On the Victory of the Gospel in the Duchy of Saxony. By the chancellor Pistorius. On the performance of ceremonies and the reestablishment of the ban.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, vol. III, p.403. Printed from Ludwig's collection in Halle in Schütze, vol. I, p. 257 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 550. With the heading: "Bedenken von Ceremonien und Bann wieder aufrichten," without addressee, in the Wittenberg edition (1559), vol. XII, p.210.; in the Jena edition (1562), vol. VIII, p. 171 b; in the Altenburg edition, vol. VIII, p. 342; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. 431; in Walch, vol. XIX, l253; as to Lauterbach, German, in De Wette, vol. V, p. 551 (with the false statement that only the first part of the letter, von den Ceremonien, is found in the editions just mentioned, which the Erlanger edition has reprinted) and in the Erlanger, vol. 56, p. 58. Only the second part, vom Bann, in all editions of the Tischreden, except the mistigen, Cap. 21, z 14. We omitted this letter in the 22nd and in the 19th volume and give it here in a new translation, as we promised in the 19th volume of our edition, Col. 1028 f..
To the worthy man, Anton Lauterbach, pastor of the church at Pirna and superintendent of the place, his extremely dear (friend) in the Lord.
Grace and peace! I rejoice, my dear Anton, and congratulate you on your good fortune in destroying everything of the papists, but rather in revealing what was hidden in the heart. I believed that Pistorius was and would always be Pistorius. Furthermore, I know that that inveterate Papist can be changed when the wolf becomes a lamb, and, as Jeremiah says (Cap. 13, 23.), when a Moor can change his skin.
I have no hope with regard to the arrangement of ceremonies, and it must not be tolerated that the ungodly prescribe laws for us, who themselves do not want to be bound by any law. When first the purity of the word will prevail everywhere, then would be
easy to find advice about the ceremonies. What are the ceremonies without the Word? We have given up the elevation of the sacrament here, primarily for no other reason than to show that we are masters of the ceremonies, not servants, at the same time also so that we would be equal to the other churches of Saxony, but we are ready to establish it again and to do everything for the benefit of the churches and to defend the freedom of conscience, which Satan has always and everywhere attacked and challenged in the most deceitful way, and more often brought into a heavier bondage 1) than even the law. 2) I like the example of the Hessian ban; if you could establish the same, you would do very well. But the centaurs and harpies at the court will resent it. The Lord help us. Everywhere there is licentiousness and the wantonness of the common people, but that is the fault of the authorities, who do nothing but collect taxes, and the principalities have become bailiwicks and customs houses. Therefore, the Lord will disturb us in his wrath. Would to God that the day of our salvation would come soon, amen. Greetings to Agnes and your little Els. May the Lord bless us, amen. Monday after Quasimodogeniti [April 2] 1543.
I write less often, because no one abfordett anything, and messengers are also not available.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 3005.
To Prince George of Anhalt.
Because of a priest and a preacher who shouted out indecent songs and chants of the Palm Day as verdaminlich.
The original is at Dessau. Handwritten in Cod. Jen. Bos. 24. q., fol. 222. Printed in the Altenburg edition, vol. VIII, p. 1001; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXI, p. 432; Lei Walch, vol. XIX, 1254 and again vol. XXI, 480; in De Wette, vol. V, 552; in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. 59 (as well as in De Wette, datirt vom 3. April) and, according to the improved text in Lindner's "Mittheilungen," vol. II, p. 83, reprinted in vol. 56, p. 239. We have omitted this letter in the 19th volume. See St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1029.
1) Instead of securitatem we have assumed servitutem. Walch also offers: "servitude".
2) This is where the table speeches come in.
To the noble, highborn prince and lord, Mr. Georgen, provost of Magdeburg, prince of Anhalt, count of Ascanien and lord of Bernburg, my gracious lord.
G. et p. in Domino. Sublime, highborn prince, gracious lord! The schoolmaster has requested from me in E. F. G. name these notes (as he calls them), what I think of the fact that the priest and preacher moved the people and made them restless, because they call songs and chants of the Palm Day, and others more, fool's work and lotterreimen. I do not like to hear such things, and I worry that a spirit will come out that seeks space to make something special. Such neutralia, because they are in harmless use and not annoying, should be left alone; or if one wants to change it, that [it] is not yours alone that does it in the banquet, but that all other sovereigns and parish lords do it with thoughtful counsel. Because E. F. G. is not only overlord, but also archidiaconus, they shall not suffer that a mad head from himself leads for and scolds the Neutrulia Damnabilia. He is not commanded to do so, nor is he much too unlearned to do so. If one leaves him the Läpplin, he will henceforth learn to eat the leather; one must watch. Furthermore, E. F. G. will know how to keep to this. Hiemit GOtt befehlt, Amen. Thursday after Quasimodogeniti [April 5] 1543.
E. F. G.
Martinus Luther, D.
No. 3006.