These songs are followed by an instruction on "Unterschiedene in Luther's Schriften sich befindlichen kurze Gebete und Seufzer in allerlei Fällen" ("Different Short Prayers and Sighs Found in Luther's Writings in All Kinds of Cases"), which are arranged in such a way that they show, according to the order of the Catechism, what one finds in the already printed parts of these new collections for Luther's prayers. Initially, the basis was Johann Christoph Reuchel's "Andächtig betenden Luther oder Geistreiches Gebet-Buch, in welchem alle und jede Gebete und Seufzer, die in des sel. D. Martin Luther's Schriften zu finden, zusammen getragen", which was printed again in 1738. However, since it was subsequently noticed that some things had been listed incorrectly here and that many prayers were to be found in the Reformation writings that were yet to be printed, so that it was not yet possible to give instructions here, a
good part of it must remain away. However, various new ones have been added. This is one of the most important things that one finds in Luther's writings. I mean his prayers and sighs. He had received a very special gift to pray from God. His prayer rose up from the heart and was fervent, zealous and penetrating, precisely because he prayed in full confidence in the grace of God and in the merit of his Savior JEsu Christ. He did this without ceasing and kept on praying. He not only knew what was necessary for Godly and acceptable prayer, as can be seen, among other things, from his interpretations of the Lord's Prayer; but he also taught others by his own example how they should pray to God. Veit Dietrich once wrote to Philipp Melanchthon and gave him this message about Luther's zeal and diligence in prayer: "Not a day goes by in which he does not take at least three hours, which are most convenient for study, for prayer. I once succeeded in hearing him pray; help God, what a spirit, what faith is in his words. He prays so devoutly, as one who talks with God, with such hope and faith, as one who talks with his father. I know," he said, "that you are our dear God and Father, therefore I am sure that you will destroy the persecutors of your children. But if you do not, the danger is yours as well as ours. The whole thing is yours; what we have done, that we must do, therefore you, dear father, may protect them. When I heard him pray such words with a bright voice from afar, my heart burned with great joy, because I heard him speak so kindly and devoutly to God; but especially because he pressed so hard on the promises from the Psalms, as if he were sure that everything he desired must come to pass." This letter is found in German in the Altenburgische Theilen (Thl. V, p. 244), where the place and time, where and when it was written, is indicated: "Geben aus unserer Wüste, den 20. Juli, Anno 1530." By the desert Coburg is to be understood, in that Veit Dietrich contacted Luther, when he was at the Augsburg Diet at Co.
bürg. Of the Latin copy of this letter one finds a piece in the Altenburgische Theilen (Thl. IX, p. 1573), in Seckendorf's ,,Histor. Luthera- nismi, lib. II, § 69, p. 180, and Tenzel's "Curieufen Bibliothek", Vol. I, p. 398. Luther's prayer was the most important means by which the blessing from heaven was brought upon the Reformation work and its progress was gloriously promoted. With it, he was able to do deeds, protect the truth, overcome enemies, avert and escape many a not insignificant danger.
We have considered it worth the effort to print Luther's prayers in this revised edition in context, instead of merely referring to the places where they can be found in the other volumes. Certainly, such an Enchiridion of Luther's prayers is desired by every reader. D. Red.]
Apart from the previously mentioned Joh. Reuchel, others have read Luther's prayers from his writings. Thus, Peter Treuer had "Luther's Little Prayer Bell" printed in Strasbourg in 1591, which was subsequently reprinted several times and, among others, in Güstrow in 1712 through the care of Georg Friedr. Stieber under the title: "Luther's GebetBüchlein". Erasmus Grüber has in "Lutherus redivivus", namely in the eighth class of each volume, also made a collection of such prayers from the Jena and Wittenberg parts. Luther's Stoß-Gebetlein can be found in Elias Veiel's "Golden Jewel of the Most Beautiful and Spiritual Devotions and Reflections from Luther's Writings", Ulm 1669. The "Enchiridion piarum precationum cum calendario et passionali, ut vocatur, Martini Lutheri", published in Wittenberg 1529 in Duodez and which is found in von der Hardt's "Autographa Lutheri", tom. III, p. 180, also tom. I, p. 444, is a Latin translation of the "Betbüchlein mit dem Kalender und Passional", of which I have spoken above § XIX, and does not really belong here.
§ XLIX.
The writings, whose mention has now been made, go over the third main piece
But now there are also those that concern certain matters that affect it. They are arranged according to the order of the seven petitions. In regard to the first petition, those have been collected in which Luther dealt with the doctrine and the teachers. Under the heading: "On defilement of the divine name" one finds the following:
1) "Faithful admonition to the Christians of Erfurt to beware of false doctrine and to hold righteous teachers dear and valuable". This is actually only a preface that Luther made to a booklet that Justus Menius, then preacher at Erfurt, published in quarto at Wittenberg in 1527 under the title: "Etliche gottlose und widerspenstige Lehren von der papistischen Messe, so der Barfüßer zu Erfurt, Dr. Conrad Kling, gethan, 1527". This writing is found in the Altenburg (Thl. HI, p. 808) and Leipzig (Thl. XIX, p. 539) parts. In the Eislebische (Thl. II, p. 498) it is under the title: "Preface to the booklet Just Menius' against the highly famous Barfüßer at Erfurt, Dr. Conrad Kling, protective speech and thorough explanation of several main articles of Christian doctrine. One can read what Seckendorf wrote about it in "Histor.
Lutheranismi", libr. II, § 33, p. 88.
[Cf. Erl. Ausg. 53, 411-413. Here the date is found: November 1527.
D. Red.]
2) "To those of Antwerp to beware of erring spirits." The occasion was this: Before Luther began the Reformation, there were various fanatically-minded people in the Netherlands, and in order that they might escape the Strase, they went along with the outward worship and assumed a semblance of godliness, although some went off on atheism and libertinism, and at the dawn of the evangelical light displayed their godless opinions. One of them came to Wittenberg, and since he made known his perverse teachings, Luther therefore took occasion to write to those at Antwerp, denouncing in the letter the errors of this man and faithfully warning against them.
warn. The time when it was written is not indicated, but it is thought to have been written in 1525. Luther wrote it in Latin, and the letter is found in Latin in Aurifaber, Epist. Luth., tom. II, p. 281; opp. Viteberg, tom. VII, p. 503, and in Abr. Scultetus' Annal. evangel. renovati under the year 1525, p. 91, where he notes the following: Lutherus hoc anno epistolam scripsit ad christianos Ant- werpiae congregatos, quam multis nominibus lectori commendamus. Nam et historiam habet de novis prophetis Antwerpiae tunc exortis, et confessionem manifestam distinctionis voluntatis Dei occultae a revelata et praeterea retusionem calumniae, quod is Deum auctorem peccati faciat, qui Deo volente peccata fieri, agnoscit (i.e.: "Luther wrote a letter to the Christians of Antwerp in this year, to which we want to draw the reader's attention as significant in many respects. For it also contains the story of the new prophets who arose in Antwerp at that time, and an open confession that one must distinguish the hidden will of God from the revealed one; and also rejects the slander that he who confesses that sins occur out of God's permission makes God the author of sin"). After it was translated into German, it was added to the collections of his writings, namely the Wittenberg (Thl. II, p. 60), the Jena (Thl. Ill, p. 108), the Altenburg (Thl. Ill, p. 101) and the Leipzig (Thl. XIX, p. 345). One thue add Seckendorf in "Historia Lu- theranismi", libr. II, § 10, p. 30.
[Cf. De W. Ill, 60th ed. 53, 341-346.]
3) "Answer Concerning the Procedure of the Authorities against the Red Spirits, as well as Concerning the Insane and Desperate"; to Dr. Wenceslaus Link. The first question Luther answers here is whether secular authorities have the power to punish false prophets, teachers, or heretics with the sword or in any other way. He answers this question in the negative and says that it would be enough to expel such people from the country, unless they were also rebels. The other question is: whether one can prevent the coincidence of a
Luther says that if a person is deprived of his reason, he should be attributed to the devil. Luther answers this question in the affirmative. The third: how believers are to be comforted when they are challenged to unbelief and despair. These answers are contained in a letter that Luther sent to Link in Latin on July 14, 1528. It is in this language completely in Aurif. Epist. Luth. tom. II, p. 381. Subsequently, the letter was translated into German, but in such a way that the beginning and end, in which Luther recounts various incidents, were omitted. This translation is found in the following parts: the Wittenberg (Thl. XII, p. 211), Jena (Thl. VIII, p. 412), Altenburg (Thl. VIII, p. 588) and Leipzig (Thl. XXII, p. 335).
[This translation was carefully compared with the Latin original, improved many times, and the beginning (§ 1) and the end of the letter (§ 17-19) were added according to the Latin original. Cf. De W. III, 347-351. ed.]
Under the heading "Of Sanctification of the Name of God" one can find the following writings:
1) "That a Christian assembly or congregation has the right and power to judge all doctrine and to appoint, install and dismiss teachers, reason and cause from Scripture." This writing appeared for the first time in Wittenberg in 1523 in quarto under the title given, for the second time in the same year there. It is also printed again at Zwickau. See von der Hardt's ,,Autographa Luth.", tom. I, p. 149, Olearius' Verzeichnis der "Autographa Luth.", p. 16, and the "Catalog. biblioth. Mayerianae", p. 749. Then it was brought into the collections of Luther's writings, the Jenaische (Thl. II, p. 242), Altenburgische (Thl. II, p. 328) and the Leipzigische (Thl. XVHI, p. 429). In the present edition, the first edition has been consulted and the copy to be printed has previously been overlooked according to it.
[The Erl. ed. 22, 140-151 cites seven issues from the year 1523. ed.]
2) "How to elect church servants and
to the council and community of the city of Prague. The occasion for this treatise was the following. Those in Bohemia who claimed the enjoyment of Holy Communion under both forms and therefore received the name of the Calixtines from the chalice, but otherwise submitted to the Roman bishop, had their own preachers, and because the neighboring bishops did not want to ordain such, they sought this in Rome and thereby incurred many expenses. That is why Luther wrote the above-mentioned document and argued that every Christian congregation had the power to choose and ordain preachers for itself, which he wanted to prove in particular because all Christians were entitled to the spiritual priesthood in general and in particular, and therefore they should also be entitled to appoint those from their midst who would administer the office properly. It was therefore not necessary to travel to Rome and spend money on it.
[In the first chapter, Luther shows the Bohemians how their erroneous opinion that they must have priests ordained by bishops has given rise to three terrible and atrocious abuses. The first is that they are forced to buy ordination with large sums of money in Rome, thereby strengthening Roman simony and making incompetent priests. The second was that, in order to save these expenses, they accepted every "boy and renegade of his order" if he could only show a certificate of ordination, "so that this miserable plight of yours has already become a proverb, namely: if one had already earned the gallows or the wheel among the Germans, he would still make a good priest in Bohemia. The third is that all ecclesiastical discipline is dissolved, since one is afraid to dismiss criminal and unbelieving priests. The Bohemians without priests should rather make do with word and baptism alone in order to escape this misery. But this was not necessary at all, since they could give themselves valid and right priests by proving to them that the papist ordination had come into being only by deception of the "man of sin" and that those ordained with it did not even have the
The power to administer the mysteries of Christ and to preach the gospel is conferred upon them. In the following chapters, Luther goes on to explain how all Christians are ordained priests through baptism, but that no one (except in case of need) may exercise the priestly offices unless he has been called to do so by the election of the congregation; and proves this by the Scriptures and practice of the ancient church. Finally, he gives them a brief instruction on how to proceed with this election and calling.
D. Red.]
He published the text itself in 1523 in Latin under the title: De instituendis ministris ecclesiae, ad clarissimum senatum Pragensem Bohemiae, Martinus Luth. at Wittenberg in octavo. Paulus Speratus then translated it and added a letter to all and every devout Christian in Salzburg and Würzburg, to whom, as he reports, he had preached the Word of God for several years. After such a translation, it was published under the title: "Von dem Allernöthigsten, wie man Diener der Kirchen wählen und einsetzen soll, Martin Luther" in Wittenberg 1524 in quarto and was published several times not only especially, but also in the Latin: Jenaische (Thl. II, p. 576) and Wittenbergische (Thl. II, p. 362), and German: as, in the Wittenbergische (Thl. VII, p. 346), Altenburgische (Thl. II, p. 494) and in the Leipzigische (Thl. XVIII, p. 433) parts.
[Cf. Erl. ed. opp. lat. var. arg. VI, 492-535 .]
3) "Form der Ordination," which was first brought into the Hallische Sammlung (p. 449) and reprinted from it in the Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 250) and here.
[Cf. Erl. ed. 64, 290-293.]
4) Luther's writing, "Daß christliche Prediger ex officio schuldig sind, des Volkes Sünde zu strafen. This is a letter that Luther sent in 1531 to an unnamed preacher who had suffered injustice from the council.
[According to De W. (IV. 274), who, following Buddeus with comparison of Cod. char. 451, Bibi. Goth., Cod. Jen. 6, fol and
Aurif. III, 233 in Latin, this letter is addressed to Conrad Cordatus, preacher at Zwickau. We bring this letter here with the necessary changes and additions according to the original. D. Red.]
This letter is found in the Mittenbergische Theilen (Thl. IX, p. 469), in the Jenaische (Thl. V, p. 362), in the Altenburgische (Thl. V, p. 590) and in the Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 374).
5) Letter of reply to Nicolaus Hausmann: "A preacher must attack and combat false doctrine in progress," 1521. This letter was written in Latin, in which language it is found in Aurif. Epist. Luth. tom. I, p. 222. In German, it is found in the Eislebische (Thl. I, p. 30), Altenburgische (Thl. I, p. 555) and Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 302) parts.
[Cf. De W. 1, 577-579.]
6) Short teaching: "How the priests should lead their way of life. This treatise was included in the collection of Luther's letters (Aurif. Epist. Luth., tom. I, p, 175) and from it was incorporated by Dr. Valentin Ernst Löscher in Latin into the "Complete Acts of the Reformation" (Vol. III, p. 950). A German translation of it was made by Diaconus Rambach. Luther deals here with moderation in eating and drinking, studying, daily intercourse, prayer, sacrifice and all the rest of the life of a priest.
[De W. (I, 271-273) brings this writing as a supplement to a letter to Spalatin of May 16, 1519, in which Luther answers Spalatin's request for instructions on the priestly life thus: "By the way, I am surprised that you ask me for instructions on the priestly life, since you have the apostle himself, who has dealt with this matter so extensively in his letters to Titus and Timothy." De W., however, leaves it doubtful whether he regards this writing as the instruction requested by Spalatin or not. D. ed.]
7) "That a preacher should depart when his office is despised and he is persecuted for it," 1531. This writing is found in the Wittenberg (Thl. IX, p. 470), Jena (Thl. V,
p. 363), Altenburgische (Thl. V, p. 591) and Leipzigische Theilen (Thl. XXII, p. 375).
[Under this heading, we bring here two letters: first, the one to Conr. Cordatus, which Walch also printed, but now improved and supplemented according to the original Latin (De W. IV, 260. 261); then the letter, which Luther wrote in the same matter to Nic. Hausmann in the same matter, translated for the first time according to the original Latin text, as De W. (IV, 261. 262) brings it.
D. Red.]
8) Letter to Simon, preacher at Eisleben, "Daß ein Prediger die Sünden der großen Hansen strafen müssen" ("That a preacher must punish the sins of the great Hansen"), 1544, in which he says, among other things, that because the count had transgressed against Libius and accused him of sedition without cause, he was obliged to recant and ask his forgiveness if he wanted to be a Christian otherwise; but since he had surrendered to the tempter and would not listen, he should be let go. This letter was taken from the "Supplement der Leipzigischen Sammlung" (p. 109).
[Cf. Erl. ed. 64, 293. 294.]
9) "How a Preacher Should Behave with Unbelieving Fellow Preachers." To the court preacher Jakob Stratner in Berlin, 1541, in the matter of the apostate Agricola. [Such writing is also found in the other collections, such as the Wittenbergische (Thl. XII, p. 170), Jenaische (Thl. VII, p. 474), Altenburgische (Thl. Vll, p. 429) and Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 535).
[Cf. de W. V, 327-329.]
10) "That a preacher should not give way to the enemies of the gospel when persecuted", to the preacher Casp. Löner and school rector Nic. Medler, both in Hof, dated June 7, 1531. Luther thinks that one must hold out until one is deposed or expelled by order of the authorities. Such a letter was included in the following collections: the Wittenberg (Thl. IX, p. 438), the Jena (Thl. V, p. 266), the Altenburg (Thl. V, p. 399) and the Leipzig (Thl. XXII, p. 372).
[De W. IV, 263. 264.]
11) Admonition to a pastor, "That
he should not remain silent about the unreasonable dismissal of a preacher", which letter was sent to Nicol. Hausmann, in which he gives him advice on how he should behave after the council of Zwickau has dismissed a preacher without his consent and appointed another one in his place. He considers it good that he should make himself known to the accepted preacher as well as to the council and show them that he has not been legally appointed, because this has happened without his knowledge and will; but if they do not want to give him a hearing, he should leave the pulpit for a while after prior notification. This letter was written on April 17, 1531, in Latin. The Latin copy can be found in the Supplementum Epistolarum Lutheri, which came to light with Dr. Buddeus' preface, p. 221; there is also a German addition, in which Luther reports that he received letters from the council of Zwickau and from Stephan Rodt; but this is missing from the imprint found in the German collections of Luther's writings. The letter is then translated into German and divided into the Wittenberg (Thl. IX, p. 466), Jena (Thl. V, p. 358), Altenburg (Thl.V, p. 585) and Leipzig (Thl. XXII, p. 372) parts.
(This translation, which differs in essential points from the original Latin text, as De W. (IV, 241-245) brings it, has now been compared with it, corrected throughout, partially retranslated and the missing sections (§§ 12, 15) supplemented.
D. Red.]
12) Serious writing "That pastors cannot be dismissed because they punish public vices severely. It is found in the Wittenbergische Theilen (Thl. XII, p. 208), in the Jenaische (Thl. VHI, p. 188), in the Altenburgische (Thl. VHI, p. 274) and in the Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 422).
(De W. V, 534-538. Erl. Ed. 56, 46-51.]
§ L.
"Instruction of the visitators to the pastors in the Electorate of Saxony. This is a well-known, but at the same time strange writing. The opportunity for it was given by the church visitation, mentioned right at the beginning of this preface, which was started by order of the Elector John of Saxony in 1527 and continued in the following year. The instruction that the appointed visitators received for this purpose also contained this, that a certain instruction should be drawn up and made known, according to which the preachers would have to be guided in their office in the future, which was then also written and presented to the parish priests as an instruction according to the stated title. The essay itself was written by Philipp Melanchthon. After Joachim Camerarius in ,,Vita Melanchthonis", § XXXIII, p. 110, remembers the church visitation, he also reports that Melanchthon at that time prepared this teaching, and says: Complexus tunc est Philippus doctrinae summam perspicua brevitate et compendio memorabili, ut certo scirent docentes in ecclesiis regionum illarum, quid sequi deberent; neve diversa et dissentanea traderentur (i.e.: "At that time he prepared this teaching"). (i.e., "At that time Philip prepared a summary of the doctrine in a clear brevity and a peculiarly short summary, so that the preachers in the churches of those districts would know for sure what they had to follow, and not one would teach this, the other that"). However, before it went to press, this writing was sent to Luther by the Elector on January 3, 1528, with the order to review it and to make a preface to it. In particular, it was requested to examine what was contained in it about Holy Communion, and to consider whether it was advisable to have it printed, as well as what was said about the forbidden degrees in marriage; or only to announce it orally to the preachers, so that, in regard to the latter, the opponents would not take the opportunity to dispute the inheritances outside the country of the Elector's subjects who married against the papal laws. Soon the Elector enclosed what Spalatin had already reminded him of and requested that Luther also open up his thoughts on the matter.
The content of the churfürstl. Seckendorf describes the content of the electoral rescript, which was sent to Luther because of this matter, in "Historia Lutheranismi", lib. II, § 36, p. 102, in more detail. Luther immediately obeyed such an order, but changed little. In the chapter on Holy Communion, he inserted a passage that begins with the words "After the holy gospel, praise God, has come to day" and continues with the following: "but because this article occurs daily. Regarding the forbidden degrees in marriage, he referred to his writings and did not hide his opinion, namely, that in some cases a dispensation was in effect, although it was not advisable to determine anything definite in this regard, but rather it would be better if such matters went to the Elector and he decided them with the help of learned people. However, he added here and in what he had remarked about the Holy Communion, that one could keep or omit or also change what he remembered, which was done. With his will, various things concerning matrimonial matters were left out, because here he differed in many respects from the legal scholars and the Elector preferred that the cases occurring here be left to the legal scholars. He answered nothing to what Spalatin had reminded him in this writing, but only wrote the word "todt" on the margin, thus indicating that one should not look at it and could well omit it.
§ 1,1.
When Luther's answer to the Elector was received, the manuscript was completely prepared and handed over for printing; Luther, however, wrote the preface to it, as he had been ordered to do. It appeared in quarto in Wittenberg in 1528 with the title: "Instruction of the Visitators to the Pastors in the Electorate of Saxony". The preface is worth reading. In it, Luther shows the usefulness of the church visitations right at the beginning and then notes that in the old Christian church, the bishops were concerned with this work and therefore also used the name of the episcopes or overseers.
until little by little the bishops became arrogant and made themselves princes and lords, but left the office of ecclesiastical visitations to a provost, vicar or dean, and since these people also surrendered to laziness, it would have come to the officials, who only sought to deprive the. People for money and honor. After he has presented this further, he tells how the Elector of Saxony ordered the church visitation, and wishes that other German princes would follow this laudable example, as which God will reward abundantly on that day. The instruction itself consists of eighteen chapters and deals with doctrine, the ten commandments, right Christian prayer, tribulation, the sacrament of baptism, the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, right Christian repentance, right Christian confession, of right Christian atonement for sin, of human church order, of matrimonial matters, of free will, of Christian liberty, of the Turk, of daily exercise in church, of right Christian excommunication, of the order of superintendents and of schools.
§
It did not remain with the first printing of this "instruction", but other editions followed. In the year in which it was first published in Wittenberg, namely 1528, it was not only published there, but also in Marburg in quarto and in Nuremberg in octavo. See von der Hardt's "Autographa Luth.", tom. I, p. 249. 152, and Olearius' Verzeichniß der "Autographa Luth.", p. 29. After time, it was added to the German parts of Luther's writings, as the Wittenberg (Thl. IX, p. 251), Jena (Thl. IV, p. 341), Altenburg (Thl. IV, p. 389) and Leipzig (Thl. XIX, p. 622). Thus Luther also allowed himself to revisit such writings and to improve one and the other in them, for which the Reformation and church visitation, which Duke Heinrich instituted in 1537, gave him cause. He prepared a new, but short preface and
In it, he indicated that he had removed and changed a number of things in which one would have had to give way in the beginning for the sake of the weak, but which would no longer be necessary now that the light of the gospel had dawned so brightly and no one could make excuses. This concerned, among other things, the point about the use of Holy Communion. In the first edition, Luther had held that the doctrine of partaking of Holy Communion in both forms must, as he himself said, be presented and practiced freely, purely and publicly, and that if some, out of fear and stupidity of conscience, had misgivings about partaking of the sacrament in both forms, they should be allowed to partake of it in one form for a time, which was not done. The same happened with some other points, as when it had been decreed before that in the punishment of vices one should not come to the pope, bishops and the like, unless necessity required to warn the people and to give an example; and that the preachers had to instruct their hearers about the ringing of the pacem, as it was now rightly used, which was also done away with. The wrong judgment, so Jak. Benign. Bossuet in ,,Histoire des variations des eglises protestantes", lib. V, § 9, tom. I, p. 191, made by Luther for the sake of his first preface to this "instruction," refutes Seckendorf and shows how he not only twisted his words, but also had no true knowledge of the matter itself or of the church visitation conducted in the Church of Saxony, in "Historia Lutheranismi," lib. ΙII, § 68, p. 195. But as Luther in this way deleted various things, so he added here and there something new. Such an improved edition was published in 1538 under the title: "Instruction of the Visitators to the Pastors in the Electorate of Saxony, now corrected by Doct. Martin Luther corrigirt", appeared in quarto at Wittenberg. This edition, like the former, has been incorporated into the collections of Luther's writings, namely the Jenaische (Thl. VII, p. 1), the Altenburgische (Thl. VII, p. 1), and the Leipzigische (Thl. VII, p. 1).
(Thl. XXII, p. 260). In the following year 1539, the text was reprinted there, especially for the use of the pastors in the principality of Duke Heinrich in Quart, in which edition Luther made an addition instead of the resolution of the first preface, and in it he mentioned, among other things, the church visitation ordered by the said Duke Heinrich. What Luther inserted into the preface here can also be found in the Hallische Theil, p. 488, and in the place mentioned in the Leipzigische Theile. This writing appeared with the title: "Instruction of the Visitators to the Parish Priests in Duke Henry's Principality of Saxony" in the year in question in quarto. Such an edition is commemorated in von der Hardt's ,,Autographa Luth.", tom. I, p. 370. In 1545, there was a visitation in the monastery of Naumburg, when Nicolaus von Amsdorf was bishop there, and when the "Lessons" were printed again at the end, Luther also added something to his first preface and listed, among other things, the names of those who had been chosen for the aforementioned visitation. This new piece of the preface was printed in the Hallische Theil, p. 467, and from this in the previously mentioned place of the Leipzig Collection and dated to the year 1545, from which it can be concluded that such "Lessons" were printed again at that time, although I myself have neither seen nor found an edition from that year. As far as the reprint of the "Lessons" is concerned, which is included in this part, it was not considered necessary to include both editions of 1528 and 1538 separately, as was done in the previous collections of Luther's writings, but since the difference between them is not particularly great and they differ from each other only in some parts, they have been combined, and what has been added to or taken away from the corrected edition has been noted by two different signs, so that one can easily distinguish one from the other. The prefaces are preprinted with the additions that have been made, and one will now easily see from the news that I have now given of this writing, how here one follows the other. Of this "teaching" I note
In his essay, Melanchthon used a lot of caution in his manner and thought that one should still give in to papal abuses, not preach against the pope and his bishops, and still serve the Lord's Supper to the weak under a single figure. This is what Joachim Camerarius aims at in "Vita Melanchthonis," § XXXIII, p. Ill; for after thinking of this "instruction," he adds: Qui libellus maxime et utilis per se, et tempore necessarius, non caruit obtrectatoribus variis, quorum aliqui requirerent nervos et vim contentionum, alii dicerent, prodi causam, rur- sumque libertatem eripi et adduci in servitutem homines (d. i.: "A booklet, which was quite exquisitely useful in itself and necessitated by the circumstances of the time, although it was not lacking in censurers, some of whom missed in it the strength and firmness of the struggle, others claiming a betrayal of the cause, in that in it freedom would be snatched away again and men would be led back into servitude") etc. But what might seem questionable here must be judged not in itself, but in view of the times and the condition in which the evangelicals found themselves. Truth itself was not forgiven; but neither was all prudence to be set aside, and this was the reason why Luther approved of what Melanchthon had written. Since the condition of the congregations at that time subsequently changed and the previously necessary caution was no longer required, he also omitted one thing and another from this book, as I have already noted.
[The Erlanger Ausgabe, Vol. 23, 1-70, cites four editions, two from 1528, one each from 1538 and 1539. We give here the recension from 1538 (d) and add the deviating passages and readings of the two other recensions (a == 1528, c == 1539) either with small print in the text or give them as notes below the text. D. Red.]
§ LIII
In addition to these writings, which are included in the first request, we add three more.
One is a short letter to Joseph Levin Metsch, "Von zwieträchtiger Lehre unter einerlei Obrigkeit," which Luther wrote on August 26, 1529, and in which he showed, among other things, that although one could not force anyone to believe, it was also not permissible to blaspheme the doctrine. Joh. Aurifaber had it printed in the Eislebische Theilen (Thl. I, p. 482) and thereupon it was brought into the Altenburgische (Thl. IV, p. 704) and Leipzigische Sammlung (Thl. XXII, p. 556). It is also translated into Latin in "Supplement. Epist. Luth.", p. 70.
[Cf. Erl. ed. 54, 97. 98. De W. Ill, 498.]
The other writing is a beautiful "Sermon on the 11th Sunday after Trinity, in which the greatest main pieces of a Christian life are resolved", which was published under the mentioned title in 1524 in quarto (see von der Hardt's "Autographa Luth.", tom. I, p. 174) and incorporated into the Leipzig parts (in the "Supplement" p. 24).
(Cf. Erl. ed. 1st ed. 20, 297-300. 2nd ed. 17, 93-97.)
The third writing is also a "Sermon on Three Good Lives to Instruct the Conscience," which was published in quarto in Wittenberg in 1521 with the inscription now shown and was published again in quarto there in 1524. So far, this sermon has not been found in any other parts of Luther than in the Hallische (p. 410) and the Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 188), to which now comes the present reprint, namely according to the original edition.
(Cf. Erl. ed. 1st ed. 20, 301-308. 2nd ed. 16, 291-303.)
§ LIV.
In regard to the fifth request, "Luther's and other theologians at Wittenberg's Concerns about the Sins of the Elect" has been included here, which was written on the following occasion. Thomas Naogeorgus, or Kirchmayer in German, who had been a preacher at Kahla, prepared a
In it, he asserted that the elect do not lose the Holy Spirit even if they knowingly commit sins and fall into gross vices, thus accepting the opinion of the Reformed in this matter. Such a declaration was sent to the theologians in Wittenberg, and after they had read it through, they dismissed the objection raised against the opinion in question and showed quite thoroughly that if one who had been a believer until then sinned openly, he would lose the Holy Spirit and faith; however, he could regain both and come to the former grace of God, where he would convert and repent. If he remained in the state of grace until the end, he would be blessed as an elect, and it would therefore be quite acceptable for a person to be an elect, lose his faith through mortal sins, and still be blessed, if, after the backsliding, repentance and faithfulness to the end took place. At the end they say: "This reminder is drawn together to show why we had reservations about printing the interpretation on John, in which the pastor of K. sets a different opinion of the elect, namely that they remain righteous and retain the Holy Spirit, even if they fall into public sin. He has also been warned of this with chastening words, and hope again that he will think better of it." This instruction was written in 1536 and signed by Luther, Bugenhagen and Melanchthon. Of this concern and its cause can be read Seckendorf in "Historia Lutheranismi", lib. III, § 49, p. 135, and § 137, p. 665; Christ. Heinrich Löber in "Histor. ecclesiast. Orlamundana," p. 395; Christian Schlegel in the "Ausführlichen Bericht von dem Leben und Tod Casp. Aquila's", p. 316 ff, together with some others. I have myself on another occasion, namely in the "Einleitung in die ReligionsStreitigkeiten unserer Kirche," Thl. IV, p. 350 f., I have dealt with it in detail. It is found in the Eislebische (Thl. II, p. 360), Altenburgische (Thl. VI, p. 1041) and Leipzigische (Thl. XXII, p. 386) parts.
[Cf. De W. V, 40 ff. ed. 55, 161-167.]