Luther apologizes for not being able to come to the wedding of Lauterbach's brother (cf. No. 2660), and gives him advice because of a peevish trade in his official conduct.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 302. Printed in Innocent News 1726, p. 898; in Schütze, vol. III, p. 142; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 289 and in De Wette, vol. V, p.304. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1305.
To the man to be highly honored in the Lord, M. Anton Lauterbach, the faithful bishop and his extremely dear [friend] in the Lord.
Grace and peace! I will gladly be at your brother's wedding, my dear Anton, but in spirit and with my prayers. For the fact that I will not be there in body is not only due to the amount of business, but also because I realize, or rather I know, that the Mammelucken and the queen of this kingdom are offended, for which I am perhaps somewhat to blame. And who is not offended by Luther's nonsense?
I advise you to be patient with your mistresses, who (as you write) stubbornly hold on to one figure (pertinacibus unispeciebus), and let the drunken Satan rage as long as it pleases God. You must bear the trouble and in the meantime exhort the others, as you do, to the institution of Christ, and be sure that you will cause the devil greater trouble in his kingdom than those impotent ones. kingdom than those powerless mistresses (domicellas) in the kingdom of Christ. God will also put an end to these things. Only you shall despise and shun these people (eos), and let them despise and shun you. You are a public servant of the preaching ministry, those are private and few; at last they will be overcome. Fare well with your own. My Lord Käthe greets you. Friday after Bartholomew [Aug. 27] 1540. Yours, Mart. Luther.
5) The Duchess Catharina of Saxony (?) (De Wette).
No. 2705.