Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1521-1530.djvu/354

 ordinary income of the parishes and preaching places have ceased and that the people are somewhat lax in continuing the payment of taxes, rents and the like, which they always paid heretofore. But if we were to provide for these parishes and preaching places out of our own income it would be hard for us, as you can understand. We hold, however, that it would be altogether proper for the citizens, in the cities and also in the country, to contribute something to this purpose, either out of their own property or out of the ecclesiastical benefices that are at their disposal, so that the pastors and preachers who proclaim God's Word and administer the holy sacraments to them can be more fittingly supported. It is our gracious request that you will give us your opinion what sort of an ordinance you think ought to be made to cover the cases in which the needs and the support of the pastors and preachers are not provided for. We will then, by God's grace, go further in the matter, and will also see to it that the taxes and the other pa3rments which have hitherto been devoted and applied to this purpose shall be paid without diminution to the pastors and preachers.

As regards the third point, the visitation of the temporal government to ascertain how the city councils and the ofHcials rule, of which you spoke with us once before at Wittenberg, we will not conceal from you our gracious intention. We have recently appointed new officials to certain of our offices with the idea that our subjects in the towns and the country should obtain from them aid, counsel and comfort in matters that devolve upon them, so that they might be helped to the performance of their duty. We should also have been inclined some time ago to investigate all our offices and towns to learn how their government has been proceeding, but owing chiefly to the uprising it has remained for the time merely an inten- tion, and other especially urgent duties of ours have delayed it. But by the help of God, at some other time, as the oppor- tunity is given, we will undertake to do what may serve to God's praise and the free spread of His holy Word and the common weal, as well as to good order. We will not conceal from you this our gracious purpose for we are graciously dis- posed toward you.

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