They have heard from D. Gereon Seiler how kindly Luther received the envoys of the city of Augsburg, and declared his willingness to receive the Upper Austrian cities in love and unity, therefore they ask that the same may happen to them, and promise all the best.*)
From the Cod. Gothanus 40, fol. 207, reprinted in Burkhardt, p. 238. - Answered October 5.
Grace and peace through Christ, our one and only Savior, from God, together with the offering of our friendly, benevolent services beforehand. Worthy, esteemed, especially favorable dear Lord and faithful Father! When the honorable ones, our dear friends of the city of Augsburg, dispatched the highly esteemed and honorable Gereon, the medicine doctor, and Caspar Hubern with a somewhat excellent and appropriate advertisement to your dignity, the reported Mr. Gereon, doctor, when he departed 2) from us again, reported to us all the action that had taken place with the best of diligence, and besides gave to know with what heartfelt joy the said envoys of your dignity were heard, that your dignities also offered themselves favorably, that there should be no lack of the same, especially that they are inclined with all their will and ability to strengthen and maintain the accepted love and unity towards us and all other Upper Austrian cities, which have accepted the holy word of God, which we, praise and thanks be to the Almighty in eternity, have listened to with but joy: We therefore ask your dignities with special diligence to accept us, no less than our dear friends of the city of Augsburg, as poor and Christian brothers in the Lord, and thus to have and hold us in favorable and fatherly command; With divine help, next to our Christian preachers and leaders of divine truth, we want to keep ourselves as pious Christians, according to the pure and clear word and command of God, avoiding all kinds of annoying sects, and thus show ourselves and proceed in the work of God that we have begun, so that God's honor may be promoted, His holy name praised, and His divine truth expanded, and may be of service to the salvation of all our souls, and also that your dignity as our faithful father may receive special pleasure, commanding us herewith in your faithful and Christian prayer. Date: Thursday, August 19, 1535.
Mayor and town council of Esslingen.
I) Burkhardt's description of the content is incorrect.
2) In Burkhardt: "herauß raißen".
No. 2156.
The Strasbourg Theologians to Luther.
See St. Louis edition, vol. XVII, 2071.
No. 2157.