About a marriage matter. About the arrival of Agricola and D. Jakob Schenk from Berlin in Wittenberg; about the alchemists of the Elector of Brandenburg 2c.
The original is in Cod. Seidel. at Dresden. Printed by Schütze, Vol. I, p. 344 and by De Wette, Vol. V, p. 733. German by Walch, Vol. XXI, 1541.
To the in Christ venerable father and lord, Mr. Nicolaus, the exceedingly loud and faithful bishop of the church at Naumburg, his superior to be highly honored in the Lord.
Grace and peace in the Lord. In Christ, venerable Father! The intention of
Letters from the year 1545. No. 3212. 3213.
In the case of Michael Hartbeck, I very much approve of the decision of his dignities, namely that he should be separated from the wife by episcopal or even secular judgment in order to avoid and eliminate trouble, or, if he does not want the matter to be brought before the prince. We shall do the same if he should come to us. "Does the devil hold the world? Are there not 1) otherwise more women and virgins left everywhere enough that he must cause such displeasure?" But Satan is Satan.
Here in Wittenberg are the two preachers of the margrave, "Master Grickel and Doct. Jeckel". And M. "Grickel" has an order to me, or (as it is called) a credence from the Margrave, that he should talk to me. But I have reverently accepted the order, but him myself, "Grickel", the exceedingly wicked and unrepentant hypocrite, I neither want to see nor hear. What will happen, I do not know. The other, "Jeckel," is said to have been dismissed by the margrave and to be looking for another nest. If your dignity wants to call him, he will perhaps be found willingly without difficulty. But this in jest. The alchemists (alcumistae) of the margrave have escaped after having deceived him. But he has seized one of them, an excellent one, and is holding him prisoner at Jüterbock. I am sorry for M. Franz Burkhard's sake at our court, because that alchemist is his brother. But the princes rightly suffer harm, since they believe that the creature can become another through human lies than it is created according to its kind, as Moses writes Gen. 1. I believe that you have heard or even read about the Emperor's rage and the articles of the Louvain Sophists 2). God turn his wrath away from the emperor, so that he does not stain his hands with innocent blood, amen. Your dignity is well in the Lord. On the second of May 1545.
1) "not" is missing in the original.
2) St. Louis edition, vol. XIX, 1808, are Luther's counter-articles.
No. 3213.
To Georg Buchholzer, provost in Berlin.
Luther sends a letter to the Elector of Brandenburg in response to the letter of credence for Agricola, whom he did not want to see.
Handwritten in Cod. chart. Goth. 451. f. Printed in Schütze, Vol. I, p. 346 and in De Wette, Vol. V, p.734f.
To the highly esteemed Mr. Georg Buchholzer, provost of Berlin, the faithful servant of Christ, his extremely dear brother.
Grace and peace in the Lord! "Jeckel" has been here a whole eight days, my dear George, and as if he were mute, he shows himself in the inn as one who is not a man (quendam non hominem). Magister "Grickel" arrived here with his wife and his daughter Magdalena, and had an order or credence (as it is called) to me, but I neither heard nor saw the man. 3) However, the woman came to me with the daughter, and they were quite burdensome to me, and the daughter was more than befitting for a virgin, bold and talkative. "There is intemperate hope in the blood." Today I sent this letter to the inn to deliver the answer to the prince, but they had left early; therefore I send it to you to deliver it to the prince. I have no doubt that they will cause a tragedy against me, and I will now become an unbelievable sinner; but you may not do or say anything for me. For I wish very much to be damned by this monster, if perhaps in this way I could be freed from his company and fellowship with him and all his friends. You continue as you do to teach Christ pure, and let Satan rage and boast. "Grickel" is "Grickel" and will remain "Grickel" forever. Fare well in the Lord. Given on May 2, 1545.
Martin Luther.
3) Instead of: velim we have assumed volui.
4) We have adopted the reading of Cod. Goth.: nunc adopted instead of tunc in De Wette.
No. 3214.