Intercession for Nickel Sack.
The original is in the Weimar Archives. Printed in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 73, no. 125; in Walch, vol. XXI, 364 ff; in De Wette, vol. IV, p. 500 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 55, p. 36.
To the most illustrious, highborn prince and lord, Lord John Frederick, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall and Elector of the Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, my most gracious lord.
Grace and peace in Christ. Most noble, highborn prince, most gracious lord! Nickel Sack with a lamentable writing (in which he desires advice) has induced me to write to E. C. F. G.; and although I am involved in such a matter, I do not know what to do.
1) The words: concretive vel abstractive are connected in the text with the preceding; we have drawn them to the following because we could not make sense of them in that connection.
I don't like to talk, because I don't know what is right or wrong, and I don't want to know, but I don't know how to refuse him, because he cares so much about it and takes it so deeply to heart. Most people say he is right. But E. C. F. G. graciously accept my letter, for I do not ask for anything more, for as far as E. C. F. G. is concerned, in whom I have no doubt that by divine grace they themselves, without any action, love and handle the law, without my wanting to see the good man's request satisfied and accepted. Order herewith the same matter in E. C. F. G. gracious concern. May Christ, our Lord, strengthen and guide E. C. F. G.'s heart and mind to the honor of His name forever, Amen. Saturday after Epiphany. [10 Jan.] 1534.
E. C. F. G. undersigned Mart. Luther.
No. 2031.