Luther wished him luck for his upcoming marriage and sent him the picture of Johann Hus as a wedding gift.
The original is in the Zittau city library. Printed in the "Budissiner Nachrichten" 1862, No. 132 and in Burkhardt, p. 313.
Grace and peace in Christ! I wish you and your bride happiness, my dear Nicolaus, and pray to the Lord that he may be with you with the grace of his blessing and keep you for eternity. But since my health is such that my business is far too great for me that I myself cannot be present, I am sending through Magister Antonius 1) a small and insignificant memento, but it is the image of the holy man John Hus, 2) which you will not judge according to its outward value (ex materia), but according to the heart that is good to you. Be well in Christ. On Thursday after Nicolai [12 Dec.] Anno 1538.
Martin Luther, D.
No. 2486.
To Johann Riemann, pastor at Werdau.
Luther consoles him in the adversities he has with his congregation. The consistory would give him peace from his adversaries.
According to a copy by Riemann in the Weimar Archives in Ji, fol. 138 b. C. 9. 27. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 313.
Grace and peace in Christ! Not only my state of health, but also the amount of business has not allowed me to write as much as you desire, my dear Johann. First of all, I have ordered your son that if he should need my help or advice, he should turn to me. Then I have commanded him to Philip, who lets him be commanded and will let him be commanded. But what you write of this exceedingly wicked and
1) Probably Anton Lauterbach. This assumption is strengthened by the fact that Lauterbach's diary does not contain any records between December 12 and 17, 1538.
2) In 1538, a dramatization of the heretic trial of Hus, written by Johann Agricola, was published by Georg Rhau in Wittenberg. The title of the booklet is: "Tragedia Johannis Hufs, welche auff dem Buchristlichen Concilio zu Costnitz gehalten, allen Christen nützlich und tröstlich zu lesen. Decorated at the beginning and at the end with a woodcut portrait. Therefore Kawerau, "Agricola", p. 120, assumes that this writing is meant here.
Letters from the year 1538. No. 2486 to 2490.
We learn everywhere that the ungrateful world, then that it does not want to suffer the punishment. But now a consistory is being set up here by order of our prince; before him we will be able to restrain those who are repugnant to the word. In the meantime, continue and do not let yourself be weighed down by the offenses of the exceedingly wicked, but punish, admonish, stop/) whether in season or out of season [2 Tim. 4, 2.], do the work of an evangelical preacher [v. 5.], commanding the other GOtte, who will judge the wicked. With these few words [take care and] 2) farewell. Monday after the third Sunday of Advent [16 Dec.] 1538. Martin Luther.
No. 2487.