Intercession for Caspar Glatz, pastor in Orlamünde, who was in danger of losing his parish.
Handwritten in Wolfenbüttel, in Cod. Gud. 214. Printed from the Schmid Collection at Helmstädt by Schütze, vol. III, p. 45 and by De Wette, vol. V, p. 71.
To the highly respected man, Mr. Justus Menius, Visitator in Thuringia etc.
Grace and peace in Christ! You, my dear Justus and Frederick Myconius, are visitators, and you are entrusted with the parish of the churches in Thuringia. Therefore, the testimony about every pastor and every church depends on you; for in vain is this desired of me, since I know nothing at all about these things. Therefore, I refer Mr. Caspar Glatz, pastor at Orlamünde, to you, who, I do not know for what reasons, is in danger with the prince because of his parish. Sad and sighing, he has asked me that, if for nothing else, I should see to it that he is heard. I answered him: that is your office, and Frederick's. Therefore I ask you to help the cause of justice and, in accordance with your office, to bring before the prince whatever testimony you have about it and as much testimony as you can. For as I would not that he should be unjustly condemned, so I would that his good confidence should be tested as to what he may obtain. You know that there is only one prince who will not knowingly and willingly let himself be given empty words. I truly do not envy him his parish, nor do I wish him to be removed, especially since he promises that he will also offer a scholarship for a student in theology. Summa, what other things there may be that weigh him down, I do not know. You know everything and will be able to consult with Friedrich in this matter. Fare well in the Lord. Tuesday after Margaret [July 17] 1537.
Your D Martin Luther.
Letters from the year 1537. No. 2367. 2368.
No. 2367.
To the Elector Johann Friedrich.
Luther exhorts the Elector not to be too lenient with M. Paul Heinz from Lübben, who is imprisoned for his sacrilege.
The original is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. O, pag. 143. EEE 9. Printed in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 83, no. 148; in Walch, vol. XXI, 402; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 72 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 183.
To the most illustrious, highborn Prince and Lord, Johann Friedrich, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshal and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen. The most noble Prince and Lord, Johann Friedrich, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, my most gracious Lord.
G. and F. in Christ, also my poor Father Noster. Most Serene, H. F., G. H.! I had the will to spare E. C. F. G. with this writing, and let go what is possible, because of the imprisoned M. Paulus, who with his diabolical maltreatment^ has created for us all an everlasting, unoppressive defamation, that we must be reviled everywhere as dog-burialists (although it has not been a dog). Now the jurists have become merciful in the name of the Pabst (devil), but not over us, who have to suffer such, and want to sanctify the founder of such disgrace, over which we poor theologians are bloodthirsty, so that I also (as I hope) have shown my mercy over many evildoers more than E. C. F. G. could often have suffered. Now the outcry is so great and growing that I am defending myself against the university with writing and words; if their mercy would be lacking, and my concerns would become all too true, then I would be excused, and afterwards in the pulpit I would know well how to hold myself against such jurists.
1) Magister Paul Heinz von Lübben had married the widow of the Wittenberg physician D. Heinrich Stagmann, who brought a son from the first marriage. Stagmann had left a house and some property. In order to obtain possession of the child's inheritance, the parents pretended in 1535 that the child had died of the then prevailing plague, and organized a fictitious funeral, but they took the child to a farmer near Jüterbock. This came to light when the boy was brought back to Wittenberg on June 16, 1537. See Rebenstock, colloquia, tom. II, fol. 100 and 180; Tischreden, cap. 9, §44, St. Louis ed. vol. XXII, 374.
Since E. C. F. G., as the sovereign, is not interested in this, because it wants to become an important matter, I must also show myself subservient to E. C. F. G., so that I may not afterwards be able to indicate to E. C. F. G. why I have remained silent at such a time. why I would have kept silent at such a time; for the knave shall (as the whole town says) be defiant, call out at the top of the window, and drop letters, one of which comes to me in the pulpit, in which he desires (although I did not know who the person was) that one should pray for a wretched man who would be abandoned by all men, and no man would take care of him: this you deny (said I), for here am I and the caplains etc. And do the woman and her friendship great defiance, as if they have done nothing wrong.
Therefore, to protect my conscience, as well as my loyalty to E. C. F. G., I humbly ask, if the matter against E. C. F. G. would be so holy and well done, that E. C. F. G. would procure a delay in this until E. C. F. G. himself comes here and learns the matter thoroughly; for he can well sit so long in such a sorry dungeon. E. C. F. G. would graciously grant me such a writing, I may be angry not without cause; but I would like that one may not say afterwards: Who would have meant that! and we would nevertheless have to have the slippers. My judgment is, what they have buried, I let go; but because they have let their child be buried for a year and a half and kept silent, they shall have buried it and killed it, if the child can experience Methusalah. E. C. F. G. wanted to consider this my writing for the coat, shirt or skirt, but nevertheless your selb honor and rumor beside the whole landscape, churches and community. Hiemit GOtt befohlen, Amen. Thursday after Jacobi [July 26] 1537.
E. C. F. G. Martin Luther.