Exhortation to fair proceedings in the dispute with the pastor at Gruna near Eilenburg.
In "Brem- und Verdische Bibliothek" 2c. Zweiter Band, Hamburg, 1736, 8. p. 205 from the original, which was pasted in the front of a part of Luther's works belonging to the church at St. Katharinen in Hamburg, and in Seidemann, Lutherbriefe, p. 56.
To the strict and firm Asmus Spigel, Court Marshal at Grunau, my favorable Junker and dear Gevatter.
G. and F. Gestrenger, Fester, dear Gevatter! I ask you very kindly to let your parish priest come from you with kindness, so that his complaint does not denigrate you. For in this way you will make noblemen (which has already happened to many) that no priests can be sent to you. So you will have to bear on your conscience the missed souls and all spiritual damage of the churches, which you will not be able to answer for at death and the last judgment, which would be terrible and I would be very sorry to hear or worry about from you. So you know good
To the extent that the parish estates are not the property of the parish lords, which is why they are also exempt from secular authority, as no person can value them for his own, but all are vain guests, that is, free persons, inside, as long as they live or can live. Do not continue to make a bad name for yourselves, dear father, for without that very many take the good name away from the praiseworthy nobility, which in the end brings nothing good. Which I write, as I wish you and yours all the best. Hereby God be praised, and greet your dear vine together with the grapes kindly. And thank you also for the gift of the venison. Thursday after Octa. Epiphaniae [15 Jan] 1540.
Martinus Luther, D.
No. 2620.
To the Elector Johann Friedrich, together with Jonas and Bugenhagen.
Intercession for the parishes of Plötzka and Pretzin and their pastors.
The original is in the archives at Weimar, Reg. D, fol. 449, without signatures, but with Luther's, Bugenhagen's and Jonas' seals. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 341.
Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Lord! E. ch. G. our submissive, obedient and dutiful services are always ready beforehand with diligence. Most gracious Lord! Because the community of Plotzk and Pretzin complains to me, Martin Luther, and the other appointed visitators about Sigmunden Pflug, their bailiff, due to several noticeable complaints, E. ch. G. will graciously hear from the enclosed document. We have entirely provided for the decree concerning the preaching office, which is to be held at certain hours according to the people's opportunity, likewise concerning the residence and maintenance of the preacher, as then all this by virtue and by virtue of E. ch. G.'s gracious command, is given to us, should be ordered, should remain unchanged and in strength, but that, as E. ch. G. has graciously decided from the poor people's complaint, it has been torn and changed to the noticeable detriment of the preacher, who is a learned and pious man. And is to be worried, where it is so
Letters from the year 1540. No. 2620 to 2624.
The preacher is not to be preserved, because he already has a vocation to Sponda, which he wants to postpone (if a favorable appointment is made, so that he will be provided with a suitable home for his position, and also preach at a convenient time), and stay with the poor people. Have therefore E. ch. G. Landvogt, Ern Bernhardten von Myla, knight, and asked to have the order of our, the visitators, kept in force and unbroken, considering that because of the preaching at inopportune time and hour, as mentioned above, great harm and neglect must happen to the poor people; but the same he Landvogt, to do so at this time, had a reservation. We are in no doubt, however, where E. ch. G. would give him a gracious order (who has always been very diligent in matters of visitation), he would know how to keep all obedience. We therefore ask in all humility and submission that E. ch. G. will have gracious understanding, and provide that the ordinance with sermons, as it was not made to us without forethought, may remain in force and unaltered, so that the poor people will not be neglected, and thus [neither] E. ch. G. nor we may be weighed down in our consciences before God because of such neglect. For we do not want to burden E. ch. G.'s humble opinion, where the present preacher of the place would turn away, that we would not easily get his like there again, for there is a lack of all pious, learned and faithful preachers. Your ch. Your Grace will therefore graciously show Himself to be merciful, so that the preacher may remain at his prescribed residence and maintenance, and may hold his office, as imposed on him by us, unwaveringly at the appropriate time, the reward of which will be worthy of God Almighty. So we want it for E. ch. G. blessed regiment and welfare, also to earn ill subservience. Date Wittenberg, on Friday Marcelli [16 Jan] Anno 1540.
E. churf. G. unterthänige, gehorsame, verordnete Visitatores zu Sachsen, jetzt zu Wittenberg.
No. 2621.