Luther promises to intercede for her and her husband with the visitators. (Cf. No. 2000, where instead of "Darne" it reads: "Dame").
The original is in the Acts of Biederstem Castle near Nossen. Printed by D. Herm. Peter, in the Leipziger Zeitung. 1897. no. 134, enclosure. 1 and in Erl. Briefw., vol. X, p. 81.
The honorable, virtuous woman Anna von der Dame, now at Widdesheym, 2) my favorable good friend in Christ.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, virtuous woman! I have missed your writing
2) Franz von der Dame and his wife Anna belonged to the Christians expelled by Duke George of Saxony for their faith (cf. No. 1955 and No. 2000; in both places wrong names, namely "Daum" and "Dame" instead of: "Dame"). The Elector gave them an outlying estate of the Buch monastery, Wendishayn, for three years. The conditions there were unfavorable for them. The pastor there, only outwardly a friend of the Gospel, was a commissioner of the bishop.
Addendum to the letters from 1531 to 1536.
I am sorry for your suffering; our Lord Christ comfort and strengthen you together with your dear host. The devil is hostile to the word of God, that is why he goes about and looks for a loophole everywhere, where he may come to us and torture us, and so should our friends, who should help and advise us more cheaply. My most gracious lord, the Elector, is not in the country now, and may hardly come home before Christmas because of business. I don't know who the Münch is and who governs the Puche, but I will ask the Visitatores how things stand, and help them by writing the best we can. What is the harm if you also call the godparents 1) in Torgau for advice and help, perhaps they could do something. Hiemit GOtt befehlt, Amen. My Käthe and I greet your dear host kindly, and God be with you. Friday after St. Martin's Day [Nov. 13] 1534.
Martinus Luther, D.
No.2094b.
To the Landgrave Philip of Hesse. .
In No. 2094a we brought a regest of this letter; now that we have it in Erl. Briefw., vol. X, p. 96, the complete text is available, we share it with you.
Grace and peace in Christ. Highborn prince, gracious lord! Here comes Magister Phi
in Meissen. The influential forester in Buch, called "Münch zur Puche" in our letter, was a bitter enemy of the Lutherans. The couple will have had to suffer a lot from these two. In addition, there was a discord between the visitators and the sequestrators, since the latter often had only the fiscal interests in mind. The second visitation in Meissen, from March 24 to 28, 1534, will have meant well for the Dame's, but when the sequestrators came there on their round trip, the couple seems to have fared badly; perhaps the Dame's were not up to the administration of the estate either. For the time being, Luthern succeeded in averting the danger from them; in 1536, the Elector even extended the usufruct for another three years; but when, after its expiration, the sequestrators again reported unfavorably about them, they were deprived of the estate. Further is not known about them, (D. Peter I. c.) - The wrong name Widdeshehm has probably arisen by confusion with the places Weidenhain and Wildenhain situated near Torgau, (D. Peter.)
1) Maybe: Räthe?
lippus and has shown my thoughts?) Indeed, I am also sorry for such a rift, I have also felt the damage well, that I would like to reawaken unity with life and limb, where it could be, because (when), my conscience excluded, there should be nothing that I do not want to suffer and do gladly. But I cannot hide my conscience in such a way that I cannot regain it, and the rebuke is a heavy worm in my heart. Christ our Lord, hear our poor prayer, and give his Spirit, that this spirit of division may be cast out, and the right unity of his Spirit may come to us again, amen. Thursday after Lucia [Dec. 17] 1534.
E. F. G. williger
No. 2101a .