Luther praises his son Johann for the diligence he has shown so far and exhorts him to continue. At the same time, he allows him to visit his mother and siblings during the upcoming Shrovetide vacations.
Handwritten in Cod. Goth. From an old manuscript in Schelhorns Ergötzlichkeiten, vol. II, p. 42; from the Schmid collection at Helmstädt in Schütze, vol. III, p. 34; from Schelhorn in StrobeI-Ranner, p. 259 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 46. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1453 f.
Grace and peace in the Lord! So far, my dearest son, I have enjoyed your studies and the letters you have written to me. If you continue in this way, you will not only do something pleasant for me, as your father, who loves you, but it will also benefit you the most that you do not seem to be out of sorts, so make sure that you diligently continue what you have begun. For God, who commanded that children should be obedient to their parents, has also promised blessings to obedient children. See to it that you have this blessing solely in mind, and do not let yourself be distracted from it by any evil examples. For the same God has also threatened the disobedient children with a curse. Therefore, fear God, who blesses and curses, who, though He has made His promises and His threats to the destruction of the wicked, is quick to turn them into a
1) About this time determination De Wette says: Probably this letter belongs to a later time, when Johann studied in Torgau, where he came in August 1542. Because in the year 1537 he was only 10-1/2 years old, and Luther had still in the year 1539 the M. Franciscus (Great) as a court master of his children in the house.
Your physical and spiritual father.
No. 2338.
January 30, 1537.
Duke Albrecht of Prussia to Luther.
(Regest.)
The duke reports: Hans von Kreuz, whom he had sent to Luther in order to dissuade him from the intended violent writing Against Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz, had delivered Luther's answer to him: that he could not answer for this before God, because the Cardinal was not only after the goods of the Protestants, but also after life and limb; but that he wanted to behave mildly, if the Duke and others wanted to resist such activity. Thereupon the duke asks him not to hurry the matter and to admonish the Cardinal in secret in a Christian way beforehand 2c.
A detailed excerpt can be found in J. Voigt, Mittheilung aus der Correspondenz des Herzogs Albrecht mit Luther 2c. The above regest can be found in Kolde, Analecta, p. 296.
No. 2339.