In a letter of comfort written July 20, 1528, Luther says: "A few days
ago my dear brother Caspar Cruciger, Doctor of Divinity, informed me
with grief that on his various visitations he learned from your friends
that you are afflicted with abnormal and strange thoughts pertaining to
God's predestination, and are completely confused by them; also that you
grow dull and distracted on account of them, and that finally it must be
feared that you might commit suicide,--from which Almighty God may
preserve you!... Your proposition and complaints are: God Almighty knows
from eternity who are to be and who will be saved, be they dead, living
or still to live in days to come,--which is true, and shall and must be
conceded; for He knows all things, and there is nothing hidden from Him,
since He has counted and knows exactly the drops in the sea, the stars
in the heavens, the roots, branches, twigs, leaves of all trees, also
all the hair of men. From this you finally conclude that, do what you
will, good or evil, God still knows whether you shall be saved or not
(which is indeed true) yet, at the same time, you think more of
damnation than of salvation and on that account you are faint-hearted,
nor do you know how God is minded toward you; hence you grow dispirited
and altogether doubtful."
"Against this I, as a servant of my dear Lord Jesus Christ, give you
this advice and comfort, that you may know how God Almighty is disposed
toward you, whether you are elected unto salvation or damnation.
Although God Almighty knows all things, and all works and thoughts in
all creatures must come to pass according to His will (_iuxta decretum
voluntatis suae_), it is nevertheless His earnest will and purpose, aye,
His command, decreed from eternity, to save all men and make them
partakers of eternal joy, as is clearly stated Ezek. 18, 23, where He
says: God does not desire the death of the wicked but that the wicked
turn and live. Now, if He desires to save and to have saved the sinners
who live and move under the wide and high heaven, then you must not
separate yourself from the grace of God by your foolish thoughts,
inspired by the devil. For God's grace extends and stretches from east
to west from south to north, overshadowing all who turn, truly repent,
and make themselves partakers of His mercy and desire help. For He is
'rich unto all that call upon Him,' Rom. 10, 12. This, however requires
true and genuine faith, which expels such faint-heartedness and despair
and is our righteousness, as it is written Rom. 3, 22: 'the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon
all.' Mark these words, _in omnes, super omnes_ (unto all, upon all),
whether you also belong to them, and are one of those who lie and grovel
under the banner of the sinners." "Think also as constantly and
earnestly of salvation as you [now] do of damnation, and comfort
yourself with God's Word, which is true and everlasting, then such ill
winds will cease and pass entirely."
"Thus we are to comfort our hearts and consciences, silence and resist
the evil thoughts by and with the divine Scriptures. For one must not
speculate about God's Word, but be still, drop reason and, holding the
Word to be true, believe it, and not cast it to the winds, nor give the
Evil Spirit so much power as to suffer ourselves to be overcome, and
thus to sink and perish. For the Word, by which all things and creatures
in all the wide world, no matter what they are called, have been created
and made and by which all that lives and moves is still richly
preserved, is true and eternal; and it must be accounted and held to be
greater and more important, mightier and more powerful than the
fluttering, empty, and vain thoughts which the devil inspires in men.
For the Word is true, but the thoughts of men are useless and vain. One
must also think thus: God Almighty has not created, predestinated, and
elected us to perdition, but to salvation, as Paul asserts, Eph. 1, 4;
nor should we begin to dispute about God's predestination from the Law
or reason, but from the grace of God and the Gospel, which is proclaimed
to all men." "Hence these and similar thoughts about God's
predestination must be judged and decided from the Word of God's grace
and mercy. When this is done, there remains no room or occasion for a
man thus to pester and torment himself,--which neither avails anything
even if he should draw the marrow out of his bones, leaving only skin
and hair." (E. 54, 21ff.)