Luther exhorts the counts to unity, who were arguing about the right of patronage of a parish.
Printed in Hallischer Theil, p. 460; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXII, p. 573; in Walch, vol. XXI, 471; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 475 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. 27.
2) Inserted by us.
Letters from the year 1542. No. 2926.
To the noble, well-born Lords, Albrecht, Philipps and Johann Georgen, Counts and Lords of Mansfeld, my gracious and dear sovereigns.
Grace and peace and my poor pater noster. Gracious sirs! I have experienced all too certainly how E. G., so close friends, cousins, brothers, father, son 2c., have come to each other, about the parish and schools at St. Andres at Eisleben, which is only sorrowful from the heart; as it is fair that I, as a country child, serve my fatherland and natural sovereign with all loyalty, and see to it, especially when I see what the wretched devil has in mind at this last time and need of all Germany, since it would be necessary that there be unity and love between all estates, but most of all between such close blood friends, because the Turk, God's wrath, is lying so hard on our necks. But it seems as if God does not want to answer any prayer, but to punish the old, previous sins, committed in the papacy, along with the contempt of the outgoing Gospel, in heaps, and to leave room for the devil in all kinds of willfulness. And it is grievous enough to me that there should be disunity among you friends about the word of grace and peace, that is, about the parish and schools 2c. God, the merciful Father, forbid the wicked devil, and forbid the evil mediators who cause such discord between us, amen.
Accordingly, my heartfelt and guilty request to your Lord, my dear country lords, is that you humble yourself in honor of God and His Word, and conduct this matter with gentleness and not with sharpness (as the devil would like), and act kindly toward one another (as God would like). For with the sharp way of going against each other, the Gospels will not only lose the Gospel themselves, but will also give cause for both the parish and the school to disintegrate.
For that I say to God beforehand: You will not get any capable persons for the parish and school, and I do not want to and cannot consider him to be a conservative, who will allow himself to be used in such discord, much rather for a capable and evangelical pastor or schoolmaster 2c. It may still be God's grace, where the rule is completely united, and the school and the parish also
that there may be harmony among the church and school servants in the face of the devil, who is an enemy of both offices. And what one starts in God's name and favor is hardly obtained with effort through earnest prayer and much suffering; what good should come out of it that is started in the devil's name and will, that is, with pride and arrogance?
Has there been fine unity since the uprising or even longer, since the parish has been papist and the preacher evangelical: how much more should it be so now, because the Gospels have accepted and want to have the Gospel in both parts? And it is indeed a special challenge from Satan, that it is about the Jure Patronatus, which is foreign and of the bishop of Halberstadt, whether the present one has given it away for his person, but after his death it will be returned to the Halberstadt monastery, which will not easily provide the parish with Christian pastors or preachers, as this bishop has done out of fear and in rebellion, and would thereby gain more than he had before, or had ever lost with God and all honors, namely the preaching chair and school (as it was little respected without them). Therefore, my gracious dear sirs! Let us be in favor of it, and not improve other lords with our own harm, for which they will ridicule us, laugh in our fists, and take us for folly or children's play for our quarrels.
It also means what a great annoyance and a game of joy for the devil and his people this will be, that such fine and highly famous lords and counts, evangelical on both sides, get so angry among each other about such small, in addition foreign Jus Patronatus. It is not, it is not suitable, it does not please God, not yet a pious Christian man. Our Lord may well send down counselors on both sides, and in kindness let such things be calmed and settled. And what I and all of us can do to that end, we would gladly do. And we ask God, the Father of all graces and unity, to give us a gentle, soft heart towards each other, to accomplish his work (if we want to mean both), contrary to the devil, in a grave and blissful way, amen. Thursday St. Viti s15. June) Anno 1542. A. G. williger
Martinus Luther.
Letters from the year 1542. no. 2927. 2928. 2929
No. 2927.