From the Communion of the Sick.
Handwritten in Cod. chart. 451, fol. 402. f. Bibl. Goth. and in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 275. Printed in the Innocent News 1722, p. 187; in Strobel- Ranner, p. 282 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 227. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1193 (as from 1529) and again ibid. col. 1300 according to Elias Frick's German translation of Seckendorf's Hist. Luth. , p. 1800. In De Wette, vol. V, p. 226 (see no. 2603).
To the highly venerable man, Magister Antonius Lauterbach, your faithful bishop of the church at Pirna, his brother in the Lord.
Grace and peace! With regard to what you ask, my dear Anton, about the communicating of the sick, I thought you were sufficiently instructed by the custom of our church, in which you have stayed so long. But I remember this and would like to see private communion abolished everywhere, namely, that the people be taught in the sermon that they communicate three or four times a year and then, fortified by the Word, [confidently] pass away, whatever the cause of death may be. For private communion will finally become an unbearable and impossible burden, especially at the time of the plague. And it is not right that the church should be made so serviceable with the sacraments, especially to those who despise them for so long a time, and afterwards want the church to be ready for them in every case as a handmaid, whom they themselves have never served in anything. But since this has not yet been arranged, you will do as you can. In the meantime, you will communicate the sick alone, if it does not please you to communicate with them, as you have done here.
but with the protestation that you will do this for a while, but that this will not happen to them forever, because something will be arranged in this matter. 1) "Ketha wants the hewn house door to be as wide as the measure is. The length or height will be determined by the masters themselves. She is not allowed to have any other doors. You should order it the best you can. Hiemit GOtt befohlen, Amen." On Wednesday after Catharine [Nov. 26] 1539.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 2605.
To Augustin Himmel, pastor in Colditz.
Of an Economical Matter and a Call from Heaven to Dresden.
From the Kraft Collection at Husum in Schütze, Vol. III, p. 119 and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 228.
To the highly venerable man, Magister August Himmel (Hymel), Bishop of Colditz, his brother who is extremely dear to the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! I wonder very much, my dear Augustin, what it is that you have not finally squeezed out and sent the income of my Wolfgang 3) or at least indicated what the cause of the delay is. Now, so that we are not compelled to send to Grimma, you may deliver this interest or income to the pastor in Grimma, to whom it has been written that he is spending it on cloth.
By the way, D. Jonas informs me that you are required by Mr. Cellarius as a comrade in the work at the church in Dresden; but I, if I knew that you could or wanted to move there, would gladly make an effort to have you dismissed by the prince when I would have recognized that it was your advantage. I do indeed think that housekeeping is difficult for you, perhaps because of farming; but since you do not write anything, I am uncertain about your home.
1) The following (in the text in German) is missing in all German translations.
2) In the text: "Thür" and "Wollens".
3) Compare No. 2124.
Letters from the year 1539. No. 2605. 2606. 2607.
No. 2606.
To Johann Cellarius, pastor in Dresden.
About the visitation in Meissen.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 280, printed in Schütze, vol. III, p. 118 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 229.
Grace and peace in Christ! With regard to your visitation, my dear Cellarius, you should behave in this way: If your prince should desire you to take this burden upon yourself, you may say: if they wished to establish a wholesome and constant visitation, that they would certainly like to have you (as people inexperienced in these matters) accompanied by someone of ours who knows the way and the form. Secondly, they will make a mockery of themselves with such a cold visitation, and you can say that ours would suffer it very gladly if they were not forced to such a burden; so much is lacking that they should seek it. For all that they will do such things, they will do only in an effort to help the church and to save souls; they would much rather be subjected to these exceedingly great burdens. If your courtiers, killed by avarice, should fear the expense at all, you can say that even ours cannot serve the avarice of yours at their own expense, because they spend enough, since in the meantime they neglect theirs and ours here. I have always suspected that the gospel would have a very difficult entrance in this area, since it is completely idolatry, that is, avarice, because Christ says that one cannot serve God and Mammon at the same time. For mammon has completely taken possession of Meissen and holds it, therefore it is impossible that it will be patient against the gospel. But if you do not obtain anything, yes, if you have to visit without us, you may visit.
No. 2607.