About an ecclesiastical dispute (between Lauterbach and his pastor) and an alms to be given.
Manuscript at Gotha, Cod. 185. 4. From the Ludwig Collection at Halle in Schütze, Vol. II, p. 331; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 243 and in De Wette, Vol. IV, p. 583. German in Walch, Vol. XXI, 1522.
To the extremely dear brother in the Lord, M. Antonius Lauterbach, the faithful and upright servant of Christ in Leisnig.
Grace and peace! You know, my dear Anthony, that the circles of visitation are so divided that we have no power in your area. Therefore, we can do nothing with you except through exhortations. Therefore, if you cannot do otherwise, take your matter to the prince, since our exhortations have been of no avail so far. If the prince should order us to do so, we will do what we can, clothed in force. I am in great sorrow because of this discord and aversion. But God will put an end to it.
There is a nun with you, the wife of Georg Schmid, Christina von Honsberg, who is in misery. I wanted to send her a florin, but I know that the messengers are so disloyal (because they soon lose the money over there, and soon it is stolen from them 2c.) that I would not dare to entrust it to them. Therefore, I ask you that you may be in my
1) "thürstig" = brazen. Burkhardt: "thürftig".
If you procure the florin for them elsewhere in my name, I will faithfully return it. If you are unable to do so anywhere, then ask M. Augustin 2) at Colditz to see to it that it [the florin] is taken out of the money of my Wolfgang, which is due at Walpurgis, and that he withdraws it afterwards. 3) To the same Christine, as she has asked, my Käthe sends this "Kategismam" (for so she writes). The Lord be with you and with yours, Amen. Greetings to your Agnes (Agnem) and all the lambs beloved in the chastity of faith. Friday after Epiphany [8 Jan] 1535.
Your Martin Luther, D.
No. 2111.
Elector Johann Friedrich to Luther.
The Elector asks Luthern to give his opinion on the negotiations between Melanchthon 4) and Bucer in Cassel, so that he can answer the Landgrave.
The original concept is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. H, p. 97, No. 41. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 229 (with the wrong date: "January 5").
Dear devotee! The reverend, our dear faithful, Magister Philipp Melanchthon, on his way back from our cousin and brother, the landgrave, has reported to us here in Weimar what has happened between him [Melanchthon] and Bucer of Strasbourg concerning the article on the reverend Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, concerning the reverend sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, our Savior, have now taken place in Cassel, and the article that Bucer and others, who were previously considered evangelical preachers, wanted to approve, permit, and thus teach about the sacrament, has been sent to us, as you will find enclosed. If this transaction is great and important, and we nevertheless do not intend nor want to consider any of this, for what may be done and permitted with God and a good conscience and without annoyance: then our gracious request to you is that you hear Magister Philipsen's report from him, and that the filed
2) Heaven.
3) The word that Luther uses here, defalcet, cannot be lexically proven. It is formed from de and falx and means: to secure.
4) not "Landgrave Philipp", as Burkhardt says.
5) Here we have deleted the word "we".
Letters from the year 1535. No. 2111 to 2114.
We would like to see and consider your list, and also your opinion, 1) whether you would know how to condemn them, if they contain or accept such an article, and how it is listed, 2) or not. In order that we may again indicate, and 3) against our cousin and brother, the landgrave, on a letter sent here, we may have an answer 4) given, we have given the order to the highly respected, our council and dear faithful, Gregorien Brück, doctor, because we now allow him to speak to you in a friendly manner on our behalf; you will willingly listen to this from him. This we are inclined to recognize towards you in grace and good. Date Weimar, Tuesday after Epiphany [Jan. 12] 1535.
No. 2112.