From the resurrection of the dead.*)
Preached in 1533, published in 1534.
Letter from D. Caspar Cruciger.
To the most illustrious, highborn prince and lord, Mr. Johann Friederichen, Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Saxony, Landgrave of Thuringia, and Margrave of Meissen, my most gracious lord, grace and peace from God through Christ our Lord.
Most Serene, Highborn Prince, Most Gracious Lord! Having learned from credible sources how the sermons of the Venerable D. Martin Luther, which he preached in the 15th century, are still in use, I have to say that I am very grateful to him.
The more the first chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians about the resurrection of the dead, here in Wittenberg, also some of which were done in the castle before E. C. F. G., desired by many good people, and demanded, also E. C. F. G. himself should have wanted and liked to read them, the more I am caused to omit the same, as best as I could have comprehended them, by the printing. 3) And
3) "Prince Hans Frederick has read the same interpretation of the 15th chapter of Corinthians with pleasure. Tischreden, cap. 49, § 4. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. XXII, 1322.
*Luther preached these sermons in Wittenberg in 1533, some of them before the Elector John Frederick at the castle of Wittenberg, while he was there from about June 15-23, 1533 (on June 25, he was already in Schmalkalden to consult with Philip of Hesse and Duke Ernst of Brunswick), others later. Cf. § 275. The cause of the Elector's presence in Wittenberg was this: The pope and the emperor had agreed in Bologna that a council should be held. The former had therefore prepared eight articles and "sent" them to the Elector through his nuncio, Hugo Rango, Bishop of Reggio. These articles are found in Walch, old edition, vol. XVI, 2268 ff. The bishop was accompanied by the imperial orator. On June 3
In order to encourage more people to read them, I have attributed them to E. C. F. G. for subservient service, and with this E. C. F. G. name I want to decorate them and make them more respectable. Therefore, we humbly request that E. C. F. G. graciously allow this to please Her Grace. For it is almost necessary in the ungrateful world to present and adorn the Word of God in all kinds of ways, so that they will have no excuse to
It is not to be reproached, as if it had not been presented in the most diligent manner and with all kinds of ways to entice and provoke the lazy hearts. May Christ, our Lord, strengthen the work he has begun in E. C. F. G. heart, both, to the exaltation of His holy word, and to blessed peaceful government, Amen.
E. C. F. G.
subservient
Caspar Creuziger, D.
In 1533, the papal nuncio presented these eight articles to the Elector at Weimar. The next day, he received a message that the Elector wanted to hold a meeting with his "fellow relatives" in Schmalkalden "on the eve of St. John's Day" and would then give his answer (I. a. 2270 ff. The final answer on June 30, 1533, I. 6. 2281 ff.). After the Elector had negotiated with the legate and the imperial orator in Weimar, he went to Wittenberg, where he arrived on June 15 to confer personally with his theologians. Luther reported to Nicolaus Hausmann on June 16, 1533 (Walch, old edition, vol. XVI, 2280 and [Dupücats vol. XXI, 1406) that he had to preach daily before the Elector and negotiate with him about the answer to be given to the envoys of the Pope and the Emperor, through whom the Pope had ordered some articles about holding a council to be handed over. In this matter there is a dark point. Both Seckendorf (Hist. Dutk., Ind. Ill, p. 47b) and De Wette, (Vol. I V, p. 456) ask the question in reference to Luther's second concern, "Why sixteen [articles? There were 8 articles," and Köstlin, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 663 ad p. 293 "unclear is the counting of .sixteen' papal articles Br. 4, 458 instead of eight." So far it has been assumed that in the four objections Luther raised in this matter (the four signatures under the third objection Walch, I. o. 2279; De Wette I. e. p. 460 are missing in the original), only one set of articles is mentioned, namely the eight articles of the pope. This assumption is erroneous. Luther's first concern, however, is about these eight articles. The second concern, however, is about another set of sixteen articles, which "on the following Wednesday" (June 11, 1533) were delivered to the Emperor's and the Pope's envoys "at their request in Latin, signed by his electoral grace" (Walch I. a. Col. 2268). These sixteen articles are missing in Walch's edition, so the words "vermöge hernach folgende Artikel" have been taken to refer to the following eight papal articles. Whether the sixteen articles are actually printed in the original edition of 1533 (Walch, Inhalt des sechzehnten Bandes, p. 65a) we do not know, but on the title these two series of articles are indicated: "Die Artikel dazumal seiner churfürstlichen Gnaden durch den päbstlichen Geschickten zugestellt. Article of the Elector's answer to it, delivered to the same two sent ones". Luther's first two concerns were sent from Wittenberg to Weimar by Luther between June 4 (on June 3 the nuncio delivered the eight articles of the pope) and June 10 (on June 11 the sixteen articles, signed by the Elector, were delivered to the two envoys). Thereupon the Elector personally consulted with Luther and the other theologians in Wittenberg from June 15 until St. John's Day. From June 25 on, the Elector consulted with his co-religionists in Schmalkalden, and it is during this time that the last two reservations concerning the final response of the Princes to the Emperor and the Pope are to be placed. This is dated June 30, 1533 (Walch, Vol. XVI, 2281 ff.). These last two concerns were sent from Wittenberg to Schmalkalden. The sixteen articles seem to have been proposed by the two envoys in Weimar, and they were signed by the Elector, according to Luther's advice, even though they were "presented on roguishness." It is not the place here to elaborate further on this matter, but we do not want to pass it by. We only want to note that our solution of the question avoids several inconsistencies that had to be accepted so far. Luther says in his second objection (Walch, I. a. 2275): "My advice and good opinion is that one should not object to the sixteen articles, but confidently accept them." "Therefore we keep the glimpses where we accept the sixteen articles cheerfully and without refusal," and yet is said to have said in the same concern with reference to the same articles: "Where we now consent to such first articles, we have already revoked and denied our confession and apology, and disgraced and destroyed all our doctrine and Thun, hitherto practiced." On Luther's advice, the Elector accepted the sixteen articles, signed them and delivered them to the envoys (Walch, l. c. Col. 2268), and yet a few days later, in his final reply, he is said to have said about the same articles (Walch, I. a. 2287): "Therefore, we hereby wish to indicate and testify and condition that we cannot nor may we consent to the content of the articles sent over by Pope Clementis, which you have presented to us, the Elector of Saxony. For we can by no means renounce the true and righteous doctrine of the Gospel by blaspheming Christ's teaching, even if it is condemned by the pope and his followers and those entangled with them." - Cruciger, who had received his doctorate in theology during the time of the Elector's presence in Wittenberg (on June 16 and 17; under Luther's presidency the disputation took place, which the Elector attended from beginning to end). Köstlin, Martin Luther, Vol. II, p. 288), had transcribed Luther's sermons and published them in 1534 with a letter to the Elector. The first single edition, which was followed by several more in the same year, was published by Joseph Klug in Wittenberg. Still in 1733, a single print of the same appeared in Berlin. In the collections: Wittenberger (1556), vol. I, p. 353; Jenaer (1568), vol. VI, p. 207; Altenburger, vol. VI, p. 260; Leipziger, vol. X, p. 337 and Erlanger, vol. 51, p. 70. Vincentius Obsopöus, schoolman in Ansbach, translated this interpretation into Latin and published it in 1536 together with the interpretation of the 17th chapter of John. Luther adorned this translation with a preface, dated June 7, 1536, which is found in the Latin Wittenberg edition, Dorn, V, ch. 130. 130. We have translated this preface, which is missing in the German editions, from the Latin and inserted it here. We give the text of the interpretation according to Walch, who used the first edition, comparing the Wittenberg, the Jena and the Erlangen, also the Latin.