Recommendation of D. Cordatus, who had received an appointment to the Churbrandenburg (as superintendent over all clergy and vicedechant of the cathedral chapter at Stendal; see St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, introduction, p. 5 d).
The original, written by a scribe and signed by the signatories themselves, is located in Dresden in Cod. Seidel. Printed by Schütze, vol. III, p. 145 and by De Wette, vol. V, p. 310. German by Walch, vol. XXI, 1472.
Letters from the year 1540. No. 2716. 2717.
To the men gifted with excellent scholarship and virtue, Mr. Johann Weinlaub, Councillor of the most illustrious Margrave, Elector 2c., and Mr. Jakob [Stratner], 1) preacher, overseers of the churches in the Mark, his friends.
Salvation! As the church is in misery in the world, so the teachers of the true gospel are strangers, not without great difficulties. Since they carry around with them the immensely great treasure, namely the Gospel of the Son of God, it behooves all to desire to associate with such guests. And the story of the widow of Sarepta reminds us how pleasant it is for God to receive the piety of those who hospitably receive the priests, the expounders of the true doctrine. For God, for the sake of the Gospel, preserves the human race, the worldly rule and the continuity of the essence of things, and bestows what serves life. We testify that this honest man, Conrad Cordatus, an Austrian, Doctor of Theology, is well versed in church doctrine, teaches the gospel purely, has godly morals and is gifted with a special constancy in faith. For this he proved not only in enduring the common toils of the preaching ministry, in which he showed the greatest diligence, but also in other exceedingly hard plagues. For since he taught the Gospel in a certain church in Austria (Pannonia) in a humble, godly manner and according to his rightful profession, the tyrannical bishops threw him into prison for no other reason than because he had presented the correct doctrine that was necessary for the church. And since they threatened the man deprived of all his goods with death if he did not abandon the Gospel, he was kept in prison for a long time. But finally, because his innocence was known to all, he was released and returned to the school, where he not only listened to the teachers with great diligence, but also presented the church doctrine to others. After he was put in charge of the congregations, he governed them faithfully, and most vehemently criticized the
1) Stratnero is missing in the original (De Wette).
2) in Wittenberg. Cf. St. Louis edition, vol. XXII, introduction, p. 4 b f.
He has defended the purity of doctrine against all fanatical opinions. We give him this testimony of his scholarship and godliness with a clear conscience, and would have gladly kept him if he had remained with us. But because he is called to teach the gospel, he has in a godly way maintained that other churches must also be served, and we have not been opposed to his very good will. For what is more desirable than that God should call and raise up such servants in great numbers into the harvest of the Gospel? But since you are charged with the supervision of the churches in the Mark, we have given him this letter to you, following the example of the old churches, so that you may know that we approve of his teaching and his customs. We urge you and others who love the gospel of the Son of God to receive and support this guest, who is to be revered because of his age, his learning, his godliness and because of the confession of the gospel. We hope that his work will be useful to the churches of Christ. Furthermore, it behooves us to receive such guests with all the greater goodwill and to protect them, because for their sake God defends our churches against the tyrants, so that the light of the Gospel is not completely extinguished, and their families have a number of little nests. Therefore, we commend to you the Lord Cordatus, Doctor of Theology, and ask God, the Father of our Savior Jesus Christ, to restore and govern your churches. Be well. On the 12th day of October, Anno 1540.
Martin Luther, D.
Joh. Bugenhagen, Pomeranus, D., the D. Cordatus brother in Christ, because of the exceedingly loud teaching of Christ.
Philip Melanthon.
No. 2717.