Luther advises him to refer a marriage matter to the lawyers. Of several articles that Melanchthon was supposed to have written.
Manuscript in Cod. 689, p. 74 and at Wolfenbüttel in Cod. Gud. 214. Printed from the Gleichische Sammlung at Dresden by Schütze, vol. II, p. 358 and by De Wette, vol. IV, p. 647.
To Leonhard Beier, pastor at Zwickau.
Grace and peace in Christ! Of course, it would be best, my dear Beier, if you dismissed the marriage matter from you, which I also tend to do when I can. Thus Christ says: "Let the dead bury their dead." "If the lawyers want to be wise, let them be so on their conscience; what do we ask of their 'shithouse', who preach the eternal kingdom? We advise the conscience, we do not give laws, so that if people have done against the law, we can save them in danger. Therefore, in this matter, you depart, and let them do what they will, What is their judgment to us, who teach everything in the court of conscience? But to the peasants, who everywhere ridicule the gospel and yet like freedom, I would also forbid [marriage] in the tenth degree, or rather in prison. Therefore nothing is to be conceded to them in conscience, since they do not allow themselves to be bound by any conscience. "Let the peasants come and remain among the lawyers," Amen.
I am sending copies of the articles 3) you write about. The papists have made miraculous things of these articles everywhere, but their fame will be disgraced. M. Philip did not publish them, and great injustice is done to him, more [but even more] to the Elector 4) and to us all; it has
3) This is the St. Louis edition, Vol. XIX, 640, No. 110.
4) See St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, introduction, p. 32 b, note 3.
Letters from the year 1535. no. 2188. 2189. 2190.
No. 2189.