Immediately after these writings just listed are found
Luther's "Geistliche Lieder und Psalmen" (Spiritual Songs and Psalms), of whose various editions, which took place during Luther's lifetime, I will first give a brief account, before I say anything more about it. The first Lutheran hymnal is considered to be the one that Johann Walther, choral Saxon chapel master, published in 1524 in four parts with the title: "Etliche christliche Lieder, Lobgesänge und Psalmen" (Christian songs, hymns and psalms) at Wittenberg in quarto and to which Luther wrote a preface. It is such with the inscription: "Wittenbergisch deutsch christlich Gesangbüchlein" etc. 1551 also in Wittenberg in quarto was printed again. See Peter Busch's "Evangelische Lutherische JubelFreude über die öffentliche Reformation der Kirchen-Gesänge", published in Hannover in 1724 in octavo; Joh. Friedr. Mayer in the preface to "Serpilius' Lieder-Concordanz"; and Christ. Juncker in the "EhrenGedächtniß Luther's," p. 69 f.
In 1525 came out: "Etliche Gesänge und Psalmen, welche zuvor bei dem Enchiridion nicht gewesen, mit hohem Fleiß verdeutscht und gedruckt mit einer Vorrede des hochgelehrten Dr. Mart. Luther", which booklet consists of only eight leaves in small octavo, and although neither on the title, nor at the end the place of printing is indicated, so it is to be taken quite clearly that it happened at Wittenberg. For some of the songs contained therein, the notes according to which they are to be sung are printed. By the Enchiridion, which is thought of here on the title, is probably to be understood the previously mentioned and 1524 an's Licht gestellt Gesangbüchlein.
In this very year, namely 1525, appeared: "Geistliche Gesänge, so man jetzt GOtt zu Lob in der Kirche singt, gezogen aus der hei-
The booklet is in small octavo, and contains the first part of "The Holy Scripture of the True and Holy Gospel, which has now been reopened by the grace of God, and which has been improved, corrected and diligently corrected by Dr. Mart. Luther", which booklet is four sheets thick, in small octavo. The title says that it was published in Wittenberg, but at the end one reads: "Printed in Erfurt by Wolfgang Stürmer. What this actually means and how the two can be related to each other cannot be said with certainty. It is possible that Luther, when he compiled the little work, put "Wittenberg" on the title of the copy to be printed, in the opinion that it should be printed there; but after he subsequently changed his mind and had it printed in Erfurt, "Wittenberg" nevertheless remained on the title. However, it is also possible that the edition, at the end of which "Erfurt" is written, is only a reprint of an edition previously published in Wittenberg, and thus this booklet was printed in 1525 both in Wittenberg and in Erfurt.
The famous theologian and superintendent at Arnstadt, Johann Christoph Olearius, who contributed a great deal to this new collection through the especially kind sharing of Luther's autographs, which he collected with extraordinary diligence and in large numbers, and which I always have reason to praise with gratitude, has had these first three Luther hymnals reprinted and printed together. This was done under the following inscription: "Jubilirende Lieder-Freude, bestehend in erster Auflage der allerersten 1524 und 1525 in Druck gegangenen Lutherschen Gesänge", at Arnstadt 1717 in Octav. In the preface, he gave a beautiful sample of his great hymnology and recently showed how Luther's hymns had been gradually edited and increased until Luther's death. These first three hymnals appear in the "Catalogus bibliothecae Mayerianae", p. 757, num. 28, and 761, num. 7. 8. The latter two, namely from 1525, Olearius has received from this library, since it was auctioned. According to this new edition has such three hymnals also
Johann Martin Schamel had it printed again, namely in the "Naumburgisches Gesangbuch" (Naumburg Hymnal), which he edited again in 1717, and to which he added it as an appendix after the Olear edition.