#2432-To Edward Fox,Bishop Herefordshire

To the honorable Father in Christ,Herr Edward, Bishop in Hereford (Erfordiensi) in England,in the LOrd his highly respected superior.
Grace and peace in Christ our LOrd! Since these men, our Friends and the envoys of the Prince are being sent on a journey to your illustrious King I have not neglected to write a letter to you lest,I fear, I would appear to be reproached as man ungrateful and unfeeling to the highest degree. Since when you here a very lovely relationship cultivated and to me also a rich kindness have shown and with that provided counsel against my enemy, the stone, there is no situation in which I will forget you.Often it is said of  you,mainly because you are so strategically situated in your kingdom either writing to us no letters ,or the written were intercepted those which would have stilled our anxiety. Now we are in uncertainty and actually fear that it may be the persistent silence is a sign that likely a very sad misfortune  has occurred about the Gospel.And there are people who think that your King is finally ensnared by the Roman vengeance and   again with the Pope go into a new undertaking. Here we pray that with our wish and fear that Satan will be crushed under your feet. We also are certain how or in what way you are dealing with the Gospel. We hope that through the delegation when they return will give a happy report about the Gospel in your English church.How it stands with the church and the communions in our Germany you will also learn from the delegation richly and completely. The LOrd Jesus Christ increase in you and us equally His grace and gifts to the glory of God the Father,Amen. My Kaethe respectfully greets you ,honorable Herr. In Christ may it be well with your worthiness and may I be commended to you. On 12 Mai Anno 1538. Your worthiness' devoted Martin Luther.

N.B. Henry VIII in 1536 sent a delegation to Wittenberg to work out some of the Articles of Faith agreed upon. Twelve articles were then discussed in England without much agreement. Luther's Prince sent, at the time of this letter Chancellor Burkhard and Myconicus et al to London to continue the discussions. ML admired Bishop Fox except on the divorce of Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon. Not much came of the discussions as it is thought that the Church of England was more inclined toward fellowship with the Greek Orthodox. So that's a brief rendeition of what was finally to come about as ML feared. Bishop Fox died four days before this letter was written.