Bible, Catechism, and Hymnbook.
1. BIBLE. Among the many priceless treasures for which all Christendom
owes thanks, under God, to Luther, the translation of the Bible into
German is one of the grandest and one of the most glorious. In the
churches of that time Latin Bibles were used exclusively. The people,
however, were not acquainted with them; for, in the first place, laymen
could not read them, and, in the second place, they were forbidden to
read the Bible. In addition to this, the Bibles of that time were far
too expensive. An ordinary Latin Bible cost 360 florins, and one nicely
written out by monks even brought 500 dollars. It is true, there were
German translations of the Bible even before Luther, but they were so
inexact, and composed in such poor German, that the people could not use
them. And yet, if every Christian was to read and learn the Gospel which
Luther preached and proclaimed; if he was to convince himself from the
Scriptures of the errors of popery; if he was effectively to arm himself
against them; and if the Bible was to make him wise unto salvation, then
he had to have it in his own language. Luther was long since convinced
of this and had, therefore, already translated the seven Penitential
Psalms. When, in 1521, the Wartburg sheltered him against his enemies,
he, for the first, undertook the translation of the New Testament. He
wrote: "Till Easter I will remain here in seclusion. By that time I will
translate the Postil and New Testament into the people's language. That
is demanded by our friends." After completing the work he wrote to
Spalatin: "In my Patmos I had translated not only the Gospel according
to John, but the entire New Testament. Now we are at it to polish the
whole, Philip and I; God willing, it will prove a fine work." On the
21st of September, 1522, it appeared and sold at 1-1/2 florins. Although
the book was proscribed in many countries, the entire first edition was
sold in a few weeks. In the same year several new editions had to be
issued. Then Luther, with his friends, entered upon the translation of
the whole Bible. It was a most difficult task. Luther said of it: "It
frequently happened that we searched and inquired fourteen days, aye,
three or four weeks for a single word, and yet, at times, did not find
it." But God permitted him to complete the great work upon which, amid
countless battles and labors, his heart had been set for many years. In
1534 the complete Bible appeared.
[Illustration: The Translation of the Bible.]
Great was the joy with which Luther's translation was received at that
time. Melanchthon exclaimed, "The German Bible is one of the greatest
miracles which God has worked through Dr. Martin Luther before the end
of the world." And Mathesius added, "For to an attentive Bible-reader it
seems indeed as if the Holy Spirit had spoken through the mouth of the
prophets and the apostles in our German language." Now many thousand
thirsting souls could drink as often as they wished from that fountain
closed so long, and which offers pure, sweet, and truly satisfying
water. And they did it. Cochlaeus, a violent opponent of Luther, writes:
"Luther's New Testament has been so multiplied by the printers and
scattered in such numbers that even tailors and shoemakers, aye, even
women and the simple who had learned to read only the German on ginger
cakes, read it with intense longing. Many carried it about with them and
learned it by heart, so that, in a few months, they arrogantly began to
dispute with priests and monks on the faith and the Gospel. Indeed, even
poor women were found who engaged with learned doctors in a debate, and
thus it happened that in such conversations Lutheran laymen could
extemporaneously quote more Bible passages than the monks and priests."
2. CATECHISM. Another treasure which God gave to Christianity through
Luther is the Small Catechism. In order to inform himself on the
condition of the churches and schools Luther had early urged the elector
to order a general visitation of the churches. This visitation was held
with loving heart, but with open eyes, from 1527 to 1529. In the
vicinity of Wittenberg Luther and Melanchthon traveled from city to
city, from village to village, and inspected churches and schools. They
listened to the preachers and examined the church members. They found
things in a sad condition. The people and the pastors lived in deep
spiritual ignorance, for under the rule of the Pope they had received no
proper instruction in religion. In a village near Torgau the old pastor
could scarcely recite the Lord's Prayer and the Creed; in another place
the peasants did not know a single prayer and even refused to learn the
Lord's Prayer. Luther wrote: "Alas, what manifold misery I beheld! The
common people, especially in the villages, know nothing at all of
Christian doctrine; and many pastors are quite unfit and incompetent to
teach. Yet, all are called Christians, have been baptized, and enjoy the
use of the sacraments--although they know neither the Lord's Prayer nor
the Creed nor the Ten Commandments, and live like the poor brutes and
irrational swine." The following example illustrates how patiently
Luther instructed such people. When, at one time, he was examining the
poor peasants on the Christian Creed one of them, who had recited the
First Article, being asked the meaning of "Almighty," answered, "I don't
know!" Luther then said, "You are right, my dear man, I and all the
doctors do not know what God's power and omnipotence is; but only
believe that God is your dear and faithful father who will, can, and
knows how to help you and your wife and children in every need."
Such misery induced Luther, in 1529, to write the Small Catechism for
the instruction of poor Christendom. He himself says: "The deplorable
destitution which I recently observed during a visitation of the
churches has impelled and constrained me to prepare this Catechism or
'Christian Doctrine' in such a small and simple form." A learned doctor
writes of this excellent little book: "The Small Catechism is the true
Layman-Bible, which comprises the whole contents of Christian doctrine
which every Christian must know for his salvation." Of all books in the
world perhaps no other can be found that teaches the whole counsel of
God for our salvation in such brief form and in such clear and pointed
language. A truly popular book, it has cultivated the right
understanding of the Gospel among the common people and unto this day
proved of inestimable blessing. Very early Luther already could boast of
the fruits of his work. In the following year he wrote to the elector:
"How gracious is the merciful God in granting such power and fruit to
His Word in your country. You have in your country the very best and
most able pastors and preachers, such as you can find in no other
country of the world, who live so faithfully, piously, and peaceably.
Tender youth, boys and girls, are growing up so well instructed in the
Catechism and the Scriptures, that it makes me feel good to see how
young lads and little girls can now pray, believe, and speak better of
God and of Christ than formerly all institutes, cloisters, and schools."
3. HYMNS. Another precious gift for which all Christians should thank
Luther is the collection of his incomparable hymns and songs, so
childlike and devout, so simple and yet so powerful. When introducing
the Lutheran order of worship Luther took great pains that not only the
pastors and choristers, but also the congregations might sing their
hymns to God in heaven in their own mother's tongue. However, there were
very few German hymns at that time fit to be used in divine worship.
Luther, therefore, also undertook this work, and, in 1524, the first
hymnbook appeared. It contained eight hymns set to music, four of which
Luther had composed. The first evangelical church-hymn which Luther
wrote was that glorious song, "Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice."
In it, from his own experience, he describes human misery, and then
glorifies God's work of salvation. Then followed, "O God of Heaven, Look
Down and See," and, "Out of the Depths I Cry to Thee." Both of these
hymns are cries for help out of the depths of human misery in which the
congregation and every penitent Christian raises his voice to God on
high and is heard. Later on appeared hymns for the festive seasons:
"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come;" "All Praise to Jesus' Hallowed
Name;" "In Death's Strong Grasp the Savior Lay;" "Now Do We Pray God the
Holy Ghost." Then, among many more: "Though in the Midst of Life We
Be;" "In Peace and Joy I Now Depart." Above all others towers his hymn
of battle and triumph, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."
Especially powerful was the effect produced by Luther's hymns in those
days. The people never wearied of singing them, and in very many places
the Gospel was introduced by the triumphant power of the Lutheran hymns
intonated by pious church members. The opponents complained, "The people
sing themselves into this heretical church; Luther's hymns have misled
more souls than all his writings and sermons." In Brunswick a priest
complained to the duke that Lutheran hymns were sung even in the court's
chapel. The duke, though also very bitter against Luther, asked, "What
kind of hymns are they? How do they read?" The priest answered, "Your
Grace, one of them is, 'May God Bestow on Us His Grace,'" whereupon the
duke rejoined, "Why, is the devil to bestow his grace upon us? Who is to
be gracious to us if not God?" Concerning the effect of Luther's hymns a
friend writes: "I do not doubt that by the one little hymn of Luther,
'Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice,' many hundred Christians have
received faith who never before heard the name of Luther; but the noble,
dear words of this man so won their hearts that they had to accept the
truth."