August 14, 1531.
To the Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Lord, Lord John, Duke of Saxony and Elector etc., Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, my gracious Lord, grace and peace in Christ.
Most Serene, Most Reverend Prince, Most Gracious Lord. The highly learned D.
Brück, Kanzler, E. C. F. G. gracious greeting, with request that I pray for E. C. F. G. etc. I thank E. C. F. G. most sincerely for his gracious greeting and for all the graces he has shown me, which I do not deserve. But I am obliged to pray for E. C. F. G. and have done so up to now.
*) This letter is in its entirety in the 15th volume. Appendix. D. Red.
both publicly in the pulpit and secretly in my closet, with diligence and from the heart, and I will do it faithfully as long as I live, because I could not stop doing it even without sin, because I see and experience the burden and unwillingness under which both C.F.G. is standing, from the outside and from the inside. But the great and gracious God, who made E. C. F. G. worthy to suffer so much for the sake of His word, and even to bear so much for the sake of worldly rule, will not abandon E. C. F. G., but will strengthen and comfort him until the blessed end, for He has said: "I will
I will not leave thee nor forsake thee"; and again: "Throw thy concern upon the Lord, and he shall provide for thee"; as his miracles have been sufficiently shown so far, especially with the past Imperial Diet. E. C. F. G. dear son, my gracious lord, Duke Ernst, I will be a faithful servant with what I can. Christ, our Lord, graciously guide and preserve, strengthen and govern E. C. F. G. on this journey and forever, Amen. Monday after Laurentii in the year 1531.
E. C. F. G. Martin Luther.