Luther asks him to work toward exempting the clergy in the Electorate from the Turkish tax.
Printed in the Neue Mittheilungen aus dem Gebiet historisch-antiquarischer Forschungen, vol. VI, issue 3, Halle 1842, p. 25 and in De Wette-Seidemann, vol. VI, p. 288.
Grace and peace in Christ. Honorable, Fester 2c.! I have been shown how to
want to force the Turkish tax from the poor preachers and pastors. I have therefore been asked to write to you that it may be postponed until the arrival of His Princely Grace. Grace. For I hope that they will not permit it, especially since His Grace knows that it is not done in any country. For from what should the church servants give it, if they have nothing of their own? and it is just as much as if one took it from the church's own property, that is, from alms, or, as one speaks, from the feet of our Lord. One senses that such tyrants would like to get rid of the gospel from the country. But they are not allowed to hurry, they will probably get rid of it sooner than they think. Hereby commanded by God. Wittenberg, Friday after Crispini [Oct. 28] 1541. Martin Luther.
No. 2849.
To Jakob Stratner, court preacher at Berlin.
Same content as the previous letter.
Printed in the Wittenberg edition (1559), vol. XII, p. 208; in the Jena edition (1568), vol. VII, p. 448N; in the Altenburg,vol. VII,p.487.; in the Leipzig, vol. XXII, p. 400; in Walch, vol. XXI, 450; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 406 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 335. - In all these editions, "An einen Hofprediger." Since this letter agrees almost verbatim with the preceding one, there can be almost no doubt that it is addressed to the address given by uus, which has already been pronounced by Förstemann in the "Ergänzungsblätter" 1829, no. 143, sp. 1140 and by Seidemann, in De Wette, vol. VI, p. 513, note 2. Therefore, we have no hesitation to put the names instead of the "N." in the text.
To the worthy Lord and faithful servant of Christ, Jakob Stratner of Berlin, my dearest in the Lord.
Grace and peace in Christ. Worthy, dear Mr. Jacob! It has come to my attention how some at court want to force the poor pastors and church servants to pay the Turkish tax; I have therefore been asked to write to you on their behalf. Since you have now been ordered to preach at court, I would like you to do as much as possible to postpone it until the future of your sovereign. For I hope that his princely graces will not permit it, especially because H.F.G. knows well, or will know well, that it is not allowed in our most gracious
Letters from the year 1541. No. 2849 to 2852.
The first time that this is done, it is not done in any other principality.
For from what should the church servants give it, if they have nothing of their own, and it is just as much as if they took it from the church's own property, that is, from alms, or (as they say) from the feet of our Lord Christ? One can see that such tyrants of the gospel in the country would like to be rid of them. But they should not hurry, they will probably get rid of it sooner than they think. Hereby commanded by God, Amen. Friday after Crispini [Oct. 28] 1541.
D. Martinus Luther.
No. 2850.
Towards the end of October 1541.
Prince John Frederick to Luther, Bugenhagen, Cruciger and Melanchthon.
(Regest.)
The Elector asks them to give an expert opinion (as was considered good by all at your recent meeting in Naumburg) on how to counter the unfounded claim of the opponents that the Protestant estates, in splitting over religious matters, "are not concerned with the Christian religion, but rather their minds are set on disobedience and rebellion against the Emperor. Maj. to disobedience, rebellion and revolt, also apostasy, and to keep everyone from the pure spiritual doctrine".
Nils dem Weimarschen Archiv, Reg. H, fol. 391, N. 148, at Burkhardt, p. 399. The latter remarks: "Without date, but since the Naumburg day was on 16 October (Galli), so we can probably date as above."
No. 2851.