The widowed Duchess Elisabeth of Brunswick had invited Luther to the table, and her son, Erich the Younger, prayed in German and Latin before and after the meal. Luther was pleased about this, but he feared that the prince might be led away from the fear of God by the worldly life.
From a copy in Joh. Letzner's Dasselischer und Einbeckscher Chronica, p. 122; from the original (?) in Münden in the Theol. Nachrichten 1814, p. 379; in De Wette, vol. V, p. 707 and in the Erlanger Ausgabe, vol. 56, p. 120.
To the venerable and learned M. Antonio Corvino, our dear confrere in Christ, at Handelt in Münden.
Dear Corvine, we have all heard here with heartfelt joy your young well-bred prince's Christian confession, which we
uils be thoroughly pleased. May God, the Father of all graces, enlighten and preserve the young rulers in all the principalities of our beloved fatherland in such Christian education. The devil, however, is cunning and exceedingly crafty; thus our spiritual bishops, prelates and all godless princes of the true Christian religion and our enemies, by whose authority many Christian hearts are turned away and seduced. For this reason, with prayer and exhortation, always persevere for and against; for Ulan must fear where the young prince would have much fellowship with our adversaries, through (their) great reputation he could easily be provoked and driven to apostasy. I did not want to restrain you this time. Pray, pray without ceasing, for the church is in great danger; let Christ, the head, look up and put a stop to the lenient and the evil ones, amen. We command you to do the same. Date Wittenberg, Anno 1544.
Martinus Lutherus.
No. 3175.