Bugenhagen declines the bishopric of Camim offered to him, giving detailed reasons, and asks to answer the Elector in this sense.
The original is in the Weimar Archives, Reg. H, f. 570, No. 185. Printed in Schumacher, Gelehrter Männer Briefe an die Könige in Dänemark (Copenhagen und Leipzig 1758), Vol. I, p.46 and in Kolde, Analecta, p. 404.
To the venerable Doctorem Martinum and Magistrum Philippum.
Pomeranus.
Venerable and favorable gentlemen! I ask that you respond to our most gracious lord, the Elector of Saxony and Burgrave of Magdeburg (Meidburg), according to these articles, and add what you will further consider good, better than I, that I be done with this detention and plague.
First of all, that I, as an old and worn-out man, be spared. In one year, which I might not want to live out, I cannot set up again everything that has fallen into the bishop's territory and land at sixteen years of age, and thus has lain and been torn apart without regiment. And maybe in one year the kitchen and housekeeping would not be set up again and the buildings in the necessary rooms would not be improved again. I do not want to be their kitchen master, and if I could not do such things, they would then charge me that my neglect would be the cause of much damage.
Since Actor. 6 [v. 2.] is written, that it is not fitting for us to drop the office of preaching, and burden ourselves with the other care of serving the table, why then should I burden myself with cares of such a great government of a dominion, which would soon withdraw me altogether from the studio and the office of preaching, and kill me, contrary to God's word, which saith, "The kings of the world reign; but ye shall not reign" M[atth. 6, 25. f.].
1) Since according to Voigt, "Bugenhagen", p. 409, this letter was given to the envoys on Jan. 1, 1545, it must be placed somewhat earlier.
Above this, there is also a lack of the costs necessary for the spiritual and secular government, because the highest prelatures, which previously served at their own expense in courts, visitation, dispatch and many other things, are now in the hands of such persons, They are now in the hands of such persons, who do not want to bear any expenses for the sake of the church, and the one who is called bishop would have to bear all expenses and work alone and order them into the bishop's land and outside of it, through such great principalities of both dukes of Pomerania, with visitations, sendings, courts 2c.
And because the episcopal income could not bear such a thing, I could also not move to the churches in need 2c.
Furthermore, it would not be possible for me to bring the torn away church properties, from which parishes and schools must be appointed and maintained, from those who hold them and do not want to give them back, to the churches again, especially because some boast that the sovereigns have given them the same properties, as they are also not urged by the princes to give the properties back. This tearing up of the estates would prevent me from helping the churches and schools, and thus the pious pastors, who now desire me and have great hope, would have hoped in vain, and I would have to leave the study and preaching ministry, which should be the most noble works of a bishop, and in which I now serve God, standing, which would be a heartache and cause of death to me. Why did they want to put me, an innocent man, to death? And if the improvement in the country would not follow, they would want to blame me, and if the reproach would finally come to the gospel: this would be the beautiful evangelical government!
Lastly, I do not want to incur this offense, so that the enemies of the Gospel would say that we had removed the bishops from the chair and sat on them, and had sought their goods and not God's honor in punishment of the episcopal government.
Therefore, in honor of the Gospel, I do not want to have the worldly honors, goods and splendor of the bishops, as I have twice before refused such bishoprics and did not want to accept them.
However, I thank in submission the highborn princes and lords, the Dukes of Pomerania 2c., my gracious lords, and the venerable Chapter of Camin, that they have done me this honor, and have graciously and kindly applied for the bishopric without my prior knowledge or consent by writing and stately message, and have invited me to do so.
Letters from the year 1544. No. 3172.
The envoys know, however, how great and just cause I have told, why I do not intend to accept the bishopric, and for this reason there have been several days of talk and counter-talk between us, until the most noble and highborn prince and lord, the Elector of Saxony and Burgrave of Magdeburg, my most gracious lord, came here, on which negotiation, since they pressed on me with these words: If I did not accept it, there would be war and bloodshed between cousins, and such would be my fault, I agreed to accept the bishopric for a time, but with a condition and measure.
The Pomeranian embassy was pleased with my 1) moderate permission, and thus returned home. But I became very sad and sorrowful afterwards that I had put myself in so much danger and evil burden with the same permission, for which I was moved out of fear, with these words: to worry about war if I did not accept it, and yet I had hung a measure and condition on it. Afterwards, however, God opened my eyes, so that I considered that I should not be afraid with this fear; God would thus graciously govern and preserve my gracious princes and lords, the dukes of Pomerania, so that they would not fall into one another; and if unrest were to occur that God would prevent, why should I answer for it in God's judgment? For although I do not accept the bishopric, they are still guilty of seeking another capable one, and have many more capable persons. O God! I have done a foolish thing; help me out of this matter for Your name's sake, through Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Save me from this accident, into which I have fallen ignorantly, because of my sin; help me out of it by your mercy, as you have said: O Israel, destruction comes from yourself, but salvation comes from me; do not cast me away from your presence 2c. So I have prayed this time for and for, as in a high temptation, of which God is my witness, who has now heard my prayer. To Him be praise and thanksgiving. For I have heard before this time, and now I have heard more clearly from Duke Philip's writings, sent to my most gracious lord, the Elector 2c., that the princes have many reasons why the reported condition and measure, which are only suggested to them, are burdensome and not acceptable 2c.
It follows that I, in turn, am free and free from my moderate grant and pledge of
1) Kolde: "mean".
am. This is very dear to me, and my heart is restored to peace and joy, thanks be to God, who has helped me out through His dear Son Jesus Christ, our Savior, amen.
Now they ask again, if I do not want to keep the bishopric for a long time, I should nevertheless accept it with other conditions and measures for a time. To this I answer clearly and finally: that I have decided entirely with myself not to accept the bishopric of Camin, regardless of all promises, conditions, measures, or threats, as if I should be guilty of it, so that unrest or war would 2c., which threats now, praise God, do not move or frighten my mind. For such disunity of the dukes, if I left again after a year or two, would again be new, and to worry about, more violent than now, and then the blame would be driven much more on me, would say: If you leave, you give cause for new disunity, you will have to answer for it before God, this war we have from Doctor Johann Bugenhagen Pomeranum.
Therefore, I finally ask that they spare me, as an old, weak, worn-out man, and who is now a true bishop of our Lord Christ, and now shall have relief from his work, and afterwards eternal rest and joy.
The noble, highborn prince, Duke Philipps, writes that I am required to the episcopal office. In response, I say that the Pomeranian princedoms, by the grace of God, have many humble and God-fearing men in many cities, who rightly lead and do the episcopal office. Thus I myself have been in the episcopal office for a long time and still am, I was also required by the noble, high-born princes and lords, the Dukes of Pomerania, my gracious lords, in the Pomeranian principalities some years ago for the true episcopal office and work of establishing right doctrine and church order, and I have accomplished this, as much as God has given me, through Christ, although I have accomplished less in it than in other places.
About this I have offered myself, and willingly, if my gracious princes and lords, the dukes of Pomerania, and the venerable chapter have elected a bishop, and want to require and use me for spiritual matters, as for the visitation and improvement of the churches, that I, regardless of my age and weakness, want to travel there and advise and help for church order, and may not be charged that I do wrong, that I do not want to accept true episcopal work.
No. 3173.