13

A Declaration of How Karlstadt Regards His Teaching about the Venerable Sacrament et cetera and Wants It to Be Regarded

(September 1525)

As a condition for being allowed to return to Saxony, Karlstadt wrote two pamphlets. In the first, Entschuldigung D. Andres Carlstats des falschen namens der auffrür / so jm ist mit vnrecht auffgelegt, he defended himself against charges that he had been involved in the Peasants’ War.¹ The second pamphlet, Erklerung wie Carlstat sein ler von dem hochwirdigen Sacrament vnd andere achtet vnd geachtet haben will, for which Luther provided a preface, was published in Wittenberg by Johann Rhau in the second half of September 1525 (VD16, B6163; Barge and Freys, “Verzeichnis,” no. 148). This pamphlet was reprinted five more times over the course of 1525: in Augsburg by Simprecht Ruff (VD16, B6151; Barge and Freys, “Verzeichnis,” no. 147), in Erfurt by Johann Loersfeld (VD16, B6159; Barge and Freys, “Verzeichnis,” no. 152), in Nuremberg by Friedrich Peypus (VD16, B6160; Barge and Freys, “Verzeichnis,” no. 150), and in Strasbourg by both Johann Knobloch (VD16, B6162; Barge and Freys, “Verzeichnis,” no. 149) and Johann Prüss (VD16, B6162; Barge and Freys, “Verzeichnis,” no. 151).² It was also printed together with Karlstadt’s Entschuldigung . . . des falschen names der auffrür in Augsburg by Simprecht Ruff (VD16, B6158; Barge and Freys, “Verzeichnis,” no. 147). There is a critical edition of the pamphlet, with Luther’s preface, in WA 18:453–66, which I have used for this translation; the pamphlet is also edited in Laube, Flugschriften von Bauernkrieg, 1:87–101.

[453] MARTIN LUTHER TO ALL DEAR CHRISTIANS: GRACE AND PEACE IN CHRIST, OUR SAVIOR

Dr. Karlstadt has written another pamphlet for me in which he explains himself and his writings, especially those he has published about the venerable sacrament.³ I rejoice greatly that he testifies freely and openly that he does not want this teaching of his to be considered as certain and proven truth, as he also himself does not and cannot consider it to be, but instead he made public his view and understanding as a form of questioning, so that he could hear and learn how one might solidly and firmly prove and confirm it. And indeed, when I think back and consider, I am myself very aware that almost all of his pamphlets have titles or headings that sound like and are proposed to show that he is presenting an idea and disputation and is not concluding anything finally as an article of faith, for his titles generally state, “whether one can prove this or that from scripture.” In addition, his prefaces also testify that he is asking and searching, and inciting others to ask and search with him.

[454] But because he treated the matter with such weighty, strident words in his writings and I saw that so many people accepted and adhered to them, I forgot his titles and prefaces, and I myself thought no differently than that this was his earnest understanding. This perhaps happened to others as well, and so it is truly necessary for him to publish this explanation and he is himself obligated to do so. And although it is dangerous to waver, doubt, or especially to dispute in matters and articles of faith when someone persists in his own views, we who are certain are nevertheless obliged to help these same wavering and questioning hearts and to extend a hand to them in their danger, to listen to their questions and inquiries, arguments and movements in a friendly way, and to lay the scripture before them and help them out of their uncertainty. For one should never despair of those who waver and who request and ask for firm ground, as those who are not yet obstinate and sunk but who are still open and swimming and gladly want to reach the shore.

For everyone should be told that whatever the Holy Spirit teaches or causes to be understood has these two virtues. First, that it makes the one who has it certain and sure, as John says, 1 John 2[:27], “As the anointing teaches you, so it is true and no lie.” Second, that it makes one courageous, at peace, and comforted to confess this against death and the devil. Thus he is also called spiritus veritatis, a spirit of truth: spirit because he makes courageous and consoled; truth because he makes sure and certain that it is not and cannot be otherwise. Now because Karlstadt, Zwingli, and all others who discuss this article speak from their imagination and questions, as they themselves confess,⁴ it is certain that they do not yet have the spirit in this article, and that they speak from human darkness and not from the spirit. Therefore everyone should guard themselves against their understanding and act in such a way that they do not accept it and adhere to it. But if he doubts and imagines with them, he should persist and put off making up his mind until he is also certain and sure, or he will endanger his soul. For what we should believe must not be imagination and darkness but instead certain truth that will stand against a thousand hells. God’s grace be with us all. Amen.

[455] BECAUSE I, ANDREAS BODENSTEIN VON KARLSTADT, realize that some people consider my books that I’ve written about the venerable sacrament as if they were proven, divine teaching and now consider it as certain that the body of Christ cannot be bodily in the sacrament, I must explain myself better and make known how everyone should consider my writings.

I had thought that no one would draw from my books such a grave understanding that he would regard as a sure, divine foundation, because I wrote with clear words that I wanted to accept Christian instruction, so that I would present myself as still obligated [to consider it] a private matter and confess that I myself am still unsure. Likewise, and as I also wrote, I have no scripture that compels me to [accept] the old understanding or another view, and I published my writings (as I thought) so that one should understand from them that no scripture held or subjected me to obedience so that I would have to say that the body of Christ must be bodily in the Lord’s bread, etc.

I speak and write out of my own head and my own ability and with the grace given me, and not out of the understanding and grace given to all men. For in all these writings or statements it says that everything is unresolved and that there are many thousands who have received much more capable eyes and ears from God than I have, who can take from God’s word a more solid position than I can, who find the one divine understanding in that place where I am unable to find it. For I know well that through my natural abilities I am not able to fathom and dig out the meaning of holy scripture. The readers of my books should keep this in mind and consider nothing as proven and divine before they are assured from God’s holy scripture. But because this has not happened and does not happen very often now, those disciples who look only at who the writer is should know this: I did indeed [456] desire to give a divine and proven teaching, but not before and no further than what we have sufficiently examined and considered from scripture, so that we actually know and don’t just think that we are certain and no longer doubt. Before this happens—and it has not yet happened—my teaching should be considered as no better than as something imagined and thought about.

And these people should examine and recognize the time, and not draw any complete or conclusive judgment from my writings but should suspend judgment. As Paul teaches, “One or two should speak and the others judge or recognize. But when one of them has a revelation, then the speaker should be silent” [1 Cor. 14:29–30]. My readers should do the same, namely, recognize and not conclude or be sure before the revelation has come, or before they are conquered and taken captive by God’s word and driven into obedience to the divine truth.

But the majority depart from holy scripture and few regard what is founded in scripture, but many boast about the person and have no other comfort or reason than this sandy ground, “This or that person has written it; he teaches this and so I believe it with him.” They seek out not the fountain of living and undeceiving water but instead the cistern from which naturally nothing good and no truth can flow, but only folly, deception, etc. Namely, they abandon God and look to men, about whom it is written, “What goes out of their hearts defiles them,” Matthew 15[:18]; and “All men are liars,” Psalm 17[116:11]; “No one regards God,” Psalm 20[:8], 3[:2]. Don’t you know what scripture says? Doesn’t God say, “Cursed is the one who trusts in men” [Jer. 17:5]? And, “Everything that flesh and blood reveals is satanic and not divine, seductive and not true, despicable and not praiseworthy” [Wis. 17:30]? Isn’t it horrible that human wisdom is enmity against God? And that our wisdom cannot please God? Therefore you should all be wise and sure that what Karlstadt’s flesh and blood have discovered, understood, presented, or learned is not good, nor can it be divine. Now if this is neither good nor harmless, then you should rightly fear that you will seize upon something in Karlstadt’s book as divine that comes from Karlstadt, or might understand something as good that is actually bad. Open your eyes and minds and ask God that he preserve you from false teaching as often as you read the books of men. Truly, it has always seemed wrong to me that some regard and cling to the person. If you want to boast that you regard the person, whether Zwingli or Karlstadt, you’ll win nothing, as I have said, and will endanger yourself, as I have now warned you. But you know very well [457] that there have been and still are many holy persons who consider it to be divine teaching that the body of Christ is bodily in the sacrament and is eaten bodily. How many martyrs have died in this faith and how many other saints? Do you want to speak of the most learned? Who is more learned than Augustine? Do Cyprian and Jerome mean nothing to you? What about Ambrose or Bernard? If you want to boast of the crowd, then the other side is far better, although it is forbidden, but some still blather about this new understanding and can speak on no other basis than regard for a poor person.

I confess before God, without insult but from my heart, that all that I have written, said, or taught from my own understanding or have found within myself is human, false, unpraiseworthy, seductive, satanic, to be feared and fled from. I must confess this to honor the truth and to praise God in divine matters or teaching. Do Karlstadt’s writings or books boast of divine truth without understanding? Can you trumpet the teaching of a poor man and raise yourself up with him?

I want this said and believed about my teachings not only in this article concerning the venerable sacrament, but in all of the material that I have written concerning the mass, idols, and other articles. Namely, I desire this: no one should think that my teaching is good, right, true, divine, or salutary unless he has become certain of this from the salutary word of God, for I want my writings to be judged according to God and from God’s word. The reader should praise or criticize my teaching on the basis of holy scripture. But many fall over their consciences and base themselves on my books like hungry sows in the filth, and as is the manner of pigs, they root around in the manure and tread the noble pearl, God’s word, underfoot into the manure [Matt. 7:6] and bend God’s word according to my teaching, doing all things backwards, twisted, and against my will.

What is the reason? This is the reason: that the majority seek not a foundation and truth but curiosities and novelty. When I think that not a few have accepted my imaginings or thoughts as pure novelty and rarity and have no other intention than that they want to speak about something new in front of others in the taverns and inns, aren’t these genuine graves of craving,⁵ poor, and foolish people? Wouldn’t all pleasure in writing be extinguished in the face of such ambitious hypocrites? Aren’t they morally loose, rough, and unbelieving people who seek only honor and praise? These dishonor and insult God’s word the most when they carry around and spread God’s word for their own fame.

Truly, with these people the outside is painted, but the inside is only corpses and bones [Matt. 23:27]. They build on and comfort themselves by relying only on the reed or the soft breeze of a person. These are the sows before which one should not cast pearls [Matt. 7:6].

[458] But I do not want to rebuke all people with this or to frighten away or deter pious Christians from reading Christian writers, for Paul writes, “You should test all things and hold to what is good,” 1 Thessalonians 5[:21]. Nor do I want to draw anyone away from the use of prophecy or to hinder the least person from hearing and judging, since I know well that Paul writes, “I wish that you all might prophesy and recognize or judge,” 1 Corinthians 14[:5]. I do not want to speak to anyone about his divine revelation, because I know what is written in Matthew 11[:25] and John 5[:32], or to dampen or extinguish God’s spirit, for scripture says “You should not extinguish the spirit,” 1 Thessalonians 5[:19], “but test to see if it is from God.”

Whatever is good and divine is salutary and true and should be accepted from whomever one finds, whether he is old or young, man or child, high or low. Whatever is divine in my books I do not reject, nor can anyone pressure me to contradict divine truth, believe me.

But I cannot allow sows to root about in my teaching—those who want to be Christians and who gobble up only what they esteem as human. Towards God’s teaching they act as dogs running about and do not seek God and their blessedness. Note what I say: I reject what is not divine and want everyone to reject it as freely.

But if you are still uncertain about something, you should not on any account become certain on the basis of my writing. The truth, God’s truth, is recognized through God’s grace, and only this can and should free you from all error and failings and make you sure and certain, John 8[:32]. You must seek for it in the place where it lies or stands in the streets and cries, “Come to me,” etc. [Prov. 1:20; Matt. 11:28].

I had to allow my books to be printed; I meant this in no other way, and I thought only that my thoughts were well supported, good, right, divine, and salutary, nor do I think differently today. But I am not certain, and so no one can make me greater than I am or place me higher than I allow. My books cannot cause any harm or mislead anyone if they are read and regarded as I wanted them to be read and regarded, as I have written above. For indeed they cause so little harm that some have become more firm and certain in their faith than before. For this reason I have also not merited great ingratitude.

[459] I would gladly have desired that nothing in the world was written, on account of those fellows who do not seek divine truth at all or who consider something to be certain and sure for which they have no other support than the name of a poor person. And truly, if I had been concerned about these dangerous times, no one would have gotten any of my books out of me with an axe. For I have had to wander in misery for this reason and had to have all my enemies in those places where they wished or placed me. This is also one of the reasons that I have come under suspicion of rebellion among those precious Christians who condemn before they know anything.

And truly, I did not spread my teaching on the sacrament, etc. any further or to more persons than to those who heard me speaking, and if one person could have heard me, then these books would still be in ink and pen. A good friend asked me to set forth and present my understanding in writing for his own person, and he brought such teaching about the sacrament from me with many friendly words and continuous requests.⁶ After that my pamphlets were printed and through printing entered the wide world, and so I, poor man, have become poor and an object of loathing and a horror to many who should have held me not as an enemy but sought, with sighs and from Christian love, to bring me back as an erring person, since I have always desired the light and offered myself before the law and for questioning and wanted to be taught a better view wherever I was.

From this many should understand how to judge and consider my writings, and that I myself cannot swear that [what I have written] must be so. I have introduced, used, and presented the scripture on which I have based and established my teaching. If I have misused and twisted this same scripture—which truly would happen from ignorance and I would be sorry for—then certainly my teaching is neither good nor godly, nor should it be accepted.

I hear also that Dr. Zwingli supposedly wrote in a pamphlet that my teaching is correct but that it does not follow from the holy scripture that I cited. If that is true, this good man has given a hard shove to himself and to me, [460] for I also used this verse, “The flesh is of no use” [John 6:63], as one of my justifications. But Zwingli regards this same verse as the best and the strongest justification, as I also hear.⁷ Therefore I do not know what he himself means and how he wants to be understood, or how certain he is in his heart or whether he has spoken this judgment on account of my person. But I desire this from all of my readers, that all those who know that my grounds are unserviceable or unfitting or poorly presented should also consider the building that I have built on them to be wrong. For this concerns more than fields and substance, body or death; it concerns eternal life or eternal fire. Therefore each person should look to God’s right foundation, should know and not imagine, and also not conclude anything until he is certain, for we should not go about with a fictitious belief that does not know the word of God.

But no one should consider me an enemy or persecute me when so much rests on this. If he is a Christian, then I have earned his gratitude, for it cannot be doubted that concerning this and other articles many thousands have nothing more certain than to speak about bare, old custom, which truly knows not even a letter of the word of faith, from which faith comes, and they are now moved to examine the scripture and God’s word themselves with diligence, which will serve to their great salvation. For we should not boast of any other wisdom or divine mystery, as it is written in Deuteronomy 4[:5–6] and 39[:29] and in many epistles of Paul [1 Cor. 1:31].

Why is this? They should not think that they have a correct faith or blessed eyes (as the apostles of the Lord had and as we all must have if we want to be righteous and blameless before God) if they have not been taught by God and do not know how to testify to the word of faith but only to this old refrain, “I have always heard, my parents also believed this.” For Christ says, “Whoever is from God [461] hears God’s word,” John 8[:47]. “My sheep hear my voice; they do not hear the voice of a stranger,” John 10[:4–5]. “Beware of false prophets; they speak the tales of their hearts,” Jeremiah 23[:16]. Likewise, “Your mother is a Hittite, your father an Amorite. As the mother is, so is the daughter, and the son is like the father,” Ezekiel 10 [16:44–45]. Therefore that boast and consolation is false and should be feared, in which the world has lain for so long and has known nothing other than the faith of their parents and the cry of the wolves who wear sheep’s clothing.

I rejoice before God that in all of my writings I have sought, intended, and presented this foundation, that through his obedience and death on the cross Christ became our righteousness before God and our perfect and eternal savior, and that we have complete forgiveness of all our sins through his passion, as Paul wrote a hundred times, and as Isaiah and Christ taught before him. Likewise, that we have this forgiveness of our sins not from pure grace but from righteousness; that is, we have a true and proper payment for our sins; that is, Christ suffered so much and more, for we have all sinned, and he redeemed the handwritten [decree] of our guilt with his passion [Col. 2:14] and paid for everything that was written on that manuscript, and he posted our manuscript on the cross. The manuscript of our guilt is the law of Moses, which Moses wrote as a testimony of our sins, guilt, evilness, and folly, as Moses himself says, or God through Moses, Deuteronomy 31[:24–26]. This same law of God reveals our sins, Romans 6 [5:20], 7[:7], and as often as we look on it, so often we find our guilt, and the deeper we go into it, the more we perceive our sins, and in addition our cursedness and God’s wrath against us. But Christ took away this same law or manuscript, as I’ve said, and posted it on the cross, Ephesians 2 [Col. 2:14], and has abolished it so completely that there is no more consciousness of it, but instead the consciousness and law of sins has been abolished, Hebrews 9 [8:12–13]. And so we need no longer fear accusation or guilt or God’s wrath or the devil—to whom we were given on account of our guilt—and may joyfully ask and respond, “Who will lay a charge against us on account of our sins? It is God who justifies us; who will condemn us? Christ is here who died for us. What? God is on our side, and so if God is now for us, who can be against us? God did not spare his own son but gave him for us; how can it be that he will not forgive us all our sins?” Romans 8[:31–34]. Accordingly we have righteousness, and we are rightly made clear and our debt is paid and given to us for free, for God has given his son for our guilt, and the Son gave himself as the redemption money for us, 1 Timothy 2[:6], and he paid for our injury with what was more precious than silver and gold, for he [462] redeemed us with his flesh and blood, body and life [1 Pet. 1:18–19], and abolished all the guilt of all the world, richly, wholly, and completely, and beyond that paid it all at one time, and he did not leave any little bit to pay. Therefore we rightly have come away from the devil through Christ and not from pure grace. It is true that if we hold up and compare God and Christ’s righteousness to ourselves, then we have nothing but pure grace. But when we compare Christ’s redemption to our guilt, then we have more than grace, for Christ has given us his passion; that is, Christ has given us the money and made it our own, so that we could pay all our debts. If someone gives me ten gulden with which I pay my creditor, this gift would be pure favor or grace, but the redemption consists in righteousness. When he also gives me the money himself and so clears me of it, then I would afterwards have grace and righteousness, and I would be sure and certain of redemption.

So I have taught about the forgiveness of our sins, and I have set forth these grounds and called believers to them, so that they would learn how Christ has become our righteousness as he was promised by the prophets, Jeremiah 23[:5–6], Isaiah 53[:1–12], Luke 2[:30–32], and how Christ justifies us through his passion, and in what way we have obtained forgiveness of sins in the shed blood of Christ, so that they do not seek forgiveness of their sins or understand it in the way that a priest forgives sins or as Christ spoke on earth, “Stand up, your sins are forgiven you” [Mark 2:5–11], but instead they know how to speak about the righteousness of our redemption and understand the righteousness of our faith and how God justifies our hearts through faith in Christ. But this is always the right foundation, namely, Jesus Christ the crucified, and no one may lay any other foundation, and I rejoice in this [1 Cor. 3:11].

If from ignorance I have built on this foundation with hay or stubble, then I have done it from lack of understanding and I am wholly unaware of it. But if, as I have just said, I have a zeal for God and no skill and have built on that foundation something that will be destroyed by fire, I hope that for myself I have suffered enough fire and overcome the damage [1 Cor. 3:12–15].

But if anyone was deceived through such hay, wood, or stubble, he should blame himself and not me. First, I never commanded or coerced anyone to accept my teaching. Second, I have pointed people away from me to the truth and to Christ. Third, every Christian should know from Christ’s teaching that he should be simple as a dove and shrewd as a serpent [Matt. 10:16] and should test the spirits to see whether they are from God or not [1 John 4:1], as I have said above. Thus the fault belongs to the foolish reader (if anyone has been led astray, which I am not aware of), [463] about whom I spoke and complained above, that they lap up human nonsense and do not base themselves on God’s word.

Therefore I hope submissively in all Christian princes and lords, and entrust myself cordially to all other Christians, that they will not accuse me too much after [reading] this explanation, and that they will not consider me guilty when some hold one view and others a different view concerning the venerable sacrament or understand it differently than is commonly preached. What God has planted will withstand wind and water. What God does not plant will be rooted out and will perish; nothing can prevent it and no power can do anything about it.

In all due submission, I ask all Christian princes and lords and all who love God that they will consider this explanation in grace and friendship and not turn away from me because I have not written with such flowery words as I like to write when I can. [I ask that] I not be further oppressed or persecuted without being examined, or allowed to be oppressed or persecuted before I am convicted.

And if anyone does not want to spare me, they should spare their own salvation, for God will measure all men with the yardstick and measure with which they measure. “Whoever injures the least of those who belong to God has injured the apple of God’s eye,” Zechariah 2[:8]. God will punish not only acts of persecution but also those using the mouth, as it is written, “Whoever says to his brother, ‘fool’ is deserving of the fire; whoever becomes angry at his brother is guilty of judgment,” Matthew 5[:22]. “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer,” 1 John 3[:15]. These are terrible words to be considered in the heart by all those who fear God’s punishment or who know that God will make his punishment, which he has delayed due to his divine patience, the same as that for great and serious [sins], Romans 2[:1–3]. Anyone who does not want to spare me should spare himself, for nothing will remain unavenged; the God who never lies has said so. I have always been a member with all Christians, for I know and confess that Christ redeemed me through his death, led me into the kingdom of his father, and has made me partake of the heavenly inheritance. Because the faith that I have in the complete righteousness of Christ and our redemption has caused this teaching, I ask that you do not consider me to be a stranger and do not destroy me, because Christ redeemed me and died for me.

[464] But if some do not want to consider me as a Christian, then they must consider me as a stranger and judge me according to God’s law, as God’s command says. If now princes and lords, citizens and peasants still do not want to spare me, they should spare themselves of God’s judgment. Judgment has always belonged to God, Deuteronomy 1[:17], and not to people, and it forbids anyone to condemn someone on the basis of one person’s testimony [Deut. 19:15]. It also says publicly what will happen to the person who brings false testimony or who purposefully judges falsely, such as those whom they weaken or whom they accuse or injure wrongfully [Deut. 19:16–19]. Now I have not been convicted by two, or even by one witness, and am still accused by everyone as if I were the worst of all. One person does not want to look at me, the other lays traps in order to capture and kill me. The third forbids me to buy food and drink, the fourth floats around in such a way and is so full of threats that I think things would go better in Turkey.

Christ commanded the rulers that they should seek the erring in mercy and bring them back, and leave the ninety-nine sheep to go off until they have brought back the one that errs [Luke 15:4]. It is deplorable to hear how this is now followed in Christendom and it is not a great honor, but he will receive his wages when the just judge holds his court and at that time will judge and punish the merciless without mercy.

Dear Christians, believe evil within measure; consider this one thing, that this evil, this envy and hatred can neither imagine nor speak of anything good. I have incurred envy and hatred through my teaching about the sacrament, so that I have been subject to insurmountable harm. But even if you assume that such envy and hatred was divine in some, there are still many more who know nothing more of God than the miller’s donkey, who understand and love nothing more of my or of Christ’s suffering than did Caiaphas,⁸ who have persecuted me from poisonous envy and hatred and would have slain me if I had not been protected and summoned by God. These hate me without rhyme and reason, have thought up and spread all kinds of lies about me, and have drawn others into their hatred against me. Should all of these things be true, that such evil tongues lie about me? But how can I defend myself against them?

I am supposed to have been the leader or inciter of the peasants, although I had little rest and suffered much danger, great mockery, and violence from the peasants. I can prove the violence I have suffered, but they cannot prove their lies. I cannot do anything [about the fact] that they defame me out of hatred for such teaching, although God has led me to such teaching, whom I cannot resist, nor can I see his way before me, through which he has now led me.

[465] In short, I ask that those who want to do violence to me spare themselves and hold to God’s ordinance. Those who gladly bear about new tidings, I say to them that they should not be comforted by either my books or my teaching. As for the others, though, who desire a true understanding of holy scripture, I advise them to rely on God’s word and ask God for understanding and wisdom, who freely bestows to all who seek in truth.

Anyone who wants to evaluate people as we truly should evaluate and praise people for the sake of their work (as Paul teaches, 1 Thessalonians 5[:13]) will find some who are more suitable than I am, who are of a higher spirit than I am, who are more skilled than I am, whose tongues are more experienced and sure than I. I write this from truth and duty, for each of us should consider others more than ourselves, Philippians 2[:4].

My soul lives for God and justifies his ways, no matter what God does, whether he casts me down or raises me up, so far as he gives and instills in me his good peace, divine will, and strength to obey him, and may he remain my Lord and my God eternally, Amen. Dated Jacobi [25 July], 1525.

There is someone, not unknown to me, who is inserting his own [ideas] into my books, so that I am afraid that now more may happen to me than before, and that this person or other idlers may distribute not only some words and sentences but entire pamphlets behind my back, in which under my name and in imitation of my language such evildoers might attack and insult me or other people.⁹ Therefore everyone is hereby informed, faithfully warned, and cordially requested not to buy any new books with my titles or to consider them to be mine, whatever their contents, if they are not printed in Wittenberg and do not have these initials, H.G.V.B.M., that is, helff God vnd bewar mich¹⁰ on the first page.