To the prudent, honorable and wise gentlemen, mayors and council of the city of Nuremberg,
My commanding and favorable lords.
Grace, Mercy and Peace from God our Father and our Lord
JEsu Christo.
Many will consider this house postilla as unnecessary work, because at this time not only many other postillas are available, but also the venerable Doctor Martin Luther himself has overlooked his postilla again and let it go out in print. For since the Scriptures have only a few meanings, many consider that, where many books have been made, either they are wrong and lack the right opinion; or else that one should leave it at that which others have previously taught and written rightly. Therefore it seems better and more useful in many ways to have few books that are pure and righteous, than many, since one must either worry that one will not find anything special inside, or, if one finds something special and new, that it will be wrong and unjust; as one learns that the devil does not celebrate, and has just as much his book writers, who mislead and deceive the world, as our Lord God. Because Doctor Martin Luther's Postilla, which he himself sent out, is undoubtedly the best, since the doctrine is presented in a pure and certain manner, many will consider this house postilla unnecessary and will be satisfied with that one.
But in truth, whoever does this shows sufficiently that he does not know what a glorious gift it is to interpret the Scriptures correctly, and how highly we should esteem them and cherish them. For this is what we all experience when we read a gospel.
lium twenty years in a row, that those who have such a gift of the Holy Spirit always speak differently and differently of the same thing. Not because the Scriptures should have more than one opinion, but because they are so rich and an inexhaustible sea: the more one draws out, the more flows in again; and it will be impossible for the best preacher, if he does not intend to preach more than a few of the least Sunday gospels all his life, to exhaust them and preach in such a way that he leaves nothing behind.
St. Paul, when he wrote to the Ephesians Cap. 4, 18. ff. of the Ascension of Christ and the glorious gifts we have received through it, he is silent about all the others, and praises only this gift, that God through Christ has made some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some shepherds and teachers, all of whom help with their ministry that the body of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the Christian church, may be built up, and that everyone may come to the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Therefore, although other gifts are more, which are also glorious and great, for which we should thank God from the bottom of our hearts, it is nothing compared to this gift if God gives an excellent man who can handle the Scriptures and interpret and present them correctly.
It is a glorious and very beautiful gift of God to have a fine regent who can deal with
The ruler, as required by his office, takes the common good seriously, and values the benefit and welfare of his subjects more highly than his own life and limb. And we learn that where rulers are so earnest and diligent, God gives them happiness and salvation, and under such rule the land and the people grow green and flourish; just as everything withers and decays where rulers neglect their office and look more to their own benefit than to their subjects. For God is displeased with such indolence and self-interest; for this reason he will not give happiness or salvation to them.
There are also many other beautiful and useful gifts, such as that God has opened and preserved many arts in the world, which are also gifts of the Holy Spirit, and has brought them down to us. But what is all this compared to the gifts we are now talking about? Is it not true that everything serves only here, in this short temporal life? When it falls away, all these things lie together; they remain behind, and it is as if they had never been, as if we had never had them. But this gift of the Holy Spirit, which is called the interpretation of the Scriptures, is an eternal treasure, by which we learn to know God, obtain the Holy Spirit, who changes our hearts and purifies them through faith and the forgiveness of sins, and sanctifies them with right obedience and makes them blessed for eternity. Just as St. Paul calls the ministry of preaching a ministry of the Spirit, so that we receive the Holy Spirit through it and become alive, who otherwise would have to remain in death because of our sins.
Who would not cherish such a gift and keep it beautifully? Look behind you, from the time of the apostles until now, how many you will find who have had such grace? In the Latin Church, St. Augustine was almost the only one who took care of the doctrine, formulated it with fineness and certainty, and presented the most noble articles of the Church clearly and intelligently. The Greek Church has had many more learned and excellent people than the Latin. But there is no one who would equal St. Augustine in this case. Where now the pious Christians of the same pious bishops and teachers have writings as a special blessing,
If the huts had not been kept and the sermons had not been diligently copied, we would be deprived of a great treasure today. According to Augustine, it has decreased from year to year, and the right doctrine has fallen the longer the more, until the Antichrist, the pope, became powerful in the church, and not only did not care about the doctrine, but also, because it was contrary to his tyrannical, godless authority, falsified and changed it; As anyone can see who holds the pope's scribes against the old teachers, that for more than four hundred years, outside of St. Bernard, there is almost no one who has written that one could improve in matters of faith by a hair's breadth. Nevertheless, St. Bernhardt is not pure either; monasticism and other papal rubbish is attached to him, so that he is not always straightforward, as a preacher should be.
Such a lack, which we have experienced in the papacy and with such great damage, should also move us to not disregard such a gift, and to beautifully raise up their work, which God has enlightened with His Spirit, and has given them such a glorious gift, the interpretation of the Scriptures. As we must especially praise the venerable Doctor Martin Luther, through whom God first attacked and exposed the Antichrist, brought to light the Scriptures and the knowledge of God, and removed the abominable abuses introduced into the Church by the Pope, and brought about both pure doctrine and right worship in the Church. And the excellent testimony stands with him that in such work God has preserved him so wonderfully, against the devil and the world, for such a long time, praise God! and still that it was humanly impossible to hope that he should escape with his life. But through God's miraculous protection and gracious assistance, it happened this way, so that through him, as a special vessel, God's word would shine longer and brighter and farther from day to day, and many would come to the knowledge of God and be saved; as, praise be to God, is happening everywhere, and the number of those who hear God's word is increasing.
not become smaller, but larger and larger day by day.
Therefore, although the interpretation of the Sunday Epistles and Gospels is already in hand and among the people, as the aforementioned D. Martin Luther himself ordered in print, I have not left these sermons, which he preached at home in his house on Sundays, when he could not preach in church due to weakness, to his children and servants, and which I alone have recorded with a hurried hand and have kept with me until now, but want to pass them on to other Christians as a noble treasure. Most of all because these sermons are finely concise and simple, and are especially useful for the young simple-minded people. For in the case of the latter, it is not necessary to pretend to great artistry, but rather to present the doctrine briefly and simply, and to use words to make it seem as if they can grasp and remember something of it.
But I was especially moved by this, because I see how necessity demands that a common form of Sunday sermons be given to the unlearned pastors in the countryside. For the churches are in a bad way, no one wants to give that one could have learned, suitable people. That is why, as they used to say: copper money, copper souls. Poor parishes, poor unlearned parish priests. For he who is able to do something thinks that he wants to enjoy his art more than to beg with his wife and child among the wicked peasants. Nevertheless, one must have people, and not let the church lie desolate, and be content, because one cannot go on having such pastors, even if they cannot preach themselves, that they read it from the books. Both the authorities and the listeners have no worries, because they know that nothing bad will be said to them, if they only remember it well and want to live their lives diligently according to it; for if the teaching is pure and clear to us, it will be orderly, simple and understandable, and will not go without fruit, as it did among the poor peasants.
However, the fathers of the house can also use such work with special benefit; as it is
for it often happens that one cannot come to church on Sunday because of illness or other need. Let no one be so careless; if he cannot hear God's word in church, let him hear it at home, or read it himself, so that the Sabbath may be properly sanctified and God may be served, which he has commanded us all to do, that we may hear his word, and thus practice faith, and strengthen and nourish the soul with eternal food.
I have, however, careful, honorable and wise dear gentlemen, such house postilion E. F. E. W. give, and in your name go out want: First of all, I have preached these sermons publicly in my parish church this year, so that everyone who reads them can see (because there are so many divisions and sects now and then) what our doctrine and gospel is, so that E. F. E. W. is considered a Christian leader. F. E. W., as a Christian authority, have held so long ago and so nobly, and still; that, praise God! the doctrine is pure and clean of baptism, of the sacrament of the altar, of the right knowledge of Christ and God, and other articles. Such is the right and best treasure of which we can boast and take comfort. For where this doctrine is, there will be forgiveness of sins and the right of the church, however thin it may be.
Secondly, also because I hope that E. F. E. W. will be served with such work in this case, for the sake of the poor pastors, who are now and then under E. F. E. W. in the countryside, and are not all equally suitable for preaching. For since F. F. E. W. have always taken special care that the doctrine remains pure, and that annoying sects do not become established, this cannot be prevented better in any way, than if those who are not fit to preach without this have a certain form, in which they remain, and thus avoid strange, unfounded doctrine, or do not have cause to preach about it.
Therefore, I ask E. F. E. W. to put up with such work and to accept it with a favorable will. For I have never sought anything else with it, but that such sermons,
which I consider useful and comforting in many ways, would not be lost, because no one would have them but me; nor could they be useful to anyone, because they were written with a hurried hand, but to me alone.
Now, however, I hope that many people who read them will enjoy them and not only live their lives according to them, but also grasp a proper form of doctrine from them, and avoid and flee annoying, seductive preachers; but I especially hope that many churches will be served in our time. Although there is a lack of skill on the part of the church ministers, they will nevertheless read something useful to the poor, unintelligent people, from which everyone who only wants to listen may improve himself.
It grieves me from the bottom of my heart when I hear how our bishops in Germany do not pay attention to their office and do not ask anything about their subjects, how they are taught Christian doctrine. Not only do they have the name of bishops, who should look after their sheep and feed them properly themselves, but they also have a splendidly large income, which is not endowed for the purpose of drawing idle, lazy, unlearned people who are of no use to anyone, who can do no more than eat, drink, play, and commit all kinds of shame and fornication; otherwise great kings and emperors would have left such an endowment behind, and such property with their tribes. The pious hearts have therefore been concerned that they have thought: If the churches and true religion are to be preserved, then one must have suitable people for this purpose, who will lead the common man with right doctrine and unruly conduct, so that everyone may come to the knowledge of God and be saved. But how is it done? Where is a bishop who preaches himself?
As the bishops hold themselves, so do their capitulars. There is no one who would care that the poor people have proper instruction in Christian doctrine. Those parishes that are not at all cowardly and good stand desolate; the peasants believe and live as they wish, they are not interested in anything but that they give what they owe. Such is a lamentation that should go to the heart of a stone and make it lament.
But the blind people are not content with this; the holy gospel has no greater enemies than these very people who promote it, and who are ordained to handle it, and they would be sorry that in a whole diocese there were a few church ministers who preached God's word rightly and loudly. Yes, they still forbid that their people hear proper preachers in other places and take the sacrament according to Christ's command; just as if they wanted to go to the devil gladly and willingly, only that others would have to go with them. That is why the poor people who sit under such rulers need these and other books, because they cannot hear the right doctrine in public, but they read it at home. I have also gladly wanted to serve them with such work, as our dear brothers who have been baptized with us and would like to be saved with us, and it grieves them that they remain among such harmful wolves and must be deprived of the ministry of preaching. May God give His grace that they may be well served, amen.
For although there is a deficiency in that these sermons, because I alone have copied them with a hurried hand, are better spoken by the venerable D. Martin Luther than written by me, I have nevertheless presented the opinion to the best of my ability, also added many sermons that were omitted by him, especially from the festivals that are not kept in the Saxon order, so that this work would be perfect throughout the year, and therefore all the more useful and useful to everyone. And so that many people would be served by it, I was glad to see that it was also brought to you in Latin by a learned man, my friend instead. All together so that this treasure, which I do not consider small, would become known to many people, who would read such sermons, strengthen their faith from them, and improve their lives, and praise and thank God for them.
Primarily, however, as reported above, I wanted to serve E. F. E. W. and her subjects with such work. God, our dear Father in Heaven, has highly honored E. F. E. W., not only in that E. F. E. W. has been able to serve her.
E. W. have a well-ordered police and good government, and for this reason are praised far and wide; but much more in that E. F. E. W. have abolished the old annoying abuses, and have confessed the currency, more than in an imperial assembly, with special earnestness and heart, also not without great danger, almost alone among all imperial cities, have remained so far, and have seen to it with special diligence that annoying doctrines of baptism, of the sacrament, and other articles of faith, as in other places in the empire, do not arise. Such is undoubtedly the highest grace that God bestows on secular authorities here on earth. And again, secular authorities cannot serve God any better than to take care of God's Word with earnestness, to ward off all troubles in doctrine and in life, and to provide their subjects with proper preachers.
And this will be found fine, although one must suffer and dare a little over it; for the world and the devil are bitter enemies to the Word, that nevertheless God will not only protect in all danger, but will also pay for such diligence with rich blessings, temporal and eternal goods; as he says to the priest Eli, 1 Sam. 2, 30.: "Whoever honors me, him I will also honor; but whoever despises me, he shall be despised again."
May our dear Lord God and Father in Heaven, for the sake of Jesus Christ, His dear Son, further govern and lead F. F. E. W. by His Holy Spirit in such a way that you hold His word dear and valuable, and further shelter His poor church, so that God's name may be sanctified among you, His kingdom may be increased, and His holy will may be directed, and F. F. E. W. may prosper in the worldly government from heaven, as is especially necessary in these dangerous times. F. E. W. may prosper in the temporal government all the more happiness and salvation from heaven, as is especially necessary in these perilous times, amen.
E. F. E. W.
subservient
Vitus Dietrich,
Preacher in the Sebald parish church.