# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_October 1862_S299
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

299

(Submitted by Pastor Hoppe in New Orleans.)

A Contribution to the Improvement of the Editions of
Luther's Works, Especially the Erlangen Edition.

Whoever knows Luther's works only superficially might think that, after
the appearance of the Erlangen edition, which, as far as textual criticism is concerned,
takes first place among all the collected editions, little would remain for a later
editor to do beyond simply supplying a reprint
of the Erlangen edition. This opinion is mistaken.
To be sure, little more can be accomplished in the way of bringing to light new writings,
but by taking the opposite course — that everything
contained in the collections be examined most precisely to see
whether it has perhaps been printed more than once, or is also contained in another writing,
or is merely another version of the same piece — a great deal can be
accomplished for the consolidation and improvement of Luther's works.
Even the saving of space would not turn out to be small.
Much could also still be done by way of corrections and a more suitable arrangement.
The carrying out of this task requires a very exact acquaintance
with Luther's writings; hence whoever undertakes it will
soon become aware of its great difficulties.

Before I now communicate the observations on which the statements just
made are grounded, I consider it necessary to warn the reader
not to be quick to pass an unfavorable judgment on the Erlangen edition,
forgetting, in his contemplation of its faults, the many merits
that it has above every other, nor to suppose that it
alone has such shortcomings. Other editions have the same faults just as much, or
even far more. For the moment I am simply not in a position to demonstrate this
for the other editions as I can for the Erlangen one, because they are not
in my hands. Where I make remarks concerning other editions,
I have drawn them either from the references
showing where the writings are to be found in the collections, or from the comparative
register with the Walch edition in the sixty-fifth volume.

The preface to the first part of the first collected edition of Luther's
German writings from the year 1539, Vol. 1, pp. 67–72, is printed once more
in Vol. 63, pp. 401–406.

Concerning the preface to the second part, from 1548, Vol. 63, pp. 407–420,
I wish to remark at once here that it is not by Luther, but is compiled
from three writings. The section pp. 407–412, line 5, is from
the writing "Against the Antinomians," Vol. 32, pp. 10–14; the section
pp. 414–416, "It reminds me" etc. down to "oft and repeatedly bears witness," is
from "Luther's Preface to Urbanus Rhegius's Refutation of the New Münster
Valentinians' and Donatists' Confession," Vol. 63, pp. 333–335.

Into the sermon on the day of the Holy Three Kings [Epiphany], Vol. 10, pp. 416–441,