Luther gives him advice on how to heal a melancholic person through prayer.
Printed in Unschuldige Nachrichten 1719, p. 760; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 352 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 771. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1343.
"To the worthy Mr. Schulzen, pastor of Belgern, my favorable good friend." Prayer and peace in the Lord and Jesus Christ. Reverend Pastor! "The castle of Torgau and the council of Belgern have written to me, asking me to give good counsel and comfort to Mrs. Hans Kornerin, so that her husband may be helped. Now I truly know of no worldly consolation, and where doctors do not know how to help, it is certainly not a "bad melancholy," but rather a challenge from the devil, which must be confronted in the power of Christ with the prayer of faith. This is what we do and what we are used to doing. For there was a box maker here who was so seized with madness that we healed him through prayer in Christ. Therefore you should do this: Go to him with the chaplain and two or three good men, and you, with certain confidence that you are in the public church office and the pastor in the place, lay your hands on him and say: Peace be with you, dear brother, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. After that you shall pray the holy Christian faith and the Lord's Prayer over him with an audible voice, and conclude with these words: GOD, Almighty Father, who said to us by thy Son [Jn. 16, 23.], "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it you"; and again [v. 24.] thou hast commanded and compelled to pray in his name, "Ask, and ye shall receive"; likewise Ps.50, 15: "Call upon me in time of trouble, and I will save you, and you shall praise me." Therefore, we unworthy sinners, at the word and command of your Son, ask your mercy as much as we can believe you will graciously give,
To deliver this man from all evil, and to destroy the work of Satan in him, to the glory of thy name, and to the increase of faith and of the saints, through him our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee for ever and ever, Amen. Then, as you go away, you shall say again with the laying on of hands [Marc. 16, 17.]: "The signs which shall follow them that believe are these: Upon the sick they shall lay their hands, and it shall be better with them." This you shall do three times, once in one day, while prayers are nevertheless held publicly in the church in the pulpit, until God hears. At the same time, we will always join our petitions and prayers in the Lord with the fervent ones, in faith, as much as we can. Fare well. I have no other advice, and I am 2c. Anno 1545.
No. 3287.