#1719-To Nicoalus Hausmann in Zwickau

To the highly-honorable man, Nicolaus Hausmann, Bishop in Zwickau, his Superior and Brother in Christ.
Grace and peace in Christ! Dearest Hausmann, I have read your letter on the marriage-case of Petzold and promised to write to you on this matter, as I am doing, and you may relate the same to him. First, since he is at a place where the authority will not either cannot force his wife to him or does not want to, or she will not evict, but the Ecclesiastic defends the same (as he relates)so it cannot happen that he should marry another at the same place. Therefore one of these two things must happen that being that he either changes his place and marries the other or the Duke or Official forces him to restore the adulterous wife, or that she relents and gives permission and frees him to marry the other. That is my opinion.
You may greet the Preacher of the Prince in my name and say to him that he should in no way undertake to administer the Sacrament secretly since he is not called as a servant to this work and so that he does not give the opposition occasion (as Paul [Col.4,5]says: give those outside cause to blaspheme. Meanwhile those on both sides can allow what they want to allow. God will finally make an end to these things.Cordatus (assistant to Hausmann) has written to me and I have answered him. Through such cases I have come to a confident conclusion in my thinking that I almost wish that your Zwickauers would have a rest-day (Sabbatum), that is, that they be completely be denied the service of the Word temporarily including both the pastor and preacher [being withdrawn] so that these satiated and unbridled sows would likely, through hunger and want of the Word, would become curious after their
satiation and excess had made them so impudent. You might also depart from there. I will, when I can, bring Cordatus out of there. If, afterward, there is a request I will procure someone so they are not without having someone. They think that the world is so full of idle servants of the Word that they can easily support them the way they want to. However, more at another time.Greet your brother and all the brothers in Christ. From Torgau on the Wednesday after the 11,000 Virgins (26 Oct)
Your Martin Luther.
ML is at Torgau to settle dispute between the Jurists and Theologians.
The castle preacher in Zwickau (chaplain to the Prince) was Lorenz Soranus.
A Yahoo or Google search will tell you what the Day of 11,000 Virgins purports to celebrate or see previous letters written at the end of October. Cordatus will leave Zwickau the land of the heavenly prophets but I don't know about Hausmann. There may have been occasions in the LCMS when a Counselor or District President has said:"I think we should let that congregation sit (vacant) for a while," right brothers.