Luther speaks out against him about Agricola, who was called to Berlin.
Manuscript at Gotha in Cod. 185. 4. and in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 314. Printed in Riederers Nachrichten, vol. I, p. 352; from the Börnersche Sammlung in Leipzig in Schütze, vol. III, p. 154; in Strobel-Ranner, p. 291 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 319 f.
The man to be highly honored in the Lord, Jakob Stratner, the faithful and fair messenger of Christ in the Mark, his brother who is exceedingly dear in the Lord.
Grace and peace in Christ. My most esteemed Jacob! D. Cordatus has forced this letter to you from me, and he has indeed forced it from me, who would otherwise have written to you with great pleasure, if I knew that it was either necessary or pleasant for you. For although you have only been known to me through a single meeting
3) Instead of eadem we have assumed ejusdem.
4) The text: est idem quod ipsi Satane credere quam christum promittenti et minanti seems to us not to be in order.
5) Probably the princes of Anhalt.
Letters from the year 1540. No. 2736. 2737.
I have been so taken in by your gentle manners and mild character, which, however, is faithful through the spirit of Christ, that I have always mentioned you in the friendliest way when the opportunity presented itself. Yes, I was also particularly attracted to you by the fact that I see that so much fruit has come forth in the Gospel through your walk under the leadership of Christ. I give thanks to God and ask that He, who began the work of His grace and glory in you, may complete it to the end, in which we shall rejoice (as Peter says) with joy unspeakable. Therefore I exhort you to continue and to grow stronger day by day by the power of the Spirit of Christ who dwells in you. Furthermore, since I have understood that you are not a little moved by the arrival of "Master Grickel" from Eisleben with you, I indeed grieve with you, but again I admonish you that you despise Satan, even if he should become annoying to you in this piece, with a Christian mind. Master Grickel" is not the man he would like to seem, or what the margrave thinks he is, and never will be. For if you want to know what vanity itself is, you cannot get to know it in a more certain image than that of Eisleben. You can perceive it in his gesture, his voice, his loud laughter, yes, in all the movements and ways of his mind and body, so that he could surpass any buffoon. My advice has been that he should abstain from the administration of the word forever and take up some kind of amusing profession; he is not at all suitable for teaching. And if everything else were bearable, the senseless striving for fame is so great in him that he can do GOtte no good in his work, but a great deal of harm. But the new 1) affection of the margrave does not yet suffer a memory, but this will occur when this affection makes him regretful. We are glad that we are freed from this trustworthy and foolish man, as we are sorry that you are burdened with him, but bear with us a little, because we too have to bear him a lot and
1) Instead of novi tut we read novitius with Strobel.
have endured for so long. However it may be, you can be convinced of this by me: even if "Master Grickel" is elevated to heaven by himself or by his own, he will not be less impure in my heart compared to you than the devil is compared to an angel. He certainly asks for forgiveness of his sins, and the margrave will believe that he asks earnestly, and we want to grant him pardon, although we suspect, nay, are certain, that he deals in deceit. But as he says: You will not deceive me, the teacher, but yourself. But this I write, that thou mayest not doubt my cordial disposition toward thee, and bear him the more patiently, nor for his sake forsake thy office. His vanity will not last. Fare well in the Lord, and in my name greet Mr. Weinlaub 2) most humbly. For I hear that he is earnestly favorable to the gospel, and not of the kind of Grickel. May God increase and sustain him to the end, amen. Greetings to all of us respectfully. Given on Monday after St. Andrew's Day [Dec. 6] Anno 1540.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 2737.