to Mr. Georgen, Prince of Anhalt, of Luther's church postilla, which he redressed in 1543.*)
To the Most Serene and Highborn Prince and Lord, Lord George, Prince of Anhalt and Ascania, Count of Bernburg, Provost of Magdeburg, my gracious Lord.
Grace and peace of God through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, our Savior. Most noble and highborn Prince and Lord! Although no human being can comprehend and sufficiently understand the great and immeasurable mercy of God, which He has shown to the human race by creating an eternal church for Himself and by preserving it wonderfully, and by renewing it again and again, God wants us, even in this weak life, to begin to recognize, preach and praise Him and His grace with obedience and heartfelt gratitude. For for this reason He created human nature in the first place and again brought it out of death, that He might have an eternal people who would call upon Him and praise Him.
Now there are two kinds of miracles for the preservation of the church: physical protection and purification of doctrine. And although bodily protection is more apparent than when God led the people of Israel out of Egypt and made a smooth and good path for them between the waters, and then caused Pharaoh and his army to sink; item, when he struck Sanherib before Jerusalem with his angels: The other work is not less important, namely, the purification of the doctrine that God sent prophets for and from the beginning of the world, and then His only begotten Son, and then the apostles, by which He again kindled the light of His doctrine, which the devil always wants to extinguish with various rages.
*) Cf. Walch XI Forewords 38 f. D. Red.
This great grace is praised by St. Paul in Eph. 4, when he says: "Christ has ascended on high, and has led captivity captive, and gives gifts to men, namely, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, that the saints may be prepared for the work of the ministry, by which the church may be built up 2c, so that we will no longer, like children, be tossed about and driven as by the wind, through error and deceit, and be led astray from God. This great benefit we should recognize and esteem great; as it is in truth much greater than all physical protection, or all great battles and victories, and should thank God from the bottom of our hearts for such preservation of His Church.
Thus he always kindled his light again in the people of Israel, where it had been darkened, as through Eliam, Eliseam, Jesaiam, and others; and afterwards after the preaching of the apostles. Although the devil raged cruelly against it, and spread much error and heresy in the world, as Cerinthum, Arium, Marcion, Pelagium, and many others: yet our Savior, Christ, for and for, raised up some faithful teachers, who preserved the right pure doctrine, and fought against the heretics with earnestness, as: according to St. John the Evangelist. John the Evangelist, the martyr Polycarpum, who showed great earnestness against the heretic Marcion, and then Jrenaeum, then Athanasium against Arium etc.
So also in these last times, when the popes and bishops have to do only with secular government, though like pagan kings, and much harmful error and abuses have been introduced, and by unlearned ones,
Even though unfaithful priests and monks have been strongly strengthened, our Lord and Savior Christ has again graciously purified his teachings. For truly this knowledge of the Holy Gospel, which now appears, is not "a human work, but certainly God's gift, who in these last times and such great disruptions of all lands graciously looked upon His poor little people, and again showed us the right understanding of calling upon God, of forgiveness of sins, and of right worship and gracious consolation in these disruptions (to be worried about); for this He first of all used the faithful servant, D. Martin Luther.
Because God also commanded that we should diligently preserve such gifts of His, I and others have recorded many of His sermons and expositions, for we all owe it to our descendants to provide for them so that they may inherit pure doctrine as the necessary inheritance. As St. Paul commanded Timothy: He shall not lose the doctrine which he was commanded and entrusted to keep. For this and no other reason, I have faithfully brought together these interpretations of the venerable D. Martin Luther and have now let them go forth. I may also say with a good conscience that it is wholesome, pure, divine doctrine, and that nothing impure has been mixed into it; I also know that this is the right, unified, eternal understanding of the holy Catholic Christian Church, the doctrine that is known in our churches and is contained in it.
Therefore, I ask you to accept such work in a Christian manner, and to thank God for such gifts, that He has again given us thorough salutary teachings about such great necessary things, in which we have eternal comfort, although the whole world is beginning to crack horribly, and it seems that the kingdoms and regiments want to fall over one another; and in sum, the end of this perishable world is not far away. In these terrible times, it is nevertheless comforting that we, praise God, are not blind like the wicked, but have a true knowledge of God, and know that we should have recourse to our Savior Christ, and can call upon him in all our needs. But that these churches of ours are much more vicious and poisonous serpents
We blaspheme the pontifical doctrine very much, and praise the disgusting pontifical custom and its idolatries etc., and also reproach ourselves for many an affliction that occurs among our people, both great and small: this specter shall not deceive the godly. For whoever needs and desires true divine consolation, the work itself will soon show that he will find little consolation in papal custom and the teachings of the monks; but must seek this source, that is, God's word. And if he then holds both doctrines against each other, such a heart that thirsts for truth can easily judge which doctrine is right: and this judgment does not require great subtlety, but only a God-fearing heart that loves the truth, seeks God's glory and its own blessedness; as it is written: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"; item: "The secrets of God are with those who fear him" etc.
Even though the adversities hurt the God-fearing, every Christian should be prepared so that he knows that the devil does not let go, he defiles God's church as much as he can, outwardly through the enemies and inwardly through various adversities. But therefore we should not fall away from God and His Gospel, but hold firmly and steadfastly to this unchanging command, which the eternal God has given from heaven by Christ, through this public voice: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I delight and rejoice: this one you shall hear." In this we shall and want to remain by God's grace. Nor shall we doubt that God will preserve this church, in which this true and pure doctrine is preached, although some of its members will suffer, as has always happened. This is said here recently to the Christian reader for remembrance and consolation, and that one may know what caused me to do this work; and I have written such faithful good opinion to E. F. G., that E. F. G. also want to testify that this teaching is Christian and useful to the churches; and for this reason I have attracted E. F. G. before others.
For besides that E. F. G., as a high person, have more prestige than otherwise a low witness: so have also E. F. G. before
others the grace that they have studied seriously and thoroughly in Christian doctrine, and can judge of it more surely than other unlearned men. Now Christ says to Petro, "And thou, if thou be converted, strengthen thy brethren." Therefore, those who are knowledgeable and learned are to be preferred to others with their report and their
I owe it to you to serve as a witness. I hereby command E. F. G. into God's gracious protection and preservation.
Wittenberg, Nativitatis Christi 1544.
E. F. G. williger
Caspar Creuziger, D.