(Regest.)
Wilskamp complains that since the time of the revival of the gospel, much evil has befallen the brothers, both from the papists and from so-called evangelicals. Now the council demands from them that they should lead the school, which is in a state of collapse. They have offered, with the permission of the abbess, who has the right to occupy the school, to bring in brothers from elsewhere who are experienced in the establishment and management of schools, since they lack the persons to take on this burden, or otherwise to help them for their share in the school system. But they did not want to allow them to draw help from elsewhere, nor did they want them to contribute only according to their share, nor did they want them to accept without a vow of abstinence, according to Christian freedom, those who wished to join them, and always referred to the words in Luther's letters: "Time itself will find counsel. The brothers are ready to educate some with whom they can follow their
1) Whether the copy still reached Spengler's hands is uncertain, because he died on September 7.
The city could serve in the word of God, since unfortunately not even one citizen devotes himself to the study of theology. The task of teaching school is hindered by the fact that they are already a laughing stock to the boys because of their monkish dress, and that they are ignorant of both Hebrew and Greek. In addition, there were people who thought that the brothers had to teach the children for the sake of their souls, and they referred to the writings of Luther, in which he expressed the wish that the monasteries should be transformed into schools. He asks Luther to give an answer in writing. He also hopes to receive now, as promised in Philip's letter, the long-awaited answer from Luther on how to understand the sentence: "Time itself will find counsel. With this word, certain people had tormented them quite impudently, and had waited for nothing else than to exterminate them, the brothers, and to seize their goods, because in the streets people were talking about having to do with the brothers because of the goods.
Handwritten at Wittenberg, Ms. Pegendarm, p. 56. Printed in Erl. Luther answered this letter on Oct. 24, 1534.
No. 2083a.