He expresses his gratitude for the testimony given to the apology of the brothers (No. 1869a), by which the slander against them is silenced. He reports that people from Herford are being dispatched to Wittenberg to work against them, and urgently asks that the Wittenbergers not be moved by the sent ones to doubt the truthfulness of the booklet.
Handwritten in Wittenberg, Ms. Pagendarm., p. 40, in Low German dialect. Printed in Erl. Briefw., vol. IX, p. 174 with the question: "ob Uebersetzung aus dem lateinischen Original?" - We have translated this writing into High German.
To the worthy and godly Doctor Martin Luther and Master Philippo Melanchthon at Wittenberg. 1)
Grace and peace. Worthy, dear doctors! We have received the booklet, signed and corrected by your dear ones, with great desire and thanksgiving, together with your letters. Nothing more necessary could have happened to us at that time, because (want) of the wanton promise about us from the preaching chair was beyond measure. The worst devil from hell has caused this game, but he will not succeed, God willing, but will be broken by you, so that the matter will become good again by God's grace and we will be united again in Christ, who has also often united his apostles. Since people are being sent to you against us, I beg and admonish you in Christ not to be moved against the truth of the booklet, nor with multiplicity of witnesses or circumstantiality of things, even if an angel from heaven would present you with something else. For we have written before God in the presence of Jesus Christ, and are yet required to read it before our whole city, confident in God that amen, yea, and truth, are found therein.
1) Here the manuscript has the addition: "Gerhardus Xanthis Martino and Philippo", which is not superfluous, because the writer of this letter is not mentioned anywhere else.
who will testify to himself. O heavenly Father, I ask you in the name of JEsu Christ, grant Martino and Philippo to know according to your will in this matter, Amen. Hereby GOtte commanded. Datum Misericordias Domini [April 14, 1532].
No. 1890a.