January 7, 1523.
Grace and peace in Christ. These two brothers come to you with letters and affairs, as you see, my dear Wenceslaus, and demand that I also make my intercession for them to you. If this abomination should come to an end, I would dare, if I were in your place, to give the prince the freedom and consent that these poor people might be helped with a part of the lost goods. And I would not see what the administrator's office could do in the future, especially since the others from the same monastery either keep the income or take it away without your or the administrator's permission. For you see that they are doing a work of love here, but there they are only encouraging godlessness; not to think of the lack of these poor people and the church-robbing waste of those. Dare therefore to do fearlessly what is good for the Lord and evil for men. They will say that you approve of the departure of these brothers. What is this all about? Perhaps they feel like talking and judging, and you will be absolved by them on this puffing occasion for the sake of the good work. For I certainly think so,
The expression of the prince's will at a good hour, according to which he demands your consent, must not be allowed to pass. Perhaps this may be a beginning for other things, and later no one will undertake to accuse the prince as if he were taking goods illegally, and in the meantime you have brought from the Egyptians to the Hebrews what belongs to them by right. But enough of this has been said.
Duke Georg has written to me, confronted me with proud words because of the injustice done to him, and questioned me about my letter to Hartmuth 1) von Cronenberg. However, I have given him an answer that will hardly please him. In his time, you will get to see a copy of both. At Nuremberg, my books have been banned by a new edict; however, they do not care much about it. Farewell, and pray for me. Wittenberg, the day after Epiphany, 1523.
Your
Martin Luther.
1) Aurifaber: Hartmann. Both names are used. Cf. the note Col. 490.
*) This letter is found in Latin in Aurifaber, vol. II, col. 112 and in De Wette, vol. II, p. 286. According to the latter we have translated.