THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Scriptures, not merely as regards its authority, but also its content/ so that he considered himself permitted to distinguish the higher character and value of individual books included in the Bible, and to make a further distinction between statements referring to divine revelation and those alluding to secular affairs.
The style of Luther was naturally strong, simple,
and clear; and, despite its depth and keenness, it
was as free from excess of feeling of
26. The fantasy as from dialectic subtlety.
Style of But, as he himself said, he must always
Luther, storm and fight. His basal concept of salvation ever occupied the foreground and center of his writings,*) even in the exegesis of texts where, strictly speaking, it scarcely applied. On the other hand, historical and linguistic accuracy were frequently imperfectly considered. The force of allegorical interpretation he denied, yet employed it as suggestive and enlightening. In his sermons, next to the requirement that Christ should be their theme, he sought intelligibility for the masses. They lack technical form, but combine exegesis and application, strictly following the thought and exhortation to be developed, though lacking an explicit theme.
In conformity with his recognition of the free activity of man in secular affairs, Luther possessed a lively interest in such matters. He highly valued all noble arts and sciences, and he had
27. The a keen appreciation of proverbs, fables, Personal and the like. His married life was
Life of marked by nothing noteworthy, yet it Luther, was true, happy, and patient,' as is I clearly shown by his letters and table-
talk. He was generous with his modest wealth, and among his friends his conversation was brisk and natural, though frequently far too coarse for a refined ear. ( In food he was extremely temperate,/despite his corpulency, and he often fasted for several days in succession. His inner life was one of humble struggle, amid the strongest temptations (due, in great part, to the bodily infirmities from which he frequently suffered), for his own salvation, a phenomenon the more remarkable in view of his unswerving conviction of the truth of his belief and his resolute attitude in the face of external dangers. He never formed far-reaching plans for the future, feeling that speedy death awaited him. Throughout his life he seemed to feel the impulse of a higher power constraining him to toil and fight; and in his obedience to the call he knew neither fear nor anxiety, but calmly awaited the results from on high. (Julius Kostlin t-)
For his contributions to hymnody Martin Luther deserves and receives the thanks of the Christian world. His activity in this direction included not only the writing of hymns but the compilation of hymnals, of which nine are on record, issued between 1524 and 1545, five of these be-
28. His ing revisions of his Geistliche Lieder. Hymns. These hymnals always contained a
large proportion of his own compositions; thus the Etlich christlich Lider Lobgesang un Psalm (Wittenberg, 1524) contained eight hymns of which four were his own, the Geistliche Lieder of |
Wittenberg, 1543, contained sixty-one hymns, of which he composed thirty-five. His own hymns were not all new, some of them being translations from the Latin, some revisions of pre-Reformation German hymns, while others were versions of Psalms or paraphrases of other portions of Scripture. In all Luther left thirty-eight hymns, the most celebrated of which is his "battle hymn," Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott, known best to those who worship in English in the version of Rev. F. H. Hedge, " A mighty fortress is our God," though the translation by Thomas Carlyle, " A safe stronghold our God is still," is justly celebrated on account of its strength and fidelity to the original. Other hymns which have passed into common use in English are Nun freut euch lieben Christengemein, many times translated, but known best in the version of Mrs. Charles, " Dear Christian people, all rejoice "; and Gelobet seist du Jesu Christ, anonymously translated into " All praise to thee, eternal Lord." More than all other work of Luther, excepting only his translation of the Bible, his hymns have become the household possession of the German people, while his great battle hymn was sung by Gustavus Adolphus before the battles of Leipsic and Liitzen, and by others in times almost as critical.
Bibliography: The Works of Luther have appeared in seven major editions: (1) the Wittenberg edition, 19 vols., 1539-58; (2) the Jena edition, 13 vols., 1555-58, with two supplementary vols., Eisleben, 1564-65; (3) the Altenburg edition, 10 vols., 1661-64, with additional volume, Halle, 1702; (4) the Leipsic edition, 23 vols., 1729-40; (5) the Walch edition, 24 vols., Halle, 1740- 1753; (6) the Erlangen-Frankfort edition, 103 vols., 1826- 1898; and the Weimar edition, begun in 1883, of which 35 vols, are issued (1909). Notes upon these editions will be found in Hauck-Herzog, RE, xi. 720-721. A standard edition of the Works in English is in course of publication by the Lutherans in All Lands Co., Minneapolis, 1904 sqq. The principal collection of the " Letters " is still that of W. M. L. de Wette and J. K. Seidemann, 6 vols., Berlin, 1825-56, though other collections are by C. A. H. Burkhardt, Leipsic, 1866; and D. C. A. Hase, Leipsic, 1878 (cf. G. Veesenmeyer, Litterargeschichte der Briefsammlungen . von Dr. Martin Luther, Berlin, 1821). Note should be made also of The Letters of Martin Luther. Selected and translated by Margaret A . Currie, London and New York, 1908. The best edition of the Tischreden, " Table Talk," is by C. E. Forstemann and H. E. Bindseil, 4 vols., Berlin, 1844-48. Of the Table Talk there are many English translations, e.g., by Capt. Henrie Bell, London, 1652, republished, Lewes, 1818; by W. Hazlitt, London, 1846; and the Centenary edition, ib. 1883. The Latin form, Colloquia, ed. H. E. Bindseil, 3 vols., Detmar, 1863-66. Luther's Dichtungen were collected by K. Godeke, Leipsic, 1883; and by G. Schleusner, Wittenberg, 1892. Among selections from his works mention may be made of E. Lessing's Martin Luther als deutscher Klassiker, Hamburg, 1908 (from Luther's poetical and popular prose writings); and R. Neubauer's Martin Luther; eine Auswahl aus seinen Schriften in alter Schriftform, Halle, 1908.
Lives written by contemporaries were: by Melanchthon, in his preface to vol. ii. of the Latin Works in the Wittenberg edition; by M. Ratzeberger, first published by C. G. Neudecker, Jena, 1850; and by J. Mathesius, ed. G. Losche in the Werke of Mathesius, vol. hi., Prague, 1898. The best life, made from the sources, is J. Kostlin, Martin Luther, sein Leben und seine Schriften, 5th ed. by G. Kawerau, 2 vols., Berlin, 1903; and the most accessible for English readers is H. E. Jacobs, Martin Luther, the Hero of the Reformation, New York, 1898. Among the immense literature upon Luther the following lives may be mentioned: M. Michelet, 2 vols., Paris, 1835, Eng. transl., London, 1846; M.Meurer, 3 vols., Dresden, 1843- 1846; K. Jiirgens, 3 vols., Leipsic, 1846-47; H. Lang, Berlin, 1870; G. A. Hoff, Paris, 1873; K. J. Ledderhose,