Luther gives his opinion on the distribution of Holy Communion in Halle.
Manuscript in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 332 and in Cod. Goth. 187. 4. from the. Original in Schütze, Vol. I, p. 141 and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 347.
Letters from the year 1541. No. 2776. 2777.
Your highly famous man, Mr. Justus Jonas, Doctor of Theology and extremely faithful messenger of Christ to Halle, his superior in the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! The advice you seek about the restoration of the administration of the sacrament, my dear Jonas, you could better give yourself, seeing the customs of the people and the church before your eyes. I judge thus: it is not enough that the people are well instructed to receive communion, but that they must also be encouraged against a future prohibition of the tyrant, so that they then do not shamefully eat again what they have eaten [2 Petr. 2:22], and the last becomes worse than the first. When you have seen in them that they will be firm in their confession, you may continue with them in the name of the Lord to carry out as soon as possible what you have begun. For the sacrament does not belong to the bishop as his own property, nor even to the council, but to the congregation itself, which demands it, and which must not be denied what Christ has instituted for it and given it. Since you are now appointed by the congregation in the lawful calling of the Word, and since you are compelled to present and administer the Word to them, and much more to administer the Sacrament, especially to those who will go willingly, you will surely pass through the midst of it, saying: You do not order communion for the whole city of Halle, and you do not force that all should receive it, but at this time you are a debtor to the persons who desire it; the others are none of your business if they do not want it or want something else, you have administered your office according to time, place and persons. If someone else changes or does something else, he does it at his own risk. Only urge strongly that the word and the gift of God be free and not bound, and that neither the pope nor the emperor nor any creature have the right to forbid it in any place, Therefore, one must despise the threats, laws and commandments, as those of the devil himself, and obey God. He strengthen you and put the adversaries to shame, Amen. On the day of St. Marci [April 25] 1541. Martin Luther.
No. 2777.
To the Elector Johann Friedrich.
Luther thanks for the medical help sent to him during his illness, and asks (in the postscript) for an increase in D. Curio's income.
The original is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. N, fol. 108. n. 41. Printed in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 93, no. 170; in Walch, vol. XXI, 441; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 348 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 302.
To the most illustrious, highborn Prince and Lord, Johann Friedrich, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen and Burgrave of Magdeburg. The most gracious Lord, the Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen and Burgrave of Magdeburg.
G. and F. in Christo and my poor pater noster. Most noble, highborn prince, most gracious lord! That E. C. F. G. has so cordially taken care of my old, bad skin, and out of such gracious care of your C. F. G. has sent your own body and wound physician to me with such faithful orders, I thank E. C. F. G. most sincerely, and is more than too much. I would have liked to see that the dear Lord Jesus would have taken me away with grace, for I am now of little use on earth. But the Pomeranian has prevented such a thing (in my opinion) with his intercession in the church, and [it] has become better, praise God. Truly, D. Curio and M. Andres 1) have done their utmost, I must confess. Well, what God wills, let it be done, amen. Hereby commanded to the dear Lord, Amen. Monday after Quasimodogeniti [April 25] 1541. E. C. F. G. subjective
I also humbly ask G. H., E. C. F. G. to graciously remember D. Curio once, that he may receive one of the scholarships he has received. He attended the school diligently and with great benefit, for they are now accustomed to his language, for he is very learned, and also practices anatomy finely, which remained after D. Caspar's death. Thus, everything is expensive, the practical training with the sick is sufficient, but poor and meager, and as a landmark
1) Engelhard.
Letters from the year 1541. No. 2777 to 2780.
I have never given him anything myself for the many services, without a drink of beer. Orders hereby the same in E. C. F. G. gracious concern.
No. 2778.