See St. Louis edition, vol. X, 2048.
No. 3152.
To Marcus Crodel, school teacher in Torgau.
About a garden to be used for the churchyard.
The original is at Dresden in Cod. Seidell. Printed in the Leipzig Supplement, p. 107, no. 203; in Walch, vol. XXI, 500; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 692 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. 115.
Erudito et optimo Viro, D. Marco Crodel, Torgensis juventutis Institutori fidelissimo, suo in Domino fratri charissimo.
Gratiam et pacem in Domino. My Grace! As you have asked me for my sentence on the garden that lies next to the hospital, especially because you show that the owner of it has taken the matter upon my judgment.
I give my verdict on this: Because an honorable council is willing to use the same garden for no other work than for the dormitory and rest of the dear and holy Christians who lie and will lie there in hope of the resurrection to life, and for houses in which the sick, especially of the pestilence and other addictive annual plagues, are housed and cared for, My opinion is that the owner should take the value of the garden from the council and use it for such good, Christian, and at this time almost necessary work, because it is a small piece and well situated to the churchyard. Thus the first opinion is rendered, since the same garden has otherwise been predestined for such work and has been acted upon to a certain extent; so I also hope, because the owner has submitted the matter to my judgment, that he has not been unwilling and not yet, that he will let such garden, for its value, go to such work, also to preserve his good reputation and the better favor with the Christian church and community. Hereby commanded to God, Amen! Dominica 26 Oct. 1544.
Martinus Luther, D.
No. 3153.