Luther urgently asks for an allowance for the church servants in Grimma, especially for the pastor Johann Schreiner there.
According to the privately owned, previously unprinted original, on which Luther's well preserved seal still exists, printed from a copy made by D. Buchwald in Erl. Briefw., Vol. X, p. 309.
To the most illustrious, highborn prince and lord, Mr. Johann Friedrichen, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen, my most gracious lord.
Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Lord! To your electoral graces, my subservient services in all obedience have always been performed with diligence. Most gracious Prince and Lord! I have now been informed by Magister Johann Schreyner, 4) pastor of Grym, how the appointed visitators in Meissen and Voitland found in their recent visitation of Grym 5) that the church servants there, as pastor, chaplain and schoolmaster, are in greater need of maintenance, as the enclosed copy of the registration reports with clearly expressed words. So then the said pastor is known to your electoral graces without a doubt, sent with preaching before several others, and burdened with much of the superlative effort and work of the place, and about
4) Joh. Schreiner, born 1487 at Waldheim, Augustinian, monastic companion and friend of Luther and Wittenberg Magister, became the first Protestant pastor at Grimma in 1521, superintendent at the first visitation in 1529, one of the visitators of Meissen appointed by the Elector in 1542, died August 21, 1552.
5) This visitation took place on March 7, 1534, by Erasmus von Spiegel, Spalatin and Joh. Riemann, pastor in Werdau.
Addendum to the letters from 1531 to 1536.
who has a miserably ill wife, with whom he has had to spend his fortune with the physicians for some time, which still has no end, and to worry that she may remain in such illness for a long time according to the will of God1 ), for which the same priest is in particular need of help before others: Therefore I ask your electoral grace in all submission and humility, that your electoral grace will have mercy on him, and graciously provide him with the allowance, as the above-mentioned visitators considered necessary, and order this to the sequestrators of this place in Meissen by grace, who will undoubtedly know how to do it, so that the above-mentioned pastor together with the chaplain and schoolmaster will be helped. For the sake of your princely graces, I will be found willing to earn this with my prayers to God and in all submissiveness and obedience at all times. Date Wittenberg on Thursday after Reminiscere [March 16] Anno 2c. xxxvj.
E. churf. G. submissive, obedient Martinus Luther Doctor Ecclesiast zu Wittemberg.
No. 2223a.
Margrave George of Brandenburg to Luther.
(Regest.)
The Margrave informs Luther of the death of his father Frederick, which occurred yesterday. - Luther replied on May 29.
Printed in Joh. Jakob Spies, Brandenburgisch-historische Münzbelustigungen, Thl. I (Ansbach 1768), p. 152 and in Erl. Briefw., vol. X, p. 318.
No. 2234.