Preface by D. Martini Luther.
(1) The ingratitude of the world is so exuberant, and is increasing day by day, that unless the last day comes, we will worry, not worry, but worry.
They will certainly have to prophesy and wait for the terrible, horrible plague and wrath of God, so that he will draw his light to himself again and let the darkness come over everything. And such plague already the several part of-
*The booklet, to which Luther wrote this preface, has the title: "Von Almosengeben, Ein Sermon, M. Caspers Adler etc. mit D. Mart. Luther's preface. Wittemberg. MD XXXIII." At the end, "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg durch Nickel Schirlentz." 81 quarto sheets. Luther's preface was published by Amsdorf instead of his own preface.
because almost the whole crowd has lost God's word in their hearts and despises it so miserably, but on the other hand clings to the idol Mammon with such diligence and runs after him, as if everyone wanted to snatch all the world's goods for himself, that one can see how the dear word alone still shines a little on the preaching chair, through the bodily voice, although the same preaching chairs are also few.
Because we see and grasp how the divine word is already extinguished in the hearts, then it is done for a little that it also extinguishes on the preaching platform; because he who has no heart for it, will not long put his ears or mouth to it. But if the preaching stand never shines, then the world has what it should have and deserves, namely, that it, abandoned and rejected by God, is given into the power of the devil, who leads it from one error into another, with all kinds of lies, He fills them with all kinds of lies, idolatry, heresy, and then drives and hunts them to rebellion, war, murder, avarice, and all kinds of vice and vice, as Christ says that the cast out devil takes over and possesses his former house with seven spirits that are worse than he is [Luc. 11, 26.].
(3) I say that we must not worry about this alone, but we must take care of it as surely as God lives, because we can already see the beginning of this calamity so powerfully before our eyes, and all the hearts of the great crowd are already in it. This is called Sodom and Gomorrah sunk with fire and brimstone, this is called the world drowned with the flood of sin, this is called Jerusalem destroyed, that not one stone is left upon another, and there is no hope nor counsel to take away or turn back such things (unless it be the last day), for no one
will hear it nor believe it, and if one sings it and says it, it is a mockery. O right, right, so shall God punish you, you desperate world, for your ingratitude and contempt of divine word, that you must not be worthy to believe your future punishment, which one announces to you so vehemently, but before you are sunk into the abyss with Sodom and Gomorrah, before you could notice it.
4 Isaiah Cap. 6, 9. 10. has also proclaimed to you: "Go and blind the eyes of this people, and stop up their ears, so that they become blind and deaf, and can neither see nor hear, and make their heart thick," that is, careless, sure and ungrateful, so that they become mad, and neither understand nor realize anything, so that they do not convert, and I must help them. This text goes on and on with violence with the ungrateful people of the world. There is no seeing, nor hearing, nor doubting, nor correcting, nor converting, therefore the last will certainly have to be found, that he will leave them and not help them. That is terrible, horrible; but what can we do about it? We must let it go and come as it goes and comes, for even if we tear ourselves apart and complain of it, the world asks nothing of it; it goes on as it is mad and foolish and possessed with all devils. Go thy way, thou noble and tender fruit, and find what thou seekest, and wilt not lack, nor have otherwise; we are easily parted, we cannot hold thee; if thou wilt be displeased, we will sing with the angels over Babylon, We have long healed Babylon, but there is no healing; therefore we let her go, and depart.
5. however, because we have such a plague
In 1555, he prefaced the second volume of the Jena edition with a short word: enough of the preface to the first volume; however, he wanted to put this "exhortation, warning and reminder" of Luther instead of a preface. Where he had taken it from, he did not indicate, and it was also not easily recognizable, because he had omitted the last paragraph. Therefore, all later published editions of Luther's writings have taken this "Admonition" etc. for a special writing of Luther and have printed it again "with the preface of Amsdorf", which, however, does not refer to this "Admonition" at all, but to the Jena edition. Our preface is found in the Wittenberg (1559), vol. XII, p. 358d; in the Jena (1568), vol. VI, p. 114 and (instead of the preface to vol. II) (1585) vol. II, p. s- iij d; in the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. 122 and vol. II, p. 1; in the Leipzig, vol. XXII, appendix, p. 109 and vol. XXII, appendix, p. 156; in Walch's old edition, vol. XIV, 309 and vol. X, 256; in the Erlanger, vol. 63, p. 324 and vol. 64, p. 262. In the Altenburger and the collective editions following it, the "exhortation" etc. is erroneously reckoned to the year 1522. Since this exhortation, which comprises the greater part of our preface, is also found in our edition, Vol. X, 213 ff, we could perhaps have limited ourselves here to a correction and addition. But we have preferred to have the preface printed here in its entirety, which is not in the right place there, has a misleading title and wrong year, and is incomplete. In the tenth volume, only our preface should have been referred to.
or the last day, and still have the light for a little while (as Christ says), we who love the light want to walk in the same light as long as we have it, so that we may be found children of the light, and when the hour comes that our Sodoma and Gomorrah must sink with brimstone and fire, we with the pious Lot will be preserved and saved, for God knows well (says St. Peter 2 Ep. 2, 2). Peter 2. Ep. 2, 9.) how He should save the pious when He punishes the unbelieving world. Therefore, let us always keep teaching and exhorting one another to faith and good works, and let us keep the good light among the evil, perverse generation, like the lamps and the star of light, and also act as if we did not see or know the hostile, ungrateful despisers.
Accordingly, I have let myself be pleased,
to bring this booklet of Magister Caspar Aquila to light by printing, so that such admonition may help us to remain in the dear light; for even if the great lost multitude does not respect it, there must still be some of the small group who accept it with love and thanksgiving, and thank God for it, just as St. Paul, when he had long worked on the lost multitude in vain, 1) turns to the elect and says: he does everything for the sake of the elect. Let us do likewise. For though we would gladly do more for the sake of others, yet it will not be, and all is lost. Christ our Lord and Savior, keep us, his little company, and be with us to the day of his glory and our salvation, and that it may soon come, amen, amen.
1) "he" is missing in the original.