About Link's notes on Genesis and Luther's preface to it. From Luther's Lectures on Genesis, and News.
From the Kraft Collection at Husum in Schütze, Vol. I, p. 250 and in De Wette, Vol. V, p. 713.
To the respectable man, Mr. Wenceslaus Link, the extremely skillful theologian of the church at Nuremberg, the Doctor, his 1) completely sincere brother and superior in the Lord.
Grace and peace! You complain, my dear Wenceslaus, that I neither write nor reply to your writings; then you add that you have not sent copies of your notes on Moses (although my wife has received one), because you are afraid to send them to us learned people, since we tend to despise these unlearned things. But be mindful that these things should be reproached to people with greater moderation. First of all, I presume that you know very well that I do not enjoy as much leisure as you do, and I am plagued with writing letters, being at the same time old and sluggish and cold; I wish my last day to come, so that I can rest from my work. I see no other end to writing and living in restlessness. Then you cannot consider us so worthy of hope that we should despise yours, since I have adorned your notes with a very long and well-wrought preface. But that I have not thanked you is solely due to my sluggishness and weariness to write, which I consider worthy of forgiveness, especially in the case of a tired, exhausted and yet all too busy old man.
I am again sending you my lectures on Genesis, 41 chapters, through M. Georg Rörer, who is also very busy and a servant of servants in printed matter (typographia). Therefore, you may also forgive him if you do not like them better than me. You can either send them back or give them to someone else. For I dislike them very much, since so many useless words are made and the things could have been given a greater emphasis. I am near the end of Genesis, namely at the 45th chapter. May the Lord grant me with the completion of Genesis 2) also the end of this mortal and sinful life, or even, if it pleases Him, before; you will ask this for me.
1) Instead of seu we have assumed suo.
2) This took place on Nov. 17, 1545.
Letters from the year 1545. No. 3184. 3185.
I have seen the letter of the pope to the emperor 1) but also the bull about the Tridentine Concilium, 2) which is to be started on Sunday Lätare [March 15]. May the Lord Christ finally make a mockery of his so shameful mockers, amen. I like Osiander's defense against the Zwinglian boy 3) very much. Spalatin has not yet died, 4) but he remains constantly in excessive weakness, at times as it were in absent-mindedness, and stubbornly rejects all food until he regains consciousness. May the Lord keep thu; he is a very good man, as we all know. My Lord Käthe says thanks for the quince juice, and I for the poetic things sent, 5) especially for the goodwill with which you put yourself at my service. You will show me this most abundantly when you ask for my happy departure and for a good hour. I am tired, and worth nothing more. Fare well in Christ with all your relatives, Amen. On Saturday St. Antonii [Jan. 17] 1545. 6) M. L.
No. 3185.
To the Elector Johann Friedrich.
Answer to No. 3162. Luther reports that, according to the Elector's order, he had discussed several points of marriage law with the Consistory and the Court Court, but especially about secret betrothals.
From the Cod. Palat. No. 689, p. 135, in De Wette, vol. V, p. 715 and in the Erlangen edition, vol. 56, p. 123.
1) St. Louis edition, vol. XVII, 998, no. 1416 and Col. 1012, no. 1417.
2) This bull was dated Nov. 19, 1544.
3) In 1544 had appeared: Speculum An- dreae Osiandri praedicatoribus Norimbergensibus. Anno 1543. sic oculos, sic genas, sic ora ferebat. s. 1. 4. 1 sheet. A formal diatribe of a Zwinglian. Against it appeared: Apologiae Andreae Osiandri Ecclesiastae Norimbergensis contra libellum famosum scelerati cujusdam et Zwingliani nebulonis, elegiaco carmine descriptum, typis excusum et occulte sparsum. Ps. V. Perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium, s. 1. e. a. 4. Another edition with the date 1545. 3 sheets.
4) Spalatin died on Jan. 16, which Luther did not yet know.
5) Instead of poetria (poetess), poetica will be read.
6) The year 1543, which is found in Schütze, is wrong, as already noted by De Wette.
To the most illustrious, highborn prince and lord, Herr Johanns Friederich, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall and Elector of the H. R. Reich, Landgrave of Thuringia, Margrave of Meissen and Burgrave of Magdeburg, my most gracious lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord, and my poor Pater noster. Most Serene, Highborn Prince, Most Gracious Lord! On E. C. F. G.'s letter and order that the jurists of the Consistorii and Court Court should compare notes with us theologians about the secret marriage, strange thoughts came to my mind, as if such an order would be impossible and in vain. For I knew very well until then that those in the court court speak strictly according to the pope's law in a different way than we do in the parish; I also still remember that some lawyers, even the great ones, had let themselves be heard to say that they could not speak according to our Catönichs (that is what they call our books). Also some threatened that our wives and children could not inherit our goods after our death, but wanted to award it to our friendship 2c.; unless E. C. F. G. would let a new land law go out about it. I therefore let this speech be deleted and let them do what they did, as I was not commanded to do so. Nevertheless, we continued to stand for a while and did not want to speak in our parish church according to their papal scartecks, but according to our cathedrals; which, however few and insignificant they are, have nevertheless done more good in the church than all popes and jurists have done with all scartecks, let alone what damage they have done. So we swept our churches and parishes of secret vows, and what more of the lousy scartecks of the jurists was not convenient for us. Thus it was quiet, and we had fine peace from the secret vows. This lasted and lasted until the Consistory was established; then the rumbling began again, especially about Caspar Beyer. For it seems to me that the jurists let themselves think that they had now found a hole to rumble in my church with their annoying, damned trial, which I still want to be damned and cursed from my church today and forever.
have. For I have heard, and must hear especially from the young spoon lawyers, that they wanted to eat Easter eggs three times over this or that matter. And some great ones should have said that they wanted to bring up Caspar Beyer's things for another ten years, as I myself saw the acta directed in such a way. These would be happy guests in my church, which I should answer for before God, that such changers and pigeon dealers should make such a murderous pit out of my church. I would and would have to do otherwise, she has confessed me too much and great.
Such thoughts were still fresh in my heart against the jurists, since E. C. F. G.'s writing came, and I was not willing to deal with them. However, by E. C. F. G.'s command, I summoned them to me, not at all in good hope, and only reproached them with how I did not intend to enter into disputation with them; I had divine command to preach the fourth commandment in this matter; I wanted to keep to it; whoever did not want to do so, would remain behind.
Also that in E. C. F. G. letters of Duke Philipps consensu tacito or ratificante from the old rights undrawn, I would well know (if I were ordered) to answer, and to defend that Duke Philipps would not have kept silent nor given silent consent, as she herself, if she aired it, could do by her reguIas juris.
And even if it were so (as it is not) that Duke Philip should have given a silent consent according to the old laws (as they want to interpret them), I would not have submitted to the secular law in all things, but would have accepted the piece in the institutis, since the Emperor Justinianus introduces the natural law, and agrees with the fourth commandment of God. Otherwise, because the emperor now kisses the pope's feet with book, sword and crowns, I would also have to leave the gospel and crawl into the caps in the devil's name, out of power and might, spiritual and secular law. For this, E. C. F. G. would have to cut off my head along with all those who have married nuns, as the emperor Jovianus said more than a thousand years ago.
When I told all of this, it was against my hope that they would all, both of them
Consistorii and Court Court Jurists, agree to leave the secret engagement completely and reject it. Which I truly heard happily and gladly, and hereby humbly and humbly show to E. C. F. G. that we have indeed settled in this matter. 1)
The Other.
The woman, whose son is said to have married against her will, is said to be one of them (as they report me), who before granted (forgave) her son, after that became ranting, and want to scold the strumpet to honor. Against this the council and the whole city gave valid testimony. For we have often done this and done it right, when father or mother wanted to prevent their own children from honest marriage, we have not recognized them as natural parents, but as enemies of their own children, and without their gratitude have helped the children to marriage. 2) We have also done this in the past. This should also be done.
The third.
We do not know how to interpret the letter E. C. F. G., since it says of the gradibus or songs: the fourth degree should be forbidden inclusive. We think that it is provided with the pen, should be called exclusive, or the third inclusive, and consider that it is now so far established almost in all countries of our kinship, that the fourth degree is free and permitted, that it may now not be forbidden without great annoyance or disruption. But that the third may be forbidden, we have all considered useful and good, even in unison, to keep the breeding among this time wild naughty 3) people.
This is what I wanted to give to E. C. F. G. this time as a humble answer to E. C. F. G.'s writing. Furthermore, Doctor Brück will also have heard and indicated. Hiemit dem lieben GOtt befohlen, der E. C. F. G. durch seinen Heiligen Geist seliglich regiere und erhalten, Amen. Sunday after Antonii [Jan. 18] 1545.
1) The Concordia established on the secret engagements is printed by Muther in Niedners Zeitschrift 1860, p. 461, from the Weimar Archives, Reg. O. 8. 397, YY. No. 1.
2) "more honest" put by us instead of: "more marital".
3) "naughty" put by us instead of: "glad".
Letters from the year 1545. No. 3186. 3187.
No. 3186.