Doctor Martin Luther, suffering head pain, wishes well to the highly-honorable brothers, Jacob Montanus of Speier and Gerhard von Xanten, the faithful and pure servants of the Word in Herford, his brothers in the LOrd.
Grace and peace! I have received yours and Gerhards writing and have written to the Council in your city about the matter that they should protect and defend your charter
(institution?=Stift)opposing the disturbance which this crier is promoting. Your way of life pleases me immensely in that in the Gospel of Christ the teaching is extensively purely taught and lived and would to God that even today there were such cloisters or that there would be some of them. I don't venture to wish for many but if all were of that sort the Church would be altogether blessed by this life. Your garments and other things which were previously maintained in a praiseworthy way do not harm the Gospel, yes, they help the Gospel much against the raging and determined and unbridled spirits
who do nothing but tear down and to this day have not learned to build up anything. Hold on to your way firmly and by living this manner of life spread the Gospel abroad (as you are doing). Be it right well with you and pray for me. Given in Wittenberg on the last of January Anno 1532. Martin Luther.
Postscript: My wife and children greet you and all the sisters and thank you for the delivered gift. I will send the printed books however there is no carrier at hand. Meanwhile I assume that you have received everything.
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