Luther sends a letter to Weimar; he expresses his displeasure about the marriage of the court preacher there with a rich old woman.
The original is in the Anhaltisches Gesammt-Archiv. Printed in Aurifaber, vol. II, p. 156; in De Wette, vol. II, p. 409 and in Erlanger Briefwechsel, vol. IV, p. 232.
2) Luther was in Torgau on November 27 and 28, by order of the Elector, to settle the disputes between Agricola and Melanchthon. See St. Louis Edition, Vol. XX, Introduction, p. 47.
To the learned and godly man, Georg Spalatin, Christ's servant.
Grace and peace! I take advantage of your courtesy and service, my dear Spalatin, namely that you have this letter to Greffendorf 1) delivered soon. For it concerns a matter that is important to me. I hope, however, that messengers are to be had from this court to that either always or frequently, while I have none.
I dislike Wolfgang's marriage, 2) which you indicate, to the old and rich Vettel. It is a disgrace to the gospel to seek mammon and to despise offspring; I would have approved if he had married a girl in the hope of offspring, but now the teacher of faith is making an evil name for himself and us by the example of unbelief. Farewell and pray for me. Wittenberg, Saturday after Lamberti [September 19] 1523, Martin Luther.