When after the accession of Ludwig V, Elector of the Palatinate, in 1544 the Reformation got the upper hand, and the Protestant service was even moved to the main church of St. Martin in Amberg, the city council of this city sent a letter through an envoy to Luther and asked him for a preacher. He promised them the previous, popular Andreas Hügel (cf. No. 2472 and 2482) and another, also a school teacher.
From Schenkl's Chronicle of Amberg, p. 217, in De Wette, vol. V, p. 689, and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. 111. Also in Corp. Reg. vol. V, 493, as by Melanchthon.
To the honorable, wise and fair Herreu, mayors and council of the city of Amberg, our favorable lords and friends.
God's grace through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Savior before. Honorable, wise, noble, favorable lords and friends! We have received your wisdom, Christian writing, and are pleased that God has given you this grace, that you yourselves desire to praise Him with right knowledge of His Gospel, right invocation, and obedience commanded by Him, and that your praiseworthy rule is not unfit for such improvement of the Church, we also ask from the bottom of our hearts that our Savior Jesus Christ may enlighten your hearts with His Holy Spirit, govern them, and strengthen them for the improvement of the Churches to God's praise and your blessedness. And after we have spoken to Magistro Andrea Hügel and Magistro Johanne of Munich 1) on your writing, they have offered themselves good-willingly and Christianly to serve your church according to the vocation; And Magister Andreas would not have been disinclined to move to you now and as soon as possible, but he has this opportunity, that in the cold time it is not possible for him to make such a long journey with the young children, but he asks to come to you at Easter, or in case of need still this winter, although his wife and children would have to remain here until after winter, as your envoy will further report. Although we would like your church to be well cared for, we hope that, since we have only heard that a Christian preacher is now with you, you will have patience for this delay, as we ask; and what Master Johannes has thought of the degree 2) and of his future, you will hear from his letter. We have also spoken with a gentle, sedentary, well-respected man, Magistro Matthäo Michaele of Torgatt, for the sake of the school, who has offered to travel to you without risk in four weeks. And where, for the welfare of your church
1) Johann Fabricius was from Munich. The editions offer: "Manchen" instead of: "Munich". See Seidemann at De Wette, vol. VI, p. 451, note 6.
2) He received his doctorate on December 18, 1544.
Letters from the year 1544. no. 3148. 3149. 3150.
Philip Melanchthon.
No. 3149.