Anno 1535.
Newly translated from Latin.
Justi Menii Foreword. 1)
To the Most Serene, Highborn Prince and Lord, Duke of Saxony, Archmarshall and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Landgrave of Thuringia, and Margrave of Meissen etc., my most gracious Lord, grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Most Serene, Highborn Prince, Most Gracious Lord! This past year I have written the interpretation of the venerable and highly respected D. Martin Luther, my dear Father in Christ, on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, and have translated it by divine grace. Gn. Rentmeister, Hans von Taubenheim, has persuaded me to do so.
1) Although we do not bring Menius' translation, but a new one, we have nevertheless left Menius' preface, partly because of the historical material it contains, and partly because many of the thoughts Menius expressed in it have also moved us in the preparation of the new translation.
And I was almost afraid of the food, not only because the work was great and heavy, but also because I considered my inability and worried that I might either have to let what I was about to do fall into disgrace, and succumb to weakness, or do it in such a way that it would never be done well. And even if I should tell the truth and confess it at once, it has been hard enough on several occasions, and it would have taken very little for me to get stuck with it. However, in the name of the Lord, I have again and again strained and continued until, with God's help, I have torn through it and reached the end, even though it has been hard and difficult enough for me to get through.
And although I have had to spend a good long time with it, I have also become tired of the work, writing and reading, more than just one; therefore, I would like to believe that one or two will also read themselves tired before they read it out. However, the manifold, beautiful and extremely comforting teachings contained in this book have pleased and delighted me so much that I have forgotten all boredom and fatigue because of it.
*) After Luther had already interpreted the Epistle to the Galatians once from 1516-1519 and had his explanation go out in the latter year, he began again in the winter semester of 1531-1532 to explain it in his lectures. (Köstlin, Martin Luther, vol. II, p. 272. Cf. vol. I, p. 291.) This second interpretation was copied by AI. Georg Rörer and first published it in 1535 under the title:In epistolam S. Pauli ad Galatas Commentarius, ex praelectione D. Martini Lutheri collectus. Vitebergae 1535 etc. At the end: Excusum Vitebergae per Joannem Lufft. This edition was reprinted in the same year at Hagenau by Peter Brubach. Eme other edition, which has on the title the addition: Jam denuo diligenter recognitus,
which I have no doubt will happen to every diligent reader.
For, in order that I may be aware of the great, exuberant benefit and comfort that every reader may receive from this book, let alone who would not heartily desire to see the great, glorious miraculous work that our Lord God visibly and obviously places before our eyes and lets us see how an exceedingly abundant treasury his holy word is of all graces, knowledge, comfort, eternal life, salvation and bliss, The Holy Spirit, through these few words of his apostle, which outwardly appear so bad, silly and simple, gives such exuberant, inordinate and incomprehensible consolation to poor consciences that no one's heart can grasp it in thought, much less that anyone should be able to express it in words. And if there were no other doctrine of godliness, no consolation nor admonition on earth, but this one epistle alone, so understood and considered, that nevertheless the whole world would have enough and enough of all kinds of godly doctrine and consolation.
Therefore, it is no small miracle of the Holy Spirit that He is in so few.
The Lord has given and distributed so much divine wisdom, heavenly secrets, comfort and living power against sin, death and all kinds of temptation to so many poor souls, because this great miracle has been that our Lord Christ fed and satisfied so many thousands of people with so little bread [Marc. 8, 5. 8. Joh. 6, 9. 12.]. Item, that God fed His people with bread from heaven in the wilderness, Ex. 16, 15. and watered them with water from the hard and dry rock [Ex. 17, 6. 7.]. So that we experience so obviously and certainly that man lives from the word of God [Deut. 8, 3], as the Jews have experienced such. For this reason, the size and length of this book should not deter anyone from reading it, but rather, for the sake of this divine miracle, should stimulate and encourage every godly person to do so. For what I speak now, I have experienced myself in interpreting.
But how well I have done, and how right I have been with the interpretation, I truly cannot say myself; for this reason, I hereby command others to judge and evaluate it. However, since this beautiful book contains almost all of the most important articles of the sacred Christian religion, it is not necessary for me to say.
castigatus etc. Adjecto etiam indice, appeared at Wittenberg by Hans Luft in 1538 (In the Erlanger Aus
gabe, Dom. I, p. X, is erroneously 1535.), which was reprinted in Frankfurt by Peter Brubach in 1543 and 1546. This second edition was provided by Luther himself with the preface, which we have presented to the interpretation. We do not know whether the first edition of 1535 was also provided with a preface by Luther, but it is certain that our preface, at least in its present form, cannot belong to an earlier time than 1538, because of the statements about the antinomians contained therein. (Cf. Kawerau, Agricola, p. 201, note 2.) That which is designated in the editions as [liu 6t drevm pruokutio (with the exception of the Latin Wittenberg, which does not contain this superscription) is not a "preface," but a "salutation of Luther to his hearers." The 1538 edition is included in the Latin collections of Luther's works: Wittenberger (1554), Dorn. V, coq. 2694"; Jenaer (1570), Dom. IV, col. 1; Erlanger, Dom. Justus Menius, then pastor and superintendent at Eisenach, translated this interpretation into German. This translation was included in the first volume of the Wittenberg edition, published as early as 1539; we find no news of an old single edition. This translation is also found in the later editions of Luther's writings: in the Wittenberg edition (1556), vol. I, p. I; in the Altenburg edition, vol. VI, p. 509; in the Leipzig edition, vol. XI, p. 1. In the last century, two individual editions of the same text appeared, namely one, without indication of the place, in 1717, organized by Samuel Lucius, preacher at Ansoldingen in the Canton of Bern; the other at Halle in 1737, published by I. G. Walch. A reprint of Walch's text review was published in 1856 in Berlin by Gustav Schlawitz. A French translation of the larger commentary appeared in Antwerp in 1583 by Arnoult Conink under the title: Declaration enti5re des fondemens de la Doctrine Chr^tienne, faite par Martin Luther sur VEpistre de St. Paul aux Galatiens, en laquelle est contenue une vraye et parfaite Exposition de la Justification, qui est par la Foy en Jesus Christ. Nouvellement revue, curieusement corrig^e et augment^e (suivant le Latin) de ce qui est6 [etait] obmis en l'Impression Francoise auparavant mise en Lumiere. The earlier French edition to which this title refers may perhaps be that which appeared at Geneva in 1564. In the Erlangen edition, Dom. I, p. XII, 8nl" Xo. IX of the editions of the Commentaria major, a Spanish translation is also given, but this is a translation of the smaller Commentary. Christian Friedrich Börner, the editor of the Leipzig edition of Luther's works, reports in the preface to Volume II, p. 28, that he has an English translation, which was printed in London in 1635. The approval of the Bishop of London, Edwin Sandys, was added to this edition, which was before the first English edition of 1575. Instead of the many praises given to this main writing of Luther (he himself calls it his best work, Limi86i1, ooUohuia, Dom. Ill, p. 196), we only add the words of Menius from his preface: "If there were no other doctrine of godliness, no consolation nor admonition on earth, but this few epistles alone, so understood and considered, that nevertheless the whole world would have enough and enough of all kinds of godly doctrine and consolation. We have re-translated according to the Wittenberg edition.
The main article of Justification, that is, which teaches how one must become righteous and blessed before God through the one faith in Jesus Christ alone, without the help of all kinds of laws and works, is emphasized and explained in the most powerful, abundant and comforting way, and in contrast, all the most prominent ungodly errors of the papal sophists and monks are thus overthrown by God's Word, and monks are thus refuted and overthrown by God's word, so that in the consciences and hearts of all pious, right-minded people, such devilish lies and blasphemies against the divine eternal truth must melt, dissolve and fly away, no differently than how the snow melts away from the sun, and the light chaff is scattered by the mighty wind: I nevertheless hope that I will have done so much in this interpretation, with my possible diligence, that such comforting articles of the Christian doctrine, as those dealt with in the interpretation, should be understood in good measure.
The loose junk of the sophists, school slaves and monks, de merito congrui et condigni; de gratia gratificante et gratum faciente; de fide acquisita et infusa, formata et informi; de qualitate inhaerente, and whatever else they have slurred, I do not know myself whether I have understood it correctly, or whether I have delivered it, and I take it for granted that among them the majority slur such words, like parrots and parakeets, without any understanding, and do not know themselves whether they are cut or stung. For it is such a hopeless, insolent slobber that, like a hut smoke or an assa foetida, it neither wants to be ingested nor reproduced; both of the things and words are almost such a theologia, as Constantini's donatio is a jurisprudence. For the things on both sides are in themselves vain lies and deceit, what the emperor Constantinus is supposed to have given to the pope of the empire, and what the sophists and monks promise to give to the poor consciences by their lies and alfalfaism in the kingdom of heaven.
In addition, there is such Latin on both sides, which, except for such gypsies, has never been used anywhere else in the whole world. And just as such theologians have a peculiar spirit (not of light nor of truth, but of darkness and lies), so they also speak with peculiar new tongues, not the great, glorious deeds of God, but only dark, incomprehensible, yes, outrageous and inexperienced lies and blasphemy of their pope and
devil out of hell. But I will take care, it should also be almost met and given so that whoever wants to pay attention to the things and think about them, he should also be able to understand it quite well. For whoever wants to take up strange, unknown things anew and learn to understand them, must also be accustomed to strange, new words and speeches.
However, no matter how it may be spoiled, I will nevertheless attribute such book to Your Lordship. Gn., and let it go out under the same name, because it is already owned by Ew. Gn., therefore, that it has been published by the above-mentioned my dear Lord, v. Martinum, in Ew. Gn. hochlöbliche Universität zu Wittenberg, and by the well-learned, pious, diligent man, M. Georg Rörern, has been most faithfully compiled, and thus brought together in this book. Therefore, I also fear that I am doing wrong and evil, and that I am doing Your Grace an injustice. Gn.'s honor, if I were to publish such a book other than under Your Honor's auspices. Gn. name. Just as Magister George, along with others, would also do wrong and evil if they kept such precious and noble treasures, of which they admittedly still have a great deal and are delicious, hidden among themselves and did not also communicate them to the other Christians.
Moreover, I also think that at this time no one is so much in need of this and similar books, and to read them diligently, as Ew. Gn. For although there is no doubt that all Christian hearts at all times need to be comforted and strengthened with God's word against the devil without ceasing, and there is no one who can arm himself too well against such a powerful and malicious enemy, it is certainly true, and can never be lacking, that the evil-doer of Ew. Gn. must be especially mortally hostile before all others, therefore that Ew. Gn. not only publicly profess the Christian truth for their own person with other believers in Christ, but also that in their lands and principalities, and even in their school and church at Wittenberg, the church and the school of the Church of the Holy Spirit have been established. Gn. school and church at Wittenberg, such comforting, wholesome teachings of the Holy Gospel have initially arisen, and our dear Lord Jesus Christ has planted, cherishes and adorns His most holy kingdom of grace in such beautiful peace, good order, in the most blessed way.
And so, that like a beautiful, wholesome, fragrant balsam garden, it now spreads to other principalities, yes, even to foreign nations and mighty kingdoms, with its wholesome good
The stench is spreading, and in the same foreign nations, kingdoms and countries innumerable poor, miserable consciences, who in their sins under God's wrath would otherwise have had to despair and perish utterly for eternity, are now thus refreshed and refreshed, that the blessed knowledge of the great graces and benefits of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, as if raised from the dead to life, yes, as if from the abyss of hell, where they had been truly imprisoned under the cursed, unholy pabstium, now leads them into Abraham's bosom, into the heavenly paradise and to eternal bliss. 1) And is such a comforting, wholesome teaching of the holy gospel ever a right good smell of life to the poor, miserable conscience. Just as it is also a stench of death unto death to all the ungodly and the damned, but especially to the accursed ministry, which is truly the real kingdom of sin of the Antichrist, of whom St. Paul proclaimed [2 Thess. 2:8] that the Lord would kill him with the spirit of his mouth; for which reason it is no wonder that he again rages and rages against it so horribly.
And there is no doubt that this and other such books will testify to eternal times, 2) what we have taught at this time from the holy gospel of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, both rightly and well, and what we have also challenged and rejected in the devilish, damned teaching of the counter-Christian papacy (of which they have been, of the sophists and monks), and all pious Christian hearts will be able to judge and judge from this, that we have not done this without necessity, out of frivolous presumption, out of ambition, for the sake of money, but that a greater and higher thing than the kingdom of the world, with all its power and glory, can be and become ever more to us than the glory of God, love of truth, and our own, together with all other poor Christians' miserable consciences, to save them from eternal destruction by God's power, and to help them through the true knowledge of Christ to grace and eternal blessedness, has moved, yes, forced and urged us to do so.
For although someone may think out of ignorance, or out of an envious, hostile heart against
1) Wittenberger: "auffrüret", a printing error.
2) Wittenberger: to become a witness.
to pretend to us that we were so blind and foolish that we had initially initiated this trade for the above-mentioned reasons: How could we be so mad and foolish that we should persist in it and not desist from it, after we have learned so grossly and with such great miserable sorrow in all the world that with this doctrine we will ever gain neither honor nor good, neither favor nor some temporal enjoyment before the world, but must wait for the antagonism; In addition, to put our life and limb, together with wife and children, in all kinds of danger, and through the adversary's iniquity and unjust judgment, to condemn ourselves as the very worst heretics, God's enemies and blasphemers, to the abyss of hell, and to make us entirely the devil's own? And such a thing should drive away and atone for the presumption of one, my mistake. But let each one think, speak and write what he wants and how he wants, so we can comfort ourselves that our dear Lord Jesus Christ is the one who justifies us; who then wants to condemn us?
Therefore, Most Gracious Sir, Your Lordship. Gn. may have this book, along with others like it, especially ordered, be very dear and valuable to you, so that, since Your Lordship is the most merciful of all, you will be able to read and understand it. Gn. have to tolerate more than one kind of challenge from the devil and his larvae every day, you may see from this book in every way and take comfort in the fact that such things are and will be inflicted on you by the devil and his kingdom, the damned world, for no other reason than solely for the sake of God's holy word and the poor Christian souls' eternal salvation and blessedness. Therefore also our dear God and Father in heaven, for the sake of His only dear Son, our dear Lord and Saviour JEsu Christ, Ew. Gn. in all such temptations and adversities against all kinds of tyranny, guile and evil treacherous practices of the adversaries, and will preserve them with all glory. Therefore all the pious God-fearing and Christ-believing hearts, who have been saved by such salutary teachings to grace and salvation from the cruel kingdom of darkness in the counter-Christian papacy, all over the world, without ceasing from the bottom of their believing hearts, most sigh, ask and plead most earnestly, amen.
So it has come to me that I have done it with the interpretation and have served pious God-fearing Christians with it, who should, next to
3) Wittenberger: and.
God, Your Lordship. Gn., as those to whom in their principalities and lands the holy and salutary Gospel, of the grace of our dear Lord JEsu Christ, is graciously granted and given by God to have, to honor and to promote before other potentates, therefore give thanks. If, however, I do not want to swear too much (that it ever happens from time to time), and some disgusting, tender spirits also want to sharpen their beaks and blame it, then I am here, gladly confess my guilt and foolishness, also want to bear the shame willingly, and grant them all honors from the heart; only that they both, for their own honor and for the benefit of pious Christians, may take the trouble and work of
They will not let themselves be put off, and where I have made a mess of it and have failed to do it there, they will do it right and do it better. For I have done my part, and I have never lacked any possible diligence and my good will. I therefore ask with all humility that Your Serene Highnesses. Your Grace will accept this small fortune of mine as a gracious favor, and I do your grace. Grace in the gracious protection and protection of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. Date Eisenach.
Ew. Churfl. Yours sincerely
Justus Menius, pastor at Eisenach.