II. LETTER.

A large ornamental drop cap I with floral and vine motifs within a square border.

In my first Letter I intended to have used such discretion, that you would have not the least reason to trouble yourself further with my affairs, or at least with the state of my Person and Office. Or if it should seem otherwise appropriate to you, that you would at least not seek to burden me with anything after the matter is settled; nor to lend your pen to others, to justify their misconduct, who disturb the Church anew; and thereby show that they are much readier and more capable of that than I. However, I have clearly perceived not only from your answer, then written to me, and the following five Letters with Postscripta afterwords, since published in succession; but especially from this last one, which is now the seventh, that you gladly also wish to have your nail in the sore, to keep the wound bleeding to the best of your ability, and to disturb me in my rest from across the IJ the river in Amsterdam from your Rustplaats resting place (for thus you call Nieuwendam), and from the other side, if it might succeed, to push me off the Dam referring to the center of Amsterdam. This you attempt against your fellow human, fellow Christian, fellow brother; and to work that out with deeds: while you firmly take offense that I wish to drive the Devil, your and my enemy, and the Murderer of all people, from his throne to the hellish dungeon with words alone, that is with writing (for the matter itself is not in human power). Whose great esteem also goes so much to your heart, that you yourself do not suffer that I call him a Bandrekel a chained dog; because he is also God's creature, and thus metaphysicè metaphysically good (you say), just as if a dog or a male dog were not also God's creature, or the Devil better than a dog. Having seen that all your writing consistently rolls on such discs, I immediately found reason to think that I would not spend my time or labor very well, if I once read it with