Luther praises him for his evangelical spirit and promises to procure another pastor in place of the deceased one.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 408. Printed in Schütze, vol. I, p. 270 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 582 f.
The man noble by ancestry and pedigree, but exceedingly noble by scholarship and godliness, Dietrich von Maltzan, 2) his friend exceedingly dear in the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! Your letter, dear man, found me suffering in the head, so that I could not answer sooner and in more detail. However, I was very pleased and am almost restored by such a pleasing letter, which I very seldom read or see, namely that among the nobility there are still such blessed remnants whom God has chosen from the common heap of so many nobles who raged so against God and man that they became furies.
2) In De Wette both here and in the caption: Moltzan.
seem to be more similar than human beings. There are also with us some, but there are few, whom we honor as the noblest pearls of the church. May Christ keep you and your family, who will also richly reward all things. For the Holy Spirit is a gift that he has caught in us; he will also complete it. With how happy advantage would all others do the same, who resist with such great cost, but in vain, and as in former times with much greater effort earn hell than heaven. More at another time. We will make every effort to get another man to take the place of the deceased 1) man Balthasar. For we recognize ourselves as debtors, especially to such faithful members of Christ's household, that we serve in whatever way we can. By the way, I wish to be excused for not having written more about the 2) school teacher, of whom, as is his scholarship, I wish to be appointed in Balthasar's place; if that happens, another is not necessary, you may judge. Wittenberg, August 16, 1543.
Your Martin Luther, Doctor.
No. 3036.