Luther asks to free him from the tarnish of someone for whom he had already written once to Myconius.
1) De Wette has the 1st of May. However, the letter is to be dated April 24. See Seidemann in De Wette, Vol. VI, p. 564, note 2.
Handwritten in Aurifaber, vol. III, p. 448. Printed in Schütze, vol. I, p. 343 and in De Wette, vol. V, p. 731.
To the brother who is highly esteemed in the Lord, Mr. Friedrich Myconius, the faithful bishop of the churches in Gotha and Thuringia, his very dear [friend] in the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord! I beseech you for the sake of Christ, my dear Frederick, to calm and comfort this man as much as you can. He has already come to me for the second time and complains about his misery. But I have already written a letter to you for him once. Or at least show me what he is guilty of, that he cannot find mercy with you, as he says. He demands a letter from me to the prince, but since this would be in vain, I rather wanted to write to you and order the whole thing to you. He presents the testimony of two preachers of your church in Gotha, who testify to his innocence. Take care of it, I beg you to free me from the tarnishing of such people. I, an old and dying man, now have other things to do, since I am now completely a papist, having become so anew, "no longer take up any cause," as the papists are wont to do. Fare well in the Lord. Friday after George [April 24] 1545.
Your Martin Luther.
No. 3208.