Answering some church questions.
Handwritten in Cod. chart. Goth. 451. p. and in Bibl. Wolf. III, 171, a manuscript of the Hamburg library. Printed in Epistolis ad Conr. Schlusselburg, x. 1, from the autograph; in Strobel-Ranner; p. 342 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 699. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1338.
To Mr. Christoph Piscator, Magister, the extremely faithful servant of the word at Jüterbock.
Grace and peace! I have received your questions, my dear Christoph, and although I have neither sufficient leisure nor health to answer everyone's letters, I will answer you very briefly.
To the first. You can proclaim from the pulpit to the obstinate and the despisers of the sacrament that they are not to be considered Christians and are to be buried outside the churchyard, especially those who turn to the monks out of defiance and allow themselves to be communicated. But see from where you may get the power to carry this out, whether the authorities will assist you with the congregation.
Secondly. If you can prevent alms from being given to hostile monks and to those who disturb the church and the preaching ministry, you will do well.
To the third. It is more than too much that the bishops have suffered up to now, that women and virgins have gone to church as preened and garlanded as if they were going to a theater. It is a very obvious abuse against Paul and Peter. But the habit is very hard (violenta). Therefore, when they partake of the sacrament, the abuse is to be forbidden to them absolutely, so that they may not be unequal to our and other churches. For it is a sign of frivolity, and of those who do not esteem the sacrament any more highly than the bread on the common table.
To the fourth. As much as possible, you must resist the postponement of baptism.
Letters from the year 1544. No. 3157. 3158. 3159.
so that this custom does not finally set an example to abstain from them forever.
Thus, in Italy, in many cities, a large part of the people remain unbaptized throughout life, since they are not baptized in childhood; when they grow up, they despise everything and die as people who do not believe in God (xxxxx). This is how the pope Clement died without baptism; this looks like rebaptism. 1) Fare well in the Lord. Thursday after Martinmas [Nov. 13] 1544.
Martin Luther, D.
No. 3158.
Elector Johann Friedrich to Luther.
Information on the status of the engagement of Caspar Beyer. For an understanding of this letter, Burkhardt notes: "that Caspar Beyer had become engaged to Sybilla Beyer, who, however, had withdrawn, since she had made the claim that Beyer had already been engaged to Margarethä Moschwitz. Beyer claimed that his betrothal to Sybilla had occurred with the foreknowledge of her father." This legal transaction was pending since Pentecost 1543, as we can see from No. 3085, and was only terminated towards the end of January 1545, when Beyer was absolved from Moschwitz (see Luther's letter to Casp. Beyer of Jan. 27, 1546).
The original is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. Oo, pag. 461. Printed by Burkhardt, p. 453.
Our greeting before. Venerable and Reverend ! After you have recently petitioned us and had us petition that we want to order our deputies in church matters to the Consistory at Wittenberg or otherwise, the marriage case between the student Caspar Beyren, so called before with a maiden, Margaretha Moschwitz, for the sake of such matters at the reported Consistorio, and the virgin Sybilla Beyrin, and to recognize therein, then we know to remember that we, for your gracious will, have the highly esteemed 2c. Casparn Creutzinger, of the heil. Scripture, and Lorenz Zoch, the right Doctorn, beside the touched deputies of the Consistorii, outside Doctor Benedicten Pauli, because he before-mentioned young
1) Here in the Bibl. Wolf. still follow the words: ut tantum sine sacramento et fide simul sine suspicione amovent, quasi spirent anabaptismum; incomprehensible to us.
wife shall be guardian, therefore ordered. 2) Since we would like to have the same matter promoted, as much as is in accordance with the law and fairness, we write to the aforementioned commanders here to give us a helpful report on what has been done in this matter, also to have both parts brought before them, also to send the documents, they want to overlook them, and also to have them moved with diligence. However, if the final decision or verdict would be delayed by a few days, we do not want to burden you because of the aforementioned beyer, for since we have graciously given you the aforementioned order, we are graciously confident that you will consider it convenient, We are confident that you will consider it convenient for yourselves that what is rightly recognized and pronounced by us or by our order on the acts that have been issued, there shall be no lack of this, by divine grant, for the time being, as far as it is possible, and out of special gracious concern we do not want to leave this undeclared to you, and are also inclined to you with all graces. Date Torgau, 22 Nov. 1544.
No. 3159.
Prince John Frederick to Luther and the other Wittenberg theologians.
The Elector asked them to give their opinion on how map should behave at the future Imperial Diet with regard to the Reformation and the settlement. As a result, they drafted "the Wittenberg Reformation" (St. Louis Edition, Vol. XVII, 1733, No. 14t 9), which was sent to the Elector on Jan. 27, 1545, with a covering letter.
From the acts in the Weimar Archives, Reg. H, fol. 304, in Corp. Ref, vol. V, 532 f.
To Doct. Martin Luther, Doctor Pomeranus, Creutziger, Philippus and Magister Georg Major.
Johann Friedrich, Churfürst 2c.
Venerable and reverend, dear devotees and faithful! Now that the scheduled Imperial Diet is approaching, and the Roman Imperial Majesty, our most gracious Lord, has graciously described to us the next Speier farewell. Majesty, our most gracious Lord, has graciously described to us the next Speier's imperial farewell and requires that we, by virtue of the same farewell in our own person, should dispose of it in Worms, as their
2) "ordered" == command given.
3) to Worms.
Letters from the year 1544. No. 3159. 3160.
Majesty of the same commissioners have already been sent there, and have also arrived there, with a gracious promise and request to certainly appear there on the second of January, so we have, in accordance with the next Speier's imperial treaty, had our gracious request notified to you some weeks ago by the highly respected councilor and dear faithful, Gregorium Brück, the Doctor of Law, Since at the present Diet a Christian settlement and reformation of religion is to be negotiated and concluded, that you, as we have therefore 1) settled this matter in particular with our religious relatives, would like to suggest how and in what way you think that, for the sake of such settlement and reformation, we should, from one disputed article to another, act for the preservation of our Augsburg Confession, and on which we should finally insist.
Now that you have compared and compiled the following reminder of such counsel on the basis of Doctor Brück's reports, as well as that of our esteemed councilor and dear friend, Magister Frantzen, 2) we graciously request that you send it to us, as soon as possible, for our own hands. If, however, it has not yet been drawn up, or if it is not completely finished, even though the other members of our religion and unity will be ready with your council, then do not complain, but for the sake of the Almighty and for the benefit of the common Christianity, burden yourselves now without further delay with the effort, and draw up and prepare such council, so that it may be finished as long as possible between here and Luciae [Dec. 13] and come to our hands. We will graciously provide this for you all. In this you show us special gracious favor, to recognize again in graciousness and good towards you. Date Torgau, November 23, 1544.
No. 3160 .
To Friedrich Myconius, pastor in Gotha.
About suicides.
The original is in Cod. chärt. 379. Bibl. Goth, f.. 15. incomplete in Schütze, vol. III, p. 249. according to the original in De Wette, vol. V, p. 699.
1) "us for" put by us instead of: "from the".
2) Burkhard.
To the highly venerable man, Mr. Friedrich Mecum, the faithful and fair bishop of the church at Gotha and the neighboring churches, his brother who is extremely dear to your Lord.
Grace and peace! I write little, my dear Frederick, so [bad] is my condition. It pleases me that this matter does not trouble the priest whom you advised, and he can be calm in his conscience that he buried the woman who vowed herself, when otherwise she killed herself. I know many similar examples, but in these I use to judge in such a way that such people have been killed par excellence and directly by the devil himself, as a wanderer is killed by a robber. Since it is known and there are certain signs that it is not possible in a natural way that such people could kill themselves [in such a way], since a rope or a belt or (as your example teaches here) a garment (peplum) without a knot, which hangs down and is limp, could not kill a fly: so I consider that one must believe that such people are mocked by the devil himself, so that they seem to intend something quite different for themselves, namely praying or the like. And yet the devil kills in such a way. But the authorities do right, in order to frighten, that they also punish them with the usual severity, so that Satan (especially when it has become known) does not creep in under such a comfort. And the world deserves it, and it is time that it be admonished, since it is epicuric (epicurissat), and thinks that the devil is nothing. I would like to write to you in more detail about these judgments and examples of God even to His own. I remember reading in secular books that in a certain city the virgins, as if they had conspired, killed themselves one after the other by hanging. Since the authorities were frightened because they could not find a remedy, one of them finally advised that the next one who had hanged herself should be dragged naked through the streets (with her shame exposed) with one foot tied to a horse. Since all were deterred by this spectacle, this monstrosity of Satan ceased. But what is
this for you who know better? Farewell and pray for me, an old and lazy man. On the first of December 1544.
Martin Luther, D.
No. 3161
To Anton Lauterbach, pastor in Pirna.
Ueber Lauterbach's Anfechtungen und die von ihm verlangte Schrift von der Kirchenzucht; von Luther's schriftstellerischen Arbeiten.
Manuscript in Aurifaber, vol. III, pp. 436 and 442. From the Kraft Collection at Husum in Schütze, vol. I, p. 328 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 700. German in Walch, vol. XXI, 1531.
Grace and peace in the Lord, who strengthens and sustains you by the spirit of his strength. My dear Anton! I like to believe that Satan is burdensome to you, since you bless and worship the seed of the woman, whom he, the serpent with his seed, hates and curses. Therefore, it is not you whom the seed of the serpent pursues, the bishops and the courtiers of Dresden, but it pursues the seed of the woman, whose heel 1) you are with the church. Therefore, you must necessarily feel the bite of the serpent and its enmity, as we all do and the whole church. But we have the hope that as long as we remain the heel of Christ, the head of the same will also be trodden down by us with its teeth, as it has been trodden down daily since the beginning of the world, will always be trodden down, and will be trodden down until the end, amen.
More often you urge the book of ecclesiastical discipline, but you do not write from where leisure and health should come to me, since I am old, exhausted and sluggish. I am in fact overwhelmed with the writing of letters without end. I have promised the younger princes a sermon on drunkenness, others, including myself, a book on secret betrothals, others against the sacramentaries; others desire that I should leave everything pending and write a summarium and a continuous explanation (glossam) about the entire
1) Instead of calcaneus should be read calcaneum.
Bible. So one thing hinders the other, so that I cannot finish anything. And yet I thought that I, as a retired man, should be given leisure so that I could live and sleep in peace and quiet, but I am forced to live very restlessly. However, I will do what I can; what I cannot do, I will leave undone. I thank you for your goodwill towards me. Be well in the Lord and pray for us as we do for you. I am sorry to hear that Daniel [Cresser] is thinking of leaving the church in Dresden. May the Lord do what is good in His eyes. Give my best regards to your relatives. December 2, 1544.
Your Mart. Luther.
No. 3162.
Elector Johann Friedrich to Luther.
Luther shall, in order to avoid inequality of judgments in matrimonial matters, make a reservation in which it is expressly stated that an engagement made without the knowledge and will of the parents is void, and that this is not changed by silence or subsequent consent. The same applies to marriages with relatives in the fourth degree. - Luther's answer came on January 18, 1545.
From Reg. D, fol. 49. 423 , in the Weimar Archives, printed by Burkhardt, p. 454.
After we have ordered you in various times in the matter to prosecute the highborn prince, Mr. Ernsten, Duke of Brunswick, our friendly dear grandfathers, on the one hand and Ernsten von Starschedel (Dorstedel) on the other hand on account of his daughter, as if his love should have promised her a marriage, to proceed legally on both parties' submissions, but that finally it would not be recognized, because the verdict would be sent to us beforehand, and our doubts would also be heard therein, so the matter has been presented to us, as you would finally have been thought of to recognize in the matter 2). And even though we put up with such a verdict, and that it is recognized in this way, we still take care, because the
2) This matter had been rightfully pending since April 1541 (cf. No. 2781), but will probably have come to a conclusion only in January 1545, after the jurists of the Consistory and the Court Court had submitted to Luther's will (cf. the letter of January 18, 1545).
Letters from the year 1544. no. 3162.
If the marriage should have taken place some time earlier than the contradiction of our dear grandson, Duke Philips of Brunswick, as the father of our Lord, then the party will not refrain from continuing on your instructions, 1) and nevertheless, as before, want to insist on his love to open their conscience, as if S. L. should have had knowledge of it and kept silent and thus silently consented to it, as perhaps such 2) silence of the parents for a granting of such cases. L. should rather have known about it and kept silent, and silently consented to it, as perhaps the imperial laws may consider such 2) silence of the parents to be a permission and consent in such cases. Because we have then learned from your, D. Martinus, which you addressed to us in Caspar Beyer's matters in the winter of next year, and also from other letters of yours, we do not note anything else than that such marriage vows, which are made without the parents' knowledge and will at the beginning, shall be unbinding 3) and invalid, even after no further contradiction has been made on them, we would rather see you agree that such secret betrothals of children, as they were initially void, should remain void, so that the reason and cause of this judgment would be placed on them, and not only on the contradiction, as for the main subject. For we find that, nevertheless, from time to time repugnant judgments occur about it, which we would like to see brought into a final settlement. We therefore request with special graces, also seriously, that you call the other theologians, also the jurists of our court and our Consistorii deputies to you on our enclosed order and compare with each other unanimously whether such secret engagements, which are made without the knowledge and will of the parents at the beginning, shall be and remain unbinding and invalid, or may be ratified by the subsequent silence of the parents, as we then note the imperial rights, which subsequently allow tacit or express consent to be valid. For we would like to do an explicit transfiguration and transfer by our letter, so that only males in our principality would know and have to judge. And that in such matters very unequal concerns, also judgments, should occur, we have noted partly from the marriage case of Caspar Beyer, partly also from this, namely that in a marriage case in our consistory, since a young
1) "rant" - to make further. Our template offers: "rage".
2) In Burkhardt: "solchs wie dau villeicht die keyserrecht der eitern stillschweigen" 2c.
3) Incorrectly interpung in Burkhardt: "beschehen sollen, vnbündig" 2c.
4) From our Consistory, which has already been touched upon, he shall be instructed that the mother should indicate reasons why she does not want to consent to the son's engagement, since we thought that this alone should be a sufficient cause in this case, that the son became engaged without the mother's knowledge and will and made a secret engagement. Therefore, we want you to compare yourselves to this, so that the people's useless gossip and annoyance, which one is supposed to do beforehand, may remain. We do not want to save you from this, and do us a gracious favor. Date Torgau, Wednesday after Andreä [Dec. 3] 1544.
Note. Since there are also all kinds of inaccuracies in matrimonial matters concerning the kinship below the fourth degree incl., in the same way also the affinity, we want to talk about this among each other, because you have noted before from us that us, both in friendship and affinity, to take marriage below the touched fourth degree incl. in our princedoms and lands, is not convenient, for which we also have honorable and well-founded reasons. And although we do not intend to break up such marriages, since they do not take place above the degrees forbidden by God, we do not want to know or suffer those who marry more closely in our lands, but to have our lands forbidden to them as a punishment and to others as an abomination, for the preservation of some good morals, just as it has happened up to now for some to attend each other in other places, since they want to suffer. But since we find that our ordinance is being contravened, and that now and then the preachers and superintendents are subject to dispense with people contrary to our order, because the degrees are not forbidden by God's law to that extent, we graciously request that you inform us of your concerns as to what the preachers and superintendents should be ordered to do about it. For although they are authorized, 5) after the matter has been decided, to comfort the consciences of the people, that it be done in such a way that it is not done contrary to our order, but that the people be instructed to obey us nevertheless in the visitation order, and to turn away from our lands, for which their dispensation would neither protect nor excuse them: we have no
4) In Burkhardt wrongly interpungirt: "widersprechen soll, aus" 2c.
5) So put by us instead of: "whether they want to be authorized".
Letters from the year 1544. No. 3162. 3163. 3164.
Doubt that everyone will abide by our land rules from now on, since 1) such people often subject themselves to such marriages more out of frivolity, also for temporal benefit, than for the sake of honest concerns. In your gracious opinion, we do not want to let this go unreported, and do us no less a gracious and good turn. Date ut in literis.
No. 3163.