Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/302

 better one you may use meanwhile the one outlined on the enclosed sheet. Farewell, and pray for miserable me.

Martin Luther.

667. LUTHER TO WOLFGANG REISSENBUSCH AT LICHTEN-

BERG.

Enders, v, 145. DeWette ii, 637. German.

WiTTENBESG, March 27, 1525.

On Reissenbusch cf. Vol. I, p. 366. In addition to the note there I have discovered that he studied at Leipsic, 1499, took B.A. at Witten- berg, 1502, studied at Bologna, 1508, and on April 26, 1525, married Hanna Hertzog, daughter of a tailor of Torgau. He was at this time a school teacher at Lichtenberg, and was later employed on diplomatic missions by the Elector. He died 1540. ARG., xii, 191 5, 32f. Luther's letter to him indicates that the writer was also contemplating marriage. Smith, 172.

God's grace and peace in Qirist. Honored Sir! I am moved by good friends and also by the esteem I bear you, to write this letter on the estate of matrimony, as I have often spoken of it with you before and have noticed that you would like to marry, or are rather forced and compelled to do so by God Himself who gave you a nature requiring it.

I do not think you should be hindered by the rule of the Order, or by a vow, for you should be fully convinced that no vow can bind you or be valid except under two conditions. First, the vow must be possible of performance. For who will vow an impossible thing? Or who would demand it? Thus the Scripture limits all vows so as to be within our power, such as to give God cattle, sheep, houses, land and so forth. Now chastity is not in our power, as little as are God's other won- ders and graces, but we are made for marriage as the Script- ure says: ''It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a help meet for him."

Whoso, therefore, considers himself a man, and believes him- self included in that general term, should hear what God his Creator decrees for him, saying that it is not good for him to be alone, but that he should multiply, and, therefore, makes him a help meet to be with him and aid him so that he may not be alone. This is the Word of God, through Whose power seed is created in man's body and the burning desire for the

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