February 18, 1555.
To the Sublime, Highborn Princes and Lords, Mr. John Frederick the Mediator, Mr. John William, and Mr. John Frederick the Younger, brothers, Dukes of Saxony, Landgraves in Thuringia, and Margraves of Meissen, my gracious Princes and Lords, also to all pious Christians and saints on earth.
1. by the grace, strength and power of God through the Holy Spirit, in the knowledge of our dear Lord Jesus Christ and His Antichrist, that you may grow and increase in this daily, to the praise and glory of God, and to the comfort and salvation of His holy Church.
Gracious Princes and Lords (also dear friends and brothers in Christ)! After E. F. G. dear Lord and Father, the Elector of Saxony, most blessed and noble memory, my most gracious Lord, some years ago ordered the writings and books of Doct. Martin Luther's writings and books and to bring them into print, everyone was in good hope that it would gain its progress, that such a treasure, for the good and comfort of his dear Christianity, should be brought forth, as then for a good beginning two Tomi, also of Doctor Luther's life, have been produced.
But after his death, when the time of spiritual and bodily tribulations began, into which we have fallen out of God's wrath and disgrace because of our sin, the game has turned; and although some Tomi at Wittenberg have gone out through the pressure, S. C. F. G. and ours had this concern:
3. first, that some books of controversy are omitted, which are good, useful and necessary for the Church of Christ to know for the sake of history.
4. secondly, many things in the same tomis have been omitted, silenced, or changed for the sake of glimpses.
5 Third, other scholars' books are included, although we desire to have Luther's books alone. Luther's books alone we desire to have with one another, as the title of the Tomorum indicates and shows.
6. fourth, the interpreted books are also included, which in many places did not meet or reach the spirit and mind of Doctor Luther.
7) Fifth and last, in the printed tomes, the books of Doctor Martini are not gathered together according to the order of the time, as the man of God, Doct. Martin Luther, and want to defend this, because the man of God in the beginning of the things, since he was still a pious, strict monk and pope, and at the same time did not know otherwise, had written and left much popery.
8 Such and similar defects and errors in the writings and books of D. Mar. have caused and moved the Reverend Prince, of blessed memory, after his execution, to consider ways in which the blessed man's books and writings could be printed and preserved elsewhere in his principality, for the Christian Church, for good, pure, unadulterated, without addition, whole and proper.
(9) And has therefore required the worthy and well-respected servant of Christ, my dear Lord and brother in Christ, M. Georgium Rorarium (to whom Doctor Martinus, the dear man of God, had previously ordered his books to be printed), from Denmark for such work, and has set up the printing house at Jena, so that the said books may be printed all together, according to the order of the years, whole and unchanged (as the dear and worthy man had ordered).
1) "the printing" - the printing press. In Latin:
officinam typographicam.
*) While each volume of the Wittenberg edition of Luther's works is preceded by a preface by a foreign hand, mostly by Melanchthon, the Jena edition of the complete works contains only this one preface, which was originally written for the first volume in German, but then also translated into Latin a tzuockum LvanZelli stuäio8o and added to the first volume of the Latin Jena parts. This Latin translation is taken up by the Erlanger in the opp. vur. urZ., torn I, r>. 3 Our preface is found in German in the Jenaer, vol. 1, after the title page; in the Altenburger, vol. I, p. 2; in the Leipziger, vol. XX, p. 194 and in Walch. We give the text according to the Jena edition.
The author of this book is the author of the first part of the book, the second part of the book, the third part of the book, the third part of the book, the third part of the book, and the fourth part of the book, the third part of the book.
10. which work pleasing to God E. F. G. as the heirs, after their gracious, dear lord and father's blessed departure, are no less willing to promote by God's grace, as the confirmation of the given privilege sufficiently testifies.
May God promote and continue with grace such a work He has begun in honor of His holy name, and let it run to a happy end; may He also always control and ward off the devil and his scales, who want to hinder this work. Which with me all pious Christians, who with grateful hearts recognize this great miraculous work, which God has shown to the world at this last sorrowful time through the great man of God Martin Luther, and has worked against the Pope, should and will desire and ask of God, (without doubt) also desire.
12 In this first part of Doctor Martin's books and writings (which he wrote in the beginning of these matters, Anno 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and let go out) one will see and find the histories and history of how this matter of religion began and proceeded in order: what Doctor Luther caused to be written; how he got into this matter; how he progressed in it, and was led more and more into greater and more certain understanding and joy of the spirit. Also, how his adversaries pushed him and drove him into writing to investigate the truth (with their raving, raging, scolding and condemning).
For this reason, for the sake of a better understanding of the whole matter, several Latin tracts have been translated into German, and several books by the opponents have been included for the sake of history, so that the German reader may receive in this first part a perfect account of everything that happened with v. Luther in the first years. Luther in the first years, and may recognize all the better how wonderfully God dealt with his last miraculous work, by which he wanted to reveal the Pabstacy and bring his holy Gospel to light again. In the other parts, however, the things themselves will be such that one must not mix in so many foreign, nor interpreted books and writings. Therefore, no one should search or wait for them, unless necessity demands it for the sake of history.
14 However, in order that the Christian reader may also be warned against the clever ones who only draw antilogies and disgusting speeches from Luther's writings. Luther's writings, the Christian reader is also warned to read these books with distinction and care, so he should know that the books that Luther wrote in the beginning of these things, which are in this first part, do not look the same as the others that he wrote afterwards, nor do they agree. For in the beginning, as a right, pious pope, he gave much to the Roman Antichrist, which he subsequently changed in the following years, when he recognized such injustice through great struggle, tribulation and challenge.
15 For he was a serious and strict monk who honored and feared the pope and the Roman See in all seriousness, for which reason he did not attack the pope or his teaching in the beginning, but only the gross abuses of the indulgence preachers (who under the name and appearance of the pope miserably seduced and deceived the poor people with their impudent sermons) to defend the pope's honor and power.
(16) In this, as indicated above, he, as a pious, faithful and just pope, allowed many things to remain unpunished, which he afterwards, having come to a true knowledge of Christ and divine truth through the Word of God, justly and on the basis of Scripture rejected and condemned. For he did not attack the pope and his Roman court out of recklessness, presumptuousness, wantonness or sacrilege, but out of a right zeal of spirit and faith, yes, out of the greatest need of his conscience, driven and forced to do so by God's spirit and word.
17 For his adversaries wanted to defend, handle and protect their and the Roman court's error, abuses, heresies and idolatry, without the foundation of Scripture, only with insults, blasphemies and condemnation, so that they only gave him cause to think about the matter further, and to examine the Scriptures better and more diligently and investigate whether he was mistaken or wrong, as they blamed him. For he was not comfortable with the matter at first, would have liked to remain silent, pause and be at peace, where his opponents would not have forced him to take responsibility.
18) But the longer and more he searched the Scriptures, the more light and knowledge God gave him, the more he grew in faith, the stronger and firmer he became, so that in the end he found that his doctrine was firmly and unmovably founded in the Holy Scriptures, and that the cries and writings of the adversaries were an outrage and a sacrilege, so that from them he could denounce the pope and his followers.
the whole regiment of the Roman court came to realize what a bigot and abomination of desolation he would be in Christendom.
19 All this can be seen from the first books of D. Lutheri, how a right pious Papist became a right pious Christian, and a friend became an enemy of the papacy. Let no one be offended or annoyed by the fact that in these first books he teaches and writes a lot of pontifical things, such as the authority of the pope and the bishops, the mass, and one form of the holy and reverend sacrament, in a pontifical way, because at that time, as a strict, serious, God-fearing monk, he did not know or understand it better.
(20) But after he was enlightened by the Word of God, came to his right understanding, and grew and increased by daily practice and experience, he wrote much differently, and put down all popery and brought it to the ground; as a diligent reader will find and learn from his books, if he only pays attention to the time and order when they went out.
And although the dear holy man of God often wished and desired that his books should perish, and that everyone should be moved and driven to read the living fountain and well of the holy Scriptures (for which alone he wrote and did all things), yet we must look and pay more attention to what is useful and necessary for the Christian church than to his wish and will.
22. For this I know for certain, that since the time of Saint Paul there has not come his equal on earth, who has explained and interpreted the holy Scriptures with such seriousness, spirit and understanding, and has refuted all errors, false teachings and heresies, especially the first and last, especially the first and last, also the worst and most harmful heresy that ever came on earth, that good works are necessary for salvation, has so powerfully refuted and overthrown by God's word, as this very our dear Doctor Martinus Lutherus, of holy memory.
Neither has there ever come, nor will there ever come, anyone who has so clearly, gloriously, and surely established and confirmed the articles of our holy Christian faith and the two sacraments, which Christ, our dear Lord and Savior, instituted and commanded us to keep, by God's Word, and especially by the Lord's Supper against Zwingel and his followers, as he has.
24 For this reason, the books of Doctoris Martini Lutheri will be useful and beneficial.
I will let the readers experience for themselves. Thus the deed itself gives and shows it; as they say, the work praises its master. For before Doctor Luther's time, no one knew, not even the best and holiest monks themselves, how to get rid of sins, go to heaven, and become blessed. For this reason, each one sought and chose his own way, by which he wanted to attain God's grace, so that he would become blessed. One has become a monk, another a forest friar or hermit; one has run to Rome, another to St. James to obtain indulgences; some have founded monasteries and cathedral churches, masses and vigils, and all this has happened because they wanted to obtain God's grace, forgiveness of sin, eternal life and blessedness.
25. But from Doctor Martin Luther, of blessed memory, we have now learned, praise God, much else, namely that such things are all in vain and useless, even vain deceit and lies, and that there is no more than one way and means to attain grace and salvation, namely faith in Jesus Christ, our dear Lord, through which alone, without all works, even those which God has commanded, we attain eternal salvation, as Christ our dear Lord Himself says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
This way to heaven and eternal life has been shown and pointed out to us by the dear, precious man of God D. Mart. Luther has shown and pointed out to us in his writings that this path alone, and no other, neither above in heaven nor here on earth, can bring and lead us to heaven and eternal life; just as all the saints who have ever existed, are now, and will yet come, must be saved by this path alone, one and all.
27 Secondly, we have not known otherwise that the Mass was the best, highest and most glorious service for serving, honoring, praising and thanking God. But now (thanks be to God in eternity) we have learned from Doctor Martins, and learn daily from his writings, and know for certain and for certain that the Papal Mass is the worst abomination and idolatry before God, invented and fabricated by men, so that one neither honors nor serves God, but only mocks, reviles and blasphemes, thereby provoking Him to anger, and to hasten and continue with His punishment, for which knowledge we can never sufficiently thank God.
28 Thirdly, we have not known otherwise, that the pope was a vicar and governor of Christ, our dear Lord, whom we consider to be one of the most important men in the world.
have feared, honored and celebrated God. Now, however, to God be glory, praise and thanks, we have learned, and everyone can still learn daily from these writings and books of D. M., that the Pope is nothing other than the right, true Antichrist, of which the Holy Scriptures testify and say, and especially St. Paul has proclaimed and prophesied this clearly and plainly, that he, like the old heretics, has forbidden marriage and food sub specie pietatis.
(29) And we certainly consider and believe that the holy man of God, D. M. L., was specially awakened by God to reveal and disgrace the Antichrist in Rome, so that he would be overthrown by God's word and despised in all devout Christians' hearts. And for this great benefit of the revelation of the Antichrist, which we received from the holy, dear man of God D. Mart. Luther, we can never thank God enough. Otherwise we would have worshipped and honored the devil and his Antichrist all our lives, and would have been thrown into the lake of fire with him, as John says in his Revelation in chapter 20, v. 10.
30 And if we had no other use nor piety from D. M. Luther's holy memory books than these three pieces shown above. M. Luther's books of holy memory, except these three pieces mentioned above, we should nevertheless hold his books dear and valuable, and never let them leave our hands. Especially, however, that we may beware and guard against the Antichrist and his adiaphorists, who adorn the abomination of the idolatrous mass, and want to protect and defend under the appearance of a new discipline, and persuade us that under the appearance and name of God's word we should worship the Antichrist of Rome, the Babylonian whore, and the beast that carries her, and take his mark upon our hands and foreheads [Revelation 16:2, 20:4]. 16, 2. 20, 4.] so that we may buy and sell, (that is,) not come into danger of body and goods.
Now all articles of our Christian faith are so clearly explained in the books of D. Martini, of blessed memory, books, as also reported above, all articles of our Christian faith are so clearly and certainly explained, that even the gates of hell with all their scales and limbs can neither say nor raise anything against it; so irrefutably has he established, proven and proved them with God's word. And especially these three articles, that there are three persons in one divine being; item, that Jesus Christ is true God and man, and the doctrine of justification; to this may also be added the revelation of the Antichrist in Rome.
These articles of our holy Christian faith no doctor, since Christianity stood after the time of the apostles, has so clearly explained, proved, fortified and founded from the Scriptures as he, therefore his books are not to be paid for with all the world's goods and money. I will remain silent about the other articles of our holy Christian faith, which he has so brightly and clearly explained and declared, that we have thereby been delivered from the horrible and terrible darkness of the Babylonian prison of the Roman See, and have come into the light of freedom, of the eternal divine truth. For this, however, we can never thank God enough that He has awakened this man, His chosen armor, Doctorem Martinum, by special grace and given him to the German nation.
For this reason, I have commanded these books of Doctor Martin Luther, the holy man and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, not to jureconsultis and rabulis forensibus, nor to demosthenibus and cice- ronibus, much less to stargazers, who1 ) ex astris prophesy how people should fare, but to the pious and simple-minded Christians, to be read with seriousness, deliberation and diligence.
For in these books of D. M. L. one finds the doctrine of the whole Christian religion, all articles and necessary pieces of our holy Christian faith, which are found together in no doctor, in no conciliar, nor in the whole of Christendom; but in the Drecket and Drecketalen of the Roman Antichrist, as D. Luther, my dear Lord and Father, has called it, only the contradiction, not one Christian word is to be seen nor found unadulterated. And if all Christian teachers in the whole world, who ever existed, were melted together into one heap, all articles and the whole doctrine of the Christian faith would not be found in it.
35 For this reason, since the time of the apostle D. Martin Luther, the like of spirit and faith, wisdom and understanding of the truth, has not been in Christendom, nor will it come; which in time, when we old people, who are still alive, are gone, the world, where it is to stand differently for a longer time, will well find out and experience.
36) So that such a precious, great and inexpressible treasure of the books of I). Luther's books may not be stolen from the Christian church, nor suppressed or lost, but may remain and be preserved together, nor be sullied by the addition of other books with human wisdom, nor be altered and changed.
1) "so" is missing in the Jena edition of 1564.
These books of D. Luther are completely pure and unadulterated, in which nothing has been omitted, nor has anything been added or mixed into them, but as the dear man of God himself wrote, read, or preached them, from word to word, for the sake of our descendants, they have been commanded to be printed.
So that they may not only feel, see and recognize the spirit, wisdom and understanding of the holy man Luther, but also how he has grown and increased therein, and be able to distinguish him from other spirits (who have taught and preached Christ persuasibilibus humanae sapientiae verbis, to please men). For the word of Christ is a word of the cross and a source of annoyance, which offends and angers all the high-minded, worldly-wise and wise, who have always wanted to teach and preach Christ and his gospel better than Luther, the apostles, even Christ himself, whom they want to lead to school and establish a better discipline than he, and thus wisdom must be justified by its own children [Luc. 7, 35].
38 For this reason St. Paul calls them "enemies of the cross of Christ" and animalia ventris, because they teach and preach the "cross of Christ".
They are servants of the belly, who seek the peace of this world with the gospel, which is impossible, as Christ, our dear Lord, himself says [Matth. 10, 34. 35.]: "I did not come to send peace, but the sword (that the Christians should suffer). For I am come to stir up a man against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the cord against her sister-in-law" etc.
39 In sum, when and where the gospel is preached, there is always peace. For the world cannot suffer its own chosen and invented services and traditions to be punished and condemned by the gospel. For it always thinks more and higher of the pope than of Christ's word and commandment. Therefore, even today, it does not cease to rage and rage against God and His word and its preachers, until Christ, our dear Lord, puts an end to the game through His glorious, blessed future. Let this happen soon and quickly, so that we poor, miserable Christians may finally be saved and redeemed from the wicked, evil world and its prince, amen. February 18, 1555.