The parishes complain that the captain Sigismund Pflug has changed the income and housing prescribed for the pastor by the visitators to his detriment in such a way that it is to be feared that he will "run out of length" and no one will be able to bring him back. They themselves are not able to help their preacher, because the captain is also dealing with them in such a way that they "must perish with wife and children". Therefore they ask for Luther's intercession to the Elector. Luther did this with his colleagues on January 16.
The original is in the archives at Weimar, Reg. H, fol. 449. Reprinted by Burkhardt, p. 339, who notes: "The acts in Reg. Kk, 196, N. XIX, 1. provide information about the number of complaints. Nothing is known about the course of the matter other than that in 1541 in June the monastery lacked any pastoral care, as the Domina of the monastery, Magdalena von Hackeborn, complained that 'for almost a year she had neither a pastor nor a preacher here'. The last pastor to leave was Andreas Ebelius."
Venerable, reverend Doctor and Father in Christ! With the offering of our willing and guilty services, we poor people may not save E. A. W. although the almighty, merciful God has given us poor sinners His holy gospel again abundantly out of grace, for which we acknowledge that we are always grateful to Him, and we have received a pious Christian and respected pastor by electoral appointment, it is nevertheless the case that we are now so burdened and distressed with a captain, Sigismund Pflug, that we fear that we poor people will be deprived of preachers and everything. For although some years ago the electoral visitators provided for our preacher in such a way that he, together with his wife and children, should have a decent apartment, salary and food in the monastery courtyard, However, this year the captain (because he had a regiment) changed this completely, tore it apart and despised it, and drove the pious man from his home in the monastery yard and expelled him, and now he has to keep house in the village in a loose hut, in which a shepherd barely lived; In it the good man has neither cellar nor chamber. We poor people would like to change this, if it were within our means, because the captain deals with us in such a way that we poor people must perish with our wives and children. We have to serve daily at court, since we did not serve more than seven days for a whole year before, and we are strangled, martyred and tortured, without any other great curses and blasphemies against God, than we have ever heard before, so that we are cursed and maledicted daily, that we are afraid to come before his eyes. 1) In such a regime with the Lord, the preacher and with us, we cannot wait for improvement. Therefore, venerable Doctor and Father in Christ, E. A. W., we poor people ask for God's sake that you would favorably prescribe us to our most gracious Elector, Duke John Frederick of Saxony, so that 2) H. C. G. may graciously-
1) In Burkhardt: "dass uns grewet vor sein augen zukomen".
2) Burkhardt: "hirmite".
Letters from the year 1540. No. 2618. 2619. 2620.
We would like to see that we may continue to keep our dear Lord and faithful servant in the word according to God's will, and that the captain be turned away from such devilish rage, for to worry about where this pious, patient preacher will have to run the length, we will be deprived of the word as well as our food, and no one will be persuaded or brought back to it. To prevent this and to ward off the devil, E. A. W. wanted to give us poor people your help and comfort for God's sake, so that we may enjoy this in time, which without a doubt the Almighty God will reward you abundantly through our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We, however, as poor people, always recognize that we owe it to ourselves to deserve such great kindness in addition to all other paternal kindnesses shown, and we ask E. A. W. for a favorable answer. [Given this Saturday after Trium Regnum [10 Jan] Anno 1540.
E.A.W.
willing and poor parishioners and community of Plötzka and Pretzin.
No. 2619.