at the palace of Frederick, the Wise, at Torgau, and an intimate friend of Luther’s, to assist him in preparing the hymns for singing. Luther’s desire was to have the school children taught these hymns first of all and then after they had become familiar with words and melody they would be able to lead the congregational singing, and the people would learn them more rapidly. The Preface for this book has been translated and appears below.
This book contained twenty-four of Luther’s hymns as follows:
Nun freut euch, liebe Christen gemein Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein Es spricht der Unweisen Mund wohl
Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir Ein neues Lied wir heben an Es wollt uns Gott gnudig sein Wohl dem, der in Gottes Furcht steht
Gelobet seist du, Jesus Christ
Jesus Christus, unser Heiland — (Hus’ hymn) Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet
Mitten wir im Leben sind
Jesus Christ unser Heiland, der den Tod uberwand Christ lag in Todesbanden
Nun komm, der Heiden Helland Christum wir sollen loben schon (schon)
Komm, heiliger Geist, Herre Gott Komm, Gott schopfer, heiliger Geist
Dies sind die heiligen zehn Gebot Wir glauben all an Einen Gott
Gott der Vater wohn uns bei Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
Mensch, willst du leben seliglich War Gott nicht reit uns diese zeit Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist
Two other hymnals are contemporary with this first Luther hymnal and each of them contain Luther hymns. It cannot be definitely established whether these appeared earlier than Luther’s first hymnal, or whether they were unauthorized ventures on the part of rival printers or publishers, or
the work of interested friends. But, in any case, they are valuable for comparison in studying Luther’s hymns.
The first of these, sometimes described as the earliest evangelical or Protestant hymnal, but this without definite grounds, bears the title: Etlich Christlich lider, Lobgesang und Psalm, dem rainen wort Gottes gemess aus der heyliegen schrifft durch mancherley hoch gelerter gemacht, in der Kirchen zu singen, wie es dann zum teyl berayt zu Wittenberg in ubung ist.
Wittenberg, 1524. There is no question relative to the date 1524, but German scholars state that the style of this title definitely establishes the fact that it was not a Wittenberg publication, but South German in origin, probably at Nurnberg. This book is known as the Achtliederbuch and contains four of Luther’s hymns; the first four in the foregoing list.
The second of these books appeared in 1524 at Erfurt. Its title is: Eyn Enchiridion oder Handbuchlein, einem ytzlichen Christen fast nutzlitch bey sich zu haben, zur stetter ubung und trachtung geystlicher geseng und Psalmen, Rechtschaffen und Kunstlich verteutscht. 1524. Gedruckt zu erfurd yn der Parmentergassen, zum Ferbefass. This book is known as the Erfurter Enchiridion; it contains twenty-five hymns, eighteen of which are Luther’s, number one to eighteen in the foregoing list. The book does not bear the name of any editor nor does its Preface have any name connected with it. Both book and Preface have been ascribed to Luther; it would seem that this would not be borne out because Luther signed the Prefaces that he wrote and is known to have resented anonymous and unauthorized publication of his own hymns. But the editor and writer of the Preface of the Enchiridion, whoever he may have been, has given this book an original character. It was issued in order to give the congregation, — the common people, — opportunity and means to familiarize themselves with the songs sung in church, so that they would understand what would be going on there. This book may, ,therefore, be looked upon as a hymnal for household and private use primarily and not necessarily or distinctively congregational.
In 1529 Luther prepared the second hymn book and wrote a new Preface for it. The title of this book is: Geistliche Lieder auffs new gebessert zu Wittemberg. D. Mar. Luther. 1529. Gedruckt zu Wittenberg durch Joseph Klug, 1529.
This is the Klug Gesangbuch. It contained fifty-four numbers of which twenty-eight were Luther hymns. In addition to the twenty-four of the
Wittenberg Walther Book, the following new hymns were printed here for the first time:
Verleih uns Frieden gnadiglich Jesaia dem Propheten das geschah
Herr Gott, dich loben wir Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
Thirteen years later another booklet issued from the Klug press bearing Luther’s name and the longest hymn book Preface which he ever wrote.
The title of this booklet is: Christliche Geseng Lateinisch und Deudsch, zum Begrebuis. D. Martinus Luther. Witternberg, Anno 1542. Gedruckt durch Joseph Klug. Although this did not contain any new hymns it,
nevertheless, is unique. It is probably the first hymnal ever prepared for this distinctive and specifically limited use; namely, in connection with the Burial of the Dead. It is the first evangelical collection of this character and must ever be outstanding on account of the explicitness and doctrinal character of its Preface. And the collection of Epitaphs both in direct quotations from Holy Scriptures and in versified form is by no means the least part of Luther’s contribution to this particular use. The booklet contains the following Luther hymns:
Aus tiefer Noth Mitten wir im leben sind
Wir glauben all Mir Fried und Freud Nun bitten wit den heiligen Geist The only other hymns in the booklet were Michael Weiss’, Nun lass uns den Leib begraben, and the Latin hymn of Aurelius Prudentius, Iam moesta quiesce querela.
The last authorized Luther hymnal appeared in 1545. The title is:
Geystliche Lieder. Mit einer newen vorrhede. D. Mart. Luth. Leipzig. At the end of the book is the following colophon:
Gedruckt zu Leipzig, durch Valentin Babst, in der Ritterstrassen. 1545.
This is quite a good sized book. It is in two parts. The first contains eighty- nine hymns with many interspersed prayers, in many cases German
translations of proper Collects. After number 80 in this first part there follows a complete reprinting of Luther’s Christliche Geseng Lateinisch
und Deudsch zum Begrebnis, including the Preface to that booklet.
Number 37 is Die deutsche Litaney and number 38 is the Latina Litania Correcta. The second part includes forty numbers. There are many interesting full page wood cuts and every page is surrounded by an
ornamental border. In his Preface, Luther refers to the pains the printer had taken to make this hymnal attractive. He certainly succeeded. It is not only artistic but a beautiful specimen of the printer’s art in those early days. The book includes all the Luther hymns already noted in connection with the earlier hymnals, and in addition eight others as follows:
Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her Sie ist mir lieb, die werte Magd
Vater unser im Himmelreich Was furchst du, Feind Herodes, sehr
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schar
Der du bist drei in Einigkeit.
Literature:
Geystliche Gesangk Buchleyn W. Ed., 35:474
B. 8:3
Wa: 10:1722
Geistliche Lieder auffs neu gebessert W. Ed., 35:475
B. 8:7
Wa: 10:1726
Christlithe Gesang Lateinisch und Deutsch zum Begrebnis W. Ed., 35:478
B. 8:9 Geistliche Lieder
W. Ed. 35:476 B. 8:16
Wa: 10:1724
See also: Koch, E. E., Geschichte d. Kirchenlieds u. Kirchengesangs, 3d Ed.
Wackernagel, Ph., Das deutsche Kirchenlied.
Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology.
PAUL ZELLER STRODACH