The
Reformer as Father – Luther and his Son (1530 and 1537 [?])
Johann (Hans) (1526-75) was
the eldest of six children born to the reformer Martin Luther and his wife
Katharina (who also reared four orphans). He was twenty years old when his
father died in 1546. After leaving the university, Hans made a profession of
the law. Below are two letters from his father. Martin Luther sent the first
letter, written in German, to his son in Wittenberg when the latter was only
four years old. The letter was sent from Coburg Castle, where Luther lived during
the Diet of Augsburg in 1530. His purpose in writing the letter was to
encourage his son to be diligent in his studies. Woven into the letter is a
description of a wonderful garden that is open to studious children. The date
and place of origin of the second letter, this time in Latin, are contested.
It was composed when Hans was at least eleven but no older than seventeen.
The second letter follows the same lines as the earlier one, expressing
pleasure at Hans’s diligence and progress. Luther also encourages Hans to be
dutiful in his obedience to God’s will, which blesses diligence and curses
disobedient children.
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1. Martin Luther to his Son
Johannes [Hänschen]
[Coburg Castle] June 19, 1530 To my dearly beloved son Hänschen Luther at Wittenberg,
Grace and peace in Christ! My dearly beloved son, it
pleases me to hear that you are studying well and praying diligently. Do
this, my son, and keep it up. When I come home, I will bring you a nice gift
from the fair. I know a pretty, lovely, pleasant garden, where many children
go; they wear golden coats and gather nice apples, pears, cherries, and plums
from under the trees; they sing, jump, and are merry. They also have pretty
little horses with golden bridles and silver saddles. I asked the owner of
the garden: “Whose children are these?” He said: “These are the children who
like to pray, study, and be pious.” So I said: “My dear sir, I also have a
son, his name is Hänschen Luther. Might he not come into the garden, too, so
that he might also eat such lovely apples and pears, ride such fine horses,
and play with these children?” Then the man said: “If he likes to pray,
study, and be pious, then he, too, may enter the garden. Lippus [Melanchthon]
and Jost [Jonas] as well. And if they all come together, they will also get
whistles and drums, lutes, and all kinds of stringed instruments; they will
also dance and shoot with small crossbows.” And he showed me a lovely lawn,
all ready for dancing, where golden whistles and drums and fine silver
crossbows hung. But it was still early, so the children hadn’t eaten yet,
which is why I couldn’t wait for the dancing and said to the man: “Ah, dear
Sir, I must hurry off and write all this to my dear son Hänschen, so that he
will be sure to study diligently, pray well, and be pious, so that he, too,
may come into this garden. But he has an Aunt Lena, whom he must bring as
well.” The man said: “That he can, go and write him thus.”
Therefore, my dear son Hänschen, make sure to study and
pray, and tell Lippus and Justen to do the same, so that they may study and
pray, too. That way, all of you will get into the garden together. May you be
herewith commended to God, and greet Aunt Lena and give her a kiss for me.
Your dear father
Martinus Luther Source of original German text: “Luther an seinen Sohn Hänschen. [Veste Koburg,] 19. Juni 1530,” in D. Martin Luthers Werke. Weimarer Ausgabe (Sonderedition). Part 3: Briefwechsel. Vol. 5, pp. 377-78. |
Reformed Churchmen
We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879
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