Luther reports what he has written to the landgrave and advises that Justus Menius' book Wider die Bigamie not be printed.
2) Burkhardt: "Honolain"; a misprint.
3) Hole in the paper. We have added the gap. Burkhardt suggests: "because it has the".
Letters from the year 1540. no. 2712. 2713. 2714.
Handwritten in Cod. Palat. From it in Corp. Ref., Vol. I V, 769, as an enclosure to a letter of Brück to the Elector, with wrong time determination (see the previous number), and also in De Wette-Seidemann, Vol. VI, p. 294 f.
Martin Luther's answer to the Landgrave of Hesse about his affairs, copied from his own handwriting.
I have written it to the landgrave so that I like such a mild answer, given this time. The Margrave has also written to me and pondered the same matter, but I have not yet answered him, but I want to answer along with other things, namely that I know nothing about the matter, without what the cry gives, as Christ in the Gospel of Marci 13. does not know about the last day, and may say this with a clear conscience. For what I know secretly and confessionally, I know only before God and secretly, and not before men, nor shall I want to know it; and whether I have said it, I shall not be believed, juxta illud: unius testimonium nullum.
But if they continue to hold out, he may give them a sharper answer, which he himself shows me, 1) and, because they want to be friends, would do wrong to be the first to stir up and attract such clamor even more, if they should be the first (if they wanted to be so holy and pure) to help quench and muffle such clamor.
If they knew something about this from the Scriptures, they should do all the more to stop it, because otherwise both friend and foe would keep silent and not believe.
With it I wish at last that the surly, coarse Dresdeners 2) would finally have to become disgraced with the Copei, because they do not have the main letter and seal.
This has become the substance of the letter.
He Justi Menii Büchlein 3) pleases me well, especially for the sake of the Pfarrherr to Mel
1) in No. 2706. This is full proof for our time determination.
2) In particular, the Duchess Catharina of Saxony pursued the matter, "the high-minded Vasthi of Dresden," as the landgrave calls her (Seidemann).
3) The title of this book is: "Justi Menii Book, that it is not fitting for a Christian to have at one time more than one wife 1.5.4.0" (Corp. Ref., Vol. I V, 767 f.).
4) who had driven this thing hard and, as they say, caused it. Whether it is to be omitted at this time, has probably a doubt: first, that it would move suspicion, as if there were something in the matter, and might strengthen the cry; secondly, Melsingen might answer it. Finally, Luther would ask even more questions and perhaps request that I write as well. Then I would rather let it settle itself as it has begun, than stir the mud before the noses of all the world. Otherwise, people are in the mood to know and research too much about new and dangerous things, so that it seems to me that in such cases, silence is not only a responsum, but also an Optimum responsum.