of his mercy assist him for the sanctifying of his name. But, said he, the pride of the Duke of Brunswick may easily redound to his own hurt and prejudice, who, contrary to all law and equity, denied a safe convoy to one of his best and truest friends. Moses likewise desired a safe convoy to the King of the Amorites; but being denied, he thereby took occasion to raise war against him. The Lord of Heaven grant us peace. The same day other letters came to Luther from Brunswick, showing that the King of Denmark in person, the Ambassadors of England and France, and of many Imperial cities, were arrived there, among whom, some carried themselves very strangely towards those of the Protestant League. Luther said, under the name and colour of the Gospel, they seek their own particular advantages, but in the least danger they are afraid. These politic and terrestrial leagues and unions have no hand nor share in the Gospel: God alone preserveth and defendeth the same in times of persecution. Let us put trust and confidence in him, and with him; let us erect and establish an everlasting league, for the world is the world, and will remain the world.
Of the Convention and Assembly of the Protestant State at Frankfort-on-the-Main, 1539.
God, of his infinite mercy, said Luther, assist them at Frankfort-on-the-Main, that they may Christian-like consult and conclude, to the end that God’s honour, the good and profit of the commonwealth may be furthered. Indeed, it is a very small assembly; it hath a strange aspect to be held in an Imperial city; but forasmuch as they are thereunto constrained by the adversaries, they must be content.
The Papists, void of shame, do unwisely undertake to possess themselves of the cities, and by fraud to draw thereunto their adherents; then they make show of keeping peace, but in the meantime they contrive how to separate and confuse the whole body, and of the members to make a massacre; they secretly fall upon Hamburg, upon Minden, and Frankfort. They might more wisely go to work, if by open wars they assailed us. At Augsburg they openly condemned us; and if those of our party had not been patient, it had presently gone on at that time. Anno 1539, the 16th of February, Luther commanded public prayers to be made for the day at Frankfort, that peace might be confirmed. For if the Landgrave be incensed, then all resistance will be in vain. The Landgrave neither provoketh nor giveth occasion to wars; but, on the contrary, when he is provoked, he still seeketh peace; whereas, notwithstanding, he is better furnished and provided for wars than his adversary is, by 2,000 horse, for Hessen and Saxon are horsemen; when they are set in the saddle, they are then not so easily hoisted out again. As for the high-country horsemen, they, said Luther, are dancing gentlemen. God preserve the Landgrave; for a valiant man and Prince is of great importance. Augustus Cæsar was wont to say, “I would rather be in an army of stags, where a lion is general, than to be in an army of lions where a stag is general.”
The 25th of February, Luther prayed again with great devotion for peace, and for the day at Frankfort, that through civil wars (which are most hurtful), the religion, policy, and God’s Word might not be sophisticated and torn in pieces. Wars are pleasing to those that have had no trial or experience of them; God bless us from wars.
FOOTNOTES
[17] Whatsoever was pretended, yet the true cause of the Captain’s commitment was because he was urgent with the Lord Treasurer for his Arrears; which, amounting to a great sum, he was not willing to pay; and to be freed from his clamours he clapped him up into prison.
[97] The name of a rich family.