Recommendation of a student from Görlitz for support.
1) non is added by us because we consider it necessary.
The original is in the church library at Landshut in Silesia. Printed by De Wette, vol. V, p. 380 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 323. - We give the letter here with the improvements noted by Seidemann in De Wette, vol. VI, p. 500, note 6.
To the honorable, prudent gentlemen, mayor and council of the city of Görlitz, my favorable gentlemen and friends.
G. u. F. im HErrn 2c. Honorable, careful, dear gentlemen! Andreas Hinderthür, your city child, has asked me to write to you and ask that you be helpful to him in his studio, since he is unable to complete it because of his poverty. Because you are well aware of how much it is needed 2) for people everywhere who are capable and useful for church office and other offices, I want to provide you with comforting hope, as they gladly help to promote God's honor and otherwise the worldly state's welfare and prosperity, as befits right Christians. Without my request, you will not only willingly provide help and taxation to this Andrew, but to many others as well, since God has given you the ability to do so easily. But because the good journeyman needs testimony, I give you to know that he is a very fine, skillful and industrious journeyman, that he has many honest people, both of the university and of the honorable council, all here witnesses, that you are well assured what you turn to him, that all this will be given to God for a pleasing sacrifice, who must (what his dear son tells us) have laborers in his harvest, which is now truly great, and the laborers few. If you know zero such things, your heart will well teach you to perform such good work with air and love. Hereby commanded to the dear God, Amen. Tuesday after Ulrici [July 5] 1541. Martinus LutheR.
Prince John Frederick to Luther, Bugenhagen and the members of the Consistory.
(Regest.)
This letter contains almost verbatim the July 12 request to the von Starschedel to appear at the appointed legal site.
The original concept is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. D, fol. 49. 42^. The above notice in Burkhardt, p. 389.
2) De Wette: "beynöthig".
Letters from the year 1541. No. 2812. 2813.
No. 2812.