About a marriage engagement.
From the Börner Collection at Leipzig in Schütze, vol. II, p. 301 and in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 498.
To the highly famous men, the doctors of sacred theology, Johann Hess and Ambrosius Moiban, bishops of the church at Breslau, his brothers in Christ.
Grace and peace in Christ! How can I, dear men, reply to your letter with anything other than what I have previously published in my booklet 1), namely: if the betrothal in this case is such that it is approved by the relatives as well as by the superiors and the prince, and nothing stands in the way but only the father's stubbornness, which he (as I see from the reports) only overcame late, perhaps because someone dissuaded him from this marriage, then it is to be completely despised and decided for the girl. For in such a case one sees that the father is not neglecting the daughter as a father, who otherwise rightly deserves the credit, but as a tyrant, or rather is preventing her happiness, even though he is using the wealth of the other, future bridegroom. For in marriage preference must be given to love, not to wealth (if everything else is equal in respectability), just as the parents of Samson put the glory of their people after the love of their son. "One must not force them to marry, one must let them love each other, but it is nevertheless advisable" because of the constant living together in life, so that afterwards, when annoyances occur, the daughter cannot claim that she was forced. This has always been our opinion. Anno 1533.
Your Martin Luther, D.
No. 2026.
Without date 1533.