together with a lesson on how to teach Moses. *)
Preached from March 15, 1523, to the fall of 1524; edited in 1527.
Martinus Luther to the Christian readers grace and peace in Christo.
1. For a time I preached the prophet Moses here in Wittenberg, mostly for the sake of the spirits of the mob, so that they might pretend to their dreams, 1) so that they would not deceive the common man through Moses. How then the Masonic spirit began to make Jews out of Christians by false glory and misunderstanding of the Old Testament. Of which spirit there is still much effervescence and raving everywhere, and it is still stirring.
1) In the old editions: to degenerate their dreams.
2. Such sermons have been collected by other scholars, and brought together here, so that I can well put up with them, and recognize them for my sermons, although, if my pen had had the time, they might have come out more complete and stronger. But enough is given to my sense and understanding here. Order these to be read by anyone who desires to read them, and I am pleased to serve them. No one is forbidden to do better. God's grace be with us, amen.
*Luther began, as Aurifaber reports, on Sunday Lätare (March 15) 1523 with his continuous sermons on the first book of Moses. (Weim. Ausg., Vol. 12, pp. 435 and 704.) On Sunday Judica, March 13, 1524, he was at the 31st chapter (Buchwald, Andreas Poach's Collection, Vol. I, p. XXXIII and p. XX), and on the 19th Sunday after Trinity, October 2, 1524, in the afternoon, proceeded to the exposition of the second book of Moses. All that we know about the occasion for these sermons 2c. is limited to what Luther communicates in his short address to the reader, therefore it is not necessary to say the same again here. By the "Rottengeistern von Münzerischem Geist" are probably mainly the Zwickau enthusiasts to be understood. The reason that Luther calls them by the name of Münzer is that these sermons, which were copied by others, were published only in 1527 with Luther's approval, and it was therefore obvious to apply the name of Münzer, whose kindred spirits they were, to them as well. The text added to these sermons, "Eyn Vnterrichtung wie sich die Christen vnn Mosen sollen schicken, geprediget durch Mar. Luth." appeared (alone) already in 1526 with Hans Weiß in Wittenberg. This "instruction" does not actually belong to the "Sermons on the First Book of Moses" as an integrating part, but Luther preached it, as can be seen from §28 and §30, after the end of the Peasants' Revolt (on May 15, 1525, the Battle of Mühlhausen took place). Therefore, in the Jena edition, it is not printed in the sermons on the first book of Moses, but separately, under the writings of 1525. A Latin translation of the sermons appeared in 1527 at Hagenau by Joh. Secerius under the title: In Oenesin, Mosi lidrum sunotissinnnn, I). Äartini Imtkkri Uecrlnnmtiones. The first single German edition of the whole came Under the title: "Vber das Erstbuch Mose predigete Mart. Luther, sampt einer Unterricht, wie Moses zu leren ist" published by Georg Rhaw (Raus in Wittenberg in 1527. This edition was reprinted in the same year by Friedrich Peypus in Nuremberg. In 1528, another edition was published in Wittenberg by Georg Rau. In the collections: In the Wittenberg (1553), vol. V, p. I; in the Jena (1566), vol. IV, p. 1 (Die "Unterrichtung", vol.III, p. I76I-) ; in the Altenburg, vol. IV, p. 1; in the Leipzig, vol. I, p. I, and in the Erlangen, vol. 33 and vol. 34. We give the text according to the Erlangen, which brings the original print, comparing the Wittenberg and the Jena. For the preface, see the note in this volume, Col. 18.