# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1855 02 13_S103
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

103

merit." —

We, the editor of the "Lutheraner," should almost doubt that this loud praise from a Reformed man will be very agreeable to the "Lutheran Herold," however agreeable a quiet praise of this kind may be to it. We write this by no means because we begrudge the Herold the partiality which the Reformed cherish for it; but we seize the opportunity thus offered to declare that we are not desirous of such patronage and, as "Lutherans," by God's grace strive also hereafter to "represent" not a milder, so-called Melanchthonian, but simply the Lutheran view concerning the Sacraments and other articles of the Christian faith.

Confession of a Methodist.

Thus writes a Mr. J. H. Bahrenburg, probably a presiding elder, from the South Indiana District, in the "Apologete," in the number of the 11th Jan. of this year:

"That our church has already suffered much damage through unfit preachers no sensible man will deny." —

To these men we also belong and, as we hope, all Lutherans of the stated kind who have had opportunity to become acquainted with Methodist preachers. It is horrifying what is often found among the Methodists in the way of ignorant, coarse, good-for-nothing preachers, who, however, are as a rule the more impudent in passing judgment and the madder in all sorts of enthusiastic doings, the lower the stage of education was on which they stood when they were raised to the dignity of a preacher. Most of all the poor Methodists seem to us to suffer damage from those subjects who, because in Germany they could not satisfy the itch to be teachers (James 3:1), betake themselves for that reason to the Methodists, in order here at last to let awl, or needle, sawhorse, plow, anvil, etc., stand and lie, and to be able to attempt the conversion of others, after all attempts at conversion on their own worthy persons have failed. Since the above confession, if it is sincere, shows that the Methodists know this quite well themselves, it would be unnecessary to cite particular examples. Would that with that frank confession a true repentance might also be joined; then there should not fail to be also a speedy Lutheran absolution.

Luther's Exhortation to Learn to Speak English.

"I hold not at all with those," writes Luther, "who give themselves so entirely to one language only and despise all others. For I would gladly bring up such youth and people as could be of use to Christ also in foreign lands and speak with the people" (thus not merely about business matters, as many Christians here, even young immigrants, get no further in English); "that it might not befall us as the Waldensians in Bohemia, who have so imprisoned their faith in their own language that they can speak with nobody intelligibly and plainly unless he first learn their language. So did the Holy Ghost not in the beginning; He did not wait until all the world should come to Jerusalem and learn Hebrew, but gave all manner of tongues for the preaching office, that the apostles could speak wherever they came. This example I would rather follow; and it is also fitting that the youth be exercised in many languages: who knows how God may use them in time? For this too the schools are founded." (Deutsche Messe und Ordnung des Gottesdienstes of 1526. Tom. Hal. X, 270.) Herewith, however, we would by no means have spoken for those Germans who over the English so neglect their mother tongue that they hardly understand it any more and still less can speak it properly. If a German Lutheran here is to learn English in order to serve his neighbor in things earthly and spiritual, it is then naturally for his own sake a still far holier duty to preserve the jewel of the German language. For what language has the treasures of divine science as the German has?

(Sent in by Pastor Schick in Chicago.)

Dr. Martin Luther's complete German works,

according to the oldest editions, critically and historically edited by Dr. Elsperger, Plochmann, Schmid and Irmischer. (Erlangen and) Frankfurt am Main, at Heyder and Zimmer.

Since Luther's complete German works in this edition are now available entire in 64 volumes, we call the attention of the readers of the Lutheraner to it once more. It is the first complete edition which contains the writings of Luther brought to light for the first time within the last hundred years, and thus also those lacking in the Walch edition. So, for example, volumes 44-47, which are printed therein after a Wolfenbüttel manuscript, are contained neither in the Walch edition nor in any other complete edition.

Over the Walch edition, which until now was the most complete and convenient, this new edition has the following advantages besides:

1. Whereas the Walch edition does not give proper account of the original prints and manuscript sources laid at the foundation of its text, and also does not say whether the manuscripts used were original or copy, this one gives, in literary-historical introductions to each single writing, a bibliographical survey of the original prints and the proof of their reprinting in the various older collections.

2. The language of the Walch edition is not the language of Luther, but that of its editor. The Erlangen edition, on the other hand, gives the German writings in the original pure text, according to the original edition printed at Wittenberg under Luther's own eyes, with careful retention of all peculiarities of language and only an accommodation of the orthography and punctuation to the present, so that the language of Luther, as the peculiar stamp of his spirit, has remained untouched.

The many alterations, additions and omissions which have crept into the Walch edition are so considerable that in the first 18 volumes of the second and third division alone no fewer than 10,404 variants of the Walch edition have been corrected according to the original texts.*)

*) The dear Pastor Schick will allow us the remark that, although we must only confirm the truth of what is said, the great number of the variants by no means makes the Walch edition unreliable and unusable as a whole, nor disputes to it the advantages, important in other respects, which it has over all other editions. The Ed. of the Luth.

The Erlangen edition is therefore not only the most complete, but also the only critical complete edition.

The German writings of Luther are arranged in this edition in the following divisions:

Volumes 1-6. House Postil.

" 7-15. Church Postil.

" 16-20. Miscellaneous Writings.

" 21-23. Catechetical Writings.

" 24-26. Writings on the History of the Reformation.

" 27-32. Polemical Writings.

" 33-52. Exegetical Writings.

" 53-64. Miscellaneous Writings (Letters, Table Talk, Hymns, Marginal Glosses, etc.)

The publisher has recently reduced the retail price of the complete German writings of Luther to 21⅓ Prussian thalers, whereby he has given a new proof that in his undertaking he has before all things the interest of science and of the Church in view. Besides, he promises, upon the purchase of lots of 25-50 copies, the most favorable terms. Single divisions also are to be had, e.g. the complete German exegetical writings in 20 volumes for 7⅔ Prussian thalers; also single volumes at ½ Prussian thaler.

We close our notice with a proposal to our brethren in the ministry. Should they not, in view of the highly moderate price, quite insignificant for this rich country, of this most valuable edition of Luther's German works, the greatest treasure of German as of all Christian literature besides the Holy Scripture, feel moved to call the more diligent members of their congregations also to it? What a blessing Luther's writings might again become even in the present time for his dear Germans, if they were only put into their hand and rightly used by them! For Luther's name and Luther's word have to this day a good ring for every German ear. The pastors ought earnestly to take up the spreading of Luther's German writings also among their congregations, and above all, at suitable places, larger lots ought to be imported, so that they might be easily and constantly to be had by everyone.

Whoever has Luther's works in his house has a great treasure!