He urgently repeats the request he already addressed to Luther and Melanchthon in No. 1980b.
Handwritten in the Wittenberg Seminary Library, Ms. Pagendarm. p. 52. Printed in Erlanger Briefw., vol. IX, p. 348.
Grace and peace through Christ! I have long since appealed to you and Melanchthon in great distress, most esteemed Father in Christ.
4) Instead of Daus, read Deum.
5) Melanchthon does not give an explanation about this statement in his answer, in which he only reports that Luther, himself prevented from writing, had instructed him to communicate that he disliked those statements about the prohibition of abstinence etc. On Oct. 10, Wilskamp repeated his request, and Luther did not give the explanation of those words until Oct. 24, 1534, in his letter to the council at Herford. (Erl. Briefw.)
Addendum to the letters from 1531 to 1536.
1) by asking, among other things, about the passage in your letter: "Time itself will find counsel," which, if I am not mistaken, is set in such a way to calm the unrest. They stubbornly seize this passage, do not care about the rest of the letter, and twist it as if Luther badly wanted our house, which by the grace of God is already reformed to the gospel of Christ, to die out with us without any succession by accepting those who, according to the counsel of Paul, want to let their virgin remain so [1 Cor. 7:37], and join us to be instructed in the discipline of God under Christian freedom. Melanchthon answered on your behalf with these words: 2) "Luther himself does not want abstinence to be forbidden to all. But he does not want to burden your comrades with vows or marriage covenants 3) or otherwise bind them in such a way that they could not comfortably leave this way of life." We accept this answer with gratitude, since it corresponds perfectly to our rule (instituto), where 4) with good forethought the same is denied with these words: "But we will not accept a vow from anyone, even if he should fervently ask for it." And if Luther, as the letter testifies and Philip promises, had not reserved himself, because he was busy at the time, to answer us at another time, 5) we would already have been given an ample answer, when we consider the secret of monasticism from the old leaven, with which you have to deal. Now it is the endeavor of our mockers, not to say their silliness (ah, I speak as one who has experienced their quite miserable machinations quite often), that if we do not present the promised answer of Luther, perhaps by insisting on it, they will do their mockery with us. Therefore I would like to have asked you for the sake of Christ, for whom all this. Our will is to argue to the best of our ability and knowledge according to the guideline of faith, that you may not find yourself burdened to put an end to the matter with a few words. Given the 10th of October, Anno 1533, Gerhard of Xanthen.
1) No. 1980b.
2) The following quote is from Melanchthon's letters of July 4, Corp. Ref. , No. 118.
3) votis aut votis, so also in Melanchthon's letters. In the meaning: "marriage" votum occurs in the Pandects. The meaning is: Luther does not want that one forces to celibacy or to the marriage state.
4) namely in the rule of the brothers from 1431.
5) Melanchthon writes in his letter: Luther did not have time to write, but will answer at another time'.