A. Luther's Interpretation of the Magnificat,*)
Lucae Cap. 1, v. 46. to 55.
Completed June 10, went out in the second half of August, 1521.
JEsus.
To the Serene and Highborn Prince and Lord, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave of Thuringia and Margrave of Meissen, my gracious lord and patron.
Sublime, highborn prince, gracious sir, E. F. G. may my poor prayers and services always be before you. My lord, I have received E. F. G.'s gracious letter, recently delivered to me, humbly, and have received all its comforting contents with joy. However, since I have now promised E. F. G. for a long time and owe it to him to explain the Magnificat, of which the clumsy trades have
I have undertaken to answer E. F. G.'s writings at the same time as this booklet, thinking that my forgiveness of the length would cause me distress and shame, and that the remedy of further excuses would not rhyme, so that I would not prevent E. F. G.'s young mind, which is inclined to love divine Scripture, and would be more heated and strengthened by further study of it, for which I wish E. F. G. divine grace and assistance. How then great of need, because in such a great prince's person lies salvation for many people, if he, taken from himself, is graciously governed by God; again, many perditions, if he himself is left and ungraciously governed'.
*This writing, the interpretation of the hymn of praise of the Holy Virgin Mary, was already started by Luther at the beginning of December 1520, as we can see from a letter of Spalatin to the Elector Frederick from December 3, 1520 (Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. I, p. 406). Even before Luther's departure for Worms, the first three sheets were ready for printing, and Luther sent them on March 31, 1521, to Duke John Frederick of Saxony (Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 12), to whom he had dedicated the writing in a dedication dated March 10, 1521. Only at Wartburg Castle was Luther able to complete it and sent the finished manuscript to Spalatin on June 10, 1521 (Walch, Old Edition, Vol. XV, Appendix, No. 74). But the completion of the printing was delayed, to Luther's great annoyance, and repeatedly he complained about it: against Melanchthon on August 3, 1521 (Kolde, [naleeta, p. 34, with wrong date: December 26, cf. Köstlin I, 803 u6 p. 497" and against Spalatin on August 6. August 1521 (Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 759, § 3), and again against Spalatin on August 15, 1521 (Walch, old edition, vol. XV, appendix, no. 73, H15): "Es soll mich Wundern, oh wohl endlich einmal mein Magnificat fertig ist", so that the writing will not have gone out before the second half of August. The title of the individual editions is: "Das Magnificat verdeutscht und ausgelegt durch D. Martinum Luther, Augustinian." Several of these appeared at Wittenberg without indication of time or printer; one at Basel by Adam Petri. The first edition is probably printed by Melchior Lotther (Dietz, Wörterbuch, p. XXXV f.). Jn the collective editions it is found: in the Wittenberg (1553), vol. VI, p. I0d; in the Jena (1564), vol. I, p. 476; in the Altenburg, vol. I, p. 755; in the Leipzig, vol. IX, p. 376 and in the Erlangen, vol. 45, p. 212. The attribution in De Wette, vol. I, p. 571, and as a duplicate in the Erlanger, vol. 53, p. 59. In 1525, a Latin translation of this writing appeared under the title: Martini ImtUöri super MaAniüeat Eonnnentarii nuper a vernaeula in I^atinuin versi a insianne Loninero, which was included in the Latin Wittenberg edition, Dorn. V, col. 75, has been included. As delicious as this interpretation of the hymn of praise to the Blessed Virgin is, it still contains Papist errors here and there, as does the short sermon on the day of the Assumption of Mary (1516), Walch, St. Louis edition, vol. XII, 1728. We give the text according to the Jena edition, comparing the Wittenberg and Erlangen editions, as well as the Latin translation.
For although all men's hearts are in the almighty hand of God, it is not in vain that it is said of kings and princes alone: "The heart of the king is in the hand of God, he can turn it wherever he wants" [Proverbs 21:1], so that God wants to drive His fear into the great lords, that they should learn 1) how to think of nothing at all that God does not particularly instill in them. Other people's doings only bring piety or harm to themselves, or even to a few people; but lords are only set to be harmful or useful to other people, as much more, as much further they rule. Therefore also, the Scripture calls pious, God-fearing princes angels of God [1 Sam. 29, 9.], yes, also gods [Ps. 82, 6.]. Again, harmful princes are called lions [Zeph. 3, 3], dragons and raging beasts [Jer. 51, 34], which God himself calls one of his four plagues, as he counts pestilence, evil time, war and raging beasts [Ezek. 14, 13-19].
Because a human heart, by nature flesh and blood, easily misses itself, and, where power, property and honor are given into its hand, it is rather moved by such a strong cause to presumption and too free security, that it forgets God and does not respect its subjects; and because it has room to do evil without punishment, it goes away and becomes a beast, does only what it desires, and is a lord by name, but in fact a fiend: that the wise man Bias also spoke well: Magistratus virum ostendit: Regiment knows what kind of a man 2) he is. For the subjects must not lead out in fear of the authorities.
1) Wittenberger and Erlanger: "teach". Latin: diseant.
2) "a" is missing in the Erlanger.
Therefore it is necessary for all rulers, since they do not have men to fear, to fear God more than others, to know Him and His works well, and to walk with care, as St. Paul says Rom. 12:8: "Let him who rules be careful."
Now I know of nothing in all Scripture that serves so well for this purpose as this holy song of the most devout Mother of God, which is truly to be learned and remembered by all who want to rule well and be beneficial lords. She sings most sweetly about the fear of God, and what a Lord he is, and what his works are in the high and low classes. Let another listen to his maiden, who sings a worldly song; to this chaste virgin a prince and lord listens, who sings him a spiritual, pure, wholesome song.
It is also not an unjust use that in all churches this song is sung daily in the vespers, in addition with special, quite manner before other songs. May the same tender Mother of God acquire for me the Spirit, 3) who may interpret her chant usefully and thoroughly, to take from it wholesome understanding and praiseworthy life for E. F. G. and all of us, and thereby in eternal life may praise and sing this eternal Magnificat; God help us. Amen. Herewith I command myself to E. F. G., humbly requesting that E. F. G. accept my small fortune with a gracious will. At Wittenberg on the tenth day of March. Anno 1521.
E. F. G.
subordinate capellan,
D. Martinus Luther.
3) This invocation of the Blessed Virgin is still papist.