1. preface to the first part of his German books.*)
Anno 1539.
Preface by D. Martin Luther.
I would gladly have seen that all my books would have remained behind and perished. And one of the reasons, among others, is that I am afraid of the example; for I can see what good has been done in the church, since, apart from and in addition to the holy Scriptures, they have begun to collect many books and large libraries, especially to gather all kinds of fathers, concilia and teachers without any distinction. So that not only the noble time and study of the Scriptures is missed, but also the pure knowledge of the divine Word is finally lost, until the Bible (as happened to the fifth book of Moses, in the time of the kings of Judah [2 Kings 22:8, 2 Chron. 34:15]) is forgotten under the dust.
(2) And although it is useful and necessary that some fathers' and conciliar writings have remained as witnesses and histories, I think it is modus in rebus, and not a pity that many fathers' and conciliar books have perished by God's grace. For where they all should have remained, no one should have been able to go in or out before the books, and would not have done better than what is found in the holy Scriptures.
3 This was also our opinion when we began to translate the Biblia itself, that we hoped that there would be less writing and more studying and reading of the Scriptures. For also all other writing in and to the Scriptures, as John
to Christ; as he says: "I must decrease, he must increase" [Joh. 3, 30.], so that everyone himself may drink from the fresh spring, as all fathers, who want to do something good, must have done. For neither Concilia, the fathers, nor we shall do it so well, though it may be done in the highest and best way, as the holy Scriptures, that is, God Himself has done, though we must have the Holy Spirit, faith, divine speech and work, if we are to be saved, as we must let the prophets and apostles sit on the pulpit, and we hear here at their feet what they say; and not say what they must hear.
But now that I cannot prevent it, and they want to collect my books through printing (in small honor of me) without my thanks, I must let them dare the cost and work on it. Comfort me that in time my books will remain forgotten in the dust, especially where I have written something good (by God's grace). Non ero melior patribus meis. The other should probably remain first. For if one can leave the Biblia itself under the bench, also the Fathers and Concilia, the better the more, forgotten, is good hope, when this time is atoned for, my books shall also not remain long, especially because it has begun to snow and rain with books and masters, which also already lie there much forgotten and decayed, that one can also forget them.
*) Only the first part of the collection of Luther's German writings was published during his lifetime under the title: "Der Erste Teil: der Bücher vber etliche Epistel der Aposteln. D. Mart, Luth. Wittemberg. Printed by Hans Lufft. 1539." Folio. Luther's preface to this is in the Wittenberg edition (1556), vol. I, p. Aij; in the Jena edition (1564), vol. I, p. " iij; in the Altenburg edition, vol. I, p. 6; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XXII, appendix, p. 144; and in the Erlanger edition, vol. 63, p. 401 and (duplicate) vol. 1, p. 67. We give the text according to the Wittenberg edition.
Names no longer remembered, who nevertheless freely hoped that they would be eternally on the market and master churches.
Let him who wants to have my books at this time, let them by no means be an obstacle to studying the Scriptures themselves, but lay them out as I lay out the Pope's Drecket and Drecketal and the Sophists' books, that is, whether I want to see what they have done, or also to reckon the history of the time, not that I have to study in them, or do according to them what they have thought. I do not do much differently with the Fathers' and Conciliar books, and in this I follow the example of St. Augustine, who among others is the first and almost the only one who wants to be free of all Fathers' and Holy Books, subject only to the Holy Scriptures, and about this got into a hard fight with St. Jerome, who reproached him with his ancestors' books; but he did not turn back. And if such an example of St. Augustine had been followed, the pope would not have become an antichrist, and the innumerable vermin, worms and ulcers of the books would not have come into the church, and the Biblia would probably have remained in the pulpit.
6th About this I will show you a proper way to study theology, which I have practiced; where you hold the same, you shall be taught so that you yourself could (if it were necessary) even make as good books as the fathers and Concilia. As I may (in God) also presume and boast without arrogance and lies, that I would not give some of the fathers much before, if it should apply to bookmaking; of life I can boast far not equally. And this is the way that the holy king David (no doubt also held by all patriarchs and prophets) teaches in the 119th Psalm; there you will find three rules inside, abundantly presented throughout the whole Psalm, and are thus called: Oratio, Meditatio, Tentatio.
7 First of all, know that the Holy Scriptures are a book that makes folly of all other books, because none teaches about eternal life without this alone. Therefore, you must despair of your mind and your understanding, for you will not attain it with them, but with such presumptuousness you will not attain it.
yourself and others with you fall from heaven (as happened to Lucifer) into the abyss of hell. But kneel down in your closet, and pray to God with right humility and earnestness that He may give you His Holy Spirit through His dear Son, who will enlighten you, guide you and give you understanding.
8 As you see that David always asks in the above psalm, "Teach me, O Lord, instruct me, guide me, show me," and many more words, even though he knew the text of Moses and other books well and heard and read them daily, yet he wants to have the right master of the Scriptures himself, so that he does not fall into error with his reason and become his own master. For there are the spirits of the mob, who make themselves believe that the Scriptures are subject to them, and can easily be obtained with their reason, as if it were Marcolfus or Aesopi's fables, since they are not allowed to have the Holy Spirit or to pray.
(9) Secondly, meditate, that is, not only in the heart, but also outwardly, always practicing and practicing the verbal speech and literal words in the book, 1) reading and rereading, with diligent attention and reflection, what the Holy Spirit means by it. And beware lest you get tired of it, or think that you have read, heard, and said it once or twice enough, and understand it all too well; for there is no special theologian "more and more out, and are like the untimely fruit that falls off before it is half ripe.
10 Therefore you see in the same Psalm how David always boasts that he will speak, write, say, sing, listen, read, day and night and forever, but nothing but God's word and commandments. For God will not give you His Spirit without the outward word, so judge yourself; for He has not commanded it in vain to write, preach, read, hear, sing, say outwardly etc.
(11) The third is tentation, which is the touchstone that teaches you not only to know and understand, but also to know how right, how true, how sweet, how lovely, how powerful, how comforting God's word is, wisdom above all wisdom.
1) In our Wittenberg edition of 1556: "treiben und treiben"; in Walch and in the Erlanger: "treiben und reiben".
(12) Therefore, you see how David so often complains in the above Psalm about all kinds of enemies, evil princes or tyrants, about false spirits and mobs that he has to suffer, because he meditates, that is, deals with God's word (as I said) in all kinds of ways. For as soon as God's word rises through you, the devil will visit you, make you a right doctor, and teach you to seek and love God's word through his temptation. For I myself (that I, too, mingle with the mice) have a great deal to thank my papists for having so crushed, crushed and crushed me through the devil's ravings, that is, for having made me a pretty good theologian, where otherwise I would not have come. And what they have gained in me, on the other hand, I am heartily grateful to them for the honor, victory and triumph, because that is how they wanted it.
13 Seeing thou hast David's rule, study thou this example, and thou shalt sing and boast with him in the same psalm, v. 72: "The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than many thousands of pieces of gold and silver. Item, vv. 98-100: "Thou makest me wiser with thy commandment than mine enemies are, for it is my treasure forever. I am more learned than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my speech. I am wiser than the ancients, for I keep thy command" etc. And you will experience how stale and rotten the books of the fathers will taste to you, you will not only despise the books of the adversaries, but you yourself will like both in writing and teaching the longer the less. When you have come here, hope confidently that you have begun to become a true theologian, who may teach not only the young, imperfect Christians, but also the growing and perfect ones; for Christ's church has all kinds of Christians in it, young, old, weak, sick, healthy, strong, fresh, lazy, foolish, wise etc.
(14) But if thou feelest, and thinkest thyself to be sure of it, and tickleest thyself with thy own books, doctrines, or writings, as if thou hadst made it very delicious, and preachedst excellently, thou likest also very much to be praised before others, thou mayest also want to be praised, or else thou wouldest grieve or desist. If thou art the hair, beloved, take hold of thine own ears, and if thou take hold aright, thou shalt find a goodly pair of large, long, rough ass's ears; then dare to taste them, and adorn them with golden bells, that where thou walkest, they may hear thee, and point to thee with fingers, and say, Behold, behold, there goeth his beast, that can write such excellent books, and preach so well. Then you are blessed and blissful in the kingdom of heaven; yes, since the hellish fire has been prepared for the devil and his angels. Summa, let us seek honor and be arrogant wherever we may. In this book, God's honor alone is called: Deus superbis resistit, humilibus autem dat gratiam. Cui est gloria in secula seculorum, Amen.
1) Let Luther's books large and small be commanded to you with diligence. Therein is rightly revealed
The pope, the true antichrist,
And brought back the bright light, The gospel pure preaching.
Thank God, therefore, Germany, for such good, which he shows you in this,
And think of the laudable Princely Graces, Who have hereby promoted you
To such a great treasure of souls; To the faithful God do they command.
1) The following verses, which Walch has added here, are in the second volume of the Jena edition, p. Aij, but not in our preface.