Preface D. Mart. Luther.
1. because some many good friends have often requested the number or names of my books, which have gone out from the beginning of my writing and teaching, and these have been brought together by some in this register, I have persuaded myself and put up with it, that this cata
logum or register to go out through the printing, so that enough may happen to the desire, so someone has to it. For my sake, I would suffer that they all perish, as I have sought nothing with them, but that the holy Scripture and divine truth would come to light, which now, praise God, so brightly and powerfully allent-.
*) Already in 1528 a "Verzeichnung und Register aller Bücher und Schriften D. Mart. Luther by him, from the year 1518 to the 28th", printed by Georg Rhaw. Again, such a list, which was "compiled by some", appeared in 1533 under the title: "Catalogus oder Register aller Bücher vnd schrifften, D. Mart. Luth. by jn omitted, from the year M.V.XVIII. to jns XXXIII. with a preface. Wittemberg." 16 leaves small octavo. At the end: "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg, durch Hans Lufft. U.V.XXXIII." This edition has our preface. Walch erroneously has "Ein Stück der Vorrede" etc. in the superscription, while he gives the preface in its entirety in the text. The preface is found in the Jena edition (1564), vol. I, p. 3K; in the Altenburger, vol. I, p. 10; in the Leipziger, vol. XXII, appendix, p. 153 and in the Erlanger, vol. 63, p. 327.
halben scheinet, dass man meiner und meines Gleichen (viel mehr aber meiner Ungleichen) Bücher wohl gerathen könnte, wo uns der Kitzel, neue und viel Bücher zu schreiben, nicht so fast stächen.
It would be useful to learn and understand the histories and history of how I, yes, the dear Word of God, have fared, what it has had to suffer from so many and great enemies in these fifteen past years, before it has come to strength, and how it has increased, and I, too, have come further and higher in it every day and every year. How the first books testify to this (in which I have left much and almost everything to the papacy and honored it) compared to the last ones, which deal with Christ alone and purely, leaving nothing to the papacy.
3 A pious Christian will be guided by this, and not (as Doctor Rotzlöffe did) by the following 1)
1) that is, Cochläus.
and Bishop Schmid does) blame me nor condemn me that I have written against myself, and afterwards differently than at first. If it were art to seek antilogias, they should not write me a line in. Eternity, that I did not want to punish them with truth in their own words.
I am no better than St. Augustine, who boasts among the multitude of teachers who increase daily in writing and teaching, and are not like the asses' heads, spoons, and smiths, taught at the first moment about St. Paul, and can never ever neither improve nor lack more and more.
(5) I thank Christ my Lord, who has led me and kept me until I come to where I am; he will also help me to a blessed end. To him be praise and glory forever and ever, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, amen.