in Veit Dietrich's second adaptation.*)
Outgoing 1547.
Newly translated from Latin.
M. Bert Dietrich's letter.
To the most honorable Mr. Friedrich Bernbeck, a relative of the town council of Kitzingen, his esteemed friend.
I hereby send E. E. the sermons of the holy prophet Joel, with our venerable father and teacher, D. Martin Luther's, interpretations, which, according to my habit, 5) I have taken from
5) The Erlangen and the Weimar editions give the words of Dietrich nwo mors a, as we think, very spiteful interpretation. Based on various arbitrariness, which Dietrich admittedly allowed himself several times when publishing Luther's writings, the Weimar edition, Vol. XIII, p. XXX says: "In the end, he had a right to speak of this kind of writing, IN60 mors", i.e. he thought that it was his right to do what he had been doing for so long, namely to act as an interpolator of Luther's writings. That this is not the opinion of the words, however, can already be seen from this preface, still more clearly
whose lections I have compiled. It is a small and minor gift, insofar as it consists of paper; even more verlicher, however, from the preface of the "Songs in the Higher Choir", where he (Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. IV, 1746) says: "Therefore I hope that those who love pure doctrine and are concerned about the welfare of the church will approve this work of mine, which I have now spent many years on, so that what Luther taught publicly in the school could also be seen, read, and known by those who have never seen Wittenberg, the highly blessed workshop of theology and all good studies." The Weimar edition goes too far in its zeal against Dietrich and therefore, blinded by prejudice, has also occasionally erred. .]. B. Vol. XIII, p. 108 it makes the remark (last line of the page): "says D against Luther" 2c. For in the passage cited, it is a simple printing error, which the Jena edition has recognized and improved, a non has dropped out. Compare in this volume Col. 1454, note 2.
*) Already in the first note to the third interpretation of the prophet Hosea, and again with the preceding writing, we have pronounced that Luther had read only once about the minor prophets, namely in the years 1524 to 1526. Therefore it is to be assumed that also with this writing Veit Dietrich no other
I would hate to be guided by the judgments of the world and its perverse nature, which, now that it is in the process of its downfall, as it were, is more vehemently opposed to the Holy Spirit than ever before. But you will, according to your godliness, read this with the same heart with which I have published it. For what better thing can we do in these corrupt times than to immerse ourselves completely in reading and contemplating the prophets of God? We are in the same danger with them. They saw that the contempt of religion and idolatry would certainly bring about the change of their whole kingdom. As for us today, that I do not say anything about the adversaries who wage war with Christ and his word without ceasing, we do not at all refrain from usury, fornication, gluttony, pomp, arrogance, etc., even though we are reminded by the kind Father in heaven by very severe chastisements and plagues. And with these so great sins we also associate the contempt of religion, and do not apply that diligence at all, which we should show for the preservation of the church doctrine in an exceptional and very careful way. But just as the godly cannot look upon this decline of religion and the perverse nature of the world without great sorrow, for they see that misfortune will come in heaps and turn everything around, so it has its special benefit,
that in order to alleviate this distress, one should go back to those dangers of the people in the Old Testament and pay attention to what the Holy Spirit has reminded through the prophets.
Joel now exhorts to repentance, to diligent invocation of God; he recites the most lovely sayings about the mercy of God, so that, although the majority of the people are taught in vain (for they inordinately indulge in the lusts of the flesh), the godly may lead their lives with all the greater care and pay attention to the word, which as a light, even in the darkness of death, shows the straight path to eternal life. If we now step onto this path of life and remain on it, we will easily overcome all danger and misfortune. When I look at the excellent sermon in the second chapter of Joel, in which we are very clearly told what the will of the Lord is, that he be gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and kind, that he will also be sorry for the misfortune he has thought of, then all fear and distress, which the sad idea of future wrath arouses, immediately disappears from my mind and before my eyes.
For although we take the common misfortune, and especially the frightening senselessness or blindness of the world, to heart, it is certain that our Joel, along with the other prophets of his time, suffered the same fate.
The author's work is based on the fact that he had more material to work with than the material he had already used in his previous work. Therefore, we need not bother here with speculations about the time of the lectures, as Seckendorf does in his List. I^utk., lib. Ill, p. 669, Z138, who concludes from the mention of the propositions of the theologians at Louvain, which appeared at the end of 1544, and the Council of Trent, which began in 1545 (December 13), that these lectures were given in 1545. But in the interpretation of the first chapter, v. 4, it is even told of a plague of locusts that took place in 1546, that is, after Luther's death, and Cap. 3, 2. is reported about the fiery glow that the sun had for three whole days in 1547, before the Elector of Saxony was captured by Emperor Carl. Therefore it can hardly be subject to a doubt that these things were added by Dietrich, together with many other accessories. However, this edition agrees more with the previous writing than his edition of 1536, which we have assigned to the notes in its deviations, e.g. the locusts 2c. in the first chapter are no longer taken allegorically from the enemies of Israel, but historically; and the like more. The Weimar edition says: ^The grossest violence of 1536 is now withdrawn." "Dietrich made true what he held out in prospect in the letter to Menius of September 30, 1539: to revise once more the three prophets edited in 1536 [namely, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah]. Admittedly, this undertaking extended only to Joel." Our writing first appeared under the title: Joel propheta, cum commentariis reverendi et sanctae memoriae viri D. Martini Lutheri. Nunc primum aeditus per Vitum Theodorum Noribergensem. Impressus Norimbergae in officina loannis Montani et Ulrici Neuber. Anno M.D.XLVII. octav. A second edition followed in 1548 under the same title. Both editions are provided with Veit Dietrich's letter to Friedrich Bernbeck, Rathsherrn in Kitzingen, dated August 28, 1547. Walch has recorded the same and we also reproduce it, improved after the Latin Wittenberg edition. In 1553, a German translation appeared under the title: "Der Prophet Joel durch Doct. Wart. L. read and interpreted in Latin, and newly interpreted, etc.. With a preface by Mr. Niclas von Amsdorff. 1553." At the end of the book: "Gedruckt zu Ihena, durch Christian Rödinger." In the collective editions: Latin in the Wittenberg (1552), toin. IV, col. 481 with Dietrich's attribution; in the Jena (1570), tom. IV, kok 764 0 without the attribution unv likewise in the Erlanger, tom. XXV, p. 139. German in the Wittenberger (1556), vol. VIII, p. 347k without the attribution; likewise in the Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 919 (but erroneously with the year 1536); in the Leipziger, vol. VIIK p. 184, which first brought Dietrich's attribution in German. But only Walch has included Amsdorf's preface. We have translated this writing anew, because the old translation of the anonymous from 1553 is immensely prolix.
They have not only taught the majority of the people in vain, but have also endured hatred, beatings, and even death with confident courage. But they soothed this bitter and sensitive pain with divine promises, which the world, according to its custom, laughed at. The prophets, however, knew that they were certain. Thus, even though the world persecutes the word, even though it ridicules, even condemns and blasphemes our doctrine, which alone, as I have said, shows the way to eternal life, we too, I say, should hold on to this comfort, that there is still another life, in which God will indeed let happen to the faithful what He now promises through the word.
Thus you see, my dear Frederick, that the sacred office of preaching has two rewards; one from the world, which, according to its custom, opposes the word, blasphemes it, and kills not only the godly ministers of the word, but in the ministers themselves the Son of God. And we must not suppose that this happened only among the people of the Old Testament, of whom many dream that among them the knowledge of the true religion was very obscure and was understood only by the teachers or prophets themselves, but Christ, the Son of God Himself, told His Church and proclaimed beforehand that it would happen that it would be attacked, that those who raged against it would think that they were doing God a service. But not even the papists will say that the teaching of the New Testament is not clear and distinct. Why then does one rage and rage against those who do nothing but maintain the purity of the teaching of the church? Therefore this is the habit of the world at all times, that it opposes the word, that it makes itself the judge of the word, and rages against those who prefer the word to human wisdom. Whoever does not want to have this reward of the world, will indeed completely renounce both the public teaching office of the Gospel of Christ, and the painstaking, difficult and dangerous work of writing, which until now, from time to time, learned men in Germany have taken upon themselves for the propagation and preservation of the true teaching.
But, dear Frederick, let us turn away our eyes and thoughts, yes, ears and heart, a little from this low, ungrateful, highly
I add, of this lying, bloodthirsty and godless guest, who has always dealt with the messengers of the Son of God in such a shameful way, yes, who killed before times, and in our times still does not cease to kill the Son of God, who is poor and despised, in whom there is no form nor beauty, who is taken for the one who is smitten by God [Is. 53, 2. ff.], to whom, even as he hangs on the cross and suffers the pains of death in his flesh, one mockingly cries out [Matth. 27, 40.]: If he is the Son of God, let him come down from the cross and help himself; and that I say with one word, which the Son of God himself used [Matth. 11, 6.], all who despise, reject and condemn Christ as a nuisance. On the other hand, we want to hear the Son of God and at least give him a hearing with one ear, if we consider him unworthy that both ears, both eyes and the heart itself should be open to him always and at all times. How eagerly, how carefully, how fatherly he praises us for the care of his word by taking upon himself the teaching office even in this life! How diligently he proclaims to us beforehand all the dangers that the confessors of his word have to expect! He says [John 15:20]: "The disciple is not above his master; if they have heard me, they will hear you also. But let us look back to the Pharisees and Sadducees, to the Levites and chief priests, and there will be no doubt left in our minds as to the hearing Christ had among these people. For these were the only ones who threw the innocent lamb to the devilish wolves, Pilate and Herod. But after having been killed by them, he returned to life, an eternal and divine life (Dei vitam). What has he bequeathed to his Church again but his word, and the most exact care for it? "Go ye," saith he [Matt. 28:19], "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." What else do we hear here but of the ministry of the Word? Nothing of the masses, nothing of the monastic state, nothing of the adoration of the images, nothing of the intercessions of the saints, nothing of indulgences, nothing of all the other things that the Roman Pontiff imposes on his servants. But what kind of rewards does Christ assign to this ministry of preaching, which has no rewards to expect from the world? Certainly this: "He who believes and is baptized shall be saved" [Marc. 16, 16]. Des-
resemble what Paul [Apost. 2, 21.] quotes from the prophet Joel: "He that shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." Likewise [Luc. 22, 30.], "Ye shall sit in my kingdom, judging the twelve generations of Israel." Likewise [1 Cor. 1:30.], "Christ is made unto us of the Father wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." What godly person would despise these rewards? Who would not rather forsake life, riches, honorary offices, and all the goods of this life, than be stuck with the wretched world in constant errors of death, be tormented by his sins, endure the eternal tyranny of Satan, and be forsaken by the Holy Spirit, as the faithful and almighty governor? These rewards, which are only in the church of Christ, where his word is preached, we also want to look at, each in his state, and not let the judgments of the world turn us away from the confession of the salvific doctrine.
I remember when the blessed Luther came ten years ago to the meeting that was set up because of the Augsburg Confession, in order to strengthen it with the testimonies of both the Holy Scriptures and the church fathers, and he had fallen into a very dangerous illness, which the long, rough and arduous journey had caused; 1) nevertheless, on the advice of the physicians, though almost half dead, he set out on his way, and, if it would please God so, he would gladly die in the lands of his dear prince. After he had climbed onto the wagon, he raised his hands in the air, blessed us, and said goodbye to us, who surrounded him in large crowds.
1) The same history in Mathesius in the eleventh sermon. Compare Mathesius, Luthers Leben, St. Louis edition, p. 194, but there it says: "bis in den elften Tag".
stood. His last words were these: May the Lord fill you with his blessing and with hatred against the pope! He also sent a servant to tell D. Brück that he wished him all the best, but especially that he might get to know the pope as he knew him, for then it would happen that he would also, after his example, hate him very much. Luther, however, did not begrudge the pope and his followers their riches and worldly honor, but he condemned his stubborn efforts to suppress religion and pure doctrine, and the certain danger of the offspring, which he saw so long before, was in his mind. This evil, however, is best countered by the simple and godly interpretation of the holy scriptures. And this was also the reason why I published the prophet Joel.
But, dearest Frederick, I wanted to put your name in front, because I know that you have great zeal for the true religion. I therefore wish that my good will may please you and that you may diligently care for the church. You will not be able to render God a more pleasant and posterity a more useful service than this. I am now working diligently on the interpretation of the first book of Moses, although I am always indisposed, and the eighteenth chapter is now almost finished. This I have deemed necessary. I thought it necessary to report it to you because your cousin, Philipp Bernbeck, my dearest friend, has often written to me on your behalf about it. Be well with your spouse, and the valuable guests, my neighbors, who are staying with you now. Greet D. Georg Vogler, your brother-in-law. Camerarius and Roting, our good friends, send you their regards. Given on the Sunday after Bartholomew [August 28] Anno 1547.
Your
Veit Dietrich.