Luther proposes Andreas Hügel as preacher to the council.
From Schenkl's Chronik der Stadt Amberg, p. 204, in De Wette, vol. V, p. 130; in Corp. Ref., vol. III, 599 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 211.
1) Thus Seidemann. Lindner and the Erlangeners: "dem Brudern, meinem".
2) That is, "and all their dependents."
Letters from the year 1538. No. 2472. 2473.
To the honorable, noble and wise, mayors and council of the city of Amberg, our favorable lords and friends. 1)
God's grace through our Lord Jesus Christ before. Honorable, wise, favorable gentlemen! After your wisdom has applied to us for a Christian preacher, we kindly inform you that we are highly inclined to promote the beginning of Christian, wholesome life in your church, and thank God that He has called you to His praise and right knowledge and to blessedness, so that you will not be driven to strengthen false worship and persecution of the truth. But after so many pious preachers have been chased away in many places, and some of them have been murdered with cruelty, God sends the punishment that there are now few competent persons to be found. Now we can well consider that E. W. would like to have a respectable, stately person: such persons with us are burdened with offices that they cannot well be sent to other places; but we have nevertheless thought of one, by the name of Andreas Hügl of Salzburg, in whom there is no infirmity, except that the person may not be respectable and the voice may not be so large as is well befitting in a large church. Otherwise he is intelligent, very well learned, moral, God-fearing and of an honest nature, who often preaches here in our church and has a good form and way of teaching. We have spoken to him and urged him to accept this office in your church, if he is called by your writings. But we did not want to send him to you with this messenger, because he is not a great person. But where E. W. did not respect the same, but wanted to regard his good skill more, and had written to him or to us that he wanted to dispose of E. W., he offered himself to do so. Thereupon E. W. may indicate her opinion. E. W., as the intelligent and God-fearing, want to consider that this is the highest service of God and that God requires to the highest, to plant right salutary Lahr, to give our
1) This inscription is by Melanchthon's hand on the cover; the signatures are his own, the text is by another scribe.
2) "in" put by us instead of: "to".
Our Lord Christ to praise and many people to salvation. Therefore, let E. W. earnestly promote this matter and not turn away from strengthening false worship and persecution of divine truth, which blasphemies will undoubtedly be terribly punished. God preserve and guide E. W. at all times, and to serve E. W. kindly we are willing. W. friendly we are willing to serve. Dat. Wittenberg, Oct. 30, ao. 1538.
Martinus Luther, D. Philippus Melanthon.
No. 2473.
To the Drost Simon von Wenden zu Barenholz in the county of Lippe, together with Jonas, Bugenhagen and Melanchthon.
The church order there is approved.
In Corp. Ref., vol. III, 603, from Herm. Hamelmanns Opp. genealogico-historicis, p. 814. Lemgo 1711. 4. and in De Wette-Seidemann, vol. VI, p. 212.
God's grace through our Lord Jesus Christ beforehand. Noble, honorable and strict Lord! We have read and considered your church order with diligence, as you will see that we have changed a few words in it, and we consider such order, as it is then formed, to be Christian and right, and we also faithfully admonish you and all the rulers of the countryside that you, as God commanded all authorities to spread, promote and maintain His holy gospel and right worship, will establish and administer such Christian order with earnestness for the glory of God and for the praise of our Lord Christ and for the blessedness of the people. For this is the right and highest service that the authorities should and can do, as is indicated in your order diligently and Christianly. So all men owe this obedience to God, that we hear our Lord Christ, as commanded: Hic est filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi est complacitum, hunc audite ["This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, him shall you hear"]. And God says: whoever will not listen to the same Lord, he will cast him out and punish him eternally, as God, without a doubt, will terribly begin such extermination with the adversaries of the Gospel in the course of time.
will be. For the tyrants practice so much blasphemy against God and sprinkle themselves with the blood of the heathen, that the punishment will not be long in coming. Therefore, do not let human affliction turn you away. God preserve and strengthen you for His praise and your blessedness. Date Wittenberg, Nov. 8. Anno 38.
Justus Jonas, Prepositus. D. Martinus Lutherus. loannes Bugenhagius, Pomeranus. Philippus Melanthon.
No. 2474.