To Elector Frederick of Saxony etc. etc. February 1520.
Letter.
To the Most Sublime, Highborn Prince and Lord, Lord Frederick, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall of the Holy Roman Empire, Elector, and in the lands of Saxon rights and ends in his Electorate. Gn. Vicarius, Landgrave in Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, his most gracious Lord.
1 Our most loving Blessed Maker, Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Most Gracious Lord, has commanded us all to visit the sick, release the captives and faithfully perform all works of mercy toward our neighbor; just as Christ our Lord Himself, with the example of His wondrous love, descended from the bosom of the Most High Father to prove and show this, and lowered Himself into our prison.He lowered Himself into our prison, accepted our weakness and served and worked in our sins; as He says in Isa. 43, v. 24: "Thou hast made me to serve in thy sins, and hast given me a work to do in thy sins.
Unrighteousness given." And whoever spurns this most lovely, most gracious and kindest example and most salvific commandment, will surely hear on the last day, Matt. 25:41, 43: "Go, you wretches, into the eternal fire. I have been weak or sick, and you have not visited me," as one who is guilty of the most wicked ingratitude and does not show Christ the Lord in his neighbor, at least in a small part, that which he has received from our Lord Christ with such great perfection of mercy.
2. for this reason I have first of all subjected myself to prepare my service and fee of this visitation to E. C. F. G., so that without the guilt and marks of ingratitude I cannot and may not pass over this form and figure of my Lord Christ, that is, E. C. F. G.'s illness, in any way with which God's hand has attacked and touched my Lord, and cannot pretend as if I did not hear God's voice coming to me from
cries out to the corpse and flesh of E. C. F. G. and says: "I am sick". For a Christian man is not sick when he is sick, but Christ our Lord and Beatificator Himself, in whom the Christian man lives, Gal. 2:20, as the Lord Christ Himself says, Matt. 25:40: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these little ones of mine, ye have done it unto me!" And although this commandment of Christ, our Lord and Savior, to visit and comfort the sick, must be kept as the most general commandment against all people, it must be demonstrated, practiced and kept more in the relatives of faith, as St. Paul also distinguishes, and most of all in our friends and neighbors. Gal. 6, 10.
3. furthermore, that I, together with all the people of your Electorate, Principalities and Dominions, as a subject, am obliged not only to bear a compassion with E. C. F. G., to suffer with it and to bear all E. C. F. G.'s troubles with it, but also with our head, in which all our salvation, administration and welfare is to be found. but with our head, in whom is all our salvation, administration and welfare; as the Holy Scripture says of Naaman of Syria, 2 Kings 5:1, that through him the Lord gave salvation and blessedness to the whole kingdom of Syria. Yes, because of this, the whole assembly and community of the Holy Roman Empire and the Christian Church is indebted to the C.F.G. in service, gratitude and love, to whom all men's eyes, thoughts and hearts have respect as to a faithful father of the fatherland of the German nation and a certain comforting refuge of the whole Holy Roman Empire.
4. we are not only obliged to render touched, humble service to E. C. F. G. and to have humble compassion for E. C. F. G., but also to ask God the Lord to preserve E. C. F. G.'s health and life, to bring salvation, good and happiness to us all.
I also assume and hope that it will be done diligently and faithfully by men. But I, who am to recognize myself as a debtor to E. C. F. G. for many reasons, confess to be fair, that I show E. C. F. G. a more submissive attitude before others, to prove my fee and dedication. But when I could not find this after considering my poverty and indigence, my dearest friend, Georg Spalatin, E. C. F. G. chaplain, finally reminded me to give E. C. F. G. a spiritual consolation. a spiritual consolation, that is, something from the Holy Scriptures, and promised me that such a consolation would be a gracious favor to E. C. F. G. as a wondrous, gentle and blissful prince, with which words I, admonished of my duty, submitted myself.
For this reason I have made this tablet, divided into fourteen chapters, and I offer and present it, therefore called by me in Greek Tessaradecas, to E. C. F. G.; which I wish to be salvific to E. C. F. G. instead of the fourteen emergency helpers, because of their number and work. It is not a silver tablet, but a spiritual one, which is not to be displayed in the church, but in the mind. It will have no other place to serve it.
Now this table has two parts. The first part has seven portraits or reflections of the ills, troubles, or adversities; the other part has seven portraits of the good things, as it will then indicate itself; therefore E. C. F. G. blessedly and after her usual princely high gracious grant, graciously accepts this little work of mine, to which I also humbly submit.
E. C. F. G.
menial servant