Together with a small lesson on what to look for and wait for in the Gospels*).
To the noble, well-born Lord, Lord Albrecht, Count of Mansfeld, Lord of Schrappeln and Helderungen etc., my gracious Lord. Martin Luther.
Grace and peace of God, amen. The holy king David, when he wanted to appoint heirs to his royal throne, made such an order that among his children the youngest son after him should possess the kingdom all by himself, so that the kingdom of Israel would remain united and undivided; and where the tribe of his youngest son had perished, the tribe of the next youngest brother should sit in his place. So he made Solomon his youngest son king before all others, and the kingdom remained in Solomon's tribe until the time of King Joash, when the fierce queen Athaliah, because Solomon's tribe had perished in her son Ochosia, destroyed the whole tribe of David, so that nothing remained but the one spark of Joash, 2 Kings 11. 11, miraculously kept by God from the tribe of Nathan, Solomon's youngest brother, for the sake of Christ, who was promised to David to come from his flesh and blood.
*) Cf. Walch XI Prefaces 29 ff. and Erl. A. 7, 1 ff. D. Red.
Now although this order may be considered repugnant to the law of Moses, which gives to the first son dominion over his brothers and two portions of the inheritance, it was not contrary to it. For David's first son, Ammon, had already been slain by his brother Absalom, and was caused to make such an order that he saw his children struggling to inherit the kingdom; but much more for Christ's sake to prepare a figure who is the right Solomon, among all God's children the youngest and least, as he himself says Matth. 11, 11. that no greater arose among the sons of women than John the Baptist, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he: the same "least" is Christ alone. No one has ever humbled himself so low, no one has humbled himself so much, as Christ; therefore he alone may say, "Learn of me, I am meek and lowly in heart"; which word no saint can ever say, nor attribute to himself the mastery of humility and meekness; they all remain disciples under this
Master. So also St. Paul, when he says to the Corinthians, "Follow me," soon adds the true Master, and says, "As I follow Christ," that he does not model himself as Paul, but Christ in himself and himself in Christ. Therefore Christ is also now exalted and set a king above all his brethren; this is what we and all Christians are, as the 45th Psalm v. 8. says: "Your God has anointed you," that is, consecrated you as king, "before all your fellows"; and thus the figure of Solomon is fulfilled in him, and not only fulfilled, but also set for us as an example, that we should see the main points of the gospel doctrine exemplified in all places, which is that Christ says: "He who humbles himself will be exalted"; item: "He who wants to be the greatest among you, let him be the least."
Also the Gospel is nothing more than a history of the smallest Son of God and of His diminishment, as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 2:2: "I have not thought that I know anything among you except Jesus Christ crucified.
I have introduced this, my lord, so that, since I have undertaken to ascribe this book to my sovereign, it would not be considered strange that I begin, contrary to the world, not with the oldest of M. G. Herr, but with the youngest of both tribes. For the nature of this book has required, in it no more, because the smallest and youngest is always held up, that I also put the preface on a par with him, and as much as it would suffer, would not be disliked. So that I also do not let such a teaching of the Gospel float in words, but let it at least see a small work. For the great lords of the world are in great need, who, without ceasing to glory in the glory and prestige of their height and greatness, sometimes remind them of their disadvantage and diminishment before God according to the Gospel, even though they are guilty of nothing else but to perceive it, and are poor before all others.
I should also have long since shown myself as a country child against E. G.: however, the gospel also lies in the way and, regardless of human right and discretion,
says, "The last are first, and the first are last." Nor has there been room for the begrudgers, nor cause for them, as if I sought first my own honor and that of mine; for I put forward the first doctrine of the Gospel, which is not to suffer to seek first oneself, but, as I have said, to be lowly and contemptuous of oneself.
And that ever this preface would be according to the Gospel everywhere, the writer is also a despised and damned person. By the grace of God, I am under the ban of the pope and in the highest disgrace, in addition to the great malediction and hatred of his dear disciples, so that I hope that it will not be bad for me to write this despised, small, little book of the Gospel of the smallest, most despised child of God, and to leave the high, great, long books of the three-crowned king in Rome. And even if it would not suit me; since all high schools, monasteries and convents are attached to the three crowns and leave the youngest, smallest book, the Gospel, lying around: necessity demands and forces that at least one should attack the uncrowned, despised Son of God's book, whether he succeeds or not.
It may not ever completely fail; E. G. has seen the Bulla of Rome, and the judgment of the Pharisees, no doubt omitted out of God's special order, that the world should grasp how powerfully the truth can defile and blind its enemies, by the same enemies' own works and words. It has not been my wish that they should thus grossly deceive and disgrace themselves; but I may well suffer it to be done for the good of the truth, that enough may be done to the saying which is not far from the Gospel: The learned, the perverse. It wants the gospel to prove that the wise are fools, the fools are wise, and those who are called heretics are Christians, and those who claim to be Christians are heretics.
Therefore I say this to G. H., that I am afraid, E. G. must or will perhaps also let a little smoke bite me, and hear from the highly respected and wise disciples of the Pope, as if I were a disgrace and dishonor to E. G.'s rule, that is, a lowly, quite evangelically despised Cinderella.
For so precisely do the holy people seek cause to blaspheme and revile that they may not have left the pious innocent people of Sangerhausen undefiled even above me for the sake of the border, if it is still unjudged whether Kunz Schmidt or the gray sparrow are worse heretics or cats.
John Huss, Jerome of Prague, and many more have been burned in German lands, but to this day not a hair's breadth has been overcome. It is a current prophecy of the final Christ that he shall burn the Christians with fire; it must be fulfilled. That is why E. G. wanted to remember the Gospel here once again, that everything is turned around and goes against sense. What they call shame is honor; what they call honor is shame; and those who are burned are worthy of fire, and those who are burned are worthy of the judgment seat:
They will also possess it on the last day; then it will be evident what the prophet Ps. 18, 27. says: "With the perverse also God turns"; because they drive contrary and judge with injustice, he also drives and judges contrary with justice. Hereby I commend to God's grace E. G. and the whole dominion together with all lovers of the Gospel, who will graciously protect them from the teachings of men, and keep them right and firm in the divine teachings in free Christian faith, Amen.
For what I wanted to say more about the preface, so that the letter would not be too long, I have placed in this next following instruction. E. G. wants to put up with my poor submission not according to worthiness, but according to favor.
Given in the desert on the day of St. Elizabeth An. etc. 1521.