Notification that, at the request of the Council, they have asked the Elector to leave D. Jonas in Halle for another year, which has been granted.
From a copy in Cod. Monac. 90, p. 3626, no. VII, found in Corp. Ref., vol. V, 268 and in De Wette-Seidemann, vol. VI, p. 353 s. The author appears to be Melanchthon. The signatures are missing.
God's grace through His only begotten Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Honorable, wise, noble, favorable gentlemen! After E. W. wrote to us some weeks ago that we, in consideration of your church need, wish to petition the most noble, high-born Prince and Lord, Duke of Saxony, Elector, Landgrave in Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen and Burgrave of Magdeburg, our most gracious Lord, that S. C. F. G. graciously extend the time that the venerable Doctori Justo Jonae is allowed to stay with your church: we have submissively sent this request to our most gracious Lord. Lord. To which His Holiness graciously replied: although, especially at this time, there is a great lack of such persons in the university, His Holiness wishes to give greater consideration to the need of the church at Hall, and to allow Doctor Jonae to remain at Hall for another year, but with the proviso that he substitutes a legatee here, and decrees that he receive 60 fl. from his income here. We have sent this reply from our most gracious lord to the esteemed Doct. Chiliano, our good friend, who will report it to Your Worship. At the same time, we have also wanted to attribute it to E. W.. For what we know how to do to promote and serve the Christian Church in Hall, E. W. will find us willing to do to the best of our ability. May the eternal God, Father of our Savior JEsu Christ, graciously protect, govern and preserve your churches. Date Wittenberg, on the day of the holy birth of our Savior Christ anno 1544 [that is, 1543].
No. 3077.