would rejoice Satan and his followers, and be very difficult to allay.
I fancy your common-sense and learning, my friend, could advance good reasons for so acting. Still there are points on both sides with which I am far from pleased.
We are human, and our flesh can easily lead us astray when one will not listen to the other, being filled with self-conceit. Therefore, I beseech you, through Christ, as I see no way of ending the dispute, suppress and mutually beware of opening the vexed subject, and do not, on any account bring it forward publicly. If you do this, which is certainly according to the mind of Christ, then He will give the desired peace.
I know that you too are aware of this, my friend, and how very near my heart it lies that the manifold gifts with which God has endowed you may be glorified. How otherwise would I have given myself so much trouble in this matter? Therefore, do not despise my candid way of speaking, my brother in the Lord, and strive to extinguish this spark, to prevent it bursting into a flame which will consume us along with you. May our comforter, Jesus Christ, direct your hearts into His love and patience!
(Schütze.)
CCCIII
To Wenzel Link
Upon the same subject.
Grace and peace in Christ! We shall write to your magistrate concerning the dispute about public absolution, my Wenzel, and I have also written to Osiander.
Now I beseech you and your colleagues not to shut the eyes of your brotherly compassion upon those who have such opinions, but treat them as sick persons, not turning them into ridicule, so that the tiny spark may not burst into a flame, but tactfully try to reclaim them from their errors. One must ponder well how to redeem the soul of this brother.
